While many people immediately think of weight gain when they hear "butter and beef," the truth is that all types of natural fats are healthy and even beneficial when consumed in moderation and in high-quality versions. Conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA for short, is a group of chemicals found in the fatty acid linoleic acid.
Top sources of CLA in the diet include full-fat dairy products, beef, and grass-fed butter. While most people think of these foods as "unhealthy" sources of saturated fat, they also provide essential CLA, a type of polyunsaturated fat that we must get from our diet.
The body needs all three types of fat for optimal health because they serve a variety of functions, from pregnancy to digestion to brain function. Not only does eating fat not make you fat, some types of healthy fat are actually among the best fat-burning foods. But the quality of fat is very important, especially when it comes from animal products.
What does CLA do for the body? Known for stopping weight gain and helping build muscle, CLA is found almost exclusively in high-quality beef and butter that comes from healthy, grass-fed cows or other animals.
What is CLA?
Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) is a polyunsaturated fat, specifically an omega-6 fatty acid. It is a form of linoleic acid, which is the most common omega-6 fatty acid found in food.
There are actually 28 different forms of CLA, including 16 naturally occurring CLA isomers that have been identified, but two of them seem to be the most important. They are called "c9, t11" and "t10, c12".
According to research, the benefits of CLA may include:
· Helps with weight loss
· Muscle and strength gains
· Strengthens bones
· Supports growth and development
· Reverses atherosclerosis
· Improves digestion
· Reduces food allergies and sensitivities
· Helps improve blood sugar levels
There is no established daily recommended dose of CLA, but studies have shown that the average daily intake for non-vegetarian women and men is around 152-212 mg. Since CLA is found in animal products, vegetarians and vegans generally have lower intakes.
But aren't omega-6 fats "pro-inflammatory"?
CLA is found in dairy products, ruminant meat, and industrially hydrogenated vegetable oils and other synthetic products. It is believed that certain microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract of ruminants (including cattle, sheep, and goats) convert linoleic acid into different forms of CLA through a process called biohydrogenation. This process changes the position and configuration of the double bonds in the fat, resulting in the formation of single bonds between one or two double bonds.
All types of fats (lipids)-whether they come from animal products, eggs, dairy products, oils, nuts, seeds, or coconut-are made up of fatty acids. Some fats are considered essential fatty acids because the body cannot produce them on its own, while other fats are non-essential because the body can synthesize them from other nutrients. The essential fats we need to get from our diet include polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish, seafood, eggs, and some nuts or seeds) and polyunsaturated omega-6 fats (found primarily in vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds).
Omega-3s are known as anti-inflammatory fats, while omega-6s are considered pro-inflammatory fats. The truth is, we need both of these essential fats to balance our immune, hormonal, digestive, and nervous system functions, which is why there are so many risks with low-fat diets when someone doesn't consume enough healthy fats.
Omega-6 oils are often over-consumed by those following a standard Western diet and are therefore dangerous, primarily because they are found in vegetable oils used to make processed junk foods. Ideally, the intake of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the diet should be balanced, but the standard American diet is much higher in omega-6s, which is why it is called a "pro-inflammatory" diet. Conjugated linoleic acid is an omega-6 fat that we can eat more of because it tends to act like omega-3 foods in the body, helping to lower inflammation and promote other aspects of health. It also helps turn off hunger (by controlling our hunger hormone ghrelin) and can improve your ability to absorb nutrients.
Health Benefits
1. Helps with Weight Loss and Fat Burning
You may find it hard to believe, but it turns out that butter can be a fat-burning food! CLA has been shown in many animal and some human studies to help with fat loss, which is why, in its concentrated form, it is one of the most popular weight loss supplements in the world. Many studies have found that CLA not only reduces body weight and body fat mass, but may also help increase lean body mass in different species.
How does CLA help you lose weight? According to a 2009 report published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, it is hypothesized that CLA reduces adiposity because of its effects on 1) energy metabolism, 2) adipogenesis, 3) inflammation, 4) lipid metabolism, and 5) apoptosis. In some animal studies, CLA (particularly forms 10 and 12) has also been found to increase energy expenditure, increase fat oxidation, and browning of subcutaneous white adipose tissue (i.e., white fat).
Based on the results of numerous animal studies, supplementation with a mixture of CLA (equal concentrations of the 10, 12 and 9, 11 isomers) or the 10, 12 isomers alone reduces body fat mass. Of the two major isomers, the 10,12 form appears to be responsible for much of CLA's anti-obesity effects.
In human studies, CLA's effects on weight loss are somewhat mixed, but still promising. One study found that supplementing with a CLA blend (3-4 grams per day for 24 weeks) reduced body fat mass and increased lean body mass in overweight and obese people. Other studies have shown similar results, and that CLA had no adverse effects on overall lipid profiles, inflammation levels, and insulin responses in healthy, overweight, and obese adults.
It is believed that some people experience better results than others for a number of reasons, including: CLA isomer combination versus individual isomers, CLA dose and duration of treatment, sex, weight, age, and the subject's metabolic state. One possible mechanism by which CLA reduces body fat mass could be that it reduces energy intake or increases energy expenditure. One study showed that mice supplemented with a CLA blend reduced food intake and improved liver function over a four-week period, although studies have yet to show the same effects in humans.
