Alpha Lipoic Acid

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Also indexed as: ALA, Lipoic Acid, Chia Seed, Thioctic Acid (Alpha Lipoic Acid)

Alpha Lipoic Acid has been used in connection with the following health conditions:

Used for	Amount	Why
Type 1 Diabetes	600 to 1,200 mg a day	[3 stars] Supplementing with alpha lipoic acid may protect against diabetic complications, such as nerve and kidney damage. Learn More
Close Type 1 Diabetes 600 to 1,200 mg a day Alpha lipoic acid is a powerful natural antioxidant. Preliminary and double-blind trials have found that supplementing with 600 to 1,200 mg of lipoic acid per day improves the symptoms of diabetic nerve damage (neuropathy).²^{, 3}^{, 4}^{, 5} In a preliminary study, supplementing with 600 mg of alpha-lipoic acid per day for 18 months slowed the progression of kidney damage in people with type 1 diabetes.⁶ Learn More
Type 2 Diabetes	600 to 1,200 mg a day	[3 stars] Taking alpha lipoic acid may improve insulin sensitivity and help protect against diabetic complications such as nerve damage. Learn More
Close Type 2 Diabetes 600 to 1,200 mg a day Alpha lipoic acid is a powerful natural antioxidant. Preliminary and double-blind trials have found that supplementing 600 to 1,200 mg of lipoic acid per day improves insulin sensitivity and the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy.⁷^{, 8}^{, 9}^{, 10}^{, 11}^{, 12}^{, 13}^{, 14} In a preliminary study, supplementing with 600 mg of alpha lipoic acid per day for 18 months slowed the progression of kidney damage in patients with type 2 diabetes.¹⁵ Learn More
Migraine Headache	600 mg per day	[2 stars] In a small double-blind trial, supplementing with alpha-lipoic acid significantly reduced the frequency of migraine attacks. Learn More
Close Migraine Headache 600 mg per day In a small double-blind trial, supplementation with 600 mg of alpha-lipoic acid once a day for three months significantly reduced the frequency of migraine attacks. However, this improvement was not statistically significant when compared with the change in the placebo group.¹⁶ Additional research is needed to determine whether alpha-lipoic acid is effective for preventing migraines. Learn More
Vitiligo	Refer to label instructions	[2 stars] In one study, supplementing with a combination of antioxidants including alpha-lipoic acid increased the effectiveness of ultraviolet light therapy. Learn More
Close Vitiligo In a double-blind trial, supplementation with antioxidants for two months before and for six months during treatment with narrowband ultraviolet B light increased the effectiveness of the ultraviolet light therapy. The antioxidant supplement contained daily 100 mg of alpha-lipoic acid, 100 mg of vitamin C, 40 IU of vitamin E, and 100 mg of cysteine.¹⁷ Learn More
Glaucoma	Refer to label instructions	[1 star] Alpha lipoic acid may improve visual function in people with some types of glaucoma. Learn More
Close Glaucoma Alpha lipoic acid (150 mg per day for one month) improves visual function in people with some types of glaucoma.¹⁸ Learn More
Hepatitis	Refer to label instructions	[1 star] In one trial, a combination of alpha lipoic acid, silymarin, and selenium led to significant improvements in liver function and overall health in people with hepatitis C. Learn More
Close Hepatitis A potent antioxidant combination may protect the liver from damage in people with hepatitis C, possibly decreasing the necessity for a liver transplant. In a preliminary trial,¹⁹ three people with liver cirrhosis and esophageal varices (dilated veins in the esophagus that can rupture and cause fatal bleeding) caused by hepatitis C received a combination of Alpha lipoic acid (300 mg twice daily), silymarin (from milk thistle; 300 mg three times daily), and selenium (selenomethionine; 200 mcg twice daily). After five to eight months of therapy that included other “supportive supplements,” such as vitamin C and B vitamins, all three people had significant improvements in their liver function and overall health. Larger clinical trials are needed to confirm these promising preliminary results. Learn More

References

1. Kagan V, Khan S, Swanson C, et al. Antioxidant action of thioctic acid and dihydrolipoic acid. Free Radic Biol Med 1990;9S:15.

2. Ruhnau KJ, Meissner HP, Finn JR, et al. Effects of 3-week oral treatment with the antioxidant thioctic acid (alpha-lipoic acid) in symptomatic diabetic polyneuropathy. Diabet Med 1999;16:1040–3.

3. Ruhnau KJ, Meissner HP, Finn JR, et al. Effects of 3-week oral treatment with the antioxidant thioctic acid (alpha-lipoic acid) in symptomatic diabetic polyneuropathy. Diabet Med 1999;16:1040–3.

4. Reljanovic M, Reichel G, Rett K, et al. Treatment of diabetic polyneuropathy with the antioxidant thioctic acid (alpha-lipoic acid): a two year multicenter randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial (ALADIN II). Alpha Lipoic Acid in Diabetic Neuropathy. Free Radic Res 1999;31:171–9.

