Sustained Release Alpha Lipoic Acid ALA benefit and side effects

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We have an additional page on alpha lipoic acid benefit and side effects. You can purchase Alpha Lipoic acid from a link on that page.

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Alpha Lipoic Acid benefit as an Antioxidant
Alpha lipoic acid research indicates it can regenerate vitamin C from its oxidized form, dehydroascorbic acid. Alpha lipoic acid can also potentially regenerate other antioxidants. Another alpha Lipoic acid benefit is that it increases the levels of glutathione, a very important antioxidant normally found in our cells and responsible for mopping up all types of toxins and free radicals. Glutathione supplements, however, are not helpful since glutathione does not have the ability to cross cell membranes. Fortunately, both laboratory and animal studies have shown that alpha lipoic acid can stimulate the production of this antioxidant. This is particularly important during periods of excessive stress or exposure to radiation or toxic substances. Alpha lipoic acid also acts as a powerful antioxidant in the brain and is likely to protect brain cells from toxins.

Conditions where Alpha Lipoic acid may benefit
Alpha lipoic acid research in humans is still incomplete. However, alpha lipoic may have a health benefit in a variety of medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease. We suggest keeping the dosage of alpha lipoic acid to less than 50 mg a few times a week.

Alpha Lipoic Acid Side Effects
There are no indications that low doses of lipoic acid, such as 5 to 20 mg, have side effects. Higher doses could cause nausea or stomach upset, along with over-stimulation, fatigue, and insomnia. High alpha lipoic acid doses could also potentially lower blood sugar. This is often beneficial to patients who have diabetes, but it requires close monitoring of blood sugar levels. We have had one report of 300 mg of alpha lipoic acid taken 3 times a day for three weeks led to atrial fibrillation. Even lower dosages of alpha lipoic acid could lead to heart palpitations.

Q. Do you know anything about the mechanism through which alpha lipoic acid can cause insomnia or problems with sleep?
   A. This is a good question. Alpha lipoic acid, usually in a dosage greater than 40 mg, may cause insomnia in some people but I don't know the mechanism why this occurs. If you notice this alpha lipoic acid side effect, take a break from use for a day or two and resume at a lower dosage.

Sustained Release Alpha Lipoic Acid questions

Q. Hi, I was wondering if you have heard of a sustained release form of the Alpha-Lipoic-Acid and what your thoughts are on these Sustained Release alpha lipoic acid products? I am asking for my mom who is diabetic and worried about the complications that can happen from diabetes. I have read that most forms of alpha lipoic acid don't stay in the body long enough to help with most diabetic symptoms and the sustained release alpha lipoic acid formulas are supposed to really help. I have found two patented sustained release alpha lipoic acid formulas, what are your opinions?
   A. We have not seen any studies with Sustained Release Alpha Lipoic Acid to know whether this form is better than regular alpha lipoic acid.

Alpha lipoic acid supplement emails
Q. I enjoy very much reading your site; one very striking effect I just observed with alpha lipoic acid I’d like to share with you. Using 300 mg of alpha lipoic acid (approved pharmaceutical grade bought in German drug stores) every day for several weeks seems to have caused a 20 – 40% hair loss! Alpha lipoic acid intake and hair loss coincide largely. Checking Medline for such effects it appears not unlikely that alpha lipoic acid was chelating too much iron (and may be other essential trace elements) which is a common cause for baldness.
   A. We have not seen any studies or had other reports that alpha lipoic acid product use is related to hair loss or hair problems.

