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Answers to Frequently Asked CLA Questions

Q1: What is CLA, and what is CLA best used for?

A1: CLA, or conjugated linoleic acid, is a fatty acid that comes from meat and dairy products. CLA can be found in foods like lamb, beef, milk, cheese, and even in some processed foods. CLA supplements allow those who are taking them to get beneficial amounts of conjugated linoleic acid without increasing caloric intake.

One of the most researched of all the calorie-burning fats, CLA is one of the only supplements on the market proven to burn fat and build muscle at the same time.

CLA is used to:

• Reduce body fat
• Increase muscle
• Boost the immune system

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Q2: What are the advantages and disadvantages of CLA?

A2: Just like all supplements in Canada, CLA, or conjugated linoleic acid, has its pros and cons. Whether or not you decide to incorporate CLA into your diet depends upon your individual needs and goals.

Advantages of CLA include:

• CLA reduces body fat and increases muscle
• CLA boosts the immune system
• CLA supplements allow you to get the amount of conjugated linoleic acid you need, without eating tons of calories

Disadvantages of CLA include:

• CLA can cause stomach upset and diarrhea
• CLA can aggravate insulin resistance, and may not be ideal for everybody

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Q3: How and when should CLA be taken for optimal results?

A3: CLA, or conjugated linoleic acid, generally comes in caplets and soft gel capsules between 600 and 1,000 mg, as well as in liquid form.

3 grams of CLA has been scientifically proven to improve body leanness AND muscle tone while dieting. This amount of active CLA could only be obtained before by eating 5,000 calories per day of high fat foods, such as cheese and beef. You can now get pure isolated CLA, free from harmful fats such as trans fats and cholesterol, so you can now get just the pure CLA - without all the calories! Up to 9 grams of CLA per day may be taken.

CLA works best when it is “cycled,” meaning that it is taken for three to four weeks, and then discontinued for three to four weeks before the cycle begins all over again. For best results with CLA, follow the manufacturer’s directions.

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Q4: How does CLA reduce body fat?

A4: CLA works to reduce body fat by preventing fat accumulation in fat cells. Fat normally enters the fat cell through a "door" that is controlled by an enzyme, the "key". By acting on this enzyme, or "key", CLA keeps the "door" locked. When the "door" is locked, fat cannot enter the cells thereby not allowing the amount of fat to increase the cells. The less fat that is present in the cells, the smaller and less mature they become, this helps to reduce the level of fat in the body. CLA also works to increase lean muscle tissue activity (calorie burning) by enhancing the enzyme activity in muscle cells.

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Q5: Has CLA ever been studied?

A5: Oh yes indeed. In fact for over 15 years now CLA is among the top 10 of all supplements ever researched. CLA has so much research behind it that there are over 50 patents and patents-pending for its various uses. Studies have ranged from as short as 10 days up to as long as 1 year, and in each study, fat loss was the result. CLA is not a magic bullet, but it comes close.

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