Alpha Lipoic Acid – An Anti-Aging Wonder

Published by Ginger Hultin, MS RDN CSO

You may not have heard of Alpha-Lipoic Acid – often shortened to ALA – but you’ve actually consumed it! Foods like spinach, broccoli, potatoes, carrots, beets, yeast and red meat all contain small amounts of this powerful antioxidant. The body also produces it internally because it is such an important scavenger of free radicals which can damage normal cells. It’s so powerful in fact that many people take it as a supplement to get access to more concentrated sources of this compound. With anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and antioxidant effects in addition to lowering oxidative stress in the cardiovascular system and supporting the endocrine system, particularly for people with diabetes, there are many uses for this compound.

Medicinally, ALA is used for:

Pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes
Complications from diabetes: neuropathy, retinopathy, nephropathy
Other types of neuropathy (tingling in the hands and feet) including chemo-induced
Eye diseases like cataracts and glaucoma
Neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Cardiovascular diseases and peripheral arterial disease
Some cancers
HIV
Liver disease

The nice thing about ALA is that, because it’s found in common foods and the body can make it on its own, it’s truly a natural compound. Safety of supplements at recommended doses is documented in studies. Clinical trials dosing ALA have proven safe orally in ranges from four months to four years. Some of the best research is in fact on using ALA topically for supporting skin health including reduced fine lines and roughness associated with sun damage to the face. ALA is commonly combined in topicals and oral supplements with other antioxidant herbs like vitamins C or E, pine bark extract, or others so it can be difficult to understand the benefits of ALA specifically independent of other ingredients.

There are some exciting potential uses for ALA for medical conditions. When combined with CoQ10, omega-3 fatty acids, selenium and magnesium, ALA has proven supportive for patients post coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Because of its anti-inflammatory support, there are uses for it within cardiovascular health. It has been researched more extensively and on its own regarding type 2 diabetes. There is evidence that taking 300-1800 mg/day for 4-8 weeks improves insulin sensitivity and fasting blood glucose levels in people with diabetes. Though there is some conflicting research and ALA doesn’t appear to actually lower A1c (the measure of blood sugar over a period of 3 months and one of the diagnostic criteria for diabetes), the opportunity for using it to treat side effects including diabetic neuropathy (tingling in the hands and feet) is promising.

ALA has proven generally well tolerated with some reports of potential nausea or vomiting in some people. Though there are rare examples when extremely high doses were damaging or even fatal to humans or animals, normal dosing appears to be safe for many people. There are very minimal potential interactions with medications including moderate interactions with thyroid hormone replacements or anti-tumor antibiotics. Use caution when combining ALA with other blood-sugar lowering herbs and supplements as the effects could be compounded. As always, it’s best to meet with your doctor to make sure ALA is safe for you.

Have you ever tried ALA for medicinal use? Let us know about your experience in the comments!

Resources
Natural Medicines Database. Alpha-Lipoic Acid. https://naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com/databases/food,-herbs-supplements/professional.aspx?productid=767. Updated 7/27/2018. Accessed 12/27/2018.

Sztanek F, Seres I, Lorincz H, Molnar A, Paragh G. Effect of alpha-lipoic acid supplementation on oxidative stress markers and antioxidative defense in patients with diabetic neuropathy. Atherosclerosis. 2017;263:e263.

Tibullo D, Volti GL, Giallongo C, Grasso S, Tomassoni D, Anfuso CD, Lupo G, Amenta F, Avola R, Bramanti V. Biochemical and clinical relevance of alpha lipoic acid: antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, molecular pathways and therapeutic potential. Inflammation Research. 2017;66(11):947-59.

Ginger Hultin, MS RDN CSO

Ginger Hultin MS RDN CSO is a Seattle-based Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and long time contributor to nutrition content on Foodtrients®. She is the owner of the concierge, virtual nutrition practice Ginger Hultin Nutrition where she helps clients with complex health conditions through an integrative approach. She specializes in anti-inflammatory diets for integrative oncology nutrition, people with gastrointestinal disease, and autoimmune issues. Her 10-year partnership with Foodtrients® has focused on evidence-based anti-aging nutrition, healthy recipes, and "top foods" lists in many categories from blood sugar control to healing your gut. Ginger serves as adjunct clinical faculty at the Bastyr Center for Natural Health in Seattle. She is the director of communications at the Washington State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, a past Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and past-chair of the Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group. She has authored two nutrition books: Anti-Inflammatory Diet Meal Prep and the How to Eat to Beat Disease Cookbook. Ginger is a graduate of the University of Washington and Bastyr University and is currently pursuing her doctorate of clinical nutrition at the University of North Florida.