CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) is a natural fatty acid found in beef, lamb, turkey and cheese. It is a potent antioxidant, immune stimulant, and anticancer agent in all species of animals tested. It has also been found to ‘repartition’ their bodies, decreasing fat and increasing lean body mass. One human study confirms these results, with other studies underway.
Dose: 1 to 3gm per day is a normal dose for healthy people. A 70kg individual (154 pounds) would need to consume 3.5gm of CLA daily to receive benefit. Most Americans consume only 1gm of conjugated linoleic acid. Whole milk usually contains 2mg per gram of fat but can be increased by feeding cows corn oil. Supplemental CLA is usually derived from safflower and/or sunflower oil.
Preliminary studies in rat models showed that it has a powerful anticarcinogenic effect against mammary tumors. CLA may have a direct effect by reducing the cancer risk of the target organ. It is noted that, unlike CLA, most anticarcinogenic substances come from plant sources.
Cow’s Milk – CLA appears to have an antiproliferative effect on human malignancy. In vitro studies have shown that the milk phospholipid, sphingomyelin, affects three different major antiproliferative pathways which influence oncogenesis. These pathways are inhibition of cell growth, induction of differentiation, and apoptosis.
One-third of all milk triglycerides contain one molecule of butyric acid, which is a potent inhibitor of proliferation and inducer of differentiation and apoptosis in a wide range of neoplastic lines. An animal study suggests that dietary butyrate may also inhibit mammary tumorigenesis, as well as being an important colon cancer protective agent.
Previously, the richest known source of CLA was lamb, with a fairly high CLA content found in beef and dairy products.
It has been discovered that the meat of the Western Grey kangarooPreviously, in some circumstances, contains five times as much CLA as lamb’s meat. Kangaroo has other benefits as well: it’s very lean, and contains lots of iron, zinc and protein.