Plus, fight inflammation linked to cancer and heart disease.
Found in grass-fed beef, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) appears to benefit a range of inflammatory conditions—atherosclerosis, cancers, colitis, metabolic syndrome, and rheumatoid arthritis—according to new research at University College Dublin. Other studies show that CLA reduces oxidative stress in cancer and enhances the body’s immune response.
That’s good news for anyone interested in healthy weight loss, even kids. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that this omega-6 fatty acid is effective for obese and overweight children.
Norwegian investigators have found that CLA leads to a stunning 20% loss of body fat in proportion to lean tissue. Obese postmenopausal women with Type 2 diabetes were able to lower both their body mass index (BMI) and overall body fat in just 8 weeks by taking CLA!
Overweight individuals taking this good omega-6 fat also lost, on average, 7 pounds—without making any dietary changes. And Dutch scientists recently confirmed CLA’s safety—even megadoses taken every day do not affect kidney and liver function in humans.
Dr. Ann Louise’s Take:
For years, I have marveled at the way CLA targets belly fat—so I’ve made this omega-6 fat part of the tried and true Fat Flush regimen.
Changes in America’s food supply have made it difficult to get sufficient amounts of conjugated linoleic acid in the diet. For example, cows allowed to graze on grassy pasture have 500% more CLA in their milk than those fed today’s typical diet, high in grain. And removing the fat in low-fat and reduced-fat dairy also reduces this beneficial omega-6.
Meat from grass-grazing livestock has half the saturated fat as that from animals fed chemically altered grains. Like cattle, chickens that feed on pasture also have less cholesterol, saturated and total fat—and 100% more omega-3 fats.
As opposed to grain-fed livestock, grass-fed meats not only add fat-fighting CLA to your diet but also supply cancer-fighting antioxidants. That’s why I recommend grass-fed meats as a lean protein source in Fat Flush for Life.
The Cancer Connection
Lab research shows isomers in CLA help to combat breast, colon, and prostate cancer cells. And a current study in the Journal of Nutrition shows that this omega-6 fat offers protection against inflammation-induced cancers in mice.
A 2007 report from the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research also finds “convincing” evidence for a cause-and-effect relationship between obesity and postmenopausal breast, colon, endometrial, esophageal, kidney, and pancreatic cancer. The same report cites obesity as a “probable” cause of gallbladder cancer.
“As time goes on, we’re realizing that obesity is related to more cancer than we originally suspected,” says Donald Hensrud, MD, MPH, associate professor of preventive medicine and nutrition at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. And preliminary research suggests that healthy weight loss may lower cancer risk.
How Much CLA?
Taken as a concentrated supplement, CLA prompts the body to burn stored fat, resulting in a proportional increase in lean muscle mass, which in turn burns even more fat. And it does this while contributing to healthy weight loss—even without exercise.
Recent research in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that women need to work out at least an hour a day to lose weight. And most women I know aren’t able to exercise that much!
A 2009 lab study shows that CLA may even help protect against muscle loss in the elderly. “Such age-related loss of muscle-mass has far-reaching consequences for the elderly, including impaired physical function, increased risk of falls, fractures, dependency, and death,” investigators say.
To fight both fat and inflammation, try CLA-1000, at the research-based dose of 3 to 6 softgels a day—a level far below the megadoses (19 grams) recently deemed safe. To target belly fat or more rapid weight loss, start with 6 softgels daily for several weeks. Then cut back to 3 softgels once desired results have been obtained.
Sources:
Fat Flush for Life
The Fat Flush Plan
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/303/12/1173
www.latimes.com/features/health/fitness/la-he-obesity-cancer-20100322,0,2957276.story
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20223456
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20219103
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20171598
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20223456
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20136431
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19525080
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20089779
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20043266
www.nutraingredients.com/Research/CLA-shows-weight-management-benefits-for-children/
www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Study-adds-to-compelling-CLA-safety-evidence
www.nutraingredients.com/Research/CLA-may-protect-against-elderly-muscle-loss
Visionary, health guru, diet/detox expert, author, spokesperson, role model, and natural foods icon, Ann Louise Gittleman has always been a trendsetter. 
I am 73 years old, have high blood pressdure which is under control with meds, take coumadin and have a pace maker, csn I t ake cla?
In Fat Flush, you recommended taking CLA when you went on maintence. Since I’m haven’t reached my goal yet, can I take CLA now along with GLA ,the Weight Loss and Vitamin Pills that are recommended?
I am confused. I just read “The Ultimate Omega Diet” and the author was saying that americans get an average ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 of 10:1, but if they eat at fast food places they can get as high as 20:1. He says the recommendation of 2:1 of O6 to O3 is much healthier. He listed studies showing that even getting down to a ratio or 5 to 1 or better yet 4 to 1 could reverse many inflamation related health issues like arthritis, asthma, heart disease, dibetes, and sleep disturbances. He said we needed to reduce Omega 6 to achieve this goal. His emphasis was on Omega 3′s because we needed all forms of it (ALA, DHEA, & EPA). He pointed out that most mayonaise, salad dressings and many other foods had soy oil, or corn oil making the amounts of Omega 6 so high in our diets. Recommended good Omega 6 consumption according to him is 2200 to no more than 6600 units. The point in his book was that having more Omega 3′s and in correct ratio to Omega 6 is what reduced inflamation. I definitely need to reduce my inflamation. I have cut out every product with soy oil, and corn products just this week. I have even thrown away my beloved best foods mayo. Is he not right?
I have tried cla in the past and found that it upset my stomach. It did the same for my husband. Is this a normal reaction or are there “different” kinds of cla? I would love to take for belly fat. Thanks for your reply.
I have found that CLA upsets my stomach also, and makes me rather bloated. I do not take it for those reasons. I read somewhere that some people react that way to CLA, so I guess it is not uncommon.
I took CLA for the longest time with fairly good results. However, I was a Whole Foods the other day looking for CLA when a young woman who works there in the vitamin/ supplement section said they do not carry it anymore because of a possible correlation between CLA and fatty liver disease. Apparently, this can happen in some people and make them more resistant to insulin. I would love to know more about this and to see if it is in fact true. It’s a shame because clearly CLA also has many benefits. I mentioned it to my doctor and he confirmed that it can happen and so I have stopped taking it for the moment. I have not had liver enyme function tests done recently to see if taking the supplement contributed to this problem, however, a recent abdominal cat scan did show a spot on my liver.
How much CLA is there in about 8 ounces of grass-fed red meats [grass-finished as well]… do you know?
Conjugated Linoleic Acid is not the same as linoleic acid which has been implicated in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. See this study from the Journal of Nutrition: http://www.lef.org/whatshot/2005_01.htm#chpa
In addition, Conjugated Linoleic Acid is not like any other omega-6 which ideally should be in a 1:1 ratio with omega-3s according to the paleolithic model. There are many studies which demonstrate the ability of CLA to not only target tummy fat but to also act as a strong antioxidant in the prevention of degenerative disease. You can find more on these studies in both The Fat Flush Plan and Fat Flush for Life.