Abstract
Conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) are positional and geometric isomers of linoleic acid.
In animals, CLA consumption reduces body fat but results in humans are less
conclusive. This review of the literature on CLA and loss of body fat or body weight in
humans was conducted to explore the reasons for the discrepancy between animal
and clinical trials. It indicates that the incongruity between human and animal data
is largelyrelatedto methodological differences inthe experimental design, including
age and gender and, to a lesser extent, to CLA dose and isomers. The relatively
unknown metabolic fate of CLA in humans may also be a contributing factor that
helps explain the lack of consistency for CLA efficacy across studies.