What is alpha-lipoic acid?
Alpha-lipoic acid is a universal antioxidant. In addition, it can support the regeneration of other antioxidants, like glutathione, vitamin C, and vitamin E.
But why are antioxidants important in the first place? Antioxidants help combat free radicals in the body-and if “free radicals” sound like bad guys, that’s because they are. Over time, just like a computer or car that’s been running too long, they can stop us from operating optimally.
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Free radicals have a number of sources. They’re often the result of normal metabolic processes happening inside of us. These metabolic processes can include digesting food and turning fat into energy. Metabolic processes can even include breathing!
Free radicals can cause oxidative stress. And that’s why we need antioxidants like alpha-lipoic acid! To be clear, a-lipoic acid isn’t the only supplement that can help fight free radicals and oxidative stress. CoQ10, zinc, and selenium are also valiant oxidative stress fighters!
Health benefits of alpha-lipoic acid
We’ve talked about this antioxidant being good for the body—but in what ways? Here are five health benefits of alpha-lipoic acid!
1. It can support your eye health
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As we age, our eye health may need more support. Considering the fact that we’re almost always looking at and seeing things, our peepers have a big job to do!
Consuming more alpha-lipoic acid in your diet or via ALA supplementation could support your eye health by increasing antioxidant activity. This is because ALA is able to cross the blood-brain barrier and get into the retina and optic nerve. Considering how active our eyes are on a daily basis, this antioxidant can be of immense help in keeping our eyes healthy.
In a clinical trial of 100 people, ALA was able to support serum levels of something called superoxide dismutase (SOD). This is an enzyme with antioxidant properties, and it can help to encourage vision-related quality of life thanks to how it can support the retina and optic nerve.
2. Alpha-lipoic acid might encourage bone density
Something else that we need to support as we age is our bone health—including how strong our bones are and the general bone mineral density, both of which naturally decline as we age.
ALA can help! Science tells us that this antioxidant could keep your skeleton sturdy over time. Consider adding ALA to your anti-aging supplements.
3. It can help maintain already-healthy blood sugar levels
Let’s talk about insulin and glucose for a minute. Glucose is the main sugar that’s found in your blood. Sometimes we refer to this as “blood sugar.” Insulin—a hormone that the pancreas makes—ushers that glucose into the cells of your muscles, fat, and liver. And from there, it’s converted into energy!
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This antioxidant might be able to support already-healthy glucose levels. Research has shown that upping your levels of alpha-lipoic acid can have a positive impact on healthy glucose levels.
All of these things are interconnected like a fascinating web, constantly doing this beautiful tango, and ALA plays a very important supporting role in keeping that process on point!
4. It can support a healthy weight
Is weight loss on your list of to-dos? So many of us want to lose weight, but…brownies—am I right?
Alpha-lipoic acid might be the ally you need! One meta-analysis of 10 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies looked at average weight and BMI change in participants who received the antioxidant versus the placebo groups. Overwhelmingly, participants administered ALA showed small, yet significant, short-term weight loss compared to the placebo groups. No, an ALA supplement won’t help with weight loss if you are, indeed, eating those brownies all the time and skipping your workouts. But they are a good complement to a healthy diet and exercise.
5. Alpha-lipoic acid may support a healthy inflammatory response
Having a healthy inflammatory response is vital to your overall wellness and quality of life. One meta-analysis showed that the antioxidant was able to encourage a healthy inflammatory response, as indicated by certain markers like C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6.
In other words, ALA can help to keep all of these markers in a more optimal range. Thus, alpha-lipoic acid could benefit people by supporting healthy levels of CRP and other markers, and keeping them feeling good.
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