5. Ziegler D, Hanefeld M, Ruhnau KJ, et al. Treatment of symptomatic diabetic polyneuropathy with the antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid: a 7-month multicenter randomized controlled trial (ALADIN III Study). ALADIN III Study Group. Alpha-Lipoic Acid in Diabetic Neuropathy. Diabetes Care 1999;22:1296–301.

6. Morcos M, Borcea V, Isermann B, et al. Effect of alpha-lipoic acid on the progression of endothelial cell damage and albuminuria in patients with diabetes mellitus: an exploratory study. Diabetes Res Clin Pract 2001;52:175–83.

7. Konrad T, Vicini P, Kusterer K, et al. alpha lipoic acid treatment decreases serum lactate and pyruvate concentrations and improves glucose effectiveness in lean and obese patients with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care 1999;22:280–7.

8. Ruhnau KJ, Meissner HP, Finn JR, et al. Effects of 3-week oral treatment with the antioxidant thioctic acid (alpha-lipoic acid) in symptomatic diabetic polyneuropathy. Diabet Med 1999;16:1040–3.

9. Ruhnau KJ, Meissner HP, Finn JR, et al. Effects of 3-week oral treatment with the antioxidant thioctic acid (alpha-lipoic acid) in symptomatic diabetic polyneuropathy. Diabet Med 1999;16:1040–3.

10. Reljanovic M, Reichel G, Rett K, et al. Treatment of diabetic polyneuropathy with the antioxidant thioctic acid (alpha-lipoic acid): a two year multicenter randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial (ALADIN II). Alpha Lipoic Acid in Diabetic Neuropathy. Free Radic Res 1999;31:171–9.

11. Ziegler D, Schatz H, Conrad F, et al. Effects of treatment with the antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid on cardiac autonomic neuropathy in NIDDM patients. A 4-month randomized controlled multicenter trial (DEKAN Study). Diabetes Care 1997;20:369–73.

12. Jacob S, Ruus P, Hermann R, et al. Oral administration of RAC-alpha-lipoic acid modulates insulin sensitivity in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus: a placebo-controlled pilot trial. Free Radic Biol Med 1999;27:309–14.

13. Ziegler D, Hanefeld M, Ruhnau KJ, et al. Treatment of symptomatic diabetic polyneuropathy with the antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid: a 7-month multicenter randomized controlled trial (ALADIN III Study). ALADIN III Study Group. Alpha-Lipoic Acid in Diabetic Neuropathy. Diabetes Care 1999;22:1296–301.

14. Ziegler D, Ametov A, Barinov A, et al. Oral treatment with alpha-lipoic acid improves symptomatic diabetic polyneuropathy: the SYDNEY 2 trial. Diabetes Care 2006;29:2365–70.

15. Morcos M, Borcea V, Isermann B, et al. Effect of alpha-lipoic acid on the progression of endothelial cell damage and albuminuria in patients with diabetes mellitus: an exploratory study. Diabetes Res Clin Pract 2001;52:175–83.

16. Magis D, Ambrosini A, Sandor P, et al. A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of thioctic acid in migraine prophylaxis. Headache 2007;47:52–7.

17. Dell'Anna ML, Mastrofrancesco A, Sala R, et el. Antioxidants and narrow band-UVB in the treatment of vitiligo: a double-blind placebo controlled trial. Clin Exp Dermatol 2007;32:631–6.

18. 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.

19. Berkson BM. A conservative triple antioxidant approach to the treatment of hepatitis C. Combination of Alpha lipoic acid (thioctic acid), silymarin, and selenium: three case histories. Med Klin 1999;94 Suppl 3:84–9.

20. Zempleni J, Trusty TA, Mock DM. Lipoic acid reduces the activities of biotin-dependent carboxylases in rat liver. J Nutr 1997;127:1776–81.

Alpha Lipoic Acid Benefits

Here is what people are saying about the benefits of Alpha Lipoic Acid.

Alpha Lipoic Acid Vit.C Ester & DMAE Cream by Reviva Labs
"I love the product! I was in the beauty business for over 20 years and have never found a better product for my self at such an affordable price. I am a life time fan. The difference in my skin is obvious to others as well as myself...."

Alpha Lipoic Acid 400 mg by Olympian Labs
"Exactly what I needed. The best thing about them is that they are gluten free which was a necessity for me. The dosage amount is great...."

Alpha Lipoic Acid 100 mg by Source Naturals
"It is a very good vitamin and well worth the price. You are lucky to find it...it is better than CO-Q- 10...."

Alpha Lipoic Acid 300 mg by Source Naturals
"I use this product with vitamin C (1g). I am an amateur bodybuilder. ALA is a must for this sport, since glutathione is dramatically depleted in muscle tissue after workout and must be raised back in order to avoid muscle breakdown. ALA naturally raises glutathione inside cells. One side effect thou..."

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Alpha Lipoic Acid

Related Topics

Alpha Lipoic Acid has been used in connection with the following health conditions:

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes

Migraine Headache

Vitiligo

Glaucoma

Hepatitis