Alpha Lipoic Acid – the master anti-oxidant
Lipoic acid was
initially discovered in 1937 by researchers who found out that bacteria needed a component of potato extract to grow in culture.
The unknown component was identified as the ‘potato growth factor’ .Later in 1951 Scientist Lester Reed isolated
lipoic acid from beef livers. Since it is produced in the body (though in minute quantity) it is not considered a vitamin.
Supplementation with this supplement is essential because the human and animal body dose not produce adequate amount
of this nutrient and plants produce only miniscule amount of this nutrient. Lipoic acid helps combat cancer by helping suppress
cancer prone genes through its antioxidant ability . ALpla lipoic acid can effectively induce apoptosis in human colon
cancer cells by a prooxidant mechanism that is initiated by an increased uptake of oxidizable substrates into mitochondria
Alpha lipoic acid is one of the few anti-oxidants that are both fat and water soluble. Since it is both water and lipid
soluble, it exerts its antioxidant activities on the lipid soluble cell membranes and the water soluble membranes. It
helps rid the body of heavy metals that hamper organ functions. As scavengers, they help chelate heavy metals. They
enhance the activity of glutathione which are potent anti-angiogenic factors. In times of physical degeneration levels of
glutathione which the body readily produces plummets. Humans and animals can readily make glutathione.
A
low level of glutathione is a good indicator of organ degeneration and oxidative stress. Supplementation with alpha lipoic
acid helps increase the levels of this master antioxidant –glutathione which help eliminate toxins from the body because
glutathione supplements are poorly absorbed in the digestive tract. Supplementation with N-acetyl cysteine (NAC)
which as a precousor , is converted to glutathione in the body when glutathione levels pluments in degenerative diseases and
during oxidative stress. Unlike other anti-oxidants that loose their antioxidant activities as they are being eliminated from
the body, alpha lipoic acid help recycle and regenerate other antioxidants like vitamin C &E, CoQ10 and gluthatione so
that they can continue to exert their antioxidant activities. This is why alpha lipoic acid is referred to as network antioxidant.
Studies have shown that cells bathed in Alpha lipoic acid inhibit the action of a protein with the growth of cancerous tumors.
Dietary sources of Alpha lipoic acid include spinach, broccoli, beef, brewers yeast, and organ meats like kidney and the
heart.
