Lee Swanson Research Update

CLA Study Finds Reduction in Body Mass

August 2004

waist

The first study to document the long-term safety and efficacy of Tonalin® brand conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) found that the supplement reduces body fat mass in overweight, but otherwise healthy adults by as much as nine percent. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted over a 12-month period without additional lifestyle or dietary restrictions.

"The results of this first long-term study indicate that CLA, taken for one year as a dietary supplement, safely improves the ratio of body fat to lean tissue in overweight, but otherwise healthy adults," said Dr. Jean-Michel Gaullier of Scandinavian Clinical Research in Kjeller, Norway. Study participants who took 3.4 g of CLA per day experienced a significant reduction in their body fat mass compared to those in the placebo group. The results confirm a trend observed in previous short-term CLA studies.

In the study, 180 healthy men and women volunteers, ages 18-65, with a body mass index indicating that they were overweight, were randomized to receive softgel capsules containing either 3.4 g CLA-free fatty acid (CLA-FFA), 3.4 g CLA-triacylglycerol or equivalent amounts of olive oil, a placebo. Patients were studied for 12 months.

Weight, BMI, vital signs, and adverse events were recorded every three months. Body composition and blood samples were analyzed at regular intervals throughout the study, and participants were monitored continuously for any signs of adverse events. The study concluded "long-term supplementation with CLA-FFA or CLA-triacylglycerol reduces BFM (body fat mass) in healthy overweight adults."

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 79(6):1118-1125, 2004

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