Q. I've read your recommendations on dosing for alpha lipoic acid. I'm sure you know of Bruce Ames research on alpha lipoic acid and Acetyl-l-carnitine. Ames sells a formulation of alpha lipoic acid and Acetyl-l carnitine that provides 400 mg daily of alpha lipoic acid. This is far in excess of the dosage you recommend, and yet my understanding is that the reason Ames included alpha lipoic acid in his formulation to begin with was because of the known tendency of acetyl-l carnitine to produce free radicals when metabolized. Bruce Ames seems to have a fairly impressive board assembled to advise his company, but his site is essentially a commercial venture. Do you still maintain that dosages of alpha lipoic acid over 50 mg/day are inadvisable, or do you think that the dosages that Ames' product includes are probably safe?
   A. Over the years we have come across opinions from various doctors and researchers at academic centers regarding supplements. Most of the time, these researchers form their opinion based on lab studies or studies on rodents. They rarely take these supplements themselves to see what actually happens in humans in varying dosages. We don't know whether Bruce Ames has taken ALC and alpha lipoic acid in high doses, but Dr. Sahelian has. Dr. S also has had feedback from dozens of users and has formed an opinion that ALA should not be taken more than 50 or 100 mg a day and the maximum dose of ALC should preferably be much less than 500 mg a day. There should be occasional breaks from use, for instance one or two days off a week, and one week off a month. Other doctors and researchers may have different opinions. It is for the consumer to decide how to proceed.

Q. Some of your comments on the internet, along with other research, led me to switch to the "r" form from the "rs regular" alpha lipoic acid. I actually bought some r-alpha lipoic acid from Rainbow Acres in Marina Del Rey, CA that has your name on it. I read you feel people should not overdose on antioxidants. You actually mentioned taking even less than 50 mg. ......and possibly only a few times a week. I currently take one 50 mg pill r-ALA in the morning and one at night. I was wondering if you had a general "feel" on what is "too much" r-alpha lipoic acid. I am a 6'1" 200 lbs pro level athlete. I have very aggressive workouts aerobically and anaerobically. Plenty of chances to manufacture free radicals. I have never looked too much into anti-oxidants, but with the AMAZING energy changes I have felt already, I can only wonder how much I have been kept from full recovery and/or performance due to free radical damage/build up. What got me into all this was a dramatic change in my aerobic ability from somewhere near 6 hours a week to ONE HOUR the last few months. I will be 50 years old this year. I am currently back to about 4 hours of aerobics a week with the addition of l-carnitine / acetyl-l-carnitine a month ago, and r-alpha lipoic acid just a few days ago. Sorry for the length of this........any advice/info would be greatly appreciated.
   A. Each doctor who has studied nutritional supplements has their own preference and dosage guidelines. I tend to be cautious and prefer using low dosages of several supplements rather than a high amount of one or two. Hence, since there are countless nutrients and herbs that have antioxidant and beneficial properties, I prefer alternating different ones rather than taking the same one every day. As to r-alpha lipoic acid, I am staying with my current recommendation of 50 mg 2 or 3 times a week or a smaller amount more frequently. See the antioxidant page for additional suggestions, including MultiVit Rx.
 

Q. I understand a product called Juvenon has alpha lipoic acid. Can you tell me more about this product?
   A. See Juvenon for more info.
 

Q. I am from India working as a chemist. I want to know whether alpha lipoic acid can be given as antioxidant through intravenous intravenous route along with other drugs.
   A. We have not had experience giving alpha lipoic acid intravenously, so we are not the people to ask regarding this.

Q. What is the benefit of taking r alpha lipoic acid?
   A. The benefit of taking r alpha lipoic acid is that it is a powerful antioxidant and may be of benefit in chronic conditions including diabetes.

Q. Is there a danger to alpha lipoic acid?
   A. There is a danger to alpha lipoic acid high dose use. We have had a couple of reports of heart rhythm problems when people took more than 300 mg.

Q. What is the right dosage of alpha lipoic acid for neuropathy?
   A. Research with alpha lipoic acid and neuropathy for long term use is not available. Even though early research was done with dosages of 300 to 900 mg a day, this does not mean this is the correct alpha lipoic acid dosage for prolonged use. It is possible much, much lower dosages could be helpful with fewer side effects.

Q. I take levothyroxine for hypothyroidism. I have read that alpha lipoic acid can affect the thyroid function in hypothyroidsm. Does that mean it will lower the effect of levothyroixine? I would like to try alpha lipoic acid to lower my blood sugar.
   A. We can only find one study on the role of alpha lipoic acid and thyroid function. It appears that alpha lipoic acid interferes with the conversion of T4 to T3. We also got a recent email from someone who had a bad reaction to taking 50 mg of R alpha lipoic acid after taking Levoxyl, a thyroid hormone medication.

