CLA Helps Prevent Weight and Fat Gain

Research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Guelph, Ontario, has shown that conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) derived from natural safflower oil might have long-term health benefits in preventing weight and fat gain. The results of this study were published in the March 2007 issue of the International Journal of Obesity. 

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison recognized that small, often cumulative weight gains contribute to weight creep during adulthood. They designed a study to determine if CLA supplementation would help overweight adults significantly reduce body fat over a six-month period and prevent weight gain during holiday seasons.

Study subjects included 40 overweightbut otherwise healthymen and women who took 4 grams of Tonalin® CLA (supplied by Cognis, Monheim, Germany) or a placebo every day from August 2004 to March 2005. Participants were also advised to follow healthy lifestyle advice during the study period, and the researchers note that CLA supplementation will probably prove most effective when taken as part of a daily regimen that includes exercise and a reasonable diet.

The study confirmed that taking CLA decreases body fat mass, maintains lean body mass and aids weight management. The researchers findings showed that participants taking the CLA safely reduced their body fat mass by 1 kg and their body weight by 0.6 kg. In comparison, those in the placebo group gained 0.7 kg of body fat mass and 1.1 kg of body weight. These differences between the groups were also statistically significant, and the authors highlight that the reduction in body fat in the group taking CLA was observed despite a decrease in their physical activity during that time. Furthermore, unlike many other studies on body composition, participants in this trial were not restricted by a controlled diet.

These findings suggest that CLA may serve a critical role in reducing a common weight and fat gain that occurs with age, said Dale Schoeller, Ph.D., professor, Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and senior author of the study. For example about 65% of the U.S. population are obese or overweightthats a dangerous trend on many levels. We need more research like this to help overweight individuals when they are susceptible to weight gain.