Obesity
How CLA Induces Fat Loss
The May 2002 issue of The Journal of Nutrition described a study conducted to ascertain the effects of CLA on calorie burning and fat storage in mice (Terpstra et al. 2002). CLA was shown to lower the amount of ingested food that was stored as body fat. CLA also increased the amount of fat excreted in the feces. Additionally, the study found that CLA induced a reduction in body fat mass on mice fed either a calorie-restricted or normal diet. The scientists defined the term "energy expenditure" as being the amount of food ingested minus the food retained in the body carcass and in the feces. CLA-fed mice showed a 74% increase in energy expenditure. The scientists thus concluded that the lower amount of ingested food stored on the body carcass was accounted for by this significant increase in energy expenditure (Terpstra et al. 2002).
This new finding corroborates a study conducted at Louisiana State University in which feeding male mice a CLA-enriched diet for 6 weeks resulted in 43%-88% lower body fat, especially in regard to abdominal fat. This occurred even if the mice were fed a high-fat diet. The effect was partly due to reduced calorie intake by CLA-supplemented mice and partly to a shift in their metabolism, including a higher metabolic rate (West et al. 1998).
In another study, performed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, mice supplemented with only 0.5% of CLA showed up to 60% lower body fat and up to 14% increased lean body mass compared to controls. The researchers discovered that CLA-fed animals showed greater activity of enzymes involved in the delivery of fatty acids to the muscle cells and the utilization of fat for energy, while the enzymes facilitating fat deposition were inhibited (Terpstra et al. 2002).
The Safety of CLA
In a study conducted by the Nutrition Department of Kraft Foods, male rats were fed a diet of 1.5% CLA, which is 50 times higher than the estimated upper-range human intake. The animals were examined weekly for any signs of toxicity; no toxicity was found. After the end of the 36-week study, the animals were sacrificed and autopsied. Again, no abnormal pathology was found. The study confirmed that CLA supplementation is safe even at high doses. Nevertheless, high doses are not necessary for obtaining the benefits of CLA (Scimeca 1998).
A dose of three to four 1000-mg capsules of 76% CLA, taken in the morning or before lunch on an empty stomach, may be an effective part of an overall weight-loss program. Research studies indicate that it usually takes about 3 weeks before body fat loss occurs in response to CLA supplementation.
HOW GUARANA INDUCES FAT LOSS
Clinical Studies on Guarana
Guarana is an herb that contains a form of caffeine called guaranine which is 2.5 times stronger than the caffeine found in coffee, tea, and soft drinks. What makes guaranine unique from the caffeine found in beverages is its slower release. That is because the guarana seed is fatty (even in powder form) and is not readily water-soluble. Therefore, the body does not quickly absorb it.
Since guaranine is released slowly, over a period as long as 6 hours, the energy boost that is experienced from guarana is not like that of coffee (a sudden rush and quick drop-off). Rather, the energy boost continues to escalate over hours.
While caffeine from beverages provides a short-lived energy burst that overheats and excites the body, guaranine has a cooling action that revitalizes and relaxes. This is because guarana contains other components that modify the activity of guaranine. The end result is more beneficial to the body than tea or coffee.
Guarana aids in a temporary, natural increase in body temperature and metabolic thermogenesis through nutritional stimulation of the body's beta-receptor pathway, which can induce the breakdown and release of stored body fat and thereby allow stored fats to be turned into energy. Thermogenesis refers to the body's production of heat. Heat production is a normal part of metabolic processes and can be enhanced by certain nutritional substances. Thermogenesis is both a source of heat and, when stimulated through appropriate dietary supplementation, a mechanism to increase metabolic rate. Stored body fat, if released and available for use, can provide the fuel for this increased metabolic rate.
Other active constituents of guarana are theobromine and theophylline, which are called xanthines (a class of thermogenic substances found in coffee, tea, and certain beans). They have some effect on increasing metabolic rate, suppressing appetite, and enhancing both physical and mental performance. They also act as muscle relaxants and possess diuretic properties.
Interestingly, caffeine accelerates the effectiveness of CLA, thus making CLA a more potent fat burner. Guarana has been shown to stimulate the migration of lipids so fat can be burned as energy. It is also an appetite suppressant.
Guarana also increases mental alertness, fights fatigue, and increases stamina and physical endurance. Guarana is taken daily as a health tonic by millions of Brazilians. In the United States, guarana holds GRAS-status (Generally Regarded as Safe). In 1989 a patent was filed on a guarana seed extract that was capable of inhibiting platelet aggregation in mammals. The patent described guarana's ability to prevent the formation of blood clots and to help in the breakdown of clots that had already been formed. Clinical evidence was presented in conjunction with the patent in 1989 and again in 1991 by a Brazilian research group demonstrating these anti-aggregation properties (Bydlowski et al. 1991).
