Alpha Lipoic Acid - Is it a Breakthrough Antioxidant?
Angela Marks

If you are a well-read dietary supplement taker, then you have most likely heard or read about a nutritional supplement called alpha lipoic acid (ALA). Although it might seem strange that a person would consider ingesting anything that bears the name “acid”, the scientist that discovered it named this since it dissolves in lipids (fats). The following article tells more about the history of ALA and whether it can be beneficial to take in a supplement form.

History of ALA

In 1951, Lester Reed, Ph.D, a biochemist, purified a small amount of alpha lipoic acid from a sample of liver. Several years later, a physician named Burt Berkson was in desperate search of a remedy for two patients who had become deathly ill from ingesting poisonous mushrooms. The chief of endocrinology at the National Institutes of Health informed him of an investigative drug that European scientists reported to be a liver growth promoter. The drug was alpha lipoic acid. Within hours after Dr. Berkson administered the ALA intravenously, the patients were feeling better. After four incredible recoveries of patients with acute liver toxicity, the NIH sent a medical team to examine Dr. Berkson’s patients. A collaborative research project began and he was awarded the FDA investigational permit for intravenous ALA therapy. Since that time, he has treated more than 100 patients with ALA.

Within the last 10 years, Dr. Berkson spoke to a group of physicians at a medical institution in Minnesota about ALA. In 1996 a department in this medical center received a large grant to study ALA as a treatment for the complications brought about by diabetes. They discovered that very high levels of ALA were found to cause a transitory drop in blood sugars.

How Does ALA Work?

Alpha lipoic acid is manufactured in the human body and acts as a coenzyme in the cell’s major energy cycle. As a helper of enzymes, it takes part in a process preparing the fuel for the mitochondrion (the powerhouse of the cell that produces energy). All foods are broken down into simple organic chemicals. Once foods are processed, they enter the cell and are used to produce energy. ALA changes certain chemicals that are required for energy metabolism, and it provides the means by which these substances can enter the mitochondrion.

What Are the Characteristics of ALA?

An extraordinary characteristic of ALA is that it appears to prevent damage to the cell at the genetic level. This may mean the possibility of treating cancer, heart disease, and AIDS due to ALA’s function as a modulator of gene expression (through its influence on transcription factors of DNA) and an antioxidant. A great amount of research has been dedicated to this coenzyme’s capability of fighting oxidative stress and its harmful processes that could result in a vast number of diseases.

ALA is a potent antioxidant because it is both water-soluble and fat-soluble. According to an article in the Journal Neurology in 1995, ALA can easily pass through the blood-brain barrier and increase brain energy availability. Another great characteristic is its ability to salvage and recycle other antioxidants such as vitamins C, E and glutathione (an antioxidant that is present in the body).

Are There Beneficial Uses For ALA as a Supplement?

Almost all of the research on ALA has been done using high levels administered intravenously rather than in a supplement form. A few studies have documented its benefits as a supplement for treating insulin resistance and glucose effectiveness, although further studies still need to be done. Aside from these studies, there are no others that provide any evidence that oral supplements of ALA can be of any benefit. For now, it appears that the best way to get alpha lipoic acid is through eating yeast, spinach, broccoli and potatoes. It is still too early to know the implications of taking this coenzyme orally.

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