A Supplement That Burns Belly Fat?

Conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, has been touted for its antioxidant and even its anti-cancer properties. Naturally found in meat, eggs and dairy, especially grass-fed, it is also widely available in supplements. Now, research has found that it may also fight belly fat.

A small study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition adds to the growing body of research showing CLA may be effective at reducing fat around the middle. In the current study fifty-five obese postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes received either safflower oil or CLA during two 16-week diet periods separated by a 4-week "washout" period.

Women who received CLA had reduced body mass index and total fat tissue without altering lean mass. The effect of the CLA in lowering BMI was detected during the last 8 weeks of each 16-week diet period. The women taking CLA lost an average of 4 pounds of fat from around their waist area.

There have been a few puzzling and disturbing studies showing that CLA increases insulin resistance in diabetic men, but most researchers believe that the type of CLA used in those studies is different from the type found in high-quality supplements. And since the majority of studies using high-quality supplements has found the exact opposite result, those early studies are probably not a cause for concern.

Always check the percentage of CLA in the capsule -- if the capsule is 1000 mg and it's standardized to 80 percent CLA (a high percentage) that means each capsule equals 800 mg of CLA. You'll need 4 such capsules to equal 3,200 mg of the active ingredient.

Fat loss is also not the only reason you may want to consider CLA. When I was writing my book "The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth", I interviewed Dr. Harry Preuss, the president of the executive committee of the American College of Nutrition and a professor at Georgetown University Medical Center. Here's what he told me:

"In 2005, nearly 300 studies were published on CLA, including studies in which CLA slowed the spread of cancer cells, helped stop bone loss in postmenopausal women, calmed the inflammation of asthma, was linked to lower rates of colon cancer, and boosted immune function."

No supplement -- not CLA nor any other -- can magically make fat melt from your body. But there's good science behind CLA and used conscientiously, in the right dose, combined with a good diet and some exercise, it just might help!

Jonny Bowden, author, nutritionist and weight loss coach cuts through all the misconceptions about diet and fitness to help you transform your body, your health and your life.

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