ANTIOXIDANTS - ALPHA LIPOIC ACID
by Lynn Hinderliter CN, LDN

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The simple definition of an antioxidant is a substance that protects against free radical damage at the cellular level. It is widely accepted in scientific circles nowadays, that most of the degenerative diseases that plague humanity have as their cause free radical damage, and in fact a 1993 study by Pracon, Inc (Reston, VA) concluded that simply by having Americans take optimal amounts of the 3 best known antioxidants, Vit. C, Vit. E and beta-carotene, the Health Care system in this country would save $8.7 billion annually from reduced hospitalization for heart attacks and cancer alone!

Alpha Lipoic Acid can almost be termed the perfect antioxidant

Not only is it capable of reviving itself to fight again after sacrificing itself on the field of battle, but it enables Vitamins C & E to reconstitute themselves too. Some studies have in fact shown that when taking Alpha Lipoic Acid, it is possible to reduce the amounts of the other vitamins one needs to take to protect health.

This is not the most important facet of Alpha Lipoic Acid, however: that is its presence not only in the waters of the body, but also in the fatty membranes and the lipoproteins. It is noted for its ability to both lower cholesterol, and regulate blood sugar levels.

Alpha Lipoic Acid is hepato-protective - it protects the liver from damage caused by the many chemicals we are exposed to on a daily basis:  it therefore also protects our persons from the symptoms of chemical sensitivities, and Candidiasis.   As for its importance in liver inflammation and viral attack, for many alternative practitioners it is the nutrient of first choice.

A 2007 study in mice is suggesting that ALA may be valuable for preventing the breakdown of cartilage in Rheumatoid Arthritis - (Lee EY, Lee CK, et al, Rheumatology International, 2007; 27(3): 225-233).  The study authors go so far as to say that "these results indicate that alpha-lipoic acid may be a new adjunctive therapy for rheumatoid arthritis." 

 In Europe, ALA has been used for 30 years as a medically approved treatment for diabetes: studies done at the University of Pennsylvania in 1970 show that it increases the rate at which the body converts sugar into energy, and also slows the damage caused in diabetics such as cataracts ( one of Alpha Lipoic Acid's major functions is to protect and facilitate the production of Glutathione in the cells, and cataract tissue has low levels of Glutathione..) and neuropathy.  Speaking of cataract tissue, a 1995 study by Dr. Lester Packer found ALA extremely protective against cataracts in diabetics:  being both water and fat soluble it is able to penetrate deep into the tissue of the lens in its mission to destroy free radicals. (Packer, L., et al. Alpha-lipoic acid as a biological antioxidant. Free Rad Biol Med. 19:227-250, 1995.)

In some cases, ALA is so effective, that very close monitoring of blood glucose levels is recommended to avoid having them fall too low:  a 1999 study published in Diabetic Medicine, (16(12): 1040-1043) used 600 mg of Alpha Lipoic Acid daily for 3 weeks to bring about significant improvement in diabetic neuropathy, accompanied by NO side-effects. Nerve damage is one of diabetes' most devastating complications and affects more than 50 percent of all diabetics. Its typical course is relentlessly downhill and there are no effective medicines to treat it. But now there is hope. A study recently published in Diabetes Care reports that the antioxidant nutrient alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) can partly restore diabetic nerve function after only four months of high-dose ( 300 mg 3 x daily) oral treatment. 

Treatment of symptomatic diabetic polyneuropathy with the antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid.

Alpha-Lipoic Acid as a New Treatment for Patients with Alzheimer's disease

  In an article by Dr. Richard Podell, he states that Diabetics with autonomic neuropathy are five times more likely to die early than diabetics with healthy nervous systems. A damaged nervous system may render them more susceptible to heart disease, poor wound healing and infection--dangerous conditions that ALA promises to prevent.  However, diabetics should consult their doctors before supplementing,  as their normal dose of insulin could then be dangerously strong. 

An ongoing study(2002) in the Netherlands is having some positive results studying the connection between oxidative stress and diabetic neuropathy, what they term hyperglycemia-induced nerve dysfunction.  They state:" Most probably, the effects of antioxidants are mediated by correction of nutritive blood flow", and some studies have shown promising reduction of neuropathic symptoms using vitamin E and Alpha Lipoic Acid. (go here for the abstract)  More studies are currenly being performed.

Dr. Passwater, in his book Lipoic Acid: the Metabolic Antioxidant, strongly recommends using Alpha Lipoic Acid where heart disease is present, particularly where high cholesterol is involved. Part of its importance relates to its role in protecting Vitamin E, but studies with rabbits (used previously for cholesterol studies worldwide) have shown a lowering effect of 40% for blood cholesterol and 45% for cholesterol on aortic tissue. He also has an interesting passage in which he points out that when we read of diseases being genetic, it is possible we think that exercising, eating right and supplementing will make no difference. But these genes may remain passive and harmless if they are protected against attack by free radicals: Alpha Lipoic Acid has the ability to protect the genetic material DNA, in the cell nucleus, and may therefore be a potent factor in protecting us against such possibly inherited weaknesses. Not only that, protecting the gene so that it can reproduce and regulate without damage, has implications for both aging and cancer. 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=
PubMed&list_uids=12112935&dopt=Abstract

It would also appear that Alpha Lipoic Acid should be looked at for MS victims, as the following study shows:

Reactive oxygen species are required for the phagocytosis of myelin by macrophages.

van der Goes A, Brouwer J, Hoekstra K, Roos D, van den Berg TK, Dijkstra CD.

Department of Cell Biology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Vrije Universiteit, BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands. a.van_der_goes.cell@med.vu.nl

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) and experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE). In this study we showed that the phagocytosis of myelin by macrophages triggers the production of ROS. We also demonstrated that ROS play a crucial role in the myelin phagocytosis. Blocking the ROS production with NADPH oxidase inhibitors (100 microM DPI or 10 mM Apocynin) essentially prevented the phagocytosis of myelin. Furthermore, scavenging of ROS with catalase (H2O2) or mannitol (OH-) decreased the phagocytosis of myelin by macrophages, whereas superoxide dismutase (O2-) did not show this effect. In addition, Lipoic acid (LA), a non-specific scavenger of ROS, also decreased the phagocytosis of myelin by macrophages. In our results, we demonstrate for the first time that ROS appear to play a regulatory role in the phagocytosis of myelin.

PMID: 9916881 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Alpha Lipoic Acid is definitely an important addition to the antioxidant team, and while small amounts are available in our diet, for beneficial results it will need to be taken as a supplement. The generally recommended amount is 50 mg daily, though amounts used in diabetics have been much higher. Approach it cautiously at first, there is always the remote possibility of an allergic reaction - and while it is completely safe, until tests have been done it would be wisest to avoid it if you are pregnant.
 

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• Candida. 

• Diabetes