According to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) website, alpha-lipoic is a powerful antioxidant that's found in every cell of the body. Its purpose is to help the body turn glucose into energy. Because it’s an antioxidant, it attacks free radicals, the waste products the body creates when it converts food to energy. Without antioxidants, free radicals damage the cells, organs and tissues. Because antioxidants are depleted when they fight free radicals, they need alpha-lipoic acid to replenish them. Before taking alpha-lipoic acid, discuss its use with your health care provider.
Sources
Natural sources of alpha-lipoic acid are red meats, and organ meats such as liver, broccoli, spinach, peas, tomatoes, rice bran and Brussels sprouts, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) website. Eating a healthy, balanced diet containing these sources should be adequate in meeting your body’s need for natural alpha-lipoic acid.
Health Benefits
The UMMC site says alpha-lipoic acid is effective in helping reduce the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy, or nerve damage caused by diabetes. Taking IV doses of alpha-lipoic acid has been shown to alleviate this problem, but taking it orally as a supplement hasn't been a success. The site also says alpha-lipoic acid has been considered for treating liver damage from alcohol, but there is no evidence that it's effective for this. The UMMC site says animal studies suggest that alpha-lipoic acid may help prevent damage to the brain and nervous system in stroke patients. More research needs to be done to see if the same benefit is true for treating humans.
The MSKCC website also mentions cancer prevention, cancer treatment and diabetes as possible uses for alpha-lipoic acid. But more research must be done to fully understand its effect.
Forms Used
Drugs.com reports that alpha-lipoic acid is available in capsule form and can be found at most health food stores. Under a health care provider’s supervision, it can be taken as an injection or intravenously.
Side Effects
Hypoglycemia is one of the possible dangerous side effects of taking alpha-lipoic acid. The supplement helps lower blood sugar and may cause symptoms such as hunger, weakness, nausea, irritability, dizziness, headache, blurred vision, confusion, sweating, fast heart rate or fainting, according to Drugs.com.
Considerations
According to the UMMC website, pregnant and breast-feeding women should avoid taking alpha-lipoic acid because there's no information about its possible effects on the baby. Also, people taking thyroid medication to treat hypothyroid condition should not take alpha-lipoic acid, because it will affect the medication's function. To avoid possible harmful interactions, people taking medications for diabetes should not take alpha-lipoic acid. It has been known to cause a thyroid disorder or hypoglycemia when taken by people on these medications.
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