MenScience Androceuticals Advanced Supplement

Purchased this before and will purchase it again.

A few years ago my chef duties consisted of a full focus of provided healthy meals coupled with corporate weight loss and fitness counseling. At that time I got so deep into education and studying the things that were junk claims and the things that really showed promise in health and weight loss that I was like a physician studying journals trying to cure people. I still find it fascinating and it's one of the first things I will read if given a chance--the current studies, who did them (to see if they even matter) and how, and the results.So, down to brass tacks, what is this supplement and does it work? Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a mixture of different types of isomers of linoleic acid, which is found preferentially in dairy products and meat. I don't eat meat so I miss out right there, but even if you do, you likely still need the boost. Why? This is the "big" supplement right now for bodybuilders and athletes for benefits but also for those who are not, for anti-cancer properties.Conjugated Linoleic Acid is a slightly altered form of linoleic acid (LA), an omega-6 fatty acid (a "good fat" that also lowers cholesterol).Scientific interest in CLA was first noticed in 1988 when promise was shown in beating cancerous cells through a diet rich in CLA, a fatty acid that does not occur naturally in the human body, but it can be obtained through foods such as whole milk, butter, beef, and lamb. But those are fattening, right? So what to do...Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a potent anti-oxidant, anti-carcinogen, and anti-catabolite, as well as a powerful immune system enhancer according to studies.So where does it fit into a routine now accepted as a necessity for athletes? Some of the common accolades of CLA are assistance in fat burning, building and retention of lean muscle, as well. That's now what it was originally discovered to do, but as it began being consumed as a supplement, this side kick benefit was detected. (Kind of like how Botox was prescribed and invented to cure migraines but then everyone looked 10 years younger who got it...) Funny, that science.So, do you need it? Here are the main reasons others take it and why it's so popular now: (CLA, Not Botox, mind you...)1. Increased metabolic rate: This is why athletes and non-athletes use it to help their body. That means a surge in fat burning via your the amount of calories your body uses simply to function.2. Accelerated muscle growth: Muscle burns fat, which also contributes to increased metabolism, so it's not just a male thing. As a female it has nothing to do with bulking up, but being in better shape. Men may think otherwise. But they bulk up more easily all around anyway.3. Lowers cholesterol and triglycerides: A bonus. But could be used for this alone if that is your goal, of course. Irony due to how it is derived, it is not? You can't eat butter and meat and milk to lower your cholesterol, but taken in this form, it works against the animal products you already consume.4. Lowers insulin resistance: Lowering insulin resistance has been shown to help prevent adult-onset diabetes and make it easier to control weight.5. Reduces food-induced allergic reactions: In all honesty, I have not read the studies on this part so I really can't touch on them, that you will have to look up on your own if it is important. I personally don't have any food allergies so I don't know how well or specific this is or if it works against gluten for those who feel gluten slows weight loss. I wanted to mention it because studies have shown this to be a factor and it is taken for this reason, but I also give full disclosure that I personally have not looked into this aspect of it at all.6. May enhance the immune system, as it works through the gut with number 5.So to wrap it up, taking CLA in supplement form is used primarily to improve your lean muscle mass, decrease fat (usually this occurs primarily as fat loss in the abdomen so if your goal is to hit fat loss on hips and thighs it does not show quite as much promise, know going in) and enhance muscle growth, as well as a bevy of heath benefits. CLA achieves this reactiont by enhancing insulin sensitivity so that fatty acids and glucose can pass through muscle cell membranes and away from fat tissue This results in an improved muscle to fat ratio.Compelling evidence also indicates that CLA can promote youthful metabolic function and reduce body fat. The unique mechanism by which this fatty acid protects against disease makes it an important addition to any supplement program.So why can't one simply eat a load of meat and dairy and hit CLA and be as lean as former generations? In spite of our typically meat rich diet in America, American's are typically deficient in CLA due to how cattle are now fed. (And vegetarians like me don't help the quota either I am sure.) There is actually far less CLA in dairy and cattle now due to the change in diet. And that is a whole study that does not need to be touched here without risk of it becoming a book, but suffice it to say slaughterhouse cattle are not typically raised in lovely grassy fields, but are now usually artificially fattened for production in feed lots. Meat from grass fed cows contains four times as much CLA and today's dairy products have only a third of the CLA they did before 1960.Now look at the HUGE spike in obesity since then and you may have an "Aha!" moment as some scientists did since CLA is what can keep you lean--now we are obese at the same or less caloric consumption as our parents.So studies have shown that adding CLA drops the body fat ratio--even in animals.So, are these just all hokey studies or does something bigger back it up?The FDA has published research attesting to the anti-cancer properties of CLA noting it drives glucose into muscle cells. And that's where it all began. CLA is used by body builders to drive glucose into muscle cells to produce anabolic effects. Dieters can use this same sugar burning mechanism to prevent serum glucose from turning into body fat.But look at CLA supplements and they are not all the same. CLA can react 50% stronger when high in the the cis-9, trans-11, isomers, which is considered the best by scientists.I have found MenScience to be really "up" in what they put in their bodybuilding and health products which is why I use this brand even though I'm a chick. It's not about marketing for them, like putting CLA low in these components out there. I have been impressed by their ingredients so I use several (and nope i'm not affiliated or paid by them.)All that in a nutshell? Dr. Michael Pariza, who conducted research on CLA with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, reported in August 2000 to the American Chemical Society that "It doesn't make a big fat cell get little. What it rather does is keep a little fat cell from getting big." Studies have all wound up with the same effect: Although participants may only drop a small amount of weight if any (around 6 pounds), they show a great reduction in body fat. The reason? Increasing the muscle mass while lowering fat would even out the scale measurement, so using a measuring tape is going to give you far more accurate results in showing your body changes.Side EffectsThe side effects of CLA are unknown, due to the limited research in humans especially the long-term effects. However, one unpublished human trial reported isolated cases of gastrointestinal upset. At this time, there have been no significant side effects with the use of CLA and there were no well-known drug interactions with CLA. But obviously I'm a reviewer not a doctor, just passing on what I read. I would hope no one comes to Amazon for medical advice. If so, well...you shouldn't.I could list ways to get CLA in the same concentration naturally, but there is no point in trying to increase your dietary CLA naturally because, even if all the theoretical benefits were confirmed, a person would have to consume at least 500g of fat, mostly saturated, each day to get meaningful amounts, which is at least three grams. That is over 4,500 fat calories each day just from eat CLA rich foods. Therefore if you want to boost your conjugated CLA intake to the levels used in scientific studies, you must use CLA supplementation.It is best to take CLA in the afternoon. While this advises 2 tabs, as a female I take one.CLA provided by MenScienceReview is my unbiased opinion

I've been taking the CLA for a few weeks now and I can really feel a difference in my body. I've been trying to exercise and eat right, but I didn't start noticing actual changes until I started taking the supplement. Only time will tell how much is attributed to the supplements, but it's looking good so far.