The natural dietary supplement conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) may reduce bodyfat in overweight or obese people, a recent study claims. In the study, led byOla Gudmundsen at the Scandinavian Clinical Research a/s, in Kjeller, Norway,researchers found an average reduction of six pounds of body fat in the CLAgroup compared to the placebo group. Sixty overweight people were randomlyassigned to take a placebo or CLA for twelve weeks. All study participantswere given the option to undertake light exercise and moderate their foodintake. The study indicates that 3.4 gm of CLA per day is enough to obtain allthe beneficial effects on body fat. The group given the highest dose, 6.8 gmof CLA per day, also experienced a light increase in lean body mass.Full findings are published in the December 2000, Volume 130, ##12, issue ofThe Journal of Nutrition.