Clinical Studies on Guarana
In a study reported in The Journal of Human Nutrition Diet, guarana extract induced weight loss for over 45 days in overweight patients taking a mixed herbal preparation containing yerbemate, guarana, and damiana (Andersen et al. 2001). Body weight reductions were 11.22 pounds in the guarana group compared to less than 1 pound in the group receiving placebo for 45 days.
Guarana extract and its fractions decreased platelet aggregation up to 37% of control values and decreased platelet thromboxane formation from arachidonic acid up to 78% of control values (Bydlowski et al. 1991). When platelets hyperaggregate and/or when excess thromboxane formation occurs, this can initiate an arterial blood clot, which results in a heart attack or ischemic stroke.
In a 1997 study in rats, guarana increased the physical activity of the rats as well as increased physical endurance under stress and increased memory with single doses as well as with chronic doses. Interestingly enough, this study revealed that whole guarana seed extract performed better and more effectively than a comparable dosage of caffeine or ginseng extract (Espinola et al. 1997).
Another Brazilian research group has studied the apparent effect of guarana to increase memory, which is thought to be linked to the essential oils found in the seed (Galduroz et al. 1996). Its antibacterial properties against Escherichia coli and Salmonella have been documented as well (da Fonseca et al. 1994).
A 1998 toxicology study with animals has shown that guarana is nontoxic at even high dosages of up to 2 grams/kg of body weight. This same study demonstrated the antioxidant properties of guarana, saying: "Guarana showed an antioxidant effect because, even at low concentrations (1.2 mcg/mL), it inhibited the process of lipid peroxidation" (Mattei et al. 1998).
A major advantage to taking guarana in an oil base capsule is its relatively slow release into the body. In a study reported in the journal Pharmacology Biochemical Behavior in November 1997, a comparison was made of the absorption of caffeine from coffee, cola, or capsules. Based on saliva caffeine concentrations, the absorption from capsules was about 40% slower than that of coffee or colas. These capsules were not oil-based, yet the rate of caffeine absorption was still significantly slower than coffee or cola (Liguori et al. 1997).
CLA + GUARANA
The effect of CLA on blocking excess absorption of serum glucose and fatty acids into adipocytes (fat cells) is remarkable. CLA induces a reduction in the size of adipocytes. One of the reasons that people gain weight as they age is that their adipocytes literally become fatter.
Another cause of increased body fat storage is the proliferation of adipocytes. Whereas CLA helps block the absorption of fat and sugar into adipocytes, CLA does not reduce the actual number of adipocytes present. Guarana has been shown to specifically reduce the number of adipocytes. When CLA was combined with guarana, there was a 50% reduction in adipocyte number (FASEB 2002).
In response to the FASEB (2002) study showing an added benefit when CLA is combined with guarana, a supplement has been formulated that contains potencies of CLA and guarana that have demonstrated fat-loss effects in published studies (available from Life Extension Foundation). CLA is also available by itself as a supplement for those who are overly sensitive to caffeine.
Whereas many published studies document the fat-reducing effects of CLA, the fact that CLA may protect against cancer, vascular disease, and Type II diabetes makes it a preferred supplement for health-conscious people to use daily.
THE "FRIENDLY" FATS
Essential Fatty Acids
There are fats that are healthy and fats that are dangerous. Hydrogenated fats are made by bubbling hydrogen gas with nickel as a catalyst to make the oil more solid at room temperature. This is how margarine and Crisco are made. During the process, many of the chemical bonds are broken and reformed into less healthy trans configurations.
Healthy fats have a distinct flavor and unfortunately tend to become rancid after a few weeks, even with refrigeration. The healthiest oils are cold-pressed to avoid the chemical changes that occur during heating. Healthy oils are made from olives, flax seed, borage seeds, and even hemp. Each has its own unique flavor.
Not long ago, low-fat diet gurus were trying to terrorize people into further reducing all fat consumption. Now that we have witnessed the epidemic of obesity that followed, we know better. Healthy fats help keep us slender! They also help protect against atherosclerosis, cancer, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, and various other degenerative disorders.
Through their impact on important metabolic enzymes, healthy fats increase the synthesis of beneficial prostaglandins E1 and E3 while decreasing the levels of inflammatory prostaglandin E2; they also modify cell membrane composition and fluidity. Hence, improved blood flow and tissue oxygenation, higher metabolic rate, improved insulin sensitivity, immune enhancement, more muscle and bone formation, better brain function, and faster nerve impulse conductance result, to mention just a few of the major benefits.
