Lipoic Acid, also known as Alpha Lipoic Acid or Thioctic Acid

Source: DiagnoseMe.com

Lipoic acid (LA) is considered to be among the elite, multipurpose antioxidants and has been variously called “the universal antioxidant or the “ideal oxidant”. You can think of lipoic acid as a kind of “wild card” antioxidant.

Evidence shows that even if you are not getting enough vitamin C or E, for example, lipoic acid supplements can make up at least part of the deficit. Lipoic acid is considered a conditionally vital antioxidant nutrient.

Sources
The body makes some of its own lipoic acid, but we still need to get more of it form external sources for maximum benefit.  One reason is that our ability to make lipoic acid declines with age.

It can be found in potatoes, carrots, broccoli, yeast, beets, yams and kohlrabi, and is also abundant in red meat.  It is also supplied in supplements as capsules with 25, 50, 100, and 200 mg.  .

Reasons for use

LA is the only antioxidant that is fat-and water-soluble. This property has made it a perfect electron transporter for both oxidized vitamin C (water-soluble) and vitamin E (fat-soluble); it is easily absorbed and transported across cell membranes.

A recent study showed that when lipoic acid was missing, other antioxidants did not interact well, thereby reducing their ability to protect cells.  Lipoic acid, like insulin reduces glycation (*), enhancing the movement of blood sugar into our cells. It promotes greater energy production by muscles and reduces the amount of glucose stored as fat.

Glycation is a process by which glucose links with proteins and causes them to bind together. In some circumstances, this can result in “stiffening” of tissues and may lead to certain complications of diabetes, and perhaps some of the physiological problems associated with aging.

LA also protects the liver from alcohol damage, the lungs from smoke damage, and enhances glucose disposal in type II diabetes.

In addition to being a powerful antioxidant, lipoic acid has an important role in controlling blood sugar. Through both of these mechanisms, it may help prevent the negative effects of having an even slightly elevated blood sugar causing some of the serious side-effects of diabetes (nerve damage, pain, blindness, heart disease and accelerated aging). It may even help repair some of the nerve damage that may have occurred by encouraging new nerve growth.

It is medically approved in Germany for treating adult-onset type II diabetes and its complications. Ironically, the research that demonstrated its increased blood sugar utilization was done in the United States. Lipoic acid is not a controlling factor in such instances, but research shows that a high intake (300 to 600 mg per day) tends to normalize blood sugar levels in diabetics.

Directions

No RDA has been established. Humans are usually not deficient in alpha-lipoic acid, but supplementation can help in some conditions such as diabetes. While some human studies involve doses as high as 1,000 mg daily, 100mg is sufficient to obtain the antioxidant effects in most cases.

The recommended “therapeutic dose” for healthy adults is 100-200 mg. By contrast, animal studies have shown the acute toxic dose to be ten times that of the therapeutic dose. It may be taken once a day with any supplement or food.

If you are healthy and want to promote optimal health, a dose of 30 – 300 mg per day may be sufficient.  Lipoic acid appears to have no significant side effects at dosages up to 1,800 mg daily.

Side-Effects; Counter-Indicators and Warnings
In over three decades of use in Europe, no study has shown any serious adverse effects of taking lipoic acid supplements.

Diabetic patients should have blood sugar monitored if lipoic acid is to be taken because it is known to improve sugar metabolism and may change insulin needs.

At the time of writing there was no known interference with any other drugs.

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