# Cla Or Safflower Oil



## bigbrownbear (May 2, 2008)

CLA works for me hands down when i use at least 6-8 caps a day for 4 weeks minimum. However it can get expensive so i was gonna experiment with saffower oil instead, as CLA comes straight from this stuff anyhow...........Has any one ever tried doing this methods to get their CLA or is my logic out of whack!!

Just trying to think a bit more.
Thx BBB


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## Balin (May 2, 2008)

I found this link from Flora and they recommend blending Safflower Oil as it is rich in omega-6 EFAs with something like Flax Seed Oil.

Safflower Oil


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## juggernaut (May 3, 2008)

i got bored reading the article; can you paraphrase? And what effects does CLA have on you bbb?


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## Built (May 3, 2008)

CLA is a naturally occurring trans fat that is purported to help reduce abdominal fat.

IMO it's overrated. And no, safflower oil won't work that way. You'll need too much to be worth the calories. 

I'd avoid flax oil too - but consider supplementing with fish oil for the EPA/DHA. I take 10g a day for the 3g combined EPA/DHA it provides.


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## juggernaut (May 3, 2008)

explain why you'd avoid flax.


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## Built (May 3, 2008)

Well, how about you tell me why you take it? We may be talking about different reasons.


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## juggernaut (May 3, 2008)

for essential fats. I realize that taking it for fat loss is non-sensical, but the way you made it sound, I got the vibe that you should drop it all together.


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## Built (May 3, 2008)

Are you talking about omega-3 in particular?

(As an aside - consuming fat for fat loss is hardly nonsensical! Fats increase satiety and make dieting a LOT more comfortable!)


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## bigbrownbear (May 3, 2008)

The CLA slowly over period of time when stcked with ALCAR helps me lean out a bit more and become harder and denser.

15-30g Flax or Fish oil consumed regularly will also register with the hypothalamus which then communicates with the body to release more adipose tissue = Fat Loss.

With regards to the Safflower oil over CLA...........why wont it work. when i read the Isomers of safflower and CLA they appear to be the same
Thx


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## Balin (May 3, 2008)

I may have read this wrong but the gist I got from the article is that Safflower Oil is more than 3/4 Omega 6 EFAs and we get enough of those already from the fats found in meats.  Thats why they recommended cutting it with flax oil as it has a higer proportion of Omega 3 EFAs.


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## juggernaut (May 3, 2008)

Built said:


> Are you talking about omega-3 in particular?
> 
> (As an aside - consuming fat for fat loss is hardly nonsensical! Fats increase satiety and make dieting a LOT more comfortable!)


o6s. I realize what youre saying, and since I'm dieting, I knew that too about fats making you feel fuller.


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## Built (May 3, 2008)

Omega 6 is in olive oil, avocados, natural peanut butter, raw nuts... no need to supplement with it.

Omega 3 on the other hand, is important. Flax oil has it, but the body must first convert it into EPA and then DHA. This conversion is dependent upon an enzyme - delta 6 desaturase - and this conversion process pretty much sucks, particularly for males and for older females. Estrogen seems to be a mitigating factor. For me, beyond this point there be dragons, but I do know that the EPA/DHA in fish oil is bioavailable so that's why I consume 10g fish oil daily, for the 3g combined EPA/DHA the AHA suggests is safe to take without a doctor's supervision.

Outside of this, I tend to avoid PUFAs, as they tend to promote inflammation in the body.

So no safflower oil for me, thanks. I'll stick with butter, egg yolks, avocados, olive oil, nuts...


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## juggernaut (May 3, 2008)

interesting. I'm only adding 5g of it for thickness in my casein at night...but I could probably do the same with peanut butter. I usually take in about 6 caps of fish oil (3 caps x2 daily). Maybe i'd be better off with the liquid fish oil?


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## Built (May 3, 2008)

I do caps 'cause they're easy, but the liquid is better value to be sure.

You eat cottage cheese at night, or just a shake? Because cottage cheese with a chopped up apple and some walnuts makes a really nice bedtime snack.


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## bigbrownbear (May 3, 2008)

I personally do cottage with a little whey and blueberries for flavour and 15 almonds as a bedtime meal or for slow release protin...........however i dont want to increase my omega 6..............thats not my goal................my goal is cheap sources of CLA.................Why hasnt anybody thought about doing this.................IF CLA IS FROM SAFFLOWER OIL, WHY CANT I JUST GO TO THE SOURCE................OR IS CLA A SMALL PROPORTION OF SAFFLOWER OIL.................Any body who knows i would really appreciate your response..........No offense to anybody else......Thx


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## Built (May 3, 2008)

I thought I addressed this, but I may not have been clear. Yes, the CLA is a very tiny portion of the safflower oil.

It also doesn't really do that much. The EPA/DHA in fish oil, however, may improve insulin sensitivity. Insulin resistance is associated with tummy fat. That's why I suggested you look into it and don't bother with the CLA.


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## bigbrownbear (May 4, 2008)

I already do 1-2 doses of 5g of fish oil daily. Which does really help with leaning up, however my current daily 3-6g of CLA (depending on training and non training days) which works well for me but is costing me more $$$ than i want. I havent found any info to say that i cant just get my 3-6g of CLA from 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of safflower oil.


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## Built (May 4, 2008)

There isn't that much CLA in a teaspoon of safflower oil. It's not a rich source. You might as well just use butter - there's CLA in butter.


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## bigbrownbear (May 4, 2008)

How much CLA in say 10ml of safflower oil do u think and 10g of Butter
Thx


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## Built (May 4, 2008)

Trace and slightly more than trace?


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## bigbrownbear (May 4, 2008)

Thx for the help..................you can see my confusion
On the molecular level, CLA resembles another type of fat called "linoleic acid" or LA which very present in safflower oil. (Both CLA and LA have 18 carbon atoms and two double bonds holding the chain together. The main difference is in the placement of those bonds.) However, CLA and LA appear to have opposite effects on the human body. For example, LA promotes tumor growth but CLA blocks it. 

probably a bad idea to eat safflower oil.............i will stick with my CLA caps...........


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## okeeno (Dec 29, 2009)

*Take a close look*



Built said:


> Omega 6 is in olive oil, avocados, natural peanut butter, raw nuts... no need to supplement with it.
> 
> Omega 3 on the other hand, is important. Flax oil has it, but the body must first convert it into EPA and then DHA. This conversion is dependent upon an enzyme - delta 6 desaturase - and this conversion process pretty much sucks, particularly for males and for older females. Estrogen seems to be a mitigating factor. For me, beyond this point there be dragons, but I do know that the EPA/DHA in fish oil is bioavailable so that's why I consume 10g fish oil daily, for the 3g combined EPA/DHA the AHA suggests is safe to take without a doctor's supervision.
> 
> ...



I can see why you would say that but most vegans know that if they want omega 3 to get it from sea algea or phitoplancton this also has ready available dha

Also its important to note that CLA is best derived from safflower and then sunflower for those who are vegans and vegetarians.


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