Conjugated Linoleic Acid: A Functional Food?

Conjugated linoleic acid: a review.

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) refers to a group of positional and geometric isomers of the omega-6 essential fatty acid linoleic acid (cis-9, cis-12, octadecadienoic acid). In humans evidence is currently ambiguous as to whether CLA supplementation has a significant effect on body composition. Despite favorable changes in lipid levels in animal models, a beneficial effect in humans has not yet...

Conjugated Linoleic Acid Targets

Conjugated Linoleic Acid

Conjugated linoleic acid, better known as CLA, is a fatty acid derived from the required nutrient, linoleic acid. The major structural difference between linoleic acid (an 18 carbon, polyunsaturated fatty acid) and CLA, is that linoleic acid has double bonds at carbons 9 and 12 in a cis configuration (methylene interrupted), while CLA has numerous isomers without methylene interrupted conjugate...

Conjugated linoleic acid pork research.

The driving force behind most conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) research in swine has been related to potential improvements in animal production. Early work that used rodent models indicated that feeding CLA could potentially reduce body fat, increase lean content, increase growth rate, and improve feed conversion efficiency. Producer-backed funding organizations were, therefore, receptive to pro...

Conjugated Linoleic Acid – an Update

An article we wrote for the 1998 Illinois Dairy Report (Can Milk Fat be Beneficial to Your Health?) provided a brief description of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a minor component of milk fat. Briefly, CLA is a fatty acid that is synthesized in the rumen during biohydrogenation of linoleic acid (C18:2), the predominant fatty acid in vegetable oils. The pathway of biohydrogenation is C18:2 ? C...