Regardless of where you are in your fitness or weight loss journey, if you’ve done any research into supplements that are designed to help aid in the process, you’ve likely heard of CLA.
In this article, we’re breaking down the best CLA supplement for women and chatting about whether or not this supplement measures up to the hype and delivers on its promises.
We’re talking specifically about CLA for women since this site is dedicated to women and moms, but this supplement can also be taken by men.
I have personally been using this supplement for the last year or so since giving birth to my last baby and have tried several different formulas—some of them made this list and others did not.
Top 9 Best Women's CLA Supplement Products
After interviewing women across the world that have used over 20 CLA products, we came up with a top eight list. Our team also analyzed thousands of reviews, watched countless videos and researched why this product is so great for not only women & weight loss, but everyone.
We chose 1st Phorm's CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) Softgels supplement as the best weight loss CLA supplement for women. This supplement supports an average rating of 4.9/5 stars and over 177 customer reviews. 1st Phorm uses the highest quality of ingredients than any other supplement brand we (used to) use.
Research and studies show that taking CLA over time can help support lean muscle development and boost your immune system. In addition, taking 1st Phorm's CLA can also help maintain healthy cholesterol levels and decrease hunger as you'll get a sensation of feeling full, which is why this is our top choice for weight loss.
This supplement is stimulant free, which means you can use it in combination with other stimulant-based fat loss products.
Below, you'll see the supplement facts:
Servings per bottle: | 90 |
Serving size: | 1 Softgel |
Calories | 10 |
Total Fat | 1g |
Conjugated Linoleic Acid (80%) | 1000mg |
Pros:
- 4.9/5
rating with over 177 reviews
Cons:
1st Phorm CLA
(177+ Reviews)
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We chose Essential Elements' formula as the best overall CLA for women for several reasons. For starters, we love that this formula is potent, with 2400mg of active CLA per serving. Also, it’s a 100% vegan formula and there’s no synthetic fillers while also using Natural Energy Support. There's an average rating of 4.6 stars out of 5 and this brand is really starting to take off.
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3. Extra Strength CLA for Women
This supplement from Sheer Strength is designed specifically for women. I have personally used this supplement and can tell you that it’s great! I love that this formula contains a high level of CLA per serving, coming in at 1500 mg. It’s 100% natural, there are no binders or fillers, no preservatives, and a money-back guarantee.
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4. NatureWise
We chose NatureWise as one of the best CLA pills on the market because the ingredients are simple, natural, and stimulant-free. This formula is plant-based, non-GMO, and soy-free, making it a well-tolerated formula. There are well over 18,000 reviews on Amazon for this supplement, which should give you a clue as to how popular and effective this product is.
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5. BulkSupplements Softgels (1000mg)
This is easily the most cost-effective supplement on our list. BulkSupplements offers a whole range of supplements in bulk form. Their packaging is just as simple as their CLA soft gels.
Their formula is clean, simple, and fuss-free. You get 300 soft gels in one bag at a bargain of a price. If you’re looking for a simple, cheap, and straight forward supplement, this is your answer.
I’ve personally used this particular supplement and can certainly attest to the claims in the CLA reviews.
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6. Beaver Brook CLA Natural Weight Loss
Beaver Brook’s formula is a high potency formula that contains 80% concentrated CLA per 1000mg serving. It is natural and non-stimulating, so no worries about feeling jittery and crashing. The recommended dosage is two soft gels, twice per day with a meal.
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7. GNC Total Lean
GNC’s Total Lean formula is part of their Total Lean line which is aimed at helping users lose weight and improve body composition—this formula is no exception. This product contains 2,000mg of CLA per serving, making it high-potency. It’s more expensive than many of the other products on our list, however, it’s manufactured by GNC which is known for upholding high standards for their products and supplements.
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8. MET-Rx Tonalin 1000 Supplement
This formula from MET-Rx is a very affordable option that is marketed at enhancing body-shaping goals. There are well over 500 reviews, most of which are 5-star. There’s 1000mg of CLA per serving and this formula is designed to be taken either before or after your workout.
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9. Her CLA (by NLA For Her)
This product made our list of the best CLA supplements for women because it’s specifically manufactured to cater to women’s goals which generally tend to include fat loss and toning in women-specific problem areas. Each serving contains 1200mg of CLA, it's stimulant-free, gluten-free, and non-GMO.
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Buying Guide on CLA Supplements for Women
CLA is short for conjugated linoleic acid. It’s a fatty acid similar to Omega 6 fatty acids. This fatty acid is synthesized in a lab out of safflower oil. Safflower oil is the preferred source to make this supplement due to its high yield and efficiency.
This supplement is considered to be good fat, which you can usually find in small amounts in beef and dairy products. It’s also a trans fat, although before you turn running in the other direction, it’s actually proven to act as a weight-loss supplement when paired with diet and exercise.
Essentially, what this supplement does is it helps your body convert your food into energy more efficiently. And if you want to get a little scientific, it helps stop Lipoprotein lipase, an enzyme that breaks down fat and stores it inside your body. Since this supplement blocks this protein, your body will naturally store less fat.
Benefits
So, you know that this supplement is proven to help block substances in your body whose job it is to store fat, so it makes sense that the main benefit of CLA is fat loss. Oddly enough, even though it is technically classified as a fat, studies have proven that it will lead to overall body fat loss.
