Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)

Information and Review

Conjugated linoleic acid or CLA is used in many diet pills and weight loss supplements. Small studies on conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) suggest that it may reduce body fat and insulin levels in type 2 diabetics. Adverse side effects are frequent, however.

CLA is a naturally occurring fatty acid that was discovered when researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison were searching for carcinogens in hamburger. Lab animals didn't develop cancer, but they did lose a lot of body fat. Scientists aren't exactly sure how the CLA works in the body, but they have speculated that it increases the oxidation of fat while slowing fat buildup.

Early excitement faded when it became clear that the supplement doesn't work as well in humans as it does in lab animals, according to researchers at the School of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison The supplements are widely available, including drugstores, grocery stores and websites, and a month's upply costs around $30.

Commentary: The bottom line with diet pills and supplements is that they have side-effects which make taking them in the long-term unreasonable. Quit taking them and the weight almost always comes back. There is the problem. If any diet pills worked in the long-term they would be sold by giant pharmaceutical companies, not multi-level marketing companies, midnight infomercials and obscure websites. With the epidemic of obesity in the United States they would be impossible to avoid in our society and would be front page news.

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