Alpha Lipoic Acid

Alpha lipoic acid, or just lipoic acid (LA), is a unique and potent antioxidant. It can deliver antioxidant activity in both fatand water-soluble mediums, and it is capable of having an antioxidant effect in both its oxidized (LA) and reduced (DHLA [dihydrolipoic acid]) forms (Goraca et al., 2011). This effectively allows LA to deliver its antioxidant effect to any cell or tissue type, as well as to any subcellular compartment, in the body (Packer et al., 1997; Rochette et al., 2013). It appears to be particularly effective in recharging enzymes in the mitochondria, the “energy centers” of the cells (Arivazhagan et al., 2001). While vitamin C and glutathione are absolutely essential to good health, LA can be considered a master antioxidant orchestrator, facilitating the optimal interactions among the other antioxidants. DHLA directly recharges vitamin C and indirectly recharges vitamin E. LA also increases intracellular glutathione levels (Kleinkauf-Rocha et al., 2013) and coenzyme Q10 levels. LA administration has been documented to increase intracellular glutathione levels by as much as 70%, and this bolstering of glutathione has been seen both in vivo and in vitro (Han et al., 1995). Reduced LA (DHLA) can regenerate glutathione from its oxidized counterpart, and LA can also help provide the cysteine needed for the synthesis of glutathione. Furthermore, LA administration increases vitamin C levels inside the cells (Shay et al., 2009) In reviewing the medical literature, it is important to note the many different names ascribed to LA, so that it can be better realized all that LA has been documented to do. These synonyms include, but are still not completely limited to, thioctic acid, 6,8-thioctic acid, 6,8-dithioctane acid, 1,2-dithiol-3valeric acid, lipoate, and α-lipoic acid. This article will only use the names LA for the oxidized form and DHLA for the reduced form.