Alpha Lipoic Acid - Universal Antioxidant

Among the drugs used to treat complications of diabetes is a drug called lipoic acid, which treats paresthesias caused by diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

But if you only know its function, it would be too one-sided. Lipoic acid also has another name called "universal antioxidant". Some experts and scholars say that lipoic acid is the most effective among the known natural antioxidants. In clinical practice, patients often need to take lipoic acid for a long time. Can lipoic acid be taken for a long time? Today, this article will take you to know about lipoic acid and whether it is safe to take it for a long time.

 

Alpha Lipoic Acid, where is it sacred?

Lipoic acid was isolated from pig liver by American scholar Reed et al. in 1950, and it can be obtained through synthetic methods today. Lipoic acid is an essential nutrient, and the human body can also synthesize part of lipoic acid from fatty acids and cysteine, but it is far from meeting the needs, and with age, the body's ability to synthesize lipoic acid will also decline. So it needs to be supplemented with food. The highest lipoic acid content in plants is spinach, followed by broccoli and tomatoes, and the highest content in animals is animal kidney and liver.

Studies have found that lipoic acid has a powerful antioxidant function, and it is also the only known substance that can exert antioxidant ability in both fat-soluble and water-soluble environments. Lipoic acid can exert a powerful anti-oxidative stress effect in the body by directly scavenging active oxygen free radicals, chelating free metal ions and promoting the regeneration of endogenous antioxidants, and oxidative stress is the pathological basis of many diseases , such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, and tumors, so lipoic acid can play a preventive and therapeutic role in clinical multiple systemic diseases.

 

Clinical application of lipoic acid

1. Cardiovascular disease

Lipoic acid can increase the activity of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase 2 in cardiomyocytes, reduce the production of peroxidative end products, improve the blood supply of cardiomyocytes, thereby preventing myocardial ischemia damage caused by coronary heart disease and improving cardiac function in patients with chronic heart failure.

2. Diabetes

Lipoic acid can improve the oxidative damage of vascular endothelium, increase the activity of superoxidase and glutathione peroxidase, improve gastroparesis caused by diabetic autonomic dysfunction, and treat diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

3. Other diseases

Alpha lipoic acid also has various functions such as reducing the degree of acute liver injury, inhibiting the growth of various tumor cells, inducing tumor cell apoptosis, and regulating the immune function of the body.

 

Can lipoic acid be taken long term?

Although adverse reactions such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, taste change, and dizziness are listed in the instructions of lipoic acid oral preparations, they are very rare in terms of incidence. In addition, Italy also published a retrospective clinical trial in 2020, which retrospectively analyzed 322 subjects who used different doses of lipoic acid every day. It was found that no side effects were found after 4 years of use, so lipoic acid can be taken with confidence for a long time.

 

What should I pay attention to when taking lipoic acid?

First of all, food will affect the absorption of lipoic acid, so do not take lipoic acid with food, it is best to take it on an empty stomach.

In addition, alcohol can aggravate the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy and affect the therapeutic effect of lipoic acid, so alcohol should be avoided as much as possible while taking lipoic acid.

Diabetic patients who take hypoglycemic drugs in combination with lipoic acid should pay attention to monitoring blood sugar to avoid hypoglycemia.

At present, there are two kinds of lipoic acid, oral and injection. The injection is usually used in the hospital, and the oral preparation can be taken by patients for a long time, but the above precautions and adverse reactions should be paid attention to.