Bad Fats Make Your Body Oxidize More
A High Intake of trans Fatty Acids Has Little Effect on Markers of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Humans
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
CLA increased oxidative stress by 167% — nearly 8x more than iTFA — despite being marketed as a 'health supplement'.
Most consumers and marketers promote CLA as a fat-burning, heart-healthy supplement, but this study shows it may be far more damaging to cellular fats than industrial trans fats.
Practical Takeaways
Avoid CLA supplements unless you’re aware they may increase oxidative stress — and consider reducing iTFA from processed foods.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
CLA increased oxidative stress by 167% — nearly 8x more than iTFA — despite being marketed as a 'health supplement'.
Most consumers and marketers promote CLA as a fat-burning, heart-healthy supplement, but this study shows it may be far more damaging to cellular fats than industrial trans fats.
Practical Takeaways
Avoid CLA supplements unless you’re aware they may increase oxidative stress — and consider reducing iTFA from processed foods.
Publication
Journal
The Journal of Nutrition
Year
2011
Authors
Liesbeth A. Smit, Martijn B. Katan, Anne J. Wanders, Samar Basu
Related Content
Claims (6)
Dietary intake of industrial trans fatty acids, even at low levels, is causally associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
Taking CLA supplements for a few weeks may cause more damage to fats in your body, similar to how trans fats do, based on a chemical marker in urine.
Eating a lot of trans fats for a few weeks slightly lowers one inflammation marker and raises another, but doesn’t change most others — so its effect on inflammation is small and mixed.
Even though trans fats are bad for your heart, they don’t seem to make your body’s general inflammation much worse — so something else, like cholesterol, might be the main reason.
Eating a lot of artificial trans fats for a few weeks makes your body produce more of a chemical that shows your fats are being damaged by stress, like rust forming on metal.