Alpha-lipoic acid is a sulfur-containing fatty acid that performs vitamin-like roles in the body. It functions as a co-enzyme in the metabolism of carbohydrates and is required for synthesis of acetyl CoA, a key metabolite in the cellular process that turns glucose (blood sugar) into energy. Because the body produces alpha-lipoic acid on its own, it is not classified as a true vitamin. But as with other non-essential nutrients, internal production may not always be optimal.

How Does it Work?

Alpha-lipoic acid is a key factor in the cellular process that metabolizes glucose for energy production. Aging is accompanied by a decreased ability of the liver to recycle ascorbic acid following oxidative stress. R-lipoic acid, after two weeks of supplementation to aged rats, reversed the age-related impairment of ascorbic acid recycling and concentration in liver cells. Aging is associated with oxidative stress in the brain. The brain's high rate of metabolism make it particularly vulnerable to oxidative stress. Since alpha-lipoic-acid interrupts cellular oxidative processes in both its oxidized and reduced forms, it plays a modulatory role in the brain and nervous system.