ALA

ALA is a useful supplement of antioxidant Substances in case of altered nervous trophism:

Peripheral and Diabetic
Neuropathies

Canalicular syndromes:
Carpal and tarsal tunnel syndromes

Sensitives/ Motorial Radiculopathies:
lumbosciatalgia, lumbocruralgia,
cervicobrachialgia

Musculo-tensive cefalea

Alpha-lipoic acid is one of the most powerful antioxidants ever discovered. It is a vitamin-like sulfur-containing compound that is synthesized naturally in the human body. One of its most important characteristics is that it is both fat-soluble and water-soluble.
As effective Antioxidant is able to regenerate oxidised forms of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Coenzyme Q10 and Glutathione and therefore develop an antioxidant network which is essential for the correct functioning of cellular processes.

Heavy Metal Detoxification – Lipoic acid reduces the toxicity from toxic metals such as mercury(1), cadmium(2) , and lead(3). It is also able to form stable complexes with copper, manganese, and zinc(4) ions.

Diabetes- Alpha-lipoic acid increases glucose uptake into muscle cells and increases insulin sensitivity in individuals with Type 2 diabetes(5, 6). Also, alpha-lipoic acid’s antioxidant activity helps protect against many of the health risks associated with diabetes(7).

Enhanced Glucose Metabolism- ALA significantly increases insulin sensitivity, glucose transport, metabolic rate and reduces the gain in body fat associated with aging(8-9). ALA has insulin-mimetic effects in glucose uptake in insulin resistant cells and may have therapeutic implications in restoring glucose availability in tissues such as the skeletal muscle(10,11).

Hepatitis C – It has been reported that alpha-lipoic acid, in combination with selenium and silymarin, is an effective and far less expensive treatment for hepatitis C, compared to conventional therapy. Three closely monitored cases involved cirrhosis, portal hypertension and esophageal varicies secondary to hepatitis C. Each patient received the antioxidant combination and had their hepatitis C complication resolved. The patients returned to work, resumed their normal daily activities and reported feeling healthy, avoiding liver transplantation. Whereas liver transplantation is estimated to cost more than $300,000 a year, the annual cost of this triple antioxidant therapy is approximately $2,000(12).

Diabetic Neuropathy- In experimental diabetic neuropathy, alpha-lipoic acid provides increased nerve blood flow, reduces oxidative stress, and improves distal nerve conduction(13). In humans, it has been demonstrated that oral administration of 500 mg/day of lipoic acid can prevent or improve diabetic neuropathy, which may be due to a lowering of lipid peroxidation(14).

Peripheral Neuropathy- Diabetic individuals treated with alpha-lipoic acid experienced significant improvement in nerve conduction and nerve blood flow(15).

Alzheimer’s Disease – The authors of a small study in Germany reported that lipoic acid may be a successful ‘neuroprotective’ agent in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Nine patients were administered 600 mg/day of alpha-lipoic acid in conjunction with their standard treatment with acetylcholinesterase inhibitor drugs over a period ranging from approximately 8.5 to 14 months. This treatment lead to a stabilization of cognitive function as evidenced by constant scores in two standard neuropsychological tests commonly used to assess AD patients(16).

The potential for ALA to treat chronic disease includes various types of cancers. Researchers propose that ALA may benefit individuals with leukemia, colon cancer, ovarian cancer and possibly breast cancer (17,19). Combined with its numerous antioxidant capabilities, ALA has been show to inhibit