Inflammation is a normal biological process used by your immune system to fight infection and heal injury, but chronic inflammation is believed to be a primary factor in some of the most pressing health issues of our time, including heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, arthritis and cancer. The search for nutritional methods of fighting chronic inflammation has led to the investigation of lipoic acid as a possible solution.
What is Inflammation?
When your body incurs an injury, or senses the presence of foreign substances such as bacteria, it floods the affected area with a hormone called histamine. Histamine increases the permeability of blood vessels walls, in a sense opening the door to let your body's own micro-warriors -- your white blood cells -- to attack the invaders and ward off further damage. This works well initially, but when inflammation goes on for a long time, the damage of this immune response extends not just to the pathogens it is designed to fight, but to the very body tissues that it is meant to help. This unchecked inflammation has lead to an increase in interest in substances that may fight inflammation. In Time Magazine's 2004 investigation into the inflammation health crisis, Dr. Rober Tepper of Millennium Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge, Mass., notes that his entire research and development department is now focused on finding ways to fight inflammation.
What is Lipoic Acid?
Lipoic acid is an antioxidant. Your body synthesizes small amounts of it, and it is also found in a wide variety of foods such as organ meats, tomatoes, spinach and Brussels sprouts. Antioxidants function by neutralizing free radicals, which are unstable molecules that cause cell damage and contribute to inflammation.
How Does Lipoic Acid Influence Inflammation?
According to Dr. Weijian Zhang of the Linus Pauling Institute, lipoic acid appears to be helpful in treating disease that involve oxidative stress -- a condition caused by free radical damage. Zhang investigated the effect of lipoic acid on atherosclerosis, which is a disease related to chronic inflammation. His findings indicate that lipoic acids inhibits the ability of white blood cells to adhere to cells lining the blood vessel walls, thus hampering their ability to pass through the wall and into the inflammation site.
Considerations
Lipoic acid supplements have few adverse effects, according to the Linus Pauling Institute, but as with any substance, allergic reactions are possible for those with immune sensitivities to lipoic acid. There is the possibility of drug interactions between lipoic acid and antidiabetic drugs, as well as with the nutrient biotin. Consult your doctor if you are considering taking lipoic acid supplements.
Member Comments