Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), otherwise known as thioctic acid, is an energy-producing substance found in every cell in the human body. Discovered in the 1950s and later actualized as a powerful antioxidant, the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) reports that ALA helps convert glucose to energy and protects against the damaging effects of free radicals. ALA is purported to prevent and treat numerous conditions ranging from diabetes to stroke and is clinically studied for its health benefits.
Diabetes Health Benefits
ALA provides health benefits to diabetics by lowering blood sugar and granting relief from symptoms of peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage of the extremities). The Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University reports that when treated with a one-time intravenous (IV) infusion of 1000 mg of racemic ALA, type II diabetic patients had 50 percent improved insulin sensitivity (makes glucose uptake into the cell easier, thus lowering blood sugar) compared with a placebo group in a small clinical study. In addition, a meta-analysis published in a 2004 edition of Diabetic Medicine found that when diabetic patients were administered 600 mg per day of ALA (via IV injection) for two weeks, symptoms of neuropathy improved to a significant degree. Although IV infusion of ALA has shown some clinical success for patients with diabetes, UMMC warns of limited scientific evidence regarding the benefits of ALA to diabetic patients when taken orally.
Cognitive Health Benefits
ALA is touted for its protective effects on brain and nerve tissue and is clinically studied in regards to its ability to guard against stroke and other brain conditions that involve free radical damage. UMMC notes that in one clinical study, animals that were given ALA following a stroke experienced a smaller amount of brain damage and a survival rate four times higher than those that did not. Although the evidence is not clear as to ALA's ability to halt age-associated cognitive decline in humans, the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University relays that ALA by itself or in conjunction with other substances (such as L-carnitine or antioxidants) has demonstrated positive effects on the memory of mice, rats and dogs suffering from age-associated cognitive decline.
Other Health Benefits
ALA has also been proposed to remedy some disease-associated effects of HIV and liver disease. A 2008 study published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found an improved lymphocyte (white blood cell) proliferation response in HIV patients who were treated with 300 mg of ALA three times a day for six months compared with that in a placebo group. Another study, reported in a 2008 edition of Hepatology, determined that ALA prevented fatty liver disease and may be used to prevent nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in insulin-resistant patients. Although research is promising, UMMC cautions that overall, there is limited scientific evidence that ALA works to treat the aforementioned conditions.
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