Wednesday January 23

Press Release

SOURCE: Natural, Inc.

Journal of International Medical Research Features Study on Body Fat Impact of Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)

Fifth Study in 18 months Confirms Body Fat Activity of CLA in Humans

VERNON HILLS, Ill., Jan. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent article published in The Journal of International Medical Research (JIMR) (2001:29:392-396) features a study presented by Scandinavian Clinical Research AS (SCR), of Kjeller, Norway, demonstrating that conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) reduces body fat in humans. This is the fifth peer-reviewed article addressing CLA's body fat reduction properties to be published in refereed medical journals over the last one and a half years.

``Body fat, measured using near infrared light, was significantly reduced in the group taking CLA during the study,'' said Dr. Ola Gudmundsen, PhD, CEO of Scandinavian Clinical Research, and a co-author of the study. ``This study shows those participants who ingested 1.8 grams of CLA per day experienced body fat reduction versus the placebo group. These results confirm a trend seen in several recent CLA studies and suggest the need for the continued study of CLA and its impact on humans.''

Conjugated linoleic acid is the common name of a group of fatty acids found in the past in dairy products and meat. Over the last 50 years, changes in livestock development practices have largely removed naturally occurring CLA from our diets. However, in several recent studies, CLA has received considerable attention due to its apparent metabolic and chemoprotective properties in animals, as well as some similar, initial results in humans. The effects include reduced body fat content, improved serum lipid profiles, decreased aortic lipid deposition, and enhanced glucose metabolism.

``This recently published study in the JIMR on the properties of CLA continues to demonstrate that CLA prevents fat from being deposited into the body,'' said Dr. Delbert Dorscheid, MD, PhD, University of British Columbia. ``As it reduces body fat, it increases lean tissue. This action indirectly boosts a human's metabolism as lean tissue burns more calories than fatty tissue.''

Dr. Gudmundsen further indicated that while the observations recorded in the Scandinavian Clinical Research report are in accordance with other recent CLA study results, the effect obtained in this Norwegian work is much more pronounced than that previously reported.

The study utilized 20 volunteers, aged 18 to 30 years, and utilized a randomized, double blind approach with two concurrently observed parallel groups. Participants were recruited from a physical fitness center where they participated in regular physical training consisting of 90 minutes of strenuous exercise, three times a week. Volunteers were directed not to change their diet or lifestyle during the study. The study was conducted according to the current Declaration of Helsinki, Good Clinical Practice and local health regulations.

Previously, a University of Wisconsin study concluded that subjects that stopped dieting and exercising regained less fat and retained more muscle mass when taking CLA versus those who had not. Another study published in The Journal of Nutrition found that without change in exercise or eating habits, an average reduction of six pounds of body fat occurred in subjects taking CLA, compared to a placebo group. Last year, a study that appeared in The International Journal of Obesity (Volume 25, Issue 8, August 2001) showed that male subjects classified as abdominally obese lost an average of one inch from their waistlines in a four-week period, when using CLA. Finally, a study that was published in Lipids (August 2001) found that of 53 patients, those taking CLA over the course of a 14 week trial experienced body fat reductions of 3.8 percent.

The CLA used in these studies was Tonalin®, manufactured by Natural, Inc. Additional human studies on the body fat reduction aspects of CLA are underway and anticipated in the next year.

American Chemical Society, August 20, 2000

The Journal of Nutrition (Volume 130, #12, 2000)

International Journal of Obesity (Volume 25, Issue 8, August 2001)

Lipids (Volume 36, Number 8, August 2001)

SOURCE: Natural, Inc.

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