Vitamins and nutrients play a critical role in your overall health and well-being. Your body can produce some nutrients on its own, while others are received from your diet. Nutrients work together to promote proper body function. Alpha-lipoic acid, or LA, is a nutrient that your body produces that plays an important role in energy production.
Function
LA is an antioxidant made by your body and found in some foods. Its primary role is helping to convert glucose, or sugar, into energy. As an antioxidant, it helps protect your body from free radical damage, atoms with an unpaired number of electrons, resulting naturally from oxygen uptake. Free radicals can damage your tissues, cells and DNA. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, preventing them from damaging your body and helping to remove them safely.
Dietary Sources
Though your body can produce LA on its own, it is also found in your diet. Most foods generally contain small amounts of LA, however some foods have slightly higher levels than others. Spinach, broccoli and brussels sprouts are vegetables with higher amounts of LA than other dietary sources. Animal organs, such as the heart, liver and kidneys, contain high amounts of LA. This is because LA is higher in tissues with a high concentration of mitochondria, energy cell centers.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic diseased characterized by high blood sugar. Insulin, a hormone produced in your pancreas, helps control blood sugar levels. Diabetes can result if your pancreas does not make enough insulin or if your body responds abnormally to insulin. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, LA can help lower blood sugar levels and help reduce the pain, itching and burning caused by nerve damage associated with diabetes.
Other Forms
LA is also found in dietary supplements. Though deficiency of LA is rare, your doctor can treat it with injections. According to UMMC, adults with diabetes can supplement 800 mg of LA per day, while those seeking general LA support can supplement much smaller doses of 20 to 50 mg per day. Because all supplements have the potential to cause side effects and interactions, it is important to consult your doctor before taking LA supplements.
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