The Research Behind The Fat Burning CLA Supplement
Dan Boyle
Weight control With Nutrition
Lesson Moving right along… Did you know that the supplement industry is a billion dollar profit maker? That covers everything from muscle gainers, fat burners, herbal supplements and so on. Many of these items are in high demand and people pay bookoos of dollars for "miracle" pills and drinks. Most of these I find are a HUGE waste of your paycheck but there is one when it comes to weight loss and control that I actually support. The best part? It doesn't cost an arm and a leg… or anything close to it. The Research Behind The Fat Burning CLA Supplement
Conjugated Linoleic Acid is a supplement that has become popular with sports people all over the world and has also been hailed as a "magic diet pill" by some websites and press. But is it a magical solution to fat loss and muscle gain? First: what is CLA? In the 1970s, Michael Pariza of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, identified a key anticarcinogenic (cancer fighting) factor in beef which came to be CLA. It is actually a group or family of compounds called dienoic isomers, which are all derivatives of linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid. The isomers that make up CLA are found mainly in dairy products and the meat of ruminant animals. Ruminant animals are those who digest food in two steps - first they eat the food, then they regurgitate it and chew the "cud" or "ruminate". Ruminant animals include: cows, bison, sheep, goats and deer. Benefits of CLA As we have said, Pariz found it to be anticarcinogenic, and many studies have shown it to have tumor reducing qualities, but that isn't the end of the story. CLA has been found to:
- Promote fat loss -- particularly abdominal fat.
- Act as an Antioxidant.
- Enhance muscle growth.
- Lower lipids in the blood such as cholesterol and triglycerides and reduce atherosclerosis- cutting the risk of heart disease.
- Stimulate the immune system.
- Improve asthma.
- Control allergies.
- Control blood sugar.
- Increase mineralization in the bones.
CLA, Fat Loss and Muscle Mass1. Michael Pariza and the university found that mice given 2.5mg of CLA, per calories of food consumed, gained 65-73% less body fat in a 6 week period than mice who weren't given CLA. 2. A Norwegian study on the effects of CLA supplementation on healthy, but overweight people, found that all of the people in the study showed a reduction in body fat while also showing an increase in lean muscle. The men and women also had reduced cholesterol and triglyceride levels in their blood following CLA supplementation. 3. Researchers in Sweden gave CLA to obese men over a 4 - week period and found that the men lost an average of 1.4 cm around their waists. 4. Other studies have shown that CLA may be more beneficial in building lean muscle mass rather than reducing body fat. Whether or not it actively reduces body fat is not so important as the fact that it helps build lean muscle -- the more lean muscle we have the more fat we burn naturally anyway! Sources of CLA As already mentioned, CLA is found in the meat and dairy products of ruminant animals. However, modern farming practices and diets have reduced the amount of CLA that we are consuming on a daily basis. Farming -- More cattle and sheep are now being grain-fed rather than being pasture-fed on grass, so CLA levels in meat and dairy products have reduced rapidly. Diet -- Many of us are consuming less red meat such as beef and lamb and are also consuming low fat or nonfat dairy products because of our concern over eating too much saturated fat. Modern farming and modern diets mean that we are not consuming enough CLA to reap the benefits. Studies have shown that we need about 3.4g of CLA per day to benefit from its properties and that would mean us eating a large amount of saturated fat and therefore canceling out the health benefits of CLA entirely! So, how can we obtain enough CLA. Well, the only way is to take CLA supplements. CLA Supplements When choosing a CLA supplement you will need to look carefully at the amount of CLA in the supplement because you need 3.4g per day. Look at the percentage of CLA in the supplement and how many mg the supplement is. For example, if the supplement is 80% CLA and the tablet is 1000mg then you are getting 800mg of CLA from each tablet and so will need to take 4-5 per day to hit your target. General advice is that you should look for a CLA supplement where the CLA is from safflower oil and NOT sunflower oil. Sunflower oil is cheaper and some companies have been known to use a mixture of safflower and sunflower. Check the labels. Tonalin is the leading brand of CLA and the company uses a special procedure to convert the linoleic acid from safflower oil to conjugated linoleic acid, CLA. Tonalin tablets are 1000mg. Tonalin advise taking their CLA supplement with food and it has been found that it is helpful to take it with low-fat or non fat milk to aid protein absorption. Side Effects No serious adverse side effects of CLA supplementation have been reported but some people do complain of nausea and mild stomach upsets when first using the supplement. This all seems to settle down within a couple of weeks and taking the supplements with food or milk can prevent nausea. To Sum It All Up Research and studies into the benefits of CLA are still being carried out but so far CLA looks to be an incredibly useful "tool" in an athlete's "tool kit" to promote lean muscle mass, reduce body fat and give many other health benefits. It is 100% natural, is not a drug, and it doesn't appear to have any adverse side effects. However, it is not a magic pill, and needs to be part of your regime or plan -- a plan that incorporates a regular training plan and a healthy diet.
That completes your Weight Control Nutrition Course... I am confident that the information you learned will help you not only lose the unwanted fat, but help keep it off! Get more information about exercises to lose weight and make sure you check out our fitness courses podcast where we talk about current fitness events and give you help to get great results.
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