What Is Alpha-Lipoic Acid?
Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is an antioxidant that your body makes. You also get it from foods such as broccoli, carrots, potatoes, and red meat.
ALA is produced in small amounts in your heart, kidneys, liver, and muscles. It's found in every cell in your body, where its most important job is to help turn food into energy. Because it's an antioxidant, it also protects your cells against damage.
You might also hear alpha-lipoic acid called lipoic acid. It's not the same as alpha-linolenic acid, a heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acid found in nuts and seeds.
How much alpha-lipoic acid should you take a day?
There are no official alpha-lipoic acid dosage recommendations. Doses of 600-1,800 milligrams a day have been used to treat diabetic nerve pain. Daily doses from 200 to 2,400 milligrams are considered safe, but higher doses offer no extra benefits.
Alpha-Lipoic Acid Benefits
As long as you're healthy, your body can produce all the ALA it needs. But ALA supplements are widely available, and alpha-lipoic acid is included in some multivitamin and antiaging formulas. ALA has been marketed as being helpful for everything from diabetes and HIV to weight loss.
There's some scientific evidence for a few of these potential benefits, particularly for blood sugar control and easing nerve pain caused by diabetes. But others have little, if any, scientific backing. And the FDA hasn't approved alpha-lipoic acid to treat any condition. We need more research into the effects of ALA supplements.
Antioxidant Benefits of Alpha-Lipoic Acid
Antioxidants are compounds that attack unstable molecules called free radicals, which are created when your body turns food into energy. Having too many free radicals and too few antioxidants in your body causes chemical reactions that damage cells, organs, and tissues. This is called oxidative stress.
Because of its antioxidant benefits, alpha-lipoic acid is thought to help with conditions that involve oxidative stress, such as diabetic nerve pain (neuropathy).
Some other antioxidants are water-soluble, such as vitamin C. That means they're effective only in fluids, such as those found in and around cells. Others, such as vitamin E, are fat-soluble and work only in fatty tissues. But ALA is both water- and fat-soluble, so it can work anywhere in your body.
Also, antioxidants get used up when they fight off free radicals. But ALA can help reactivate them.
Alpha-Lipoic Acid and Diabetes
While research results have been mixed, there's some evidence that ALA has benefits for people with type 2 diabetes.
Several smaller studies have suggested that, in people with type 2 diabetes, alpha-lipoic acid supplements may boost the body's ability to use its own insulin to lower blood sugar. But a review study found it was no more effective than a placebo (fake treatment) in lowering blood sugar, cholesterol, or blood fats (triglycerides).
Another review study looked at ALA's effects on people with several metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes. It found that ALA supplements lowered blood sugar as well as insulin resistance and hemoglobin A1c, an average of blood sugar levels over two to three months.
Alpha-lipoic acid and neuropathy
ALA may help reduce the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy , nerve damage that can be caused by diabetes. In Europe, ALA has been used for years to offer relief from the pain, burning, tingling, and numbing caused by diabetic neuropathy. In particular, one large study strongly suggested that large doses of ALA given by injection were effective in relieving symptoms.
But the evidence for ALA taken by mouth is not as strong. We need more studies into how effective oral ALA supplements are for diabetic neuropathy.
Alpha-Lipoic Acid for Weight Loss
Several studies have looked at whether ALA might help with weight loss. Some researchers think ALA has potential weight-loss benefits because it suppresses an enzyme called AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which plays a role in appetite.
Early research in animals found that it promoted fat loss. But research in humans has shown only modest effects on weight.
For example, one review analysis of 12 studies found that research participants who took an ALA supplement lost about 1.5 pounds more during the study periods (which averaged 14 weeks) than those who got placebos. Another review that involved 47 studies found an average weight loss of 5 pounds in those taking ALA supplements. In both reviews, the participants' waist measurements didn't change much.
Skin Health and Alpha-Lipoic Acid
ALA is an ingredient in many skin care products. Its antioxidant qualities are thought to help protect and repair skin. But we don't have a lot of good-quality research into how effective it is.
