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Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is a very effective antioxidant that has been shown in numerous clinical studies to have profound health benefits. On this page we will introduce you to ALA and more specifically the R+ ALA form of lipoic acid.
What is ALA?
ALA or alpha lipoic acid is a powerful antioxidant that is both fat and water soluble. Since ALA is fat and water soluble it is often called a “universal antioxidant”. Antioxidants are necessary to counter the effects of free radicals on our body. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can form in our body from pollution, diet, sun exposure and breathing! Yes, oxygen intake, necessary for living, also has the down side of "rusting" our body. Years of oxidation leads to free radicals, and these free radicals can destroy vital cells in our body. Antioxidants like ALA work to counteract the free radicals in our body.
How can ALA help me build muscle?
ALA has a unique ability to mimic insulin, this in turn leads to increased uptake of glycogen by your muscles. If you workout, you can begin to see the benefits of a supplement that increases muscle cell volume and contributes to that full pumped feeling when you workout.
The fact that alpha lipoic acid gives you an incredible pump, is really just a side benefit to us. If you remember from our article on creatine, getting creatine into the muscles is the key to success. The fact that ALA mimics insulin and increases muscle glycogen, also means that creatine and other nutrients will be pulled into the muscles when you use ALA. You know that we like creatine serums because of their ability to be quickly absorbed, well add ALA to the mix and you have an intense combination (our favorite is DiMaxx Muscle Creatine Plus and R-ALA.)
What else can ALA do for me?
Muscle building is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the benefits of ALA. Thousands of studies have been conducted on Alpha Lipoic Acid, and the results have been impressive. At the bottom of this page we have references to all the studies.
How could ALA possibly help with all the above conditions?
Alpha lipoic acids has some interesting qualities that help explain its powers. First, ALA is fat and water soluble, so it can enter any type of cell and destroy free radicals. Second, ALA is one of the very few substances that can actually cross the blood/brain barrier to enter the brain and protect the cells directly where they need it the most. Third, ALA increases the brain's level of glutathione. Glutathione is key for strong mental function and low glutathione levels have been linked to stroke, dementia, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.
This represents just a brief overview of what makes ALA so powerful, in the online e-book on ALA we will provide much more detail on how ALA can help people.
ALA sounds great, should I just go to the drug store and get an alpha lipoic acid supplement?
No! Here is the major catch, that most supplement companies do not want you to know - there are two forms of ALA - R-ALA and S-ALA.
R-ALA is the form found naturally occurring within the body and is the biologically active form of alpha lipoic acid.
S-ALA is the unnatural, synthetic byproduct created during the production of alpha lipoic acid.
Nobody sells S-ALA by itself as it isn’t very effective, but you will get S-ALA anytime you purchase ALA. The ALA you buy from nutrition stores is in reality a 50/50 mixture of S-ALA & R-ALA (though they won’t tell you that…). Most companies don’t go through the complicated and expensive process required to purify and remove the synthetic S-ALA from their products. Be aware that unless the bottle specifically states 100% R-ALA, you are only getting a 50/50 blend. sa
It is important for you to know that R-ALA has been shown time and time again to be up to 12 times as effective as S-ALA. There have been many studies, doctors and researchers who have stated how much more effective R-ALA is.
The benefits of R-Lipoic acid
· R-Lipoic acid is the only form of lipoic acid that your body synthesizes and can safely metabolize. (7)
· R-Lipoic acid is the only form of lipoic acid that is proven to significantly reduce inflammation, an underlying cause of aging. (5)
· R-Lipoic acid is the only form of lipoic acid that is proven to significantly increase your cellular and mitochondrial antioxidant activity for preventing mitochondrial decay. This effectively attenuates the reported increase in oxidative stress with aging. (8)
· R-Lipoic acid is the only form of lipoic acid that is shown to help improve memory, maintain healthy cognitive function, and protect the brain from neurodegeneration associated with aging. (8,9,22)
· R-Lipoic acid is the only form of lipoic acid that is shown to significantly increase insulin sensitivity, enhance glucose transport, increase metabolic rate and help prevent the gain in body fat from aging. (10,11)
· R-Lipoic acid is the only form of lipoic acid that is proven to protect body fats against oxidative damage, chelate harmful metals and promote healthy heart function. (12,13)
· R-Lipoic acid is the only form of Lipoic that is proven to significantly increase or maintain levels of other antioxidants including Coenzyme Q10, vitamin C, vitamin E and glutathione. (14,15)
What is ALA?
