Tonalin CLA : The Dangerous Side

Tonalin CLA is a dietary supplement that contains conjugated linoleic acid, a chemical found in fatty acids, that is marketed as decreasing body fat. According to the makers, this formula can help support reduced body fat and increase muscle retention.CLA or conjugated linoleic acid is a naturally occurring fatty acid in animal tissues and food sources, including beef, poultry, eggs and dairy products such as cheeses, milk and yogurt. Tonalin is from Safflower oil. CLA may help to limit the uptake of dietary fat by your fat cells. If your uptake is limited, the amount of fat deposited in the cell is reduced, and the size of your fat cells remains small. Other researchers propose that CLA may increase the ability of your body to burn fat.

Despite the fact that the makers of Tonalin CLA state that the supplement is “completely safe,” conjugated linoleic acid does pose some risks. Like any other drugs, Tonalin CLA can presents a series of potential side effects. These usually involve an upset stomach or diarrhea, and in some cases acne.

The patients’ reaction this supplement may vary from one user to another, therefore its effects can differ. It depends entirely on the body type, diet and metabolism of the user. There were several studies performed on CLA, and most of them proved that the substance can reduce body fat, lower cholesterol, as well as blood sugar levels in patients with diabetes.

Vascular Damage- Studies from Italy show that CLA has potential to cause vascular damage in the long term. A major ruling by the European Food Safety Authority has rejected the notion that CLA and body fat mass reduction are linked, instead calling attention to the limited available data and the negative effects on vascular function.

Fatigue- One study from Norway showed that small doses of CLA can cause a minor decrease in body fat mass. However, one major side effect of CLA consumption was extreme fatigue.

The diet supplement conjugated linoleic acid, better known as CLA, has created some excitement in the weight-loss world for its advertised ability to help overweight people shed unwanted pounds. But new studies suggest that CLA may have some previously unknown, unsavory side effects. One needs to be careful and consult a doctor before taking such supplements.

Side effects are incredibly rare and the positive benefits certainly outweigh the small risk that CA supplements  can bring.

What is CLA?

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a naturally occurring trans fatty acid made from omega-6 essential fatty acids in the guts of pastured ruminants such as cows, goats, and sheep. If you’re hearing warning bells over the phrase “trans fatty acid,” it’s because trans fatty acids have recently received a lot of negative attention from health experts. However, the general consensus is that man-made trans fatty acids may not be healthy for humans. CLA, however, is a naturally occurring trans fatty acid, and is exempted from the labeling requirement because it is not considered to be harmful.

Naturally present in dairy and beef, CLA consists of subcomponents called isomers. Different isomers have been isolated in animal research as having various health benefits. For example, the isomer most prevalent in dairy products has potential anti-carcinogenic benefits, while the one most prevalent in pastured beef is potentially effective in the regulation of body fat. Some research suggests other CLA isomers could have other health benefits such as protecting the heart, preventing thickening of arteries, preventing cancer, particularly breast cancer, and helping to regulate the immune system. CLA is not an essential fatty acid, so technically we don’t have to have CLA in our diets in order to be healthy. However, CLA has many potential health benefits which make it a welcome addition to a diet designed to nourish and protect. CLA is unique among foods with possible anti-cancer activity because it is derived from animal products, and seems to be effective in amounts humans typically get from eating food.

Unlike other fatty acids, the human body cannot make CLA. We must rely on animal and dairy products for our intake of this nutrient. Changes in food processing, farming and the modern diet have contributed to an 80% reduction in the amount of CLA we take in. Because of the reduced consumption of red meat and dairy products, many of us do not have helpful quantities of CLA in our diets.

CLA is a newly discovered good fat that may be a potent cancer fighter. In animal studies, very small amounts of CLA have blocked all three stages of cancer: 1) initiation, 2) promotion, and 3) metastasis. Most anti-cancer agents block only one of these stages. What’s more, CLA has slowed the growth of an unusually wide variety of tumors, including cancers of the skin, breast, prostate, and colon.

Individuals get asthma when they produce much higher levels of leukotrienes, which are fatty molecules of the immune system and at least 1000 times more potent than histamine at causing bronchial constriction. These highly inflammatory leukotrienes are produced when an enzyme known as 5-lipoxygenase (5-lipox) acts on a particular fat called arachidonic acid (AA).

CLA helps fight 5-lipox and AA inflammation without harming your arteries. CLA does this by converting inside your body to both DHA and EPA, both of which have powerful anti-inflammatory properties.

• Cardiovascular disease
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol and triglycerides
• Osteoporosis
• Insulin resistance
• CLA’s actions actually mimic the effect of synthetic diabetic drugs. Testing on mice with type 2 diabetes has shown CLA to improve insulin action and reduce circulating glucose. Even better, the early results from human trials are just as positive when consuming CLA for longer than eight weeks.
• Inflammation
• Immune system invaders
• Food-induced allergic reactions

Different Weight Loss Supplements

You can lose weight without starving yourself or drastically restricting your food choices. You can eat reasonable portions and put in reasonable workouts at the gym, and you can shed fat while you do it.  There are several weight loss supplements that are available in the market but listed here are few that are effective and not artificial-