But fat loss isn’t the only benefit of CLA, here are some of the other proven benefits to taking this supplement:
- Increased muscle strength
- Boosted endurance
- Decreased breast cancer rates
- Decreased prostate and colon cancer rates
- Improved immune system
- Decrease in cardiovascular disease
- Decrease in type 2 diabetes
- Decrease in osteoporosis
- Decrease in allergies
- Increased metabolism
- Increased lean muscle mass
Side Effects and Safety
Most people can safely take this supplement without experiencing any side effects, however, some users do complain of an upset stomach and/or nausea, which is why it’s recommended that it be combined with a meal.
Large doses of this supplement can be potentially harmful to your liver.
How Much Should You Take?
The amount of this supplement that you should take each day will depend on your goals, how you react to the supplement, and how potent your formula of choice is. That said, there have been studies that have shown that 3.4 grams of CLA per day are optimal for fat loss.
I personally prefer to take this supplement twice per day—one serving in the morning after my breakfast and once in the evening after dinner. I usually ingest a potency of anywhere between 1000 mg per serving to 1500mg per serving.
It’s important to keep in mind that different oils are used for different supplements. So, the amount of CLA that you’ll receive will differ from brand to brand, supplement to supplement.
To ensure that you’re getting your desired amount of this supplement each day, you need to pay attention to not only how much CLA is in the supplement, but how much is delivers per serving.
For example, if you choose a supplement that delivers 1000mg per dose with 50% CLA, you’re actually receiving 500mg per serving. You’ll need to factor that math in when you’re determining which is the best CLA supplement for you and how much of it you need to take to see results.
Who Should Take CLA?
There’s a whole range of people that could benefit from CLA supplements. Having a healthy diet and using supplements to get the proper nutrition can have a major positive impact on your whole body. We’ll talk about the top groups of people who benefit:
Women looking to lose weight
People looking to lose weight: By now, you know that the number one benefit of CLA is weight loss. This supplement can help whether you need to lose a lot of weight or just shed a few pounds. Studies have shown that it can help increase your metabolism, curb your appetite, and burn more calories.
Women who want to step their fitness up
Anyone who’s into fitness and staying in physical shape can benefit from this supplement because it not only helps you to lose fat but also to create lean body mass. When combined with a diet and exercise, this supplement can make a big difference in the results you see. It can also help break down fat in hard to lose places that can sometimes get the best of us.
Vegans and vegetarians
This supplement is naturally found in dairy and beef products, so those who avoid these food groups or are a restrictive diet can benefit from another source of CLA. If you don’t consume animal products with your regular diet, you may not be getting adequate amounts of this supplement, making supplementation a necessity.
How to Get the Most Out of it
It’s important to understand that although CLA for women has been proven to help with fat loss and body composition, it’s not a magic elixir. You can’t simply take this supplement and not take any other healthy actions and expect to shed all the weight and achieve your dream body.
In order to get the most out of your supplement and experience maximum benefits, you need to add in a healthy diet and exercise regime. CLA should simply be a supplement to your healthy lifestyle.
FAQ
It can help improve your body composition by increasing lean muscle mass and decreasing fat.
The best CLA for weight loss is one that has a high concentration per serving. 1st Phorm's CLA softgel is a great option because it has 80% active CLA per serving. This helps ensure that you’re getting the correct dosage needed to achieve optimal results.
This supplement helps you lose weight by increasing your metabolism and burning fat. Although CLA itself is technically a fat, it actually helps reduce the amount of body fat in your body. As you begin to whittle away at your fat stores, your living becomes more efficient at processing fat.
No, as long as you’re not taking more than the recommended dosage. Long term side effects of excess consumption have shown damage to the liver; however, this is not likely with the supplements and dosages we recommended above. In the short term, new users may experience lightheadedness, nausea, or upset stomach, but these generally wane within a few weeks as your body continues to get used to the new supplement.
The answer to this question is highly dependent on many factors, the main one being how much weight you have to lose, to begin with. The more excess fat you have to lose, the more you’ll likely lose. That said, you also need to keep in mind that this isn’t a magic weight loss pill—you still need to put in the work and change your lifestyle in order to realize maximum results.
The answer to this question is highly dependent on many factors, the main one being how much weight you have to lose, to begin with. The more excess fat you have to lose, the more you’ll likely lose. That said, you also need to keep in mind that this isn’t a magic weight loss pill—you still need to put in the work and change your lifestyle in order to realize maximum results.
Conclusion
Throughout reading our list of the top CLA supplements, you probably noticed that most of the formulas are the same or very similar. This is because the manufacturers generally use the same ingredients across the board for this supplement. So when it comes to choosing the best CLA for women, it comes down to choosing a brand you can trust with a potency that makes sense for your body and goals.
All eight of the supplements we chose are considered to be the best CLA on the market thanks to their quality and effectiveness, so you really can’t go wrong with choosing any one of the supplements on our list.
If you want a women-specific CLA, we put two of those on our list and they are both highly recommended by us personally as well as hundreds of Amazon reviewers.
Have you tried this supplement before? What kind of results did you experience? If this is your first time pairing it with a healthy diet and exercise program, we’d love to hear your feedback!
One of the best supplement brands on the market is 1st Phorm, and their CLA Softgels are #legit and are our top choice for women who are wanting to lose weight and get a lean body. Get FREE shipping with the link below: