Alpha Lipoic Acid 16 oz by Dr.'s Advantage

Alpha Lipoic Acid by Dr.'s Advantage is a powerful antioxidant that potentially neutralizes free radicals and their cellular damage. Alpha Lipoic is recognized as an important antioxidant and provides nutritional support for maintaining blood sugar.

• Outstanding Antioxidant Support
• Great tasting
• Highly absorbable
• No artificial flavoring
• Contains no yeast, starch, wheat, soy, gluten, eggs, salt or dairy

Alpha lipoic acid is an antioxidant made naturally in the human body, but it is also available as a nutritional supplement. Other names include α-lipoic acid, thioctic acid or just lipoic acid. The substance is used in the body to carry out numerous metabolic processes and exists in every cell. Here are some of the possible benefits of including alpha lipoic acid in your daily supplement regimen.

• It is necessary for aerobic metabolism and also serves as a co-factor in at least five different enzymatic processes. Two of these involve the citric acid cycle, which many living things use to convert food into energy. For this reason, alpha lipoic acid is marketed as an energy supplement in some places.
• Alpha lipoic acid may improve the ability of cells to assimilate and utilize other nutrients, particularly vitamins C and E. Because these vitamins are potent antioxidants that fight free radicals and oxidative damage, it is believed that using alpha lipoic acid may help protect against the cellular damage so often implicated in premature aging, cognitive decline and cardiovascular disease.
• Alpha lipoic acid may be helpful for managing wrinkles. When free radicals enter skin cells, they produce enzymes that break down collagen, one of skin's most important building blocks. However, in addition to potentially neutralizing free radicals, alpha lipoic acid may actually increase the production of collagen in skin cells. This means that the supplement could help ward off premature signs of aging and improve the appearance of pre-existing wrinkles.
• The supplement may be of particular benefit for people seeking to better manage their diabetes. One of alpha lipoic acid's main roles in the body is supporting the proper use of glucose, which some experts believe could help reduce blood sugar levels as well as minimize the complications that are often seen in diabetics. Some research has also found that alpha lipoic acid helps to improve insulin sensitivity, which is potentially valuable in the control of diabetes.
• Taking alpha lipoic acid may help improve symptoms for people who suffer from peripheral neuropathy, which often results from malnutrition, Lyme disease, alcohol abuse, thyroid disorders, poorly controlled diabetes, shingles and kidney disease. These symptoms, which include burning or tingling sensations, pain, numbness, itching or weakness, can be difficult to live with. Fortunately, the results of one study found that some people who took the supplement daily experienced improvement in their symptoms.

How Much Should You Take?

There are no clearly established guidelines regarding alpha lipoic acid dosage. That said, doses of 600 mg daily are usually well-tolerated by most individuals for the management of health problems, although some people may take as much as 1,800mg in some cases. For general antioxidant use, 20mg to 50mg daily is most often recommended. There are no known risks with using large doses of alpha lipoic acid, but some evidence exists that doing so may promote thiamine deficiency. Side effects have been reported in rare instances, such as hives, muscle cramps, rashes and itching, which may indicate an allergic reaction. If this occurs, you should stop using the product and consult a physician.