CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) Reduces Body Fat in Humans

Article by Don Goldberg

Journal of Internal Medical Research Publishes Fifth Study in 18 Months Showing CLA, Body Fat Reduction Connection 
 
 Vernon Hills, IL - The Journal of International Medical Research (2001: 29:392-296) has published a recent study presented by the Scandinavian Clinical Research AS, Kjeller, Norway, which demonstrates that conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) reduces body fat in humans. This is the fifth study published in a peer-reviewed medical journal within 18 months confirming CLA’s role in body fat reduction. The CLA used in this study was Tonalin® CLA, which provides the highest activity available at 80 percent, and is only available from Natural Inc. 
 The randomized, double blind study comprised of 20 participants, ages 18 to 30, who were recruited from a physical fitness center where they engaged in regular physical training consisting of 90 minutes of strenuous exercise, three times a week. Volunteers were directed not to change their diet or lifestyle during the study. The study was conducted according to the current Declaration of Helsinki, Good Clinical Practice and local health regulations. 
 “Body fat, measured using near infrared light, was significantly reduced in the group taking CLA during the study,” said Ola Gudmundsen, PhD, CEO of Scandinavian Clinical Research, and a co-author of the study. “This study shows those participants who ingested 1.8 grams of CLA per day experienced body fat reduction versus the placebo group. These results confirm a trend seen in several recent CLA studies and suggest the need for the continued study of CLA and its impact on humans.” 
 Dr. Gudmundsen further indicated that while the observations recorded in the Scandinavian Clinical Research report are in accordance with other recent CLA study results, the effect obtained in this Norwegian research is much more pronounced than that previously reported. 
 According to Delbert Dorscheid, MD, PhD, University of British Columbia, “This recently published study in JIMR on the properties of CLA continues to demonstrate that CLA prevents fat from being deposited into the body. As it reduces body fat, it increases lean tissue. This action indirectly boosts a human’s metabolism as lean tissue burns more calories than fatty tissue.” 
 In several recent studies, CLA has received considerable attention due to its metabolic and chemoprotective properties in animals, as well as some similar, initial results in humans. The effects include reduced body fat content, improved serum lipid profiles, decreased aortic lipid deposition, and enhanced glucose metabolism. 
 Previously, a University of Wisconsin study concluded that subjects who stopped dieting and exercising regained less fat and retained more muscle mass when taking CLA versus those who had not. Another study published in The Journal of Nutrition (December 2000) found that without a change in exercise or diet, participants taking CLA experienced an average reduction of six pounds of body fat, compared with a placebo group. Last year, a study that appeared in The International Journal of Obesity (Volume 25, Issue 8, August 2001) showed that male subjects classified as abdominally obese lost an average of one inch from their waistlines in a four-week period when using CLA. Finally, a study that was published in Lipids (August 2001) found that of 53 patients, those taking CLA over the course of a 14-week trial experienced body fat reductions of 3.8 percent. 
 The CLA used in these studies was Tonalin®, manufactured by Natural Inc. Additional human studies on the body fat reduction aspects of CLA are underway and anticipated in the next year. 
 Tonalin® CLA has been available from Natural Inc., based in Vernon Hills, IL, since 1997. Tonalin® CLA has a history of safe and efficacious use, and is found in such U.S. product lines as Natr