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Given the rising epidemic of diabetes and
its devastating complications, natural strategies that support healthy
blood sugar (glucose) and protect against oxidative stress offer hope
for many individuals.
Metabolic syndrome—a combination of risk factors such as insulin
resistance, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, and low
high-density lipoprotein (HDL)—increases one’s risk for diabetes and
cardiovascular disease.
Widely known as a potent and effective antioxidant, lipoic acid demonstrates a multitude of unique properties.
Regulated as a drug in several European countries (where it is
approved for the treatment of diabetes-related complications, certain
complications of alcoholism, and a variety of liver conditions),1,2 lipoic acid is an important component of every informed individual’s health maintenance regime.
In emerging research, lipoic acid has shown impressive benefits in
the context of glaucoma, migraine, stroke, as well as bone health.
Protection Against Oxidative Stress
One of the underlying problems in diabetes is oxidative stress and
the production of free radicals. These free radicals circulate in the
body, attacking and damaging tissues. Since people with diabetes have
high glucose levels, they are more prone to oxidative stress, which may
contribute to the long-term complications of the disease.
Antioxidants such as lipoic acid prevent this damage by neutralizing free radicals and reducing oxidative stress.3,4
Lipoic acid is an unusual antioxidant because it can act in both
water-soluble and fat-soluble domains in cells and tissues. Thanks to
these qualities, it is easily absorbed and transported into many organs
and systems within the body, for example, the brain, liver, and nerves.
Contrast this with antioxidants such as vitamin C, which is not very
lipid-soluble (so is not able to penetrate the lipid wall of cell
membranes very well), or vitamin E, which is not very water-soluble.
When lipoic acid is combined with these antioxidants, the body’s
ability to fight free radicals is greatly increased. In fact, lipoic
acid helps to regenerate vitamins C and E.2
Furthermore, lipoic acid helps amplify the
positive effects of other important antioxidants in the body such as
glutathione and coenzyme Q10—two essential compounds in the fight
against aging and disease.5 It
also teams with the B-vitamin family to support energy production in
the body by converting the components of food, namely carbohydrates,
proteins, and fats, into stored energy for future use. Lipoic acid does
this by helping to protect mitochondria, the energy-producing factories
of cells, from being damaged by oxidative stress, thus ensuring that
energy production in the body remains efficient.1
Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes
Overwhelming evidence now suggests that lipoic acid may be critical
for not only maintaining optimal blood sugar levels by helping the body
to use glucose, but also for supporting insulin sensitivity and key
aspects of cardiovascular health, such as endothelial function.
According to a just-released review of experimental studies, lipoic
acid can help relieve several components of metabolic syndrome—a
constellation of risk factors that often precedes full-blown types 2
diabetes. This review revealed that lipoic acid reduces blood pressure
and insulin resistance, improves the lipid profile, and reduces weight.
Scientists are encouraged by lipoic acid’s potential as a therapeutic
agent for individuals with metabolic syndrome.6
Furthermore, another recent study of 36 patients with coronary
artery disease found that a combination of lipoic acid with
acetyl-L-carnitine reduced blood pressure and improved endothelial
function of the brachial artery.7
This nutrient pair may therefore be an effective strategy for
supporting healthy blood pressure levels, particularly in the context
of metabolic syndrome.
Just last year, investigators revealed dramatic effects of
administering lipoic acid in improving insulin sensitivity in
overweight adults suffering from type 2 diabetes. Lipoic acid produced
significant improvements in a very short time frame—only four weeks of
supplementation.8 This finding could have important implications, as insulin resistance lies at the heart of type 2 diabetes.
Even after complications of diabetes have manifested, lipoic acid
offers help. It has been found effective in the treatment of diabetic
neuropathy, a type of nerve damage that occurs as a result of the toxic
effects of high glucose levels on the nervous system in diabetes.