Effect of alpha lipoic acid on the peripheral conversion of thyroxine to triiodothyronine and on serum lipid-, protein- and glucose levels. Arzneimittelforschung. 1991 Dec;41(12):1294-8. Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, University of Bonn, Fed. Rep. of Germany.
The influence of alpha-lipoic acid on thyroid hormone metabolism and serum lipid-, protein- and glucose levels was investigated. In the first setup of experiments administration of alpha lipoic acid together with thyroxine (T4) for 9 days suppressed the T4 induced increase of T3 generation by 56%. This suppression was similar to that affected by 6-propylthiouracil (54%). Alpha lipoic acid or T4 alone did not affect the cholesterol level, but together they led to a reduction. alpha lipoic acid decreased the triglyceride level by 45%; the decrease induced by T4 or alpha lipoic acid plus T4 was not significant. Total protein and albumin levels decreased by alpha lipoic acid plus T4 treatment when compared to the alpha lipoic acid control. The slight increase in glucose level by alpha lipoic acid or T4 alone was not observed when they were administered together. In the second setup of experiments the administration of T4 for 22 days increased the serum T3 level 3-fold. When alpha lipoic acid was combined with T4 and the treatment continued, the T3 production decreased by 22%. T4 reduced cholesterol level by 30%, and alpha lipoic acid plus T4 further reduced it by 47%. The triglycerides were not affected. A moderate decrease in total protein was observed after treatment with T4 plus LA; T4 and alpha lipoic acid plus T4 decreased the albumin level. The decrease in serum glucose by T4 recovers by alpha lipoic acid treatment. These results demonstrate that alpha lipoic acid interferes with the production of T3 from T4 when it is co-administered with T4. The elevated level of T3, after T4 administration, is reduced by treatment with alpha lipoic acid.

Q. Please be advised that within an hour of taking his first R-Alpha Lipoic Acid 50 mg capsule, my husband's heart rate suddenly doubled. Further study revealed that the upper and lower chambers of his heart were beating independently. After much research, we read a study that mentioned in a footnote an adverse reaction to this supplement in mice who were taking Levoxyl. My husband had taken his usual 75mg of Levoxyl earlier that morning. It took several days for his heart to return to normal. You may want to include information regarding this conflict in medications in your website details.
   A. We very much appreciate you letting us know about this reaction. The first time we have had anyone taking Levoxyl have a reaction to R alpha lipoic acid  that they have given us feedback with, we will mention this on the website for others to see just in case others may have a problem with the combination of R alpha lipoic acid and thyroid hormones.
 

Q. Can I take Eyesight Rx and your R-Alpha Lipoic Acid on the same day? I plan on using these two supplements and L-carnitine & want to know the best dosage for all three weekly.
   A. As long as the dosage is low, such as a third of eyesight rx and a third of alpha lipoic acid, then it should be fine. Higher amounts can lead to being alert late into the evening at bedtime. We suggest learning how each one works by itself in your body before combining two of them and then up to three. We can't give any more specific suggestions since each person responds differently and it is impossible for us to predict your response.

Q. I discovered your alpha lipoic acid website just recently as well as the analyses of different supplements I'm interested in. (Via Google) Your work is excellent and very important. I've been browsing on internet for a longtime re treatment of DM2, HTN High cholesterol. Started as per numerous and similar advices with Alpha Lipoic Acid, Hesperidine and Quercetin with lots of hope. The alpha lipoic acid ( Chalcone ) almost resulted in a syncope -- the very first time and the second attempt (I took 250mg both time in a span of 2 months) I had extremely violent tachycardia ----and very high blood pressure. I also experienced bone and joints pain. As per your analysis of this supplement I realize the dosage was very high. Thank God I found you!! I thought I will die. I thought this will help you to confirm the very similar alpha lipoic acid symptoms your clients vented on your web site. I Think one has to experience on himself first with the smallest dosage possible and than make slow adjustments. Thank you very much for your diligent work--you just may have saved my life. If you have some input to improve my metabolic syndrome the natural way I certainly will appreciate it.