Thus, while in the 1970s and 1980s dietary fat was demonized and presented as being a problem, we are beginning to see various kinds of healthy fat as part of the solution.
Essential Fatty Acids
The omega-3 and omega-6 oils are called essential fatty acids because the body needs them to remain healthy. (Technically, only linoleic acid is an “essential” fatty acid in the strict biochemical sense, because it can not be synthesized by the body and must be ingested with food to support life.) The brain is composed almost entirely of essential fatty acids. Clinically, essential fatty acids (such as flax and borage oils) have a marked anti-inflammatory effect on the body.
Many times, scientific studies run counter to popular beliefs that are often spread via media commercials designed to sell a particular product. One such belief says that we should avoid all fats in order to lose weight. While this is true in the case of simple fats, the essential fatty acids found in high-quality oils are very healthy and may also promote weight loss.
An article in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition described a study of dietary fish (Mori et. al. 1999). Overweight patients being treated for hypertension were randomly assigned to a daily fish meal (3.65 g of omega-3 fatty acids); a weight-loss regimen; the two regimens combined; or a control group for 16 weeks. Fasting triglycerides fell 29% with fish consumption and 26% with weight loss. The fish plus weight-loss regimen group showed the greatest improvement in lipids: triglycerides decreased by 38% and HDL(2) cholesterol increased by 24% compared with the control group. The authors concluded that adding a daily fish meal into a weight-loss regimen was more effective than either measure alone at improving glucose-insulin metabolism and dyslipidemia (Mori et. al. 1999).
The essential (omega-3) fatty acids found in fish oils are known to promote thermogenesis, the process by which foods are converted immediately to heat. In this way, the body burns off the calories instead of converting them into fats for storage (McCarty 1994). Another benefit of essential fatty acids is to make cell membranes more sensitive to the effects of insulin (Storlien et al. 1986, 1987, 1996; Borkman et al. 1993; Vessby et al. 1994; Pan et al. 1995). As discussed earlier in this protocol, insulin-resistance is a prime factor causing people to gain unwanted fat pounds as they age.
Eating fish is a good way to promote weight loss. Many people also choose to take essential fatty acid supplements that are high in DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) from fish oil extracts and GLA (gamma-linolenic acid) from borage oil. Other options include flax or perilla oil supplements that contain alpha-linolenic acid (precursors to DHA and EPA). Consumption of these essential fatty acids confers a significant protective effect against chronic inflammation and vascular disease, a common problem in overweight people.
CHROMIUM
While thyroid hormone plays a definite role in weight management, both magnesium and chromium are also required to break down the cellular insulin resistance that causes higher blood sugar levels.
Overweight people usually experience insulin impairment that prevents the proper carbohydrates (sugars) from being metabolized by their muscle cells. Excessive serum glucose is converted into body fat unless this insulin resistance is broken down and the cells are able to regain youthful carbohydrate metabolism. Chromium has received widespread publicity for its ability to lower serum glucose levels by potentiating insulin sensitivity. Studies have shown that chromium supplementation results in a slight reduction in body fat and an increase in lean body mass. Niacin has been shown to improve the metabolic-enhancing effect of chromium. Chromium polynicotinate may be involved modulating the sensitivity of the insulin receptor, making the cell more sensitive to circulating insulin.
In 1997, Austrian researchers conducted a study to assess the effects of chromium yeast and chromium picolinate on lean body mass during and after weight reduction with a very low-calorie diet: 36 obese nondiabetic patients undergoing an 8-week, very low-calorie diet followed by an 18-week maintenance period were evaluated. During the 26-week treatment period, study subjects received either placebo or chromium yeast (200 mcg/day) or chromium picolinate (200 mcg/day) in a double-blind manner. After 26 weeks, chromium picolinate-supplemented subjects showed increased lean body mass. Researchers reported chromium picolinate, but not chromium yeast, is able to increase lean body mass in obese patients in the maintenance period after a very low calorie diet without counteracting the weight loss achieved (Bahadori et al. 1997).
To improve the fat-reducing effects of dieting, a 200-mcg chromium capsule should be taken with every meal to facilitate youthful carbohydrate metabolism. The importance of taking a chromium capsule with each meal is illustrated in animal studies in which chromium was given throughout the day in order to lower serum glucose levels. When an individual consumes food, serum glucose levels rise significantly unless the cells are sensitized to insulin. Chromium will help sensitize your cells to insulin by helping to lower your blood sugar levels.
Do not take more than three 200-mcg chromium capsules a day. Always take antioxidant supplements such as vitamin E when taking chromium to protect against free-radical activity. At least 30 mg of niacin should be contained in each 200-mcg chromium capsule to facilitate its effects in the body.
The Life Extension Foundation
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