Diabetic neuropathy is characterized by numbness, tingling, and pain
best described as “burning” in the extremities.9
A large, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter, double-blind
study involving 328 patients with type 2 diabetes revealed that lipoic
acid significantly improved symptoms of diabetic neuropathy, including
sensations of burning, tingling, itching, and pain.9
Although this early study was carried out using intravenous infusions
of lipoic acid, later research has shown oral lipoic acid supplements
to also be effective. Just five weeks of oral supplementation with
lipoic acid significantly improved the stabbing pain, burning pain, and
numbness of the feet in patients suffering from diabetic neuropathy,
with the dose-effectiveness range being 600-1,800 mg of lipoic acid
dosed orally per day.10 The
dose of R-lipoic acid to achieve this effect in diabetics would be half
this amount, since it is the “R” form of lipoic acid that is
biologically active in the body.
Based on evidence from animal and human studies, lipoic acid offers the following essential health benefits:
- Reduces oxidative stress in the body via powerful antioxidant activity1,3-5
- Improves several components of the metabolic syndrome—a combination of risk factors that increases one’s risk for diabetes6
- Reduces blood pressure
- Reduces insulin resistance
- Improves the lipid profile
- Reduces weight
- Increases insulin sensitivity8
- Improves diabetic neuropathy9,10
- Protects against cataract formation11
- Improves visual function in glaucoma12
- Helps prevents retinal cell death when combined with vitamin E in retinitis pigmentosa13
- Reduces brain damage after a stroke15
- Prevents bone loss, possibly through an anti-inflammatory effect19-21
- Removes toxic metals from the body22,23
- Reduces frequency and intensity of migraines24
- Improves skin texture25
Using Lipoic Acid
The amount of lipoic acid produced internally in the body decreases
naturally with age, which could set the stage for free radical-induced
damage. Although small amounts of lipoic acid are available in food
sources, such as dark leafy greens like spinach and collards, broccoli,
beef, and organ meats, supplementation may be needed to achieve
significant intake levels.1,5
Studies suggest that the most potent form of lipoic acid is R-dihydrolipoic acid.1,5
In recent years it has become possible to obtain R-dihydrolipoic acid
as a dietary supplement, thus providing the body with the form of
lipoic acid that is most readily available to cells and tissues.
R-dihydrolipoic acid is responsible for many of the positive effects
associated with lipoic acid. In the body, R-dihydrolipoic acid has
immediate and significant antioxidant effects. This form of the
antioxidant is particularly effective in destroying peroxynitrite free
radicals, which contain both oxygen and nitrogen and have been
implicated in the development of chronic inflammation, nervous system
disorders, and atherosclerosis.1,5
Scientific studies showing the health benefits of lipoic acid have
used doses ranging from 300 mg to 1,800 mg per day. For optimal
effects, some nutritional practitioners recommend concomitantly
supplementing with biotin and vitamin B complex. Lipoic acid has
generally been found to be safe when administered in recommended doses.
Among the rare reported side effects in humans have been skin allergies
and gastrointestinal distress.5
As lipoic acid may lower blood glucose levels, individuals with
diabetes or glucose intolerance should have their blood glucose
monitored while taking lipoic acid. They should also consult their
physician about adjusting their dose of anti-diabetic medication in
order to avoid hypoglycemia.1
Since the long-term use of lipoic acid has not yet been studied in
pregnant women and nursing mothers, these individuals should avoid
using the antioxidant until more information is available.1
Conclusion
Lipoic acid offers broad-spectrum protection against some of
society’s troublesome health conditions, ranging from painful
neuropathy and migraine headaches to disabling cataracts and
neurodegenerative conditions. You can begin optimizing your body’s
levels of protective antioxidants today using supplements of lipoic
acid or its high-potency cousin, R-dihydrolipoic acid.
Thanks to the Life Extension Foundation (LEF) for this information:
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2007/oct2007_nu_lipoic_acid_01.htm?source=eNewsLetter2008Wk3-2&key=Archive+News
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