The effect of conjugated linoleic acid, a natural trans fat from milk and meat, on human blood pressure: results from a randomized crossover feeding study

• Published in: Journal of human hypertension Vol. 26; no. 2; pp. 127 - 132
• Main Authors: Engberink, M F, Geleijnse, J M, Wanders, A J, Brouwer, I A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.02.2012; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Arterial hypertension. Arterial hypotension; Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Blood Pressure; Cardiology. Vascular system; Clinical manifestations. Epidemiology. Investigative techniques. Etiology; Cross-Over Studies; Dairy Products; Diet; Dietary Fats - administration & dosage; Dietary Supplements; Epidemiology; Fatty acids; Female; Food, Fortified; Health Administration; Health aspects; Humans; Linoleic acid; Linoleic acids; Linoleic Acids, Conjugated - administration & dosage; Male; Meat; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Netherlands; Oleic acid; Oleic Acid - administration & dosage; original-article; Physiological aspects; Public Health; Time Factors; Trans fats; Treatment Outcome; Young Adult; Netherlands; blood pressure; CLA; conjugated linoleic acid; randomized controlled trial; Human; Hypertension; Cardiovascular disease; Arterial pressure; Blood pressure; Linoleic acid
• ISSN: 0950-9240; 1476-5527
• DOI: 10.1038/jhh.2010.132

C is -9, trans -11 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a natural trans fatty acid that is largely restricted to ruminant fats and consumed in foods and supplements. Its role in blood pressure (BP) regulation is still unclear. We examined the effect of c is -9, trans -11 CLA on BP compared with oleic acid. A total of 61 healthy volunteers were sequentially fed each of 3 diets for 3 weeks, in random order, for a total of 9 weeks. The diets were identical except for 7% of energy (18.9 g in a diet of 10 MJ day –1 ) that was provided either by oleic acid, by industrial trans fatty acids or by cis- 9, trans- 11 CLA. We measured BP on two separate days at the end of each intervention period. At baseline, mean BP was 113.8±14.4 mm Hg systolic and 66.3±9.6 mm Hg diastolic. The effect of the CLA diet compared with the oleic acid diet was 0.11 mm Hg (95% confidence interval: −1.27, 1.49) systolic and −0.45 mm Hg (−1.63, 0.73) diastolic. After the industrial trans fatty acid diet, the effect was 1.13 mm Hg (−0.25, 2.51) systolic and −0.44 mm Hg (−1.62, 0.73) diastolic compared with the oleic acid diet. Our study suggests that short-term high intakes of cis -9, trans -11 CLA do not affect BP in healthy volunteers.