Q. Thanks a lot for the continuity and quality of your advices. I'm a French doctor working in anti-aging in China.
Can you give me any suggestions to get ALPHA LIPOIC acid FOR IV PROGRAM ?
   A. We are not familiar with the use of alpha lipoic acid by intravenous form. We would be concerned about cardiac heart rhythm problems.

Q. I have recently purchased and started using R Alpha Lipoic acid supplement 50 mg. Started with a whole capsule, couldn't sleep that night. Backed off to 1/2 capsule for two weeks. Sleep ok. Started back at whole capsule as I was already seeing positive effects on my memory and concentration. ( I had a diagnosis of early Alzheimers several years ago. Diagnosis refuted by a second physician) For the past two weeks I have had six or eight nights when I suffered a muscle cramp in my leg ( Charlie horse). I am backing off the R Alpha Lipoic acid supplement to a capsule every other day, on the possibility that the problem with leg cramps could be related.
   A. We are not sure about the leg cramps, but we do know that some people are sensitive to alpha lipoic acid and 25 mg a day may be more appropriate and less likely to cause insomnia or shallow sleep.

Q. Does r alpha lipoic acid interfere with Synthroid medication?
   A. Much depends on dosage. If the alpha lipoic acid is 10 mg for instance it may not, but if it is 100 mg, it could cause overstimulation and insomnia. We have not seen any studies where individuals on Synthroid or thyroid hormones were given r alpha lipoic acid and then monitored for various hormone or thyroid levels.

Q. I was wondering if you have any information on how alpha lipoic acid could effect a pancreas transplant?
   A. I have no idea how alpha lipoic acid supplement use would influence a pancreas transplant.

Q. Thank you SO much for the information about Alpha Lipoic Acid on your website. I started taking it preventively for eye, heart and brain health due to some related diseases in my family history. I've been taking 100 mg a day (as per the recommended dose on the bottle) for about a month and have started having very odd palpitations in my heart. I thought it was due to stress, although something in my brain said that wasn't the cause. I listened to my inner voice and decided to stop taking the Alpha Lipoic Acid as a test to see if that might be the cause, since I traced the beginning of the heart issues back to about a week after starting the ALA. After just three days of being off the ALA, the heart palpitations stopped. That's when I found your website and the warnings. More people should be aware of the proper doses in which to take this supplement. It has great benefits, to be sure, but not if your heart stops working properly!!

Q. Thank you for maintaining your excellent website as a source of important information about supplements. Regarding your R alpha Lipoic acid: a number of other brands include biotin for better absorption; is there a reason yours does not? Do you feel it makes any difference one way or the other?
   A. I have not seen any evidence that the inclusion of biotin to an alpha lipoic acid supplement is necessary.

Q. The health food store manager was pushing 200 mg alpha lipoic acid three times a day. We bought the 200 mg and we have alpha lipoic acid 100 mg at home. Would taking either supplement daily be a high dosage?
   A. Different people have different needs, but we don't think, as a general rule, most people require more than 100 to 200 mg total of alpha lipoic acid within a period of one week. Much also depends on what other supplements and medicines are being taken and the general health of the person, their cardiac status, their liver and kidney functions, etc.
 

Q. Greetings from Australia. You have a wonderful, informative site. I will certainly add it to my favourite list! I have a question: What studies are there to support the recommended useage of the R-form of Alpha Lipoic acid versus the R-S Alpha Lipoic acid? Additionally, do you have any studies on the bioavailability of the S form?
   A. We are not aware of clinical studies that have compared the benefit of r alpha lipoic acid to s alpha lipoic acid. Laboratory studies indicate the r form to be the active form. We are not aware of studies that have looked exclusively at the bioavailability of the s form of alpha lipoic acid administered by itself.

