User:Mntrl/Conjugated linoleic acid

Health
CLA is marketed in dietary supplement form for its supposed anti-cancer benefit (for which there is some evidence, but no known mechanism, and very few studies conducted so far) and as a bodybuilding aid. A 2004 review of the evidence said that while CLA seemed to benefit animals, there was a lack of good evidence of human health benefits, despite the many claims made for it.

Likewise, there is insufficient evidence that CLA has a useful benefit for overweight or obese people as it has no long-term effect on body composition. Although CLA has shown an effect on insulin response in diabetic rats, there is no evidence of this effect in humans.

A 2017 study found CLA supplementation has been associated with increased plasma C-reactive protein concentrations and a reduction in serum adiponectin concentrations, which indicates that CLA supplements have a pro-inflammatory effect.

Obesity and the health problem associated with it such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer is a known public health crisis in the United States. The treatment costs for obesity and obesity-related conditions is estimated to be $190.2 billion dollars which make up 21% of the annual medical costs in the United States A study from 2006-2008, have found that conjugated linoleic acid along with other polyunsaturated fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid, have anti-obesity effects. Conjugated linoleic acid has shown to induce insulin and fatty liver due to its ability to alter adipose deposition and influence over various mechanisms during lipid metabolism.

Studies on dietary CLA fed mice demonstrated improved physical activity and increased endurance. It was reported that both isomers of conjugated linoleic acid are stimulants for mitochondrial biogenesis in the skeletal muscles. PGC-1a, a transcription factor coactivator and stimulant for mitochondrial biogenesis, was found to be activated by both isomers of CLA. It was also stated that CLA enhances mitochondrial biogenesis by modulating the PGC‐1α‐NRF‐1‐Tfam pathway.