Supplementation with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) reduced body fat mass, particularly in the legs and had positive effects on lean body mass, says a new clinical trial supported by Lipid Nutrition.

Writing in this month’s British Journal of Nutrition, researchers from Norway, led by Jean-Michel Gaullier from Link Medical Research AS, report that overweight and obese subjects randomly supplemented to receive a daily dose of Clarinol CLA experienced an average loss of 3.4 per cent in body fat mass, compared to placebo.

“The current study if the first to report that the reduction of body fat mass occurred mostly in the legs and that CLA had a tendency to decrease the amount of abdominal fat mass, which is in-line with the observed significant decrease in the waist-hip ratio,” wrote Gaullier.

With 50 per cent of Europeans and 62 per cent of Americans classed as overweight, the food industry is waking up to the potential of products for weight loss and management, with the category estimated to already be worth $7bn.

The new study, using the Clarinol supplement, recruited 118 overweight and obese men and women (average age 47.3, BMI 28-32 kg per sq.m) and assigned them to receive daily CLA supplements (3.4 grams per day) or placebo (olive oil) for six months in a randomised, double-blind trial.

The researchers report that, at the end of the study, subjects in the CLA supplemented group had significantly reduced body fat mass, compared to placebo, with the reduction most notable in the legs (0.8 kg loss versus placebo).

Lean body mass measurements also increased in the CLA group, by an average of 0.5 kg, while no significant changes in bone mineral density, blood lipid levels, or markers of inflammation.

A difference was also observed between the sexes with women losing more body fat mass than men.

“We conclude that CLA seems to be safe and well tolerated,” wrote the researchers. “The regionalised reduction in fat mass is encouraging and may represent an attractive dietary supplement, especially, but not exclusively, for women with high BMI.”

Source: British Journal of Nutrition
Volume 97, Pages 550-560
“Six months supplementation with conjugated linoleic acid induces regional-specific fat mass decreases in overweight and obese”
Authors: J.-M. Gaullier, J. Halse, H.O. Hoivik, K. Hoye, C. Syvertsen, M. Nurminiemi, C. Hassfeld, A. Einerhand, M. O’Shea, O. Gudmundsen