It’s easy to find out the leading causes of death. You can look up statistics on the government’s Center for Disease Control (CDC) website. Heart disease remains number one with cancer close behind. Interestingly Alzheimer’s now is slightly ahead of diabetes, with cirrhosis and liver diseases following. We don’t claim ALA can prevent disease but this powerful antioxidant has a lot of influence on longevity.

The government is still trying to get Americans healthy. In August 2020, it released its “Healthy People 2030” initiative with a purpose of helping people use health information to make well informed decisions. The initiative also places a responsibility on health organizations (including your doctor) to help you understand how to be healthy. Clearly the government does not believe enough people know how to be healthy, nor organizations help them to do so, even when instructions or explanations are given about their health and options.

We agree; education is the first step. That’s why TyH wants you to know the whys and how of taking supplements. Understanding the information may be a missing factor to using supplements to your health advantage. Taking ALA is a no brainer, however. ALA has a track record of positive results from decades of research, and we’ve summarized some of them for you below.

• ALA’s primary role is as an antioxidant. As an antioxidant, ALA recycles both vitamins C and E , as well as CoQ10, to increase your immune power. Antioxidants defend you against oxidative damage involved in most disease processes. Antioxidants help you fight illness and disease. Thus, strengthening your immunity increases your chance of longevity. 

• ALA further boosts immunity by raising glutathione levels, the master antioxidant in your body, and does it better than any other nutrient. Famed ALA researcher Dr. Lester Packer advises that low glutathione levels are a “marker for death at any age”.

• ALA supports your immune system as you age. Between the ages of 40 to 70, your immune function starts to weaken, partly due to a decline in the production of antioxidants. ALA is key to keeping antioxidant levels optimum.

• ALA reduces the risk markers for metabolic syndrome (blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, obesity) by its specific  actions  on fats and sugars.

• ALA helps liver detoxification which in turn helps rid the body of toxins from food, drugs, alcohol and environmental pollutants. According to the American Liver Foundation, 25% of Americans have non-alcoholic liver disease and, if not stopped or reversed, could progress to the need for a liver transplant.

• ALA helps healthy weight loss by lowering the toxic load on the liver. Your body uses fat cells as “toxin closets”. The inability to lose weight could be stored toxins that need to be removed before healthy weight loss can occur.

• ALA helps regulate sugars to lower the risk of insulin resistance and elevated blood sugar that precedes pre-diabetes and diabetes. Having diabetes raises your risk of heart disease 4-fold.

• ALA supports healthy nerves. Abnormally high blood sugars can cause nerve damage. The result is nerves that “fire” painful signals (neuropathy). At some point, the damage may be irreversible, leaving a person in constant pain.

• ALA supports a healthy brain by its effect on blood sugar since the brain requires sugar (and fat) as an energy source. ALA protects insulin-sensitive pathways that regulate neuron survival, memory and learning. The Alzheimer’s Association reports that scientists suspect uncontrolled Type II diabetes damage to the brain could  lead to Alzheimer’s, the most common cause of dementia.

• ALA has a healthy influence on cholesterol by preventing the oxidizing of fats Once oxidized, these fats may clog and damage arteries and lead to vascular heart disease. This role of ALA is especially important since many Americans consume a high fat diet and don’t want to change their eating habits. ALA helped despite the high fat diet per research.

• ALA, when paired with curcumin, helps lower inflammation, a key factor in most diseases, even cancer. The duo also promoted weight loss more efficiently than either one taken alone.

• ALA enhances "fat burning" efforts. A 2020 review of multiple published studies conclude: “Alpha lipoic acid supplementation significantly reduces the risk of obesity”. One way ALA may do this is by inhibiting the activity of brain AMPK that increases appetite and hunger. Instead, AMPK is released in the body where it helps burn fat which may result in weight loss. On ALA, both BMI and waist circumference were also decreased   along with the weight loss.

• ALA, when paired with probiotics, supports GI flora to both assist weight loss and maintain that loss over time. With over 70 million adults obese in U.S. and 99 million overweight, scientists are looking at natural ways to combat these rising numbers and the associated mortality risk. 

Having healthy fats and sugars, lower inflammation and non-toxic weight improves your well-being and your chance of longevity. It’s as simple as that.

Alpha Lipoic Acid is good for your health and everybody should know its name -- and take it. Including you!

MORE TO KNOW

What doses were used in the studies?

Most studies used divided doses of 250-300 mg (2-3 times per day) or 600 mg doses, up to 1800 mg a day*. ALA has been shown to be safe even at 1200 mg a day taken over a long period of time.TyH has you covered with ALA in both a 250 mg and 600 mg strength.

How long do you take ALA to see results?

Many of the studies ranged from 4 months to a year. Making changes to your health takes time, especially if you are overweight, have high cholesterol, blood sugar and/or other medical factors.

Caution Notes:  

1. Due to ALA’s ability to influence blood sugar levels, if you are on diabetic medication, please consult with your health care professional before using.
2. For older adults trying to lose weight to decrease disease risks associated with obesity, be aware of your need to maintain muscle mass. As you get older, muscle wasting (sarcopenia) may occur and affect balance and mobility. Work with your health  care professional. 

Read more in the TyH Health Library

Alpha Lipoic Acid, Aiding the Treatment of Diabetes

Alpha Lipoic Acid, Defending Your Liver

Alpha Lipoic Acid, The Antioxidant with Energy

Alpha Lipoic Acid & Weight Loss

Alpha Lipoic Acid, What's in it for Me?

For informational purposes only and not intended to prevent, cure, treat or diagnose any medical condition, nor replace the advice of your health care professional.