Alpha Lipoic Acid

STRENGTH: 200 mg
FORM: 60 Capsules

Alpha Lipoic Acid is a tremendous nutrient, it is both water and fat soluble, which enables it to enter all parts of a cell as an antioxidant to help neutralize free radicals. It has a vitamin-like nature, and sometimes is referred to as the 'universal antioxidant'. Taking Alpha Lipoic Acid every day has proven to be very effective in combating the effects of a damaging process in the body called 'glycation' (when the sugar in your blood combines with the amino acids: tryptophan, lysine, and arginine). This is important news for active individuals, especially for those who consume large amounts of simple sugars from the many different sources available. When the glycation process occurs, there is a byproduct that is created and released into the system that is called an 'Advanced Glycation End Product' or (AGE). AGEs accumulate in the body and help speed up heart disease, vision loss, and many other age-related diseases!

Alpha Lipoic Acid to the rescue! It has a positive effect on many disorders including diabetes, heart conditions, cataract formation, heavy metal poisoning (it is a chelator) and is also used for radiation exposure. Alpha Lipoic Acid provides antioxidant protection against the damage that LDL's (the bad fats) cause, and also in helping to prevent fatty deposits from forming in the circulatory system. It destroys more "free radicals" than many other antioxidants, and enhances the activity levels of other antioxidants as well, especially Vitamins C and E. Alpha Lipoic Acid also helps to regulate blood sugar levels, and has been used as a treatment for diabetes in Europe for many years. Several qualities distinguish Alpha Lipoic Acid from other antioxidants, this is because of its "universal," and "overall metabolic" qualities. Lipoic acid even increases cystine/cysteine uptake and utilization, which increases the synthesis of another very important antioxidant called glutathione. Supplementation with both lipoid acid and acetyl-l-carnitine is an effective way of improving mitochondrial metabolic function (increases energy production) without increasing oxidative stress (free radicals) while increasing energy and protecting the body from molecular damage.

In the past few years, the pace of research on lipoic acid has increased dramatically. This is mostly due to the fact that it has been shown to be so effective in treating a number of systemic pathologies. Its effectiveness may be attributed to the body's ability to routinely convert some Alpha Lipoic Acid into dihydrolipoic acid, which appears to be an even more powerful antioxidant. Both forms of lipoic acid quench peroxynitrite radicals, an especially dangerous type of radical consisting of both oxygen and nitrogen. These peroxynitrite radicals play a role in the development of atherosclerosis, lung disease, chronic inflammation, and neurological disorders. Alpha Lipoic Acid is getting a tremendous amount of use in products that control blood sugar, because it speeds up the removal of glucose from the bloodstream. This occurs at least partly by enhancing insulin functionality, and by reducing insulin resistance, an underpinning of many cases of coronary heart disease and obesity.†

REFERENCES:

1. Parker, L. and Tritschler, H. J. "Alpha Lipoic Acid-The Metabolic Antioxidant", Free Rad. Biol. Med. 1996.
2. SAlpha lipoic acidzar MR., Alpha lipoic acid: a novel treatment for depression, Med Hypotheses 2000 Dec;55(6):510-2.
3. Sen CK , Packer L. , Departments of Surgery and Molecular & Cellular Biochemistry, The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210-1252, USA., Thiol homeostasis and supplements in physical exercise, Am J Clin Nutr 2000 Aug;72(2 Suppl):653S-69S.
4. Barbiroli B, et al., Journal of Neurology, 1995;242:472-7.
5. Schonheit K, et al., Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, 1995;1271:335-42; and Cao X and Phillis JW, Free Radical Research, 1995;23:365-70.