Summary
Conjugated Linoleic Acid, or CLA, is a term used to refer to a mixture of fatty acids that have the general structure of linoleic acid (18 carbons in length, 2 double bonds) where the double bonds exist two carbons away from each other; they are all polyunsaturated fatty acids, and some may be trans fatty acids.
Although many exist, only two are commonly referred to. One called c9t11 (cis-9, trans-11) and the other t10c12 (trans-10, cis-12), named after what bond occurs where on the side chain.
CLA has been investigated to be a fat burner and health promoting agent due to its effect on a molecular signalling receptor family named PPAR which is related to fat burning, steroid signalling, inflammation, and glucose/lipid metabolism.
However, human studies on CLA are very unreliable and the overall effects seen with CLA are not overly potent as well as sometimes contradicting. CLA is a good research standard to investigated fatty acids and the PPAR system, but its usage as a supplement for personal goals is quite lacklustre.
What are other names for Conjugated Linoleic Acid
- CLA
- Rumenic Acid
- Linoleic Acid (the basic fatty acid)
Dosage information
Supplementation of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) tends to be in the range of 3,200-6,400mg daily, taken with meals. This dosage assumes that approximately 70% of the product by weight is comprised of one of the two main active isomers, cis-9 trans-11 (c9t11) and trans-10 cis-12 (t10c12).
Limited studies using higher doses than the aforementioned have failed to find additional benefit, and while this could simply be due to the unreliability of CLA supplements it also means that there is no evidence that doses higher than the above are more effective.
