CLA supplements: Worth a try?
CLA is a supplement that's becoming more and more popular, especially
with people who struggle to manage their weight and seem to yo-yo
between weight loss and weight gain.
Although CLA has been researched for many years, no studies have
examined their long-term safety. That all changed when the Journal
of Nutrition published a study conducted by a team of scientists
from several medical centers in Norway.
More than 150 overweight subjects took part in a one-year trial
that compared the effects of CLA to a placebo. At the end of the
year 134 subjects agreed to continue for an additional year, with
each subject receiving 3.4 grams of CLA daily.
Subjects who started out with the highest fat lost the most during
the first year. And they didn't regain any of the fat over the full
two-year testing period, avoiding the yo-yoing effects of weight
loss and regain. Subjects who took CLA only during the second year
lost an average of 3.5 pounds.
As for safety issues, the researchers found CLA to be well tolerated.
A small percentage of mild reactions (mostly gastrointestinal) were
reported, and the rate of adverse events decreased during the second
year of the study.
That's the good news. There were several aspects of the study that
weren't so good.
First, subjects who took CLA only during the second year of the
study lost an average of just 3.5 pounds. Not each month, or each
week, but in a year!
"I have been telling people for years that this is not a weight
loss product," says Michael W. Pariza, PhD. "If someone
takes CLA to lose weight but doesn't change their diet or exercise
patterns they are going to be disappointed."
The funding also came from Cognis, a company that produces a popular
CLA supplement called Tonalin.
In some subjects, lipoprotein levels increased. This is the same
response seen with other trans-fatty acids (CLA is a trans-fatty
acid). Meanwhile, other subjects had an increase in white blood
cells and blood platelet counts, suggesting an increase in inflammation.
Related Articles
Reference
Gaullier JM, Halse J, Hoye K, Kristiansen K, Fagertun H, Vik H,
Gudmundsen O. (2005). Supplementation with conjugated linoleic Acid
for 24 months is well tolerated by and reduces body fat mass in
healthy, overweight humans. Journal
of Nutrition, 135, 778-784
|
