Conjugated Linoleic Acid - Why The Buzz?

What is conjugated linoleic acid [CLA] and why is there so much excitement about it these past two decades?

Scientific interest in conjugated linoleic acid has remained high since it was discovered by a University of Wisconsin researcher in 1988 to have potent anti-carcinogenic action in an animal study involving the feeding of rats with CLA rich fried hamburgers.


CLA is a fatty acid that cannot be produced in our body, but is abundantly present in beef and dairy, especially from grass-fed animals. Its potency was amply demonstrated in animal studies, wherein as little as 1/2 of 1% of CLA in the diet reduced tumor by more than 50%. While most anti-cancer agents block only one stage of cancer development, CLA was found to block all three stages of cancer, from initiation all the way to matastasis. This is the reason why there is so much attention and interest in CLA developments.

Conjugated linoleic acid resembles linoleic acid, another type of fat, but has an opposite effect in the body. While the latter promotes the growth of tumor, CLA blocks it. CLA was found to be very potent in slowing the growth of a wide range of tumors which includes skin, breast, prostate, and colon cancers.

Although human research on CLA is still in its infant stage, early studies suggest that women with the highest concentration of CLA in their diet have 60% lower risk of breast cancer.

There are 16 types of CLA differentiated by slight molecular shape, each type having a different set of benefits. The CLA found plentiful in meat and dairy products seems to be have the highest anti-cancer property. Ongoing and future researches on CLA, hopefully, will reveal its full range of benefits on our health.

CLA's health benefits were originally discovered by feeding fried hamburgers to rats. Then further studies have shown that a lean hamburger from grass-fed cattle has two and a half times more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) than an equally lean hamburger from cattle raised in a feedlot. The simple task of correctly sourcing your beef and dairy products can mean a big difference in the amount of CLA that you can get.