Does fat have a silver lining?

Researcher Dr Michael Pariza, University of Wisconsin-Madison reported “It doesn’t make a big fat cell get little. What it rather does is keep a little fat cell from getting big”.

When people gain weight, their fat cells become enlarged, enabling them to hold additional fat. CLA is thought to block excess fat from entering the cell, instead encouraging the conversion of fat into energy used to build muscle. Interestingly, muscle tissue loves to burn fat for energy; consequently building up lean muscle mass ultimately reduces body fat.

Studies using overweight people demonstrated supplementation with CLA supported an increased lean body mass within 12 weeks and after six months helped maintain a body fat reduction of 1kg. Further studies documented that the fat management occurred predominantly from the abdomen and legs – for many these are stubborn areas when trying to shift weight!

Toning down an expanding midriff can enhance body shape and self esteem; more importantly waist circumference can be a predictor of diabetes and coronary heart disease, independent of clinical tests such as BMI (Body Mass Index), blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol.

So, is eating loads of red meat going to help reduce fat? Unfortunately not, since CLA is present only in low levels in red meat and unprocessed milk from pasture fed cows – foods also high in saturated fats. Scientists believe these foods once contained much higher levels of CLA, before the advent of modern agricultural methods – moving from free range grass feeding to small range grain fed. You may not realise that approximately 80% of NZ pasture fed beef is exported, leaving many kiwis unknowingly consuming imported meat that is not necessarily pasture fed, hormone, anti-biotic free or CLA rich!

Healthy levels of CLA can be obtained using Radiance^® TummyTone CLA – the fat that may help you manage the middle age spread.

(Originally published in Health & Herbal News Magazine Volume 17, Issue 3)