Calcium may offer vital support for CLA’s bone benefits
Lee Swanson Research Update
January 2008
Combining conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) with calcium may enhance bone mass and explain inconsistencies from earlier studies, according to new research.
The study, performed with mice, analyzed the effects of a CLA-containing diet with regular or enhanced calcium content and found that the extra calcium improved the effect of CLA on bone mass, especially in males.
"Inconsistent effects of CLA on bone mass may be in part due to various dietary levels of calcium used in different studies," wrote the researchers in the Journal of Food Science." Co-supplementation of CLA and calcium may benefit bone health by preserving bone mass."
Osteoporosis, characterized by low bone mass, leads to an increased risk of fractures, especially in the hips, spine and wrists.
The researchers, from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, reanalyzed two of the earlier studies with mice fed a diet containing 0.5% CLA with a regular calcium content (0.5%) or an enhanced calcium level of 0.66%.
They report that extra calcium improved the effects of CLA on bone mass, especially in male mice. No effects of CLA were observed without the additional calcium in the diet, they added.
In an attempt to explain the mechanism behind the apparent effects, the researchers noted that CLA may play a role in calcium absorption, while other studies have reported that CLA may also play a role in bone formation.
"The exact mechanism of either of these CLA isomers on calcium transport in conjunction with bone formation still needs further investigation," stated the researchers. The two major isomers of CLA, cis-9,trans-11 (c9,t11) and trans-10,cis-12 (t10,c12), did not appear to be equal for boosting bone health, with the later singled out for attention.
"It is likely that the trans-10,cis-12 CLA isomer is responsible for improvement of bone mass, although further studies are needed to confirm this," the researchers wrote. They concluded: "This finding may help improve the efficacy of CLA to be used as a dietary supplement to be used as part of an osteoporosis prevention strategy."
Journal of Food Science 73(7):C556-C560, 2008
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