Your body produces the antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid, which plays a key role in converting glucose to energy among other functions. It also exists in various foods including organ meat, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, peas and rice bran. Your body can manufacture all it needs to carry out related functions but supplementation might offer therapeutic benefits for certain conditions though conclusive evidence to recommend this has not been established, according to the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. If you believe taking alpha-lipoic acid will benefit a particular health concern, talk to your doctor about the appropriateness of this supplement.
General Antioxidant Activity
Alpha-lipoic acid neutralizes the effects of free radicals -- harmful chemicals that damage cells. This cell damage can set the stage for a host of problems including accelerated aging, degenerative diseases and reduced immune function. Nutrients are typically either fat-or-water-soluble but alpha-lipoic acid is both, meaning it can work throughout the whole body. This suggests a greater potential for beneficial activity. It also appears to regenerate the body's supply of other antioxidants such as vitamin C. Supplementing with this nutrient could potentially benefit overall health by reducing your risk of various diseases, but again, this has not been proven. The Beth Israel recommends a dosage of 20 to 50 mg for this purpose.
Diabetes
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, the University of Maryland Medical Center and Drugs.com all report studies showing benefit for various aspects of diabetes including treating diabetic neuropathy -- nerve damage of the hands and feet, improving the body's use of insulin and lowering blood sugar levels. The UMMC, however, reports evidence of the benefits of oral supplementation is not as strong as that of intravenous use for treating diabetic neuropathy.
Do not take supplements with the potential to lower blood sugar without talking to your doctor first -- if alpha-lipoic acid works for you, you will likely require dosage adjustments in your medications to compensate for the effects of the supplement. Only your doctor can safely make these determinations.
Cancer
Its far-reaching antioxidant activity makes alpha-lipoic acid a potential cancer-fighter but Drugs.com note a lack of clinical research looking at this effect. The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center reports in-vitro studies -- in which alpha-lipoic acid was studied with isolated cancer cells -- found it interfered with cancer cell growth and eventually induced apoptosis, the process whereby a cancer cell self-destructs. If undergoing treatments for cancer therapy, do not take alpha-lipoic acid without consulting with your doctor as some concern exists over antioxidant supplements interfering with the actions of certain chemotherapy agents. If appropriate to use, your doctor can suggest when to take the supplement based on your treatment schedule.
Considerations for Safe Use
Besides its potential to interact with blood-sugar lowering medications, alpha-lipoic acid appears a generally safe supplement. Drugs.com notes a lack of reports on adverse reactions, drug interactions or contraindications -- instances in which you should not use the supplement. This does not mean they might not exist, however. Talk to your doctor before using supplements if you take any prescription drugs or suffer from any health condition. Safety in pregnant and breast-feeding women has not been established.
References
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Diabetes and CAM: What the Science Says;November 2010
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Alpha-Lipoic Acid; March 2009
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; Alpha-Lipoic Acid; January 2011
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Alpha-Lipoic Acid; February 2011
- Drugs.com: Complete Alpha-Lipoic Acid Information
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