Lipoic acid is a natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound with a suite of potential health benefits. Read on to learn more about how this essential nutrient may help improve your health.<\/p>\n
Lipoic acid (LA), also known as alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), R-lipoic acid, or thioctic acid, is a disulfide-containing compound (R<\/a>), found inside every cell of the body (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n Some call it the \u201cuniversal antioxidant\u201d (R<\/a>).<\/p>\n Alpha-lipoic acid is essential for certain enzymatic reactions, but there is no official recommended dietary intake of ALA [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n While alpha-lipoic acid is generally accepted to be a healthy component of our diets, the FDA has not approved it as a supplement for any medical purpose or health claim. Talk to your doctor before supplementing with ALA.<\/span><\/p>\n Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used as a treatment for wounds that won\u2019t heal as a result of diabetes or radiation injury. <\/span>Lipoic acid accelerated wound repair in patients affected by chronic wounds<\/b> undergoing hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy (<\/span>R<\/span><\/a>,<\/span> R<\/span><\/a>,<\/span> R<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n Applied directly to the skin, lipoic acid increased the thickness<\/b> (<\/span>R<\/span><\/a>) and <\/span>decreased the roughness and sun damage of skin<\/b> in older women (<\/span>R<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n Topical lipoic acid also reversed skin damage caused by cigarette smoke (<\/span>R<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n Lipoic acid appears to have possible beneficial effects in the prevention of diabetes. In some countries, it is approved as part of a treatment plan for diabetic patients (<\/span>R<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n Lipoic acid has insulin-mimetic activity (<\/span>R<\/span><\/a>), in that it improves glucose handling\/utilization (<\/span>R<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n In patients with type-2 diabetes, lipoic acid decreases blood glucose and improves<\/span> insulin sensitivity<\/span><\/a> (<\/span>R<\/span><\/a>,<\/span> R<\/span><\/a>,<\/span> R<\/span><\/a>), including in overweight adults with type 2 diabetes (<\/span>R<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n Glutathione<\/span><\/a>, an important antioxidant, is usually decreased in diabetics. In children and adolescents with asymptomatic type 1 diabetes, lipoic acid increased glutathione (GSH) levels (<\/span>R<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n In type 2 diabetic patients, lipoic acid improved metabolic indices and erectile dysfunction. Lipoic acid supplementation reduced BMI,<\/span> HbA1C<\/span><\/a>, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and<\/span> triglycerides<\/span><\/a> (<\/span>R<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\nHealth Benefits of Lipoic Acid<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
Possibly Effective For<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n
1) Skin Health <\/span><\/h4>\n
Wound Healing<\/span><\/h5>\n
Skin Damage & Aging<\/span><\/h5>\n
2) Diabetes<\/span><\/h4>\n