Q. Would you happen to know if alpha lipoic acid is an effective treatment for loss of taste due to radiation treatment? My 35-year old fiancé has Type 1 Diabetes and is completing radiation treatment for squamous cell tongue cancer. Scott is not too happy (understandably) about losing his taste and if there is anything you know and could share with us that would be wonderful. I am finding in my research most people play the wait and see game. Scott is too special for that type of attitude.
   A. I am not familiar and have not seen research regarding the use of alpha lipoic acid for post radiation treatment loss of sense of taste.

Q. Just curious why you recommend such a lower daily amount of alpha lipoic acid in your article. The below article is from the Life Extension Research Institute. Also the Puritan Pride Labs suggest a higher daily amount. Thanks for all you do in this field. "The amount of alpha lipoic acid produced internally in the body decreases naturally with age, which could set the stage for free radical-induced damage. Although small amounts of alpha lipoic acid are available in food sources, such as dark leafy greens like spinach and collards, broccoli, beef, and organ meats, supplementation may be needed to achieve significant intake levels. Studies suggest that the most potent form of alpha lipoic acid is R-dihydrolipoic acid. In recent years it has become possible to obtain R-dihydrolipoic acid as a dietary supplement, thus providing the body with the form of alpha lipoic acid that is most readily available to cells and tissues. Scientific studies showing the health benefits of alpha lipoic acid have used doses ranging from 300 mg to 1,800 mg per day. For optimal effects, some nutritional practitioners recommend concomitantly supplementing with biotin and vitamin B complex. Alpha lipoic acid has generally been found to be safe when administered in recommended doses. Among the rare reported side effects in humans have been skin allergies and gastrointestinal distress."
   A. Since research wit nutritional supplements is not extensive, there are a number of opinions regarding the best supplements to take for long term health. Different doctors and scientists are likely to have different viewpoints regarding the ideal dosages of supplements. Many believe that we should all get our nutrients through foods, only. In my personal experience, high dosages of alpha lipoic acid can cause insomnia and ALA may cause heart rhythm disturbances. Until we know more about the long term side effects of these supplements, I prefer to take low dosages and take days off.

Q. Until recently I was consuming 200mg / day alpha lipoic acid from the manufacturer Solgar. After reading Dr Sahelian’s website I realized that my chronic insomnia (my insomnia is strange – rather like someone is feeding an electric current through my body all night) may be caused by alpha lipoic acid. The brand I used did not specify whether it was R-ALA so it must have been a synthesized mixture of R and S enantiomers. I found this on Wikipedia which mentions recent research. Needless to say I have stopped supplementing to see if my insomnia improves. Wiki indirectly indicates that the insomnia might be oxidative stress related and/or adrenal related (secondary to increased insulin resistance). If true, it’s all rather ironic since alpha lipoic acid is indicated for diabetes etc. "Normally, only the R-enantiomer of lipoic acid occurs naturally, but the S-enantiomer can assist in the reduction of the R-enantiomer when a racemic mixture is given.However, some recent studies have suggested that the S-enantiomer in fact has an inhibiting effect on the R-enantiomer, reducing its biological activity substantially and actually adding to oxidative stress rather than reducing it. Furthermore, the S-enantiomer has been found to reduce the expression of GLUT4, responsible for glucose uptake in cells, and hence to reduce insulin sensitivity."
   A. The insomnia side effects of alpha lipoic acid occurs with both alpha lipoic acid products, the combination R and S, and the R only. I am not sure why alpha lipoic acid causes insomnia, perhaps it activates the formation of neurotransmitters that cause alertness. Nevertheless it is a good idea to reduce the dosage and take days off.

Q. What is the reason for making regular alpha lipoic acid since only the R form is of any use, while the S form is of no Value, In other words Why isn't only the R alpha lipoic acid on the market.?
   A. The R alpha lipoic acid raw material cost is several times that of the regular alpha lipoic acid and some people think it is cheaper for them to buy 100 mg of regular alpha lipoic acid than 50 mg of R alpha lipoic acid. Others are not convinced yet that the S form has no value. But mostly people are not aware that half of the regular alpha lipoic acid they purchase has no benefit.

Q. I am taking serrapeptase daily and would like to know if there are any contradictions with taking lipoic acid along with the enzyme.
   A. Much depends on the dosages used and your individual physiology. There are no simple answers.