Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fatty acid that’s been praised for its ability to fight cancer, diabetes and fat, is in the news again. This time, a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found that CLA does, in fact, help people to lose weight.

The meta-analysis found that people who took 3.2 grams of CLA a day had a drop in fat mass of about 0.2 pounds a week (that’s about one pound a month) compared to those given a placebo.

Previous studies have also shown that CLA appears to reduce body fat while preserving muscle tissue, and the compound has become a huge boon to the supplement market, popular with bodybuilders and dieters alike.

However, there is one major caveat here, and that’s the source of the CLA. If you buy CLA supplements you are likely to get the side effects discussed in the article -- increases in blood levels of C-reactive protein, lipoprotein and leptin (signs of heart disease) and even an increase in insulin resistance (a sign of type 2 diabetes).

Why? Because when you take CLA in supplement form you are getting the fat unnaturally and out of balance. The absolute BEST way to get CLA is naturally from grass-fed beef. Grass-fed animals have from three to five times more CLA than grain-fed animals.

So if you’re looking to get more CLA in your diet, please do so naturally. Aside from grass-fed beef, dairy products from grass-fed cows like raw milk, raw butter and raw milk cheese are also good choices for CLA, which allows you to pick the foods that apply to your nutritional type.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition May 2007, Vol. 85, No. 5, 1203-1211

The New York Times May 29, 2007
 

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fatty acid that's been praised for its ability to fight cancer and diabetes, is once again in the news, this time for its ability to help you lose weight. Previous studies have shown that CLA reduces body fat while preserving muscle tissue, making the compound a huge boon to the supplement market, popular with bodybuilders and dieters alike. What's more, studies have shown that CLA may also: Increase your metabolic rate, a positive benefit for promoting normal thyroid function Help maintain normal cholesterol and triglyceride levels Enhance your immune system However, there is one major caveat here, and that's the source of the CLA. If you buy CLA supplements you are likely to get the side effects discussed in the article -- such as increases in blood levels of C-reactive protein and increased insulin resistance. Why? Because when you take CLA in supplement form you are getting the fat unnaturally and out of balance. The absolute BEST way to get CLA is naturally from grass-fed beef (grass-fed animals have from three to five times more CLA than grain-fed animals). So if you're looking to get more CLA in your diet, please do so naturally. Aside from grass-fed beef, dairy products from grass-fed cows such as raw milk, raw butter and raw milk cheese are also good choices for CLA.

Related Articles:

The Growing Demand for Grass-Fed Beef in America

Lower Your Risk of Colon Cancer With the Right Fat

The Truth About Saturated Fat