Can CLA reduce belly fat? No single type of food or supplement will specifically target belly fat or fat elsewhere in the body. That being said, since CLA may help with overall weight loss and blood sugar balance, you may lose some belly fat if you take more CLA.
2. Regulates Blood Sugar and Helps Improve Insulin Function
There is strong evidence that CLA intake is inversely associated with the risk of diabetes. It is hypothesized that CLA may be involved in insulin regulation.
We also know that the best food sources of CLA, including healthy fats like butter or grass-fed beef, can stabilize blood sugar and help people stick to a low-sugar, low-carb diet, which is beneficial for managing diabetes.
3. Reduce Allergy and Asthma Symptoms
Consuming foods rich in CLA or taking CLA supplements for 12 weeks seems to improve symptoms and overall health in people with seasonal allergy symptoms. Similarly, other studies suggest that for people with asthma, CLA may be a natural treatment for asthma-related symptoms because it helps control inflammation. 12 weeks of supplementation seems to improve airway sensitivity and exercise capacity.
4. Improves Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms
Early research suggests that CLA is beneficial for lowering inflammation, so it may be beneficial for autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Taking CLA alone or with other supplements, such as vitamin E, can benefit people with arthritis by reducing symptoms, including pain and morning stiffness.
Adults with arthritis who took CLA experienced improvements in pain and markers of inflammation, including swelling, compared to those who treated their pre-symptoms or did not take CLA, meaning CLA could be a natural treatment for arthritis.
5. May Improve Muscle Strength
Although the results are somewhat conflicting, some studies suggest that taking CLA alone or with supplements such as creatine and whey protein can help increase strength and improve lean tissue mass. That's why CLA is often added to some bodybuilding supplements, protein powders, and weight loss formulas.
Food Sources
According to a report published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, the top food sources of CLA include:
· Butter from grass-fed cows (preferably organic)
· Full-fat, preferably raw dairy products, such as cream, milk, yogurt, or cheese
· Grass-fed beef (preferably organic)
· Also found in dairy products from sheep or goats, such as goat milk, and cows
· Lesser amounts in grass-fed lamb, veal, turkey, and seafood
The diet and conditions in which an animal is raised greatly influence the amount of CLA (and other fats or nutrients) provided in their meat or milk.
The percentage of CLA ranges from 0.34-1.07% of total fat in dairy products (making it the top source), followed by 0.12-0.68% of total fat in raw or processed beef products (the second-best source). However, when it comes to animal products, the breed, and especially the animal's diet and quality of life, really influence the fat you get when you eat the animal. In other words, not all beef or dairy products are created equal when it comes to providing healthy fats, such as CLA.
Even the season, farm soil quality, and age of the animals can affect CLA content. For example, one study found that beef and dairy products from grass-fed cows had 300-500% more CLA than those from grain-fed cows.
Grass-fed beef contains higher levels of CLA (and even more omega-3 fats and vitamins) than factory-farmed animals. The same is true for the dairy products we get from cows, including cream or butter. One of the best ways to find high-quality grass-fed beef is to buy it directly from small farms, whether that's visiting farmers markets, joining community supported agriculture groups, or even looking online. If you can't find the perfect product, such as 100% organic and grass-fed beef, do what you can, while also focusing on limiting your intake of industrial and artificial fats.
If all this advice about getting a variety of fats feels overwhelming, just remember that your body works best when you consume a variety of natural fats in their natural form. Butter, beef, and cream aren't terrible, as long as you consume the highest quality products, just as traditional populations have done for thousands of years.
CLA Supplements
Should You Take CLA Supplements? You can also get CLA from supplements, but like most nutrients, supplemental CLA doesn't necessarily have the same health effects as CLA found in whole foods.
The type of CLA in supplements may not be the most potent type; whole foods are made up of c9, t11 CLA, while many supplements are higher in t10, c12 CLA.
While CLA supplements have shown some positive effects in managing the risk and symptoms of certain diseases, most may lack high levels of rumenic acid, the main form of CLA found in whole foods. It makes up about 90% of CLA in ruminant meat and dairy products and is the most biologically active form (9,11 and 10,12 isomers).
On the other hand, in many cases, CLA in supplements is made by chemically altering linoleic acid from unhealthy vegetable oils.
How to Take CLA:
· For some benefits, such as reducing body fat in obese patients, 1.8 to 7 grams of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) per day have been used with success [source]. But smaller doses within that range may be sufficient, as some studies have shown that taking more than 3.4 grams per day does not always seem to provide additional benefits. Other studies have shown that a CLA dose of at least 3 grams per day may be necessary to see effects. It is recommended that the daily dose be divided into 2-3 doses.
· Most studies have used CLA doses between 3 and 6.5 grams per day. Taking 6 grams per day is considered safe for most adults.
· Most studies have tested the effects of taking CLA for durations between 8 weeks and up to 7 months.
· CLA works best when taken before or with meals.
· How quickly do CLA supplements work? It may take 6 to 12 weeks to see results in changes in body composition. Other effects, such as reduced hunger, may be felt within a few weeks of taking CLA.
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