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Keep the Pounds Off with Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)
There is a great quote from renowned scientist Isaac Asimov that goes like this: “The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds the new discoveries, is not ‘Eureka!’ (I found it) but ‘That’s funny ...’ ” Such is the case with the discovery of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).
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Back in 1979, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison were studying the effects of temperature and time on mutagens in hamburger in hopes of finding optimal cooking conditions to prevent disease associated with undercooked ground beef. What they stumbled upon was the fact that something in cooked ground beef had anti-cancer properties.
It took eight more years to identify this compound as conjugated linoleic acid, and in the 20+ years since the University of Wisconsin’s Dr. Michael Pariza’s discovery, so much more has been learned about conjugated linoleic acid. Not the least of which is its power to help decrease body fat and prevent weight gain!
What is conjugated linoleic acid
Conjugated linoleic acid is a naturally-occurring fatty acid found most abundantly in beef and dairy fats. Cows have a special digestive system that turns the grass they eat into linoleic acid and eventually into CLA, which humans then receive by eating beef and dairy foods. Changes during the past few decades in how cattle are raised mean more cows are grain-fed instead of grassfed.
This, combined with the market trend toward low-fat dairy products, has drastically reduced the amount of conjugated linoleic acid humans get through diet. As a result, most of us aren’t receiving the health benefits CLA offers and, because CLA can prevent fat build-up in the body, this may very well be one of the hidden causes of the current obesity epidemic in the United States.
The health benefits of conjugated linoleic acid
While helping to maintain ideal body weight is conjugated linoleic acid’s current claim to fame, other studies have revealed it to be a multi-beneficial health promoter.
As mentioned earlier, CLA has potent anti-cancer properties.1 Studies conducted over the last 20 years have demonstrated that even small amounts of CLA have been shown to slow the growth of a wide variety of tumors, including cancers of the skin,2 breast,3 as well as cancers of the lung, prostate, and colon.4
And while the anti-cancer aspects of CLA are exciting, the majority of these studies have been performed either on animals or human cancer cells in the laboratory. Scientists admit they are a long way from utilizing CLA to prevent or treat cancer.
Other reported health benefits of CLA include the substantial regression of established atherosclerosis, a leading cause of heart disease,5 and the ability to lower cholesterol.6 But again, these studies were not performed on people.
Conjugated linoleic acid helps maintain lean muscle mass and fight sarcopenia
The one area that has seen extensive human clinical trials involving CLA is weight management. There are upwards of 100 studies showing that CLA has a positive affect on those who are looking to reduce body fat and maintain lean muscle mass. As people age, they experience “sarcopenia”, a degenerative loss of muscle mass and strength. And while sarcopenia is a natural process that comes with aging, it can be slowed and even reversed by CLA.
A 2009 meta-analysis published by researchers from University of Wisconsin-Madison, concluded that fat free mass (muscle) increased in people talking conjugated linoleic acid. And, although the increase in fat free mass was very slight, the onset of the increase began very soon after taking the CLA supplements.7
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This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult with a physician before embarking on a dietary supplement program.
References
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Ip, C., J. A. Scimeca, et al. (1994). "Conjugated linoleic acid. A powerful anticarcinogen from animal fat sources." Cancer 74(3 Suppl): 1050-4.
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Belury MA. Inhibition of carcinogenesis by conjugated linoleic acid: potential mechanisms of action. J Nutr. 2002 Oct;132(10):2995-8.
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Kelley NS, Hubbard NE, Erickson KL. Conjugated linoleic acid isomers and cancer. J Nutr. 2007 Dec;137(12):2599-607.
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De la Torre A, Debiton E, et al. Conjugated linoleic acid isomers and their conjugated derivatives inhibit growth of human cancer cell lines. Anticancer Res. 2005 Nov-Dec;25(6B):3943-9.
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Kritchevsky D, Tepper SA, Wright S, Tso P, Czarnecki SK. Influence of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on establishment and progression of atherosclerosis in rabbits. J Am Coll Nutr. 2000 Aug;19(4):472S-477S
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Navarro V, Macarulla M, et. al Effects of trans-10, cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid on cholesterol metabolism in hypercholesterolaemic hamsters. Eur J Nutr. 2007 May 3;: 17479210.
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Schoeler DA, Watras AC, Whigham LD. A meta-analysis of the effects of conjugated linoleic acid on fat-free mass in humans. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2009 Oct;34(5):975-8.
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Park, Y., Albright, K.J., Liu, W., Cook, M.E., and Pariza, M.W. Effect of conjugated linoleic acid on body composition in mice. Lipids. 1997; 32, 853-858.
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Evans, M. Geigerman, C.,, Cook, J., Curtis, L., Kuebler, B., and McIntosh, M. Conjugated linoleic acid suppresses triglyceride accumulation andinduces apoptosis in 3T3-L1 readipocytes. Lipids. 2000; 35, 899-910.
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Park Y, Albright KJ, Storkson Jm, Pariza MW. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) prevents body fat accumulation and weight gain in an animal model. J Food Sci. 2007 Oct;72(8):S612-7.
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Watras AC, Buchholz AC, Close RN, Zhang Z, Schoeller DA. The role of conjugated linoleic acid in reducing body fat and preventing holiday weight gain. Int. J Obes. 2007 Mar;31(3):481-7. Epub 2006 Aug 22.
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Iwata T, et al. Safety of dietary conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in a 12-weeks trial in healthy overweight Japanese male volunteers. J Oleo Sci. 2007;56(10):517-25.