People used to receive healthy doses of CLA in their diets through regular consumption of beef and dairy fats. However, changes over the past 30 years in the way cattle are raised and in the foods people eat have lowered the amount of CLA people get from their diet.

Cattle are no longer pasture grazed, resulting in a decrease in their internal production of conjugated linoleic acid. Most individuals are concerned with cholesterol and fat so they eat less red meat and dairy products. This practice eliminates even more CLA from the average diet.

Fortunately, scientists developed a proprietary process to convert the linoleic acid of pure safflower oil, into conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). It is difficult to obtain an optimal level of CLA through one's diet without over-consuming foods that are high in fat and cholesterol.

CLA was first identified in 1987 by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The identification of CLA resulted in nine years of experiments by Michael Pariza, PhD. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 1978, Dr. Pariza first noted an extract in beef that appeared to be an anti-carcinogenic. In 1987, he identified this extract as CLA. With this identification, came a surge of scientific studies and research on how CLA affects body mass and other beneficial effects on human health.

Extensive research is now showing CLA to play an important role as a multi-beneficial health promoter. More than 200 studies worldwide are indicating that CLA may help reduce the incidence of breast cancer, improve asthma, allergy control, and blood sugar control (diabetes), and limit the extent of atherosclerosis which can lead to heart disease.