In liver disease the substance has been proposed as a treatment for alcohol related problems. However, there is then no evidence so far that this is worked in clinical trials.
Individuals who suffer from peripheral neuropathy, whether caused by injury, nutritional deficiencies, chemotherapy or diabetes, liver disease, alcoholism or thyroid disease, can consider the use of Alpha Lipoic Acid to help with the condition. Preliminary studies using oral administration of the antioxidant has shown that after five weeks individuals who were taking 600 mg doses once daily show improvement. (2)
Alpha Lipoic Acid crosses the blood brain barrier and has been found to have protective effects on the brain and nerve tissue. At this time it is under clinical trials as a treatment for stroke and other brain disorders which may have triggers of free radical damage. Animal studies have shown that those treated with Alpha Lipoic Acid suffered less brain damage and had four times greater survival rate after a stroke than those who did not receive the supplement. More research is required in order to understand whether this benefit currently applies to people and how it can be exploited to help more individuals who experience a stroke.
At this time there has been some suggestion that the antioxidant will help with cataracts, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, burning mouth syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease and to inhibit the growth of the HIV virus. However, at this time there is no evidence to suggest conclusively whether or not it is beneficial in these instances. More research is underway to test the efficacy, efficiency and safety of using Alpha Lipoic Acid in the treatment of these conditions.
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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