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ALPHA
LIPOIC ACID
Also
Known As
ALA, thioctic acid
Physiology
and Clinical Effects
Alpha lipoic acid is a vitamin-like antioxidant. Alpha lipoic acid is
sometimes referred to as the “universal antioxidant,” because it is
soluble in both fat and water.1
Alpha lipoic
acid has several potential benefits for diabetics. It enhances glucose
uptake in non-insulin-dependent diabetes (NIDDM), inhibits glycosylation
(the abnormal attachment of sugar to protein), and has been used to
improve diabetic nerve damage and reduce pain associated with that nerve
damage.2 Most studies have used IV alpha lipoic acid, but oral
supplementation has nonetheless proved partially helpful in treating at
least one form of diabetic neuropathy, using 800 mg per day.3
Preliminary
evidence indicates that 150 mg of alpha lipoic acid, taken daily for one
month improves visual function in people with glaucoma.4
Alpha lipoic
acid has been shown to inhibit the replication of the HIV virus in the
test tube. However, it is not known whether supplementing with alpha
lipoic acid would benefit HIV-positive people.5
Alpha lipoic
acid has significantly increased the survival rate of people who have
eaten poison mushrooms.6 Such a treatment should be prescribed
by a doctor and should not be attempted on one’s own.
Food
Sources
The body makes small amounts of alpha lipoic acid. There is only limited
knowledge about the food sources of this nutrient, however foods that
contain mitochondria (a specialized component of cells), such as red
meats, are believed to provide the most alpha lipoic acid. Supplements are
also available.
Deficiency
Risk and Symptoms
Although alpha lipoic acid was thought to be a vitamin when it was first
discovered, subsequent research determined that it is created in the human
body—and thus is not an essential nutrient. For this reason, humans are
not known to be deficient in alpha lipoic acid.
Recommended
Dosage
The amount of alpha lipoic acid used in research to improve diabetic
neuropathies is 800 mg per day and 150 mg per day for glaucoma. However,
much lower amounts, such as 20–50 mg per day, are recommended by some
doctors for general antioxidant protection, although there remains no
clear evidence that such general use has any benefit.
Contraindications
Side effects with alpha lipoic acid are rare but can include skin rash and
the potential of hypoglycemia in diabetic patients. Individuals who may be
deficient in vitamin B1 (such as alcoholics) should take vitamin B1 along
with alpha lipoic acid supplements. Chronic administration of alpha lipoic
acid in animals has interfered with the actions of the vitamin biotin.
Whether this has significance for humans remains unknown.7
References:
1. Kagan V,
Khan S, Swanson C, Shevedova A, Serbinova E, and Packer L. Antioxidant
action of thioctic acid and dihydrolipoic acid. Free Rad Biol Med
1990;9S:15.
2. Packer L, Witt EH, Tritschler HJ. Alpha-lipoic acid as a biological
antioxidant. Free Rad Biol Med 1995;19:227–50 [review].
3. Ziegler D, Ulrich H, Schatz H, et al. Effects of treatment with the
antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid on cardiac autonomic neuropathy in NIDDM
patients. Diabetes Care 1997;20:369–73.
4. Filina AA, Davydova NG, Endrikhovskii SN, et al. Lipoic acid as a means
of metabolic therapy of open-angle glaucoma. Vestn Oftalmol
1995;111:6–8.
5. Baur A et al. Alpha-lipoic acid is an effective inhibitor of human
immuno-deficiency virus (HIV-1) replication. Klin Wochenschr
1991;69:722–4.
6. Nichols TW Jr. Alpha-lipoic acid: biological effects and clinical
implications. Alt Med Rev 1997;2:177–83 [review].
7. Zempleni J, Trusty TA, Mock DM. Lipoic acid reduces the activities of
biotin-dependent carboxylases in rat liver. J Nutr
1997;127:1776–81.
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