One small study found that a cream containing 5% ALA helped reduce fine lines on the face due to sun damage when used for 12 weeks. Early studies in animals showed that alpha-lipoic acid might also help heal skin damage due to cigarette smoke and promote wound healing. We need further research to see if these effects might apply to people.
ALA and Other Health Conditions
ALA has been suggested as a potential aid in stopping or slowing the damage done by many other health conditions, including:
- HIV
- Liver disease
- Cataracts
- Cancer
- Glaucoma
- Altitude sickness
- High cholesterol
- Eye damage from diabetes
- Multiple sclerosis
- Stroke
- Dementia
- Erectile dysfunction (erection problems)
- Ear infections
But much of the research into these uses of alpha-lipoic acid is in its early stages. There's not enough evidence to say whether ALA is effective for these purposes.
Alpha-Lipoic Acid Side Effects
Side effects from ALA supplements are generally mild and include rashes, headache, heartburn, nausea, and vomiting. But experts don't know much about the possible effects of long-term use of these supplements.
Precautions
Don't take ALA without your doctor's OK if you take insulin or other medications to lower blood sugar. It might boost the effect of these drugs and lead to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Your doctor may tell you to monitor your blood sugar levels more often if you take ALA. They may also want to adjust your blood sugar medication.
ALA may also lower the level of thyroid hormone in the body. So if you take thyroid medications, check with your doctor before taking ALA. They may need to monitor your hormone levels.
It can also interfere with some treatments for cancer and medications that slow down blood clotting.
Because no studies have been done on the effect of using ALA supplements during pregnancy, don't use it if you're pregnant. We also don't know whether it's safe for children, so don't take it while nursing, and don't give it to kids.
Avoid doses that exceed 121 milligrams per kilogram (or 2.2 pounds) of your body weight. Studies have found that such a high dose could affect liver function.
Sources of Alpha-Lipoic Acid
You can get ALA through food or supplements. However, food doesn't provide as much ALA as you usually get through supplements.
Foods with alpha-lipoic acid
Food sources of ALA include:
- Beets
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Peas
- Potatoes
- Red meat, especially organ meats such as liver
- Rice bran
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
- Yams
- Yeast, such as brewer's yeast
ALA supplements
You can buy supplements as capsules or tablets, usually containing 100-600 milligrams of ALA. Your doctor can also give it to you as an injection.
Studies show that your body absorbs about 30%-40% of the oral dose of an ALA supplement. You may absorb it better if you take it on an empty stomach , at least 30 minutes before a meal.
Takeaways
Alpha-lipoic acid is an antioxidant produced naturally in your body and found in some foods. Research shows it may be helpful in treating conditions such as diabetic neuropathy. But we need more large, good-quality studies to be sure. ALA supplements aren't right for everyone, so talk to your doctor before you take them.
Alpha-Lipoic Acid FAQs
How long does it take for alpha-lipoic acid to work?
People who get IV injections of ALA for diabetic nerve pain see improvement in about three weeks. Taking ALA by mouth doesn't seem to have the same effect.
What should you avoid when taking alpha-lipoic acid?
Don't nurse a child when taking ALA, and don't take it while pregnant. Check with your doctor before using alpha-lipoic acid supplements if you take:
- Medications or supplements that lower blood sugar
- Thyroid medications
- Cancer treatments
- Drugs that slow or stop blood clotting
What food has the most alpha-lipoic acid?
Foods rich in ALA include organ meats (such as liver and kidneys) and green veggies (such as spinach and broccoli).
Does alpha-lipoic acid burn belly fat?
While some studies show that ALA supplements can help people who are overweight lose small amounts of weight, it doesn't appear to affect their waist size.
What is the recommended dose of alpha-lipoic acid for diabetes?
Studies have used about 600-1,800 milligrams daily for diabetes and neuropathy; one review found strong evidence that the use of 600 milligrams of ALA daily for three weeks may ease symptoms of diabetic neuropathy.
