Antioxidants are made up of several different substances which help our body to fight free radicals. One of those substances is Alpha Lipoic Acid. Alpha Lipoic Acid is a fatty acid found inside every cell of the body. It is a required substance to produce energy for normal function. It is also an antioxidant.
It has several factors which make it unique, one of which is that it functions in water and fat. This is very unlike other vitamins which only function in water or fat. For instance, Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin while Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin.
As an antioxidant, Alpha Lipoic Acid helps to recycle glutathione after it has been used. Glutathione is an antioxidant that helps the body eliminate potentially harmful substances and requires Alpha Lipoic Acid for production and recycling. (1)
For the most part this substance is made by the body but can also be found in very small amounts in foods such as spinach, brussel sprouts, rice bran, broccoli and peas. Supplements manufactured in the laboratory are also available in capsule form at the health food stores, drug stores and online. If you’re interested in taking the supplement it should be taken on an empty stomach to increase absorption of the product.
People have found several uses for Alpha Lipoic Acid. The first is in the condition of diabetes because it can help to lower blood sugar levels. (2) Because it also helps to kill free radicals, theory holds that it may help to reduce pain, burning, itching and tingling in individuals who have nerve damage which was originally caused by diabetes. It has been used for this purpose in Europe for many years and at least one clinical trial has found that the intravenous use of Alpha Lipoic Acid will help to reduce symptoms. The evidence that taking it orally will help is however, weaker. (3)
References:
(1) Linus Pauling Institute Oregon State University: Alpha Lipoic Acid
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/othernuts/la/
(2) University of Maryland Medical Center: Alpha-Lipoic Acid
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/alpha-lipoic-000285.htm
(3) Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology and Diabetes:Alpha-lipoic acid in the treatment of diabetic polyneuropathy in Germany: current evidence from clinical trials
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10595592
(4) Drugs.com: Alpha-Lipoic Acid
http://www.drugs.com/npp/alpha-lipoic-acid.html
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