Is Alpha Lipoic Acid Good For Weight Loss?
Scientific studies show that alpha lipoic acid is a weight loss aid, but it is not a miracle solution. As part of a healthy diet, it helps to lose fatty body tissue.
Alpha lipoic acid is a fatty acid, it is a nutritional cofactor that participates in the energy metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. It has long been marketed as a dietary supplement and its effectiveness for weight loss is often touted.
The use of alpha lipoic acid in weight loss treatments
A study published in the Journal of Nutrition explains how alpha lipoic acid can help you lose weight. The research was conducted by scientists at the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University.
Participating women were overweight with a body mass index greater than 25 and in good health . They received a dietary supplement with 600 mg of alpha lipoic acid per day or a placebo for 24 weeks. Otherwise, the women did not change anything, neither in their diet nor in their physical activity routines in order to control the effect of the supplement.
Compared to the placebo group, the group that received alpha lipoic acid lost significant weight during the study period, while the placebo group maintained roughly the same weight. The mean weight reduction was 1.7% of body weight.
In the lipoic acid group , the women lost nearly one kilogram of pure body fat, while the women who received placebo had an average of 300g more fat at the end of the study.
Lose 1 kilogram of body fat effortlessly
The weight loss in the alpha lipoic acid group may seem small over a six-month period, however, if you consider that the women did not follow any diet, did not change any of their habits and did not exercise more , the loss of a kilogram of fat from taking a single capsule a day is really significant.
Alpha lipoic acid also had a positive effect on a number of other values, for example increasing the body’s own antioxidant production and improving inflammation values, which often increase when people are overweight.
Alpha lipoic acid recycles used vitamin C
Alpha lipoic acid is an important coenzyme in the energy metabolism of cells, where it protects mitochondria, the energy source of cells, from oxidative stress.
As a powerful antioxidant , alpha lipoic acid can even recycle other antioxidants after consumption, such as vitamin E, glutathione or vitamin C, so that they can have an antioxidant effect again.
Alpha lipoic acid is useful in many chronic diseases
The human body normally produces enough alpha lipoic acid for its daily needs. If you also take alpha lipoic acid as a dietary supplement or for therapeutic purposes , the acid acts beyond its normal spectrum, its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory power is multiplied and sugar metabolism is stimulated. These properties make it a remedy that could be used for diabetes, heart disease, and age-related cognitive decline.
For example, a dose of 1,200 to 1,800 mg per day is helpful in treating diabetic polyneuropathy, a condition that causes pain and numbness in the arms and legs, among other symptoms.
Alpha lipoic acid is also used in multiple sclerosis because, according to a 2017 study, it was able to slow the course of the disease and was able to improve symptoms.
Always choose alpha lipoic acid in “natural R” form
Research from the Linus Pauling Institute explains that there are several supplement forms of alpha lipoic acid. The synthetic presentation is called the “S” form, it is not found in nature and its spectrum of activity is less than the natural presentation or the “R” form.
When alpha lipoic acid is taken (preferably in its “R” form), especially if the dose is greater than 600 mg, it should be accompanied with a multivitamin supplement that includes iron, as the acid can decrease the concentration of serum iron ( does not affect ferritin or iron storage).
On the other hand, it should be taken at least one hour after meals and as far as possible from the mineral or multivitamin supplement. If you take alpha lipoic acid, for example, in the morning at 7:00 a.m. and in the afternoon at 6:00 p.m., you can take the supplement at 10:00 a.m. or 3:00 p.m., depending on your lifestyle.
Scientific references:
- Gerd Bobe et al. A Randomized Controlled Trial of Long-Term (R) -α-Lipoic Acid Supplementation Promotes Weight Loss in Overweight or Obese Adults without Altering Baseline Elevated Plasma Triglyceride Concentrations. The Journal of Nutrition.
- Mendes et al. Effect of alpha lipoic acid on the blood cell count and iron kinetics in hypertensive patients. Hospital Nutrition.
