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These days, when health becomes an integral part of life, everyone is exploring new inventive ways to achieve optimal wellness. Alpha-lipoic acid received a lot of recognition in recent years, it is a naturally produced antioxidant, which is present in all kinds of cells. Alpha-lipoic acid also found in various dietary sources and studies shows that it has many positive effects on the body. In this blog, we are shedding light on, how lipoic acid benefits your optimal health.

What Exactly Is Alpha-Lipoic Acid?

Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA) is one of the most significant antioxidants that is required for our body. It is a natural organosulfur compound that is made by the body and can be taken through dietary supplements. ALA is synthesized in the mitochondrion.

Alpha-lipoic acid plays a major role in energy pathways, It’s fat and water-soluble property made him different from many fatty acids. Studies show that including supplementation of alpha-lipoic acid in the diet can prevent and treat nutrition-related chronic disease.

What is Alpha-Lipoic Acid

Alpha Lipoic Acid: A Powerful Antioxidant

Our body has a strong network of antioxidants, that protect our body from free radicals. Free radicals if left unchecked, may cause a lot of harm to our body, however Antioxidant are the elements, that neutralize free radicals by donating an electron. By doing this antioxidant needs to recharge by borrowing an electron from another antioxidant.

This is when, alpha lipoic acid comes into the picture, it provides the electron to the antioxidants to rejuvenate and continue their process of neutralizing the free-radicals.

How Antioxidants Works Against Antioxidant

The Health Benefits Of Alpha-Lipoic Acid In the Body

The major benefits of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) includes:

  • Antioxidant: ALA supplement can prevent oxidative stress and efficiently neutralize free radicals.
  • Improves Skin Health: ALA fastens the wound healing process and helps in repairing the rough and damaged skin.
  • Prevention Of Diabetes: ALA improves insulin sensitivity and helps in lowering the blood glucose level.
  • Weight Management: Speed up fat and glucose metabolism and help in weight management.
  • Supports Brain Health and Neurological Disorders: ALA supports in restoring damaged neurons.
  • Exercise Recovery: Supports muscle regeneration after injury and promotes fast recovery.
  • Inflammation: A lipoic acid-rich diet may help to reduce inflammation markers over time.
  • Migraines And Headache: ALA lowers the mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress linked to migraines.
  • Cardiac Health: ALA supplement lowers the bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglyceride, and increases the good cholesterol (HDL).
  • Liver Health: Protects liver cells from toxins by neutralizing damaging free radicals.
  • High-Risk Pregnancy: ALA supports both mother and fetus health. Taking ALA supplementation reduces the risk of miscarriage and birth defects.
  • Quality Sperm: After 12 weeks of consuming a high ALA diet can significantly increase the total sperm count, sperm concentration, and motility value.
  • Slow the aging process: ALA may trigger the enzyme telomerase that supports delay the aging process.
Health Benefits Of Alpha Lipoic Acid

Foods Containing Lipoic Acid

One of the simplest way to enhance your lipoic acid level is to include ALA rich food in your diet. As we discussed earlier, all animals and plants produce lipoic acid naturally, but if you want to get more benefits of this amazing antioxidants you should include foods which have higher amount of lipoic acid.

Some vegetarian options are: broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, potatoes, sprouts, and yeast extract.

Best Food Choice Of Alpha Lipoic Acid

ALA Supplement

To empower your antioxidant counts in the body you can also start an ALA supplement as it contains a thousand times more ALA than food. ALA supplements are best consumed on an empty stomach as it competes with food and that impact its effectiveness.

Alpha-lipoic acid may be more effective in reducing oxidative damage if taken in its R form, as R-ALA.

Dosage

The recommended dosage is 150-200 mg a day.

Note: Kindly consult your medical practitioners before taking any supplements.

ALA Deficiency 

An ALA deficiency is generally unheard of. But as described in medical literature, a rare genetic mutation can affect the ALA production in the body. In this condition, the body is unable to produce the enzyme lipoic acid synthase (an enzyme that is responsible for ALA synthesis).

But this condition is extremely rare and may affect one in a million people.

Special Precautions And Side-Effects 

Though, it has been seen that consuming alpha-lipoic acid is possibly safe for most of the adults in all the forms, whether it is taken by mouth, inserted intravenously or directly applied to the skin. However, People need to be careful while taking ALA supplement, as it’s not like “fit for all”, such as:

  • Pregnancy and breast-feeding:  since there is not much research has been done yet, so it is suggested that pregnant breast-feeding women should avoid using an ALA supplement.
  • Diabetic Patients: Diabetic people need to be very careful to start ALA supplementation as alpha lipoic acid may cause sudden drop in your blood sugar level. It is advised to consult your healthcare provider to start this supplementation.
  • Thyroid Patients: Alpha-lipoic acid may interfere with the medication of under-active or over-active thyroid, again consult your healthcare provider first.
  • Excessive consumption of Alcohol: Excessive alcohol reduces the amount of vitamin-B1 (Thiamine) in the body. Taking ALA with low thiamine level can cause serious health issue.
  • Not recommended for children: It is not clear yet, if the supplementation of ALA is safe for children. So best to avoid.

Side-effects

ALA supplement has virtually no side effects if given in the correct dosage, however, sometimes common side effects can be seen, such as:

  • Headache
  • Fatigue
  • Skin rashes
  • Muscle cramp
  • Tingling sensation
  • Gastric reflux

Important FAQ’s

  • Lipoic acid synthesizes other antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, glutathione, and CoQ10.
  • Prevent damage to the cell at the genetic level.
  • The ideal antioxidant as it rapidly absorbed high digestive tract to neutralize free radicals
  • Since alpha-lipoic acid is the only antioxidant that is fat-soluble (lipophilic) and water-soluble (hydrophilic), as a result, it may protect the lipoprotein layer of the cell membrane and plasma interior from harmful free radicals.
  • Excellent chelation agent of heavy metals.
  • Remarkably effective to reduce the harmful effects of cancer chemotherapy.
  • Prevent the progression of AMD and oxidative damage in the eye.
  • ALA in proper doses can stop the vascular disease (Aneurysm) progress in its tracks.

Conclusion

Alpha lipoic acid is an organosulfur compound that works as an antioxidant and it is required to produce energy in the cells. ALA is present in our body on their own, we can also get some more through our diet.

ALA is also taken as a nutritional supplement and research suggests that, it has an ability to prevent various nutritional chronic diseases. Studies show, there are many benefits of alpha-lipoic acid. We suggest if you are looking to include ALA supplement, the best way to take help from your health care provider to understand what is best for you, choose wisely as every individual is different.