CLA Pills.. Should you take it to lose weight?

CLA Pills have been one of the most popular weight loss supplements in the world, and some believe that it can also have other health benefits, like decreasing cholesterol and blood sugar levels.. So basically people are taking those pills for them to lose fat especially around their waist, to boost their energy and to increase their muscle mass. CLA (short for “Conjugated Linoleic Acid”) is a fatty acid that belongs to the fat Group.. More precisely it’s an Omega-6 fatty acid, found naturally in meat (most importantly lamb, goat and sheep ) and dairy products..

Usually, when we say Trans- Fat, we directly link it to high blood cholesterol level and unhealhy oil, but CLA is a Trans- fat, a unique one, found in many healthy foods…

Fine, so everything I said so far is great!

However… 

CLA  found in supplements is NOT derived from natural foods. The pills have undergone a chemical process..

Those pills are made by chemically altering safflower and sunflower oils, which are unhealthy vegetable oils. The linoleic acid in the oils is turned into conjugated linoleic acid via a chemical process.

Many long-term observational studies have been conducted, examining whether people who consume more CLA have a lower or higher risk of disease.

Several of these studies have shown that people who get a lot of CLA from food are at a lower risk of various diseases, including type 2 diabetes and cancer.. (Be careful, CLA from food)

But as I said, CLA pills are made of unhealthy oils, and the same studies mentioned above have shown that, despite lowering body fat, large doses of supplemental CLA can cause increased accumulation of fat in the liver, cause inflammation, cause insulin resistence and decrease HDL, the good cholesterol..

CLA can also cause other less serious side effects like diarrhea, stomach pain, nausea and flatulence , according to a review study.

Personally I don’t think losing a few kilos of body fat is worth the risk of increasing your fatty liver and ruining your metabolic health. Having a fit body is great, but there are other better ways to lose fat that won’t give you a fatty liver and diabetes on the long run.

But if you are exercising intensely a CLA supplement can help aid your fat loss goals, when combined with a good diet and exercise regime. In order to reduce your body fat percentage, 1.8 to 7g of CLA is recommended daily, consumed with meals to reduce the side effects mentioned before, (nausea or an upset stomach).

Hope I answered many of your questions 🙂