Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is quite possibly the supplement of choice -when looking for that -weightloss miracle pill. one group of over-weight -women lost 9% body fat in one year's time even though they didn't change their lifestyle or eating habits in any -way.

This is the first time CLA has been researched for it's effects on body composition an the results is clearly remarkable.

Never heard of CLA?

CLA is a naturally occurring fatty acid found in meat and dairy products. It is a popular dietary supplement benefiting people -who -want to lose fat, maintain -weight loss, lo-wer blood pressure, boost their immune system, retain lean muscle mass, and control type 2 diabetes the type of diabetes that is often associated -with obesity.

CLA comes in different concentrations. Products containing 80% CLA is recommended to get maximum -weightloss results.

CLA has been sho-wn to prevent heart disease and several types of cancer. It also appears to enhance the immune system.

one study involving 180 over-weight men and -women, all bet-ween 25 and 30 BMI (body mass index). A BMI an indicator of body fat over 25 has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and other medical problems, such as diabetes. The volunteers -were mostly female 149 -women and 31 men.

Volunteers -were assigned to three groups. The t-wo groups taking CLA got either the typical offtheshelf pills (4.5 grams of 80% CLA) daily or the syrup formulation (3.6 grams of 76% CLA disguised in a capsule) daily. The third group took a placebo capsule filled -with olive oil daily.

Participants -were not required to change their diet or exercise habits. Ho-wever, a nurse did give dietary and exercise advice upon request. Daily calorie intake -was similar among the three groups; all volunteers reduced their calorie intake a little during the study. All got about the same amount of exercise.

This strongly suggests that the observed effects of CLA on body composition -were independent of diet. The decreased calorie intake may be partly due to the supplements and/or a reduced appetite. Also, because volunteers kept a food diary, they learned to cut food intake.

Several times during the 12month study period, the study group came to a clinic to have their -weight, BMI, and blood checked. They also completed questionnaires on their diet and exercise in the previous t-wo -weeks.

At the end of one year:

Both CLA groups lost -weight about 4 pounds; the placebo group stayed the same.

The CLA syrup group had a 9% body fat loss; the CLA pill group had 7% loss; the placebo group had no body fat loss.

Both CLA groups had similar improvements in muscle mass.

Regarding other risk factors:

The CLA pill group had slightly higher LDL bad cholesterol.

The CLA syrup group had slightly lo-wer HDL good cholesterol.

Both CLA groups had higher lipoprotein levels, a marker of inflammation and heart disease.

Both CLA groups had higher levels of leptin, a hormone thought to be a heart disease marker.

Both CLA groups had higher -white blood cell counts, -which could trigger damaging artery inflammation.

The CLA groups had only modest changes in blood sugar levels, a marker for diabetes.

The results of this study corroborate and expand on the findings of the previous shortterm studies. Results sho-w that the effect is greatest in those -with highest body mass index, especially -women -with a 25 to 30 BMI.

As far as the heart disease risk factors, the variations seen in the CLA groups is -within normal physiological range. Increased -white blood cells may reflect the heightened immune response that other studies have sho-wn. In studies in Holland, CLA has been sho-wn to prevent some viral infections.

The mechanism(s) by -which CLA decreases body fat mass and increases lean muscle mass is not completely understood. CLA is kno-wn to accumulate in tissues of animals and humans -where it is readily metabolized. CLA may trigger fat cell death, shrink fat cells, or it may speed up metabolism to promote -weight loss.