The Role of Alpha-Lipoic Acid in Health: Benefits, Sources, and Supplementation

Alpha-lipoic acid is a naturally occurring substance necessary for the function of different enzymes of oxidative metabolism.  It serves as a cofactor of mitochondrial enzymes of oxidative metabolism (1).  As a potent natural antioxidant, alpha-lipoic acid also plays a crucial role in recycling other important nutrients such as coenzyme Q10, vitamin C, and vitamin E (2).

The first clinical use of alpha-lipoic acid was in the treatment of acute poisoning caused by Amanita phalloides, commonly known as the death cap mushroom (1). Today, alpha-lipoic acid, or its reduced form, dihydrolipoic acid, performs various biochemical functions, including reducing the oxidized forms of biological antioxidants, metal chelators, and vitamins C and E, as well as other antioxidants like glutathione (1). Its role in physiological processes, such as pregnancy, is gaining increasing attention (3).

What are the benefits of alpha-lipoic acid?

Alpha-lipoic acid is effective in controlling glycemic levels and improving dyslipidemia. It also has the potential to reduce cardiovascular complications associated with diabetes mellitus (Aziza et al., 2012). Additionally, alpha-lipoic acid also improves endothelial dysfunction, reduces oxidative stress following exercise, protects against the development of atherosclerosis, and inhibits the development of an already established atherosclerotic plaque  (1).

A treatment study with alpha-lipoic acid showed significant improvement in the diabetes-induced degradation of vitamin C and a reduction in the status of antioxidant enzymes and biomarkers of oxidative stress associated with diabetes mellitus (4).

Alpha-lipoic acid has a powerful therapeutic role (4). When evaluated as an antioxidant compound, alpha-lipoic acid has shown promise in treating brain diseases and cognitive dysfunctions, including Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease (1). Clinical studies have found that 600 mg of alpha-lipoic acid improves neuropathic deficiencies (5). It plays an important role in brain injuries caused by mitochondrial dysfunction  (1).

Given all these positive effects, the use of alpha-lipoic acid as a dietary supplement is s increasingly being incorporated into various aspects of medical and nutritional management for patients (1).

Intravenous treatment with 600 mg of alpha-lipoic acid for two weeks in obese patients with glucose intolerance resulted in improvement in insulin resistance, reductions in free fatty acids, LDL-cholesterol, and oxidized LDL, tumor necrosis factor alfa (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6) (1).

ALA is effective in increasing sugar uptake in both insulin-sensitive and insulin-resistant muscle tissues. It also plays a role in weight control (3). The use of alpha-lipoic acid doses ranging from 1,000-1,800 mg for up to 20 weeks provides weight loss in obese patients with or without glucose intolerance (1).

Moreover, alpha-lipoic acid has been primarily used as an anticancer agent in studies of different tumorigenesis cell types. Recently, the use of alpha-lipoic acid as a dietary supplement has been increasing in many aspects of the medical and nutritional management of patients (3).

As a result, ALA is effective in alleviating symptoms associated with diseases such as diabetes, age-related cardiovascular and neuromuscular defects, weight gain due to antipsychotic drugs, and metabolic obesity (3).

What are the food sources of alpha-lipoic acid?

Dietary alpha-lipoic acid are obtained from both animal and plant-based foods; (6)

• Animal sources: Red meat, liver, heart and kidney
• Plant resources: spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, brussels sprouts, potatoes, peas and rice bran

Since the bioavailability of alpha-lipoic acid from food decreases, it is beneficial to take supplements 30 minutes before or 2 hours after meals (1, 6).

Author Kubra Haktan

REFERENCES

1. Gomes, M. B., & Negrato, C. A. (2014). Alpha-lipoic acid as a pleiotropic compound with potential therapeutic use in diabetes and other chronic diseases. Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome, 6(1), 80. https://doi.org/10.1186/1758-5996-6-80
2. Bustamante, J. (1998). α-Lipoic Acid in Liver Metabolism and Disease. Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 24(6), 1023–1039.
3. Salehi, B., Berkay Yılmaz, Y., Antika, G., Boyunegmez Tumer, T., Fawzi Mahomoodally, M., Lobine, D., Akram, M., Riaz, M., Capanoglu, E., Sharopov, F., Martins, N., C. Cho, W., & Sharifi-Rad, J. (2019). Insights on the Use of α-Lipoic Acid for Therapeutic Purposes. Biomolecules, 9(8), 356. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom9080356
4. Aziza, S., Ragab, A., & Barky, E. (2012). Biochemical Effect Of Alpha-Lipoic Acid On Lipid Profiles, Lipid Peroxidation And Status Of Antioxidant Enzymes In Streptozotocin Induced Diabetes In Rats Biochemical and molecular studies on experimental model of liver damage in rats View project Stem cells View project. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272790449
5. Vallianou, N., Evangelopoulos, A., & Koutalas, P. (2009). Alpha-Lipoic Acid and Diabetic Neuropathy. The Review of Diabetic Studies, 6(4), 230–236. https://doi.org/10.1900/RDS.2009.6.230
6. Gorąca, A., Huk-Kolega, H., Piechota, A., Kleniewska, P., Ciejka, E., & Skibska, B. (2011). Lipoic acid – biological activity and therapeutic potential. Pharmacological Reports, 63(4), 849–858.