Health Benefits of Lipoic Acid

Exploring the Health Benefits of Lipoic Acid


By Michael A. Smith, MD

Since the 1980s, Life Extension has been educating people on the benefits of eating a wide variety of antioxidants from a wide variety of sources. Unfortunately, because of the poor conditions of our soil, many of our favorite fruits and vegetables simply do not carry the same nutritional punch that they did a few decades ago.

What does this mean to you? First and foremost, it means that you need to supplement daily with a variety of antioxidants. One of the most important for your health is lipoic acid, and below we’ll take an in-depth look at this very unique antioxidant.

What Makes Lipoic Acid So Unique?

Widely known as a potent and effective antioxidant, lipoic acid demonstrates a multitude of health benefits directly related to its chemical structure. While most antioxidants are either water-loving or fat-loving, lipoic acid is actually both.

Unlike vitamins C and E, which are confined to water and fat environments respectively, lipoic acid can scavenge free radicals and reduce oxidative stress in both environments. The distinctive chemical structure of lipoic acid is what makes it one of the most powerful antioxidants found in nature.

The body makes lipoic acid although in very small amounts. Food is also not an abundant source of the antioxidant. Unfortunately, very little lipoic acid is contained in the following foods:

  • Spinach
  • Broccoli
  • Peas
  • Brewer's yeast
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Rice bran
  • Organ meats
Supplementation with lipoic acid is probably the best route for benefitting from its unique properties since the amount found in food is so low.

Lipoic Acid Protects Against Oxidative Stress

One of the leading theories of aging is called oxidative stress, which describes the build-up of free radicals over time. Free radicals are highly reactive compounds that are generated from our environment, our diet, and even from our normal metabolic processes. These compounds react violently with critical body proteins, important cellular fats, and even DNA. Lipoic acid helps prevent this damage by neutralizing free radicals and reducing oxidative stress.1

But wait, there’s more. Not only is lipoic acid active in both water and fat, it also regenerates other antioxidants like vitamins C, E and CoQ10.2,3 This makes it the veritable workhorse of antioxidants. It scavenges free radicals and helps other antioxidants do the same.

There’s yet another reason to supplement with lipoic acid: It works synergistically with B-vitamins. The result of this “tag-team” effort is enhanced carbohydrate metabolism for healthier energy production throughout the body. Lipoic acid does this by helping to protect mitochondria, the cell’s powerhouses, from oxidative damage.

Probably the most crucial relationship to highlight is the one between lipoic acid and glutathione — one of the most potent antioxidants in the human body. Glutathione inhibits the activity of nuclear factor-kappa beta (NF-kappaB), a pro-inflammatory transcription factor. In one animal study, lipoic acid increased glutathione levels significantly, particularly in the lungs, liver and kidneys.4

Lipoic Acid and Metabolic Syndrome & Diabetes

Overwhelming evidence now suggests that lipoic acid may play a role in protecting against metabolic syndrome — a constellation of risk factors that often precedes full-blown type 2 diabetes. According to an exhaustive review of experimental studies, lipoic acid reduces blood pressure, reverses insulin resistance, improves lipid profiles, and improves weight.5

Another study showed dramatic effects of administering lipoic acid in improving insulin sensitivity in overweight adults with type 2 diabetes. Lipoic acid produced significant improvements in weight and insulin sensitivity after just four weeks of supplementation.6 The results of this study may have important implications in treating metabolic syndrome and diabetes moving forward.

Choosing the Right Lipoic Acid

Alpha-lipoic acid is what’s commonly sold in most vitamin stores. It is a 50:50 mixture of two forms of lipoic acid, called S and R. The R-form is what’s active in the body. For this reason, we feel that it’s probably better to go with a product that is 100% R-lipoic acid.

Lipoic acid offers unique antioxidant properties that just can’t be found in other vitamins or minerals. For this reason, you should probably consider adding R-lipoic acid to your regimen today.


Are you supplementing with lipoic acid yourself? If not, will you consider it now that you’ve read this post? Please let us know in the comments.

References

  1. Curr Drug Targets. 2005 Jun;6(4):503-9.
  2. Free Radic Biol Med. 2002;33(1):83-93.
  3. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1998;349(2):281-289.
  4. Wien Klin Wochenschr. 2000 Jul 28;112(14):610-6.
  5. Expert Opin Investig Drugs. 2007 Mar;16(3):291-302.
  6. Hormones (Athens). 2006 Oct-Dec;5(4):251-8

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nothing But Sweat Workout by DailyHIIT

Image
Nothing But Sweat Workout Posted by Lisa-Marie   Warning : Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /var/www/sites/bodyrock.tv/htdocs/wp-content/plugins/bodyrock.tv/wo-breakdown.php  on line  528 . Hi BodyRockers, . Face it you are weird. In today’s world if you train like a warrior, flex your discipline when it comes to your diet, and pass on grazing on donuts in the break room at work chances are you are chided on some level by those around as being weird. Get used to it. Embrace the smell of your sweaty socks. Not many people make a daily practice out of pushing themselves beyond their comfort zones for one workout a day. Not many people step out of what is comfortable for themselves period. This is a niche movement. Not everyone will get why you train this way or why you train at all. Thankfully we don’t need anyones permission or approval, and if we are looking for support we have a place to go where people get it. Being weird requires a good measure of independ
Read more

4 Ways Your Pumpkin Can Make You Prettier

Image
Pumpkins are more than a delicious flavor for lattes and baked goods. They're packed with vitamins and antioxidants that nourish your skin, body, and hair—making the seasonally appropriate squash just the ingredient your fall beauty DIY needs. Get your pumpkin fix, minus the calories, with these recipes. Click through to see four pumpkin-inspired DIYs for your hair, skin, and body. 1  of  4 1. It Can Give You Shinier Hair PHOTO:  Hello Natural Pumpkin is rich in potassium and vitamin A, making it especially great for restoring damaged, dry hair (especially when it’s combined with ultra-moisturizing honey). You'll need: 2 cups cooked pumpkin 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon coconut oil 1 tablespoon unflavored yogurt  Puree the pumpkin and yogurt, then mix in the coconut oil and honey. Evenly cover your hair from roots to ends, and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. Rinse out the mixture, and then shampoo to ensure no residue is left.  2  of  4 2. I
Read more

How Air Pollution Is Damaging Your Health

Image
Exposure to air pollution is associated with numerous effects on human health, including pulmonary, cardiac, vascular, and neurological impairments. The health effects vary greatly from person to person. High-risk groups such as the elderly, infants, pregnant women, and sufferers from chronic heart and lung diseases are more susceptible to air pollution. Children are at greater risk because they are generally more active outdoors and their lungs are still developing. Exposure to air pollution can cause both acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) health effects. The health of our lungs and entire respiratory system is affected by the quality of the air we breathe. In addition to oxygen, this air contains other substances
Read more