Conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, is healthy fat found in breast milk, full-fat dairy products and high-fat meats. It's normally taken in supplement form to boost weight loss and enhance body composition. Evidence suggests that CLA supplementation with a brand-name product such as Tonalin may not benefit type 2 diabetics. Consult your health care provider before taking CLA supplements.
Type 2 Diabetes
Most of the studies regarding CLA and diabetes have been conducted with type 2 diabetics. Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which your cells stop responding to insulin effects or the pancreas doesn't manufacture enough insulin to lower blood sugar levels back to normal. This leads to chronically high blood glucose levels. Diabetes is diagnosed as having blood sugar levels 126 mg/dL or higher, according to the University of California Los Angeles.
Insulin Sensitivity
Increasing your insulin sensitivity boosts your cells' uptake of glucose, thereby reducing blood sugar levels in your body. In research published in the October 2004 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," researchers from Trinity Centre for Health Sciences and St. James's Hospital discovered that participants with type 2 diabetes consuming 3 g of CLA for eight weeks experienced increases in glucose levels and decreases in insulin sensitivity after a glucose tolerance test compared with those who had a placebo.
Glucose Metabolism
CLA may not impact glucose metabolism, according to a study conducted by researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden. They discovered that obese men with mild diabetes consuming 3.4 g of CLA daily for 12 weeks experienced no changes in glucose metabolism or body weight compared with those ingesting a placebo, according to the September 2002 issue of "Diabetes Care."
Fat Loss
One benefit of CLA supplementation for diabetics is its ability to induce weight loss, which might improve glucose levels, according to a study performed by researchers at Ohio State University. They observed that patients with type 2 diabetes taking 8 g of CLA daily for 36 weeks experienced decreases in fat mass compared with those ingesting safflower oil. The findings were reported in the September 2009 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."
References
- University of California Los Angeles; Diabetes and Insulin Resistance; September 2009
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Conjugated Linoleic Acid Supplementation, Insulin Sensitivity, and Lipoprotein Metabolism in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus; F. Moloney et al.; April 2004
- "Diabetes Care"; Treatment With Dietary trans10cis12 Conjugated Linoleic Acid Causes Isomer-Specific Insulin Resistance in Obese Men With the Metabolic Syndrome; P. Arner et al.; September 2002
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Comparison of Dietary Conjugated Linoleic Acid With Safflower Oil on Body Composition in Obese Postmenopausal Women With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus; L.E. Norris et al.; September 2009
