Dosage
The dosage of CLA should be around 3.4 grams per day in healthy individuals. This is 3400 milligrams of CLA. Since CLA is found in safflower oil or sunflower oil, these two agents can be used for supplementation.
However, both oils contain a different concentration of CLA, so you should first calculate how much oil you need from which variety. Sunflower oil is cheaper and easier to get than safflower oil. However, safflower oil is richer in CLA than sunflower oil.
One gram of sunflower oil CLA contains 400 milligrams of pure CLA, while one gram of safflower oil contains twice as much (800 milligrams) CLA. For example, if you want to consume three grams of CLA every day, you should consume 3855 milligrams of safflower oil, because 1285 milligrams of safflower oil contain exactly 1000 milligrams (one gram) of CLA. If you are not sure about the dosage, you should always ask your doctor for advice before taking any dosage.
A deficiency of CLA and of essential fatty acids in general can be caused by a diet that is too low in fat or by a too one-sided fat intake. This is especially dangerous for people on a low-fat diet over a long period of time or for athletes who also eat very little fat. If you belong to the above-mentioned risk groups or if a deficiency of CLA can occur for other reasons, it is possible to supplement these specifically by taking CLA capsules.
The capsules available on the market are usually taken several times a day, depending on the concentration per capsule. It is recommended to take them with meals. The capsule should be swallowed with plenty of water.
The substances contained in the capsules, in addition to conjugated linoleic acid, can cause allergies. In this case you should follow the manufacturer’s instructions and read the product information carefully. Various manufacturers offer preparations in the form of gels and softgel capsules with varying levels of conjugated linoleic acid.
In order to guarantee a safe application, the instructions in the package insert should be followed very carefully when taking the product. The capsules contain between 600 and 1000 mg CLA, the recommendations are about 3000-6000 mg per day over a period of several weeks in order to achieve a significant effect. The capsules should be taken with a glass of water, if possible with meals in the morning and evening.
Many products, especially from drugstores, contain a very low dosage of the unsaturated fatty acid. This requires the consumption of up to 6 or more capsules a day. In order to facilitate the intake, high-quality products with a higher content of CLA should be used.
