Researchers in British Columbia published a study in the journal, Clinical & Experimental Allergy (Macredmond et al, 2010), which explored the efficiency and safety of conjugated linoleic acid supplementation on mild asthma.
The intervention in this study included conjugated linoleic acid taken at a dose of 4.5g/day (or placebo) for 12 weeks. 28 subjects who had mild asthma were included in this study. On average, patients in this study were overweight with a BMI of 27.9 kg/m2.
CLA treatment as an adjunct to common care in overweight mild asthmatics was well tolerated and was associated with improvements in airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and body mass index (BMI).
From the results of this study, conjugated linoleic acid may be a beneficial supplement for those who suffer from mild asthma when taken with their usual asthma medication. As well, CLA supplementation may have particular use for those who suffer from exercise-induced asthma or obese subjects with asthma to possibly promote weight loss. Further research is necessary to study the efficacy of CLA in these populations.
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