It seems very good to be true, but a growing number of Americans is buying in the notion that a dietary supplement called conjugate linoleic acid, or CLA, can help them lose weight and increase muscle mass .
A new study funded by the leading manufacturer of CLA suggests only that. But experts say WebMD that claims over the supplement surpassed science. The researcher who discovered CLA says that although he can help people replace fat with muscle, he is not a miracle weight loss help.
"I have tale to people for years that is not a weight loss product", Michael W. Pariza, PhD, tells WebMD. "If someone had the CLA to lose weight, but it does not change your diet or exercise patterns, they will be disappointed."
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CLA is a natural fatty acid found in meat and dairy products, with claims to help people lose fat, maintain weight loss, retain lean muscle mass and type 2 diabetes - the type of diabetes that is often associated obesity.
Early studies after their identification by Parala and colleagues in the late 1970s, raised hopes that could be used to combat human cancer.
The popular dietary supplement is now sold in healthy food stores and on the internet.
In a study published in the last Maystudy last published can involve 180 people who were overweight, those who have taken Cla for a year lost between 7% and 9% of their body fat, although they have not changed their lifestyles or eating habits.
But CLA users lost only a modest amount of weight - 4 pounds during the study of the year. And the investigation did little to silence concerns about the long-term security of the supplement. Volunteers leading to CLA had changes in certain risk factors of heart disease.
CLA users had a "bad" cholesterol slightly higher LDL and a "good" cholesterol of HDL slightly lower than nonusus. And the CLA group had higher white blood cell count and lipoprotein (a) levels - also known as little lipoprotein. Both are inflammation markers linked to heart disease.
In this follow-up study, 134 of overweight participants continued to take the CLA for another year or could begin to take the supplement if they are in the placebo group. Both groups took 3.4 grams of CLA per day and continued their normal lifestyle habits. They ate what they wanted without restricting calories and continued their usual quantities of physical activity.
The study was funded by the company that markets Tonalin CLA, the largest selling mark of the supplement. The findings are reported in April 1 Journal of Nutrition.The group that was already taking Cla did not lose more weight or body fat, but maintained the body fat losses observed in the previous year. People who started taking the supplement during the two year of the study lost an average of 3.5 pounds and also saw reductions in global body fat.
The security image for those who took the supplement for two years was a bit comforting. Total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol were reduced slightly, while HDL cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose levels in fasting blood remained unchanged.
But there were consistent increases in lipoprotein levels associated with using CLA. Lipoprotein levels are believed to be predictors independent of risk of heart disease.
The use of CLA was also associated with increases in white blood cells and blood platelet counts, which suggested an inflammatory response to the use of the supplement. It is believed that inflammatory responses such as these lead to damage to the blood vessel seen in atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.
Researcher Jean-Michel Gaullier and colleagues concluded that the role of CLA in cardiovascular risk is still "misconception."
"Other studies are needed to determine if there is an effect of CLA at cardiovascular risk and inflammation in humans," he wrote.
In a review of CLA survey, the California Nutritionists Lisa Rainer, MS, Rd, and Cynthia J. Heiss, Doctor, concluded that while studies of CLA animals are promising, research in Humans remains inconclusive.
"Existing studies of CLA supplementation in humans are difficult to interpret because of the different measured parameters and dosing variations, duration of administration and subject characteristics," they write.
In an interview with WebMD, Rainer said he would not recommend CLA supplementation for weight control based on the studies she saw.
"More essays need to be made in humans before we actually know the benefits and security in the long run," she says.but paraiza, which began to take cla when it has become available in the supplement form for almost a decade, strongly believes that long-term use by healthy people is not only safe but beneficial.
It says CLA may have merit as a weight loss supplement when combined with other weight reduction treatment or can promote body fat loss and muscle maintenance. It says the supplement can also subsequently reduce the risk of weight recovery.
