Alpha Lipoic Acid is a very common dietary supplement. It can be found in spinach, broccoli and potatoes. It is an anti-oxidant that first gained notoriety when it was found that it prevented symptoms of people deficient in Vitamins E and C. Alpha Lipoic Acid has also been used in cases of diabetes because it increases a cell’s uptake of glucose¹.

A typical dose of Alpha Lipoic Acid ranges from 100-200 mg per day.

Many times diet pill manufacturer’s will include Alpha Lipoic Acid and claim that the body needs ALA for energy. While it’s true that ALA’s role in energy creation is crucial, the body creates enough ALA on its own to perform this vital function.

According to the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter², claims are made that ALA can prevent or treat many age-related diseases (heart disease, stroke, diabetes, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s, as well as declines in energy, strength, brain function and immunity). These claims cannot yet be validated by credible scientific studies.

As it stands now, ALA may provide some positive benefits but it is still in the infant stage of supporting clinical studies and research. At the moment, the jury is still out.

1. Henriksen EJ (2006). “Exercise training and the antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid in the treatment of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes”. Free Radic Biol Med 40 (1): 3-12. PMID [↩]
2. http://www.wellnessletter.com/html/ds/dsAlphaLipoicAcid.php [↩]

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