DietDrugs-related stories
Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA): Does This Diet Pill Work?
Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a diet pill that some believe will help you build muscle and lose weight.
CLA is a naturally occurring fatty acid found in meat and dairy products. It is responsible for helping to transport, store and metabolize fats in the body. It is produced by bacteria in the gut of animals including sheep, cows and turkeys, and small amounts of CLA are also found in plants such as sunflowers and safflowers. Scientists believe that humans can also produce CLA with a healthy diet and the proper balance of bacteria in their gut.
CLA has been investigated for its anti-cancer properties, and more recently, for its ability as a weight-loss product. This dietary supplement is sold in health food stores as a drug or syrup and claims to help people lose fat, maintain weight loss, increase lean muscle mass and control type 2 diabetes -- the type of diabetes often associated with obesity.
When looking at CLA as a weight-loss aid, registered dietitian and nutrition consultant, Tara Gidus, advises people to proceed with caution.
"First, there is no magic pill out there for weight loss, however, CLA does show some promise," Gidus said. "Quite a few studies have shown a reduction in body fat percentage and maintenance of lean mass when subjects have taken CLA. A meta-analysis was done (as outlined in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2007) looking at all of the research on CLA and the consensus seems to be that it may help aid in loss of body fat."
Experts agree that dieters should not rely solely on diet pills. "The weight loss changes with CLA are small, and someone should not expect fat to melt from their body without reducing calories and increasing activity," stated Gidus.
For more information on weight-loss supplements, check out a review of this FDA-banned diet drug. Plus, That's Fit's nutritionist columnist Johnny Bowden gave his own review of Conjugated linoleic acid for weight loss.
CLA is a naturally occurring fatty acid found in meat and dairy products. It is responsible for helping to transport, store and metabolize fats in the body. It is produced by bacteria in the gut of animals including sheep, cows and turkeys, and small amounts of CLA are also found in plants such as sunflowers and safflowers. Scientists believe that humans can also produce CLA with a healthy diet and the proper balance of bacteria in their gut.
CLA has been investigated for its anti-cancer properties, and more recently, for its ability as a weight-loss product. This dietary supplement is sold in health food stores as a drug or syrup and claims to help people lose fat, maintain weight loss, increase lean muscle mass and control type 2 diabetes -- the type of diabetes often associated with obesity.
When looking at CLA as a weight-loss aid, registered dietitian and nutrition consultant, Tara Gidus, advises people to proceed with caution.
"First, there is no magic pill out there for weight loss, however, CLA does show some promise," Gidus said. "Quite a few studies have shown a reduction in body fat percentage and maintenance of lean mass when subjects have taken CLA. A meta-analysis was done (as outlined in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2007) looking at all of the research on CLA and the consensus seems to be that it may help aid in loss of body fat."
Experts agree that dieters should not rely solely on diet pills. "The weight loss changes with CLA are small, and someone should not expect fat to melt from their body without reducing calories and increasing activity," stated Gidus.
For more information on weight-loss supplements, check out a review of this FDA-banned diet drug. Plus, That's Fit's nutritionist columnist Johnny Bowden gave his own review of Conjugated linoleic acid for weight loss.
Diet drugs found to help you barely lose weight
A recent study indicated that many diet drugs end up having serious side effects while resulting in very little long-term effectiveness for weight loss.
Surprised? Why many people believe a pill can lead to meaningful weight loss is still lost on me, and this recent research seems to support that.
In the study, men and women weighing about 220 pounds lost less than 11 pounds on average after taking diet drugs designed for long-term weight loss. I supposed these drugs could be marketed as moving customers from obese status to overweight status.
Surprised? Why many people believe a pill can lead to meaningful weight loss is still lost on me, and this recent research seems to support that.
In the study, men and women weighing about 220 pounds lost less than 11 pounds on average after taking diet drugs designed for long-term weight loss. I supposed these drugs could be marketed as moving customers from obese status to overweight status.
Coming after Alli, Rimonabant's weight loss hits market
Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
Is the future of weight loss in a pill? I sincerely doubt it, but that is not stopping expensive, FDA-approved diet drugs from finally entering the scene. It makes sense, as over-the-counter weight loss items have been around forever it seems and for some odd reason, people keep buying them.But Alli looks to be different. It's promising no magic weight loss "from a pill" but is being marketed as an assistant to weight loss with proper diet and exercise (how novel!). I'm quite sure Alli is not needed for this, but if it works for you, then great. Hooks are different for everyone.
What about the newer Rimonabant? This drug, known as Accomplia outside the U.S., is another designer drug that I'm looking into as a possible "assistant" to weight loss. A decent dose of scientific information on the drug is available over at The Diet Channel, and for those thinking of Rimonabant, this is worth a read.
