Scientists first discovered the importance of Alpha Lipoic Acid (Lipoic Acid/Thioctic Acid) in the 1950s initially classed as a vitamin, it was then recognised as a very powerful anti-oxidant in 1988.
Interest in Alpha Lipoic Acid as a dietary supplement has grown rapidly since then, particularly during the past decade. Indeed, it is now a common nutritional supplement in the US and fast becoming more popular in British health-food stores/outlets.
Your body does in fact manufacture Alpha-Lipoic Acid from dietary sources such as spinach, liver, brewer's yeast and potatoes. However supplements provide excess benefits beyond its involvement in normalizing blood sugar levels and assisting the B vitamins to metabolise proteins/carbohydrates/fats consumed through foods, into energy.
Because it dissolves in both water and fat, Alpha Lipoic Acid is characterized as the "universal antioxidant" which is able to deactivate more free-radical cells than most anti-oxidants, the majority of which tend to dissolve in either fat or water but not both. Alpha Lipoic Acid can reach tissues composed mainly of fat, such as the nervous system, as well as those made mainly of water, such as the heart and therefore protect both lipoproteins and membranes; no other natural anti-oxidant can do this.
In fact, this compound has proved to be many times more potent than other more familiar anti-oxidants like vitamins C and E. It even recycles C and E, as well as other anti-oxidants, regenerating them and enhancing their effectiveness.
There is also evidence that Alpha Lipoic Acid may have effects on regulatory proteins and on genes involved in normal growth and metabolism. Increases in your muscles uptake of glycogen will make muscle cell volume and as Alpha Lipoic Acid increases muscle glycogen it will also increase other important nutrient transport that contributes to further cell volume and growth. This is particularly useful for Bodybuilders looking to achieve maximum creatine absorption.
Alpha Lipoic Acid may well be the perfect antioxidant. It has also shown great promise with:
the treatment of HIV and also Diabetes
the prevention of Cataracts and also Cancer
slowing down the aging process, particularly if taken with Acetyl-L-Carnitine