ALA or alpha lipoic acid is a powerful antioxidant that is both fat and water soluble. Since ALA is fat and water soluble it is often called a “universal antioxidant”. Antioxidants are necessary to counter the effects of free radicals on our body. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can form in our body from pollution, diet, sun exposure and breathing! Yes, oxygen intake, necessary for living, also has the down side of "rusting" our body. Years of oxidation leads to free radicals, and these free radicals can destroy vital cells in our body. Antioxidants like ALA work to counteract the free radicals in our body.
How can ALA help me build muscle?
ALA has a unique ability to mimic insulin, this in turn leads to increased uptake of glycogen by your muscles. If you workout, you can begin to see the benefits of a supplement that increases muscle cell volume and contributes to that full pumped feeling when you workout.
The fact that alpha lipoic acid gives you an incredible pump, is really just a side benefit to us. If you remember from our article on creatine, getting creatine into the muscles is the key to success. The fact that ALA mimics insulin and increases muscle glycogen, also means that creatine and other nutrients will be pulled into the muscles when you use ALA. You know that we like creatine serums because of their ability to be quickly absorbed, well add ALA to the mix and you have an intense combination (our favorite is DiMaxx Muscle Creatine Plus and R-ALA.)
What else can ALA do for me?
Muscle building is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the benefits of ALA. Thousands of studies have been conducted on Alpha Lipoic Acid, and the results have been impressive. At the bottom of this page we have references to all the studies.
How could ALA possibly help with all the above conditions?
Alpha lipoic acids has some interesting qualities that help explain its powers. First, ALA is fat and water soluble, so it can enter any type of cell and destroy free radicals. Second, ALA is one of the very few substances that can actually cross the blood/brain barrier to enter the brain and protect the cells directly where they need it the most. Third, ALA increases the brain's level of glutathione. Glutathione is key for strong mental function and low glutathione levels have been linked to stroke, dementia, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.
This represents just a brief overview of what makes ALA so powerful, in the online e-book on ALA we will provide much more detail on how ALA can help people.
ALA sounds great, should I just go to the drug store and get an alpha lipoic acid supplement?
No! Here is the major catch, that most supplement companies do not want you to know - there are two forms of ALA - R-ALA and S-ALA.
R-ALA is the form found naturally occurring within the body and is the biologically active form of alpha lipoic acid.
S-ALA is the unnatural, synthetic byproduct created during the production of alpha lipoic acid.
Nobody sells S-ALA by itself as it isn’t very effective, but you will get S-ALA anytime you purchase ALA. The ALA you buy from nutrition stores is in reality a 50/50 mixture of S-ALA & R-ALA (though they won’t tell you that…). Most companies don’t go through the complicated and expensive process required to purify and remove the synthetic S-ALA from their products. Be aware that unless the bottle specifically states 100% R-ALA, you are only getting a 50/50 blend. sa
It is important for you to know that R-ALA has been shown time and time again to be up to 12 times as effective as S-ALA. There have been many studies, doctors and researchers who have stated how much more effective R-ALA is.
The benefits of R-Lipoic acid
· R-Lipoic acid is the only form of lipoic acid that your body synthesizes and can safely metabolize. (7)
· R-Lipoic acid is the only form of lipoic acid that is proven to significantly reduce inflammation, an underlying cause of aging. (5)
· R-Lipoic acid is the only form of lipoic acid that is proven to significantly increase your cellular and mitochondrial antioxidant activity for preventing mitochondrial decay. This effectively attenuates the reported increase in oxidative stress with aging. (8)
· R-Lipoic acid is the only form of lipoic acid that is shown to help improve memory, maintain healthy cognitive function, and protect the brain from neurodegeneration associated with aging. (8,9,22)
· R-Lipoic acid is the only form of lipoic acid that is shown to significantly increase insulin sensitivity, enhance glucose transport, increase metabolic rate and help prevent the gain in body fat from aging. (10,11)
· R-Lipoic acid is the only form of lipoic acid that is proven to protect body fats against oxidative damage, chelate harmful metals and promote healthy heart function. (12,13)
· R-Lipoic acid is the only form of Lipoic that is proven to significantly increase or maintain levels of other antioxidants including Coenzyme Q10, vitamin C, vitamin E and glutathione. (14,15)
