Landmark safety study confirms CLA role in long-term body
fat reduction
24 month study published in The Journal of Nutrition
shows conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) maintains lean body
mass (LBM) and reduced body fat mass (BFM) levels and so
promotes healthy weight management.
A two-year study just published in the April issue of the
prestigious Journal of Nutrition1 concludes that long-term
supplementation with conjugated linoleic acid (Tonalin®
CLA) is safe and well tolerated. Furthermore, it confirms
that taking CLA decreases BFM and maintains LBM and so also
aids weight management, reducing the potential ‘yo yo’
effect often associated with diet plans.
Overweight subjects who took 3.4 grams of CLA per day
lost body fat in the first 12 months of the study, and were
able to avoid regaining that fat in the second 12 months.
The results of the study corroborate and expand upon earlier
findings, published last spring in the American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition, which revealed that CLA reduced body fat
mass in overweight, but otherwise healthy, adults by as much
as 9 percent. They also revealed that people with the
highest body mass index (BMI) and body fat mass, especially
women. were more likely to lose body fat than those with
lower BFM.
Weight management is key, as research has shown that
almost all dieters regain the weight they have lost within
five years. This study shows that healthy, overweight
participants taking a conjugated linoleic acid supplement (Tonalin®
CLA) for two years lost body fat and did not regain it. “CLA
helped study participants keep off lost weight while
maintaining lean body mass – which keeps the metabolism
going strong and burning calories, thereby reducing the
chances of weight regain,” said Dr. Jean-Michel Gaullier of
Scandinavian Clinical Research in Kjeller, Norway, and
project manager of the CLA study.
Some 231m Europeans attempt some form of diet, but of
these, only 1% will achieve permanent weight loss.2 “Having a
product that reduces the health risks of going on and off
diets - the ‘yo-yo’ effect - is groundbreaking. Interest in CLA has been spurred by
consumers’ increased demand for safe, stimulant-free
products for reducing unwanted inches,” said Dr. Michael W.
Pariza, director of the Food Research Institute (University
of Wisconsin-Madison) and a renowned CLA expert.
Another important finding is that CLA supplementation
helps lower levels of leptin. High levels of the hormone
leptin are associated with increased body weight. Over the
course of 24 months, leptin levels dropped 20-35 percent as
study subjects lost body fat.
This is the first study to document the long-term safety
and efficacy of CLA supplementation over a two-year period
without lifestyle or dietary restrictions. It began as a
randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study over a
12-month period, but was later extended by a further 12
months as open treatment. Of the original 180 subjects
starting in year 1, 134 volunteered to participate in the
extension, and 125 completed the entire 24 months. The
second 12 months were aimed at evaluating the safety of CLA
and assessing its effects on body composition (body fat
mass, lean body mass, bone mineral mass, body weight and
BMI) over a prolonged period of time.
Overall, CLA supplementation for 24 months in healthy,
overweight adults was well tolerated. Most of the adverse
effects reported during the double-blind phase were
unrelated to the use of CLA (94 percent). The remainder (6
percent) were rated “mild” reactions, with the most frequent
complaints being gastrointestinal in nature, evenly
distributed over all groups including the placebo group.
The CLA used in this study was Tonalin® CLA,
an exclusively licensed product of the Cognis Group,
available in Europe as an ingredient for food supplements,
functional foods and beverages. CLA is a polyunsaturated,
conjugated fatty acid that is a natural part of the human
diet - found mainly in dairy and meat products - but as
eating patterns and cattle feeding habits have changed, the
daily dietary intake of CLA has declined. It is thought that
CLA has two main sites of action: the adipocytes or fat
cells, the principal site of fat storage, and the skeletal
muscle cells, the principal site where fat is burned for
energy. It has been proposed that CLA decreases body fat
mass through four actions: by decreasing the amount of fat
stored after eating, increasing the rate of fat metabolism,
increasing the rate of fat breakdown in fat cells, and
decreasing the total number of fat cells.
As the latest research shows, CLA’s primary benefit is
body fat reduction and helping to prevent fat regain - and
as such it could be a valuable addition to a healthy diet
and exercise programme for weight management.
For information in Europe about Tonalin® CLA
call +49 (2173) 4995116, email
www.cognis.com
- Gaullier, J-M et al J. Nutr. 2005 135:778-784.
- Datamonitor Dietwatchers Report, 2003.
About Tonalin® CLA:
TONALIN® is the original brand of CLA and is
an exclusively licensed product of the Cognis Group. CLA is
a polyunsaturated, conjugated fatty acid that is a natural
part of the human diet found primarily in meat and dairy
products. Cognis produces TONALIN® CLA through a new
proprietary process that converts linoleic acid from
safflowers into CLA, providing the highest quality of CLA
available. TONALIN® CLA contains the lowest
amount of non-naturally occurring isomers, a
patent-protected attribute that provides food manufacturers
with the highest levels of ingredients known to be
beneficial. CLA is available in several product forms – oil
and water-dispersible powder – that offer food manufacturers
a broad range of options for their new products.
Notes to Editors:
For more information about Cognis Nutrition & Health and
Tonalin® CLA, visit
www.cognis.com
For study abstract: please visit the Journal of Nutrition
at
www.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/135/4/778
For background information to the study and Tonalin®
CLA (Europe) contact:
Katie Randerson Phone: +44 (0)20 8873 1871, email:
katie@ktconsulting.biz
Val Holmes Phone: +44 (0)20 8979 2333, email:
valerieholmes@btinternet.comm
About Cognis:
Cognis (www.Cognis.com) is a worldwide supplier of
innovative specialty chemicals and nutritional ingredients.
It employs about 8,100 people, and has production sites and
service centers in 30 countries. The company has dedicated
its activities to a high level of sustainability and
delivers natural source raw materials and ingredients for
food, nutrition and healthcare markets, and the cosmetics,
detergents and cleaners industries. Additionally, Cognis
provides solutions for a number of other industries, such as
coatings and inks, lubricants, textiles and plastics, as
well as agriculture and mining. Cognis is owned by private
equity funds advised by Permira, GS Capital Partners, and
Schroder Ventures Life Sciences. In 2004 , Cognis recorded
sales of 3.07 billion Euros and an operating profit before
depreciation, amortization and exceptional items (EBITDA
adjusted) of 362 million Euros. |
