What is CLA?
CLA, is the acronym for Conjugated Linoleic Acid, a substance extracted from linoleic acid, one of the most key fat acids. CLA operates as a screen, blocking the assimilation of saturated fat produced by fat cells. In most cases these kind of cells process the body fat that was not converted into energy in muscular cells, but the CLA prevents this specific uptake, sending unwanted fat to the muscle tissues.
Despite the fact that there are foods that can provide pretty much the same effect because they contain CLA in their selves, such as fat milk and some sort of meat (beef, lamb and turkey), they contain fat so it better advise to take the CLA as a supplement.
Not only did the subjects that took CLA burned more fat when they slept, the fat they burned was NOT fat they had recently eaten; it was actually stored body fat that they were burning. This study gets even better as the researchers reported that the individuals that took CLA had decreased urinary protein losses. In other words the CLA group had improved protein retention when they slept. These are really interesting findings. If I owned a supplement company that sold large dosages of CLA – my new headline would be “CLA – Scientifically Proven to Burn More Body Fat and Build Muscle while you SLEEP.”
So CLA can work for weight loss but are there any side effects? Again in 2007, another study was published that looked at the effects of CLA on weight loss, this time in obese people. In this study, the participants were given CLA dosages of 0, 3.2, or 6.4 grams/day. At the end of the study the group that received the 6.4 g/d of CLA experienced a significant increase in a compound called C – reactive protein or CRP for short. C – reactive protein is a protein that is released from your liver. It is commonly used in the medical field as a general marker of the level of inflammation in your body – higher CRP means more inflammation.
