In the 1930’s Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) was discovered in potatoes. At first scientists found that (ALA) was an essential coenzyme involved in energy production; now we know (ALA) to be one of the most valued antioxidants. ALA is found in many studies where it is shown to be helpful in prevention as well as therapeutic. ALA has benefited countless health concerns such as: cancer, diabetes, poor eyesight, and anti-aging. One of the most impressive qualities of (ALA) is that it is both water and fat soluble.
So what is Alpha Lipoic Acid most commonly used for?
ALA is essential for fighting against oxidative stress:
- Car exhaust
- Alcohol
- Second hand smoke
- Too much sun
- Paint fumes, etc
We take antioxidants as our insurance. We all know that it is impossible to completely avoid oxidative stress such as car exhaust, but we can do our best to let antioxidants help us along the way by fighting off those free radicals that can potentially cause cancer. One way to see free radical damage is to watch the aging process. We are all going to get older, this is apart of life, but we can always strive for a better quality of life. We can slow down arthritis, heart disease, wrinkling of the skin, and cancer if we protect ourselves with some powerful antioxidants such as (ALA), Acai Berry, Resveratrol and more. It is safe to take more than one antioxidant, so pick out a few and fight those free radicals!
More benefits of Alpha Lipoic Acid:
- (ALA) is a very small molecule that is easy to absorb and it can easily cross the cell membrane.
- It is both water and fat soluble. While Vit E and Vit C are great antioxidants, Vit C is limited in that it is only water soluble and Vit E is only fat soluble.
- Once (ALA) is inside the cell it is converted into dihydrolipoic acid an even stronger antioxidant.
- (ALA) can even recycle other antioxidants such as Glutathione and Vit C by recharging them or in other words by restoring their missing electrons.
- (ALA) helps to control blood sugar, improve nerve function in diabetics, and reduce cataracts often seen in diabetics.
How Much Alpha Lipoic Acid Should You Take?
Diabetics can take 600mg, for general health and to prevent oxidative stress one capsule of Alive Brand (ALA) which is 250mg. Do not be shy (ALA) is safe and it is recommended to take other antioxidants with (ALA), not only is it recommended it is encouraged! As always thank you for reading and we hope to see you soon at Alive Health Centre, Morning Sun or Supplements Plus!