1. Chitin is a cellulose-like biopolymer found mainly in the exoskeleton of marine animals such as shrimp, crabs, or lobsters. Chitin can also be found in mushrooms and yeasts. Chitosan is a chemically processed form of chitin. “Squid pens,” waste shell by-products of squid processing, are a renewable and inexpensive source of chitosan. There is some evidence of the effect of chitosan on lowering cholesterol and body weight.Chitosan dressings are sometimes used in emergency rooms to control bleeding. Chitosan has been used in various drug delivery systems. Antimicrobial and other effects are being evaluated for use in dentistry.
2. Chromium picolinate is a chemical compound sold as a nutritional supplement to treat type 2 diabetes and promote weight loss.This bright-red coordination compound is derived from chromium (III) and picolinic acid. Small quantities of chromium are needed for glucose utilization by insulin in normal health, but deficiency is extremely rare and has only been observed in hospital patients on long-term defined diets. Chromium has been identified to regulate insulin by increasing the sensitivity of the insulin receptor.
3. CLA (short for “Conjugated Linoleic Acid”) is found naturally in beef and dairy, and has been shown to cause fat loss in many studies. The main dietary sources of CLA are animal foods from ruminants, such as cows, goats and sheep.The total amount of CLA in these foods varies greatly depending on what the animals ate. It’s important to keep in mind that the CLA you find in supplements is NOT derived from natural foods. It is made by chemically altering safflower and sunflower oils, which are unhealthy vegetable oils. The linoleic acid in the oils is turned into conjugated linoleic acid via a chemical process. For this reason, CLA taken in supplement form does not have the same health effects as CLA gotten from foods.
4. Glucomannan is a natural, water-soluble dietary fiber extracted from the roots of the elephant yam, also known as konjac. It is available as a supplement, in drink mixes and is also added to food products, such as pasta and flour. It is also the main ingredient in shirataki noodles. Glucomannan comprises 40% of the dry weight of the elephant yam, which is originally from Southeast Asia. It has a long history of use in herbal mixtures and traditional foods like tofu, noodles, and konjac jelly. It absorbs so much liquid that if you empty a glucomannan capsule into a small glass of water, the entire thing turns into a gel. These unique properties are believed to mediate its effects on weight loss.
5. Green Tea Extract- Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a compound found in green tea, was shown to increase fat oxidation by 33 percent.This result comes from one of many studies that have looked at green tea’s potential in weight loss. EGCG has been shown to be a key component in many of these studies. There are a number of ways the EGCG could help aid weight loss:

• It could increase metabolism and fat oxidation
• It could inhibit fat cell development
• It could increase fat excretion

6. Green tea does appear to have fat-burning properties, which are related to a class of polyphenols called catechins. Catechins are naturally occurring antioxidants, which have been reported to have a number of physiological and pharmacological properties.
7. Green coffee beans are basically just unroasted coffee beans. Chlorogenic Acid is believed to be the main active ingredient in green coffee beans. That is, the substances that produces the weight loss effects. Some human studies suggest that it can reduce the absorption of carbohydrates from the digestive tract, which lowers blood sugar and insulin spikes. If this is true, then taking green coffee bean extract would be like eating a slightly lower carbohydrate diet.

Side Effects of CLA Safflower Oil

Conjugated linoleic acid, also known as CLA, refers to a group of chemicals found in the fatty acid linoleic acid. Dairy products and beef are the major dietary sources. Conjugated linoleic acid is effective for fighting cancer, reducing “hardening of the arteries” (atherosclerosis), obesity, weight loss, bodybuilding, and limiting food allergy reactions.

Conjugated linoleic acid is likely to be safe when taken by mouth in amounts found in foods and is POSSIBLY SAFE when taken by mouth in medicinal amounts (larger amounts than those found in food). It might cause side effects such as stomach upset, diarrhea, nausea, and fatigue.

Safety is the most important issue to consider in your decision of taking a supplement. Currently, the available research leaves unanswered questions as to whether long-term use of CLA supplements by humans is safe. Safety and toxicity levels have not yet established and side effects have not been well documented. However, there are many studies out there that support its use for weight loss with no side effects.

Children: Conjugated linoleic acid is possibly safe for children when taken by mouth in medicinal amounts for up to 7 months. There is not enough evidence to know if long-term use is safe. However, children on the supplement also showed a dip in their blood levels of “good” HDL cholesterol and a lesser gain in bone mass over time. The findings suggest that while CLA might help slow body fat gain, its overall safety and effectiveness of children needs to be studied further

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: Conjugated linoleic acid is likely to be safe when taken by mouth in food amounts. But there is not enough evidence to know if conjugated linoleic acid is safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

Bleeding disorders. Conjugated linoleic acid might slow blood clotting. In theory, conjugated linoleic acid might increase the risk of bruising and bleeding in people with bleeding disorders.

Diabetes: There are concerns that taking conjugated linoleic acid can worsen diabetes. Avoid use. Experts on CLA admit that not enough is known about the association of developing diabetes with CLA and whether it is dependent on the type of CLA taken, its dosage, health of an individual before taking CLA or how closely results from animal studies apply to humans. And, some studies report not observing this effect in their subjects.

However, in recent research, researchers have reported that CLA may indeed be involved in insulin regulation. And therefore, concerns of a risk of developing diabetes from taking a conjugated linoleic acid supplement may have some merit and should be avoided until more is known.

Metabolic syndrome: There are concerns that taking conjugated linoleic acid might increase the risk of getting diabetes if you have metabolic syndrome.

Surgery: Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) might cause extra bleeding during and after surgery. Stop using it at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.

Some people report feeling nauseous after taking CLA and more rarely gastrointestinal upset or loose stools. These side effects are typically reduced when the product is taken with protein (e.g. milk) and tend to lessen roughly 2 weeks after commencing CLA supplementation. Side effects are very rare.