One of the most popular ingredients to hit the stimulant free market in recent years, CLA stands for conjugated linoleic acid.  There are some patented forms emerging.  They are claiming that those will provide greater thermogenic fat burning for the users.  They are also claiming that CLA will build lean muscle mass for greater maintenance according to some clinical studies.

They claim that CLA will give you all the benefits you need.  And of course, as a good fatty acid, it doesn’t have any caffeine, and it doesn’t cause any jitters or other side effects.  CLA basically speaking is the only good fatty acid that has actually been clinically proven to show those results.  Others that are often used like omega 3, 6, and 9, it will promote greater heart health, but not weight loss. So all in all, obviously CLA will not give you what you are looking for necessarily speaking.

So how effective is CLA?   CLA has actually been shown to make a difference in both fat mass and lean muscle mass in clinical studies.  It has been shown to help you to actually lose about an extra 2 pounds per year in its original form.  In its patented form of Tonalin CLA, you would hope that it is more significant.  So obviously, it’s not necessarily what you would hope for or expect.

These results are small of course, but to some, results are results.  So one must wonder, what is actually required to get these results, and does anybody come through?  It requires about 4500mg at the very least, twice daily for a total of 9000mg to get results.  Unfortunately, that’s more than most companies will use in products in general, even in those that are cheap! CLA is by no means cheap.

So all in all, it comes down to this.  First of all, there’s the fact that realistically speaking, CLA only promotes an extra 2 pounds per year, which is not that substantial at all, certainly not what you would expect from a valid clinical study.  However, of course it does have certain health benefits and otherwise to the heart, which is a good thing.  But the biggest problem is that CLA requires at least 2 doses per day of 4500mg.  That is a huge amount to say the least!  All in all, it costs more than many are willing to spend to say the least.

There are many factors concerned with CLA.  If you are looking for heart health benefits, then CLA is definitely one to consider in amounts in general.  But then again, omega fatty acids are also something to consider for heart health.  However, if you are looking for real stimulant free weight loss, CLA may not be the best choice. Many are looking understandably for faster results, certainly more than just 2 pounds per year, and the requirements to even get that are daunting to say the least.  At the very least, it should not be used alone.  It should be properly combined with other ingredients that are stronger and more likely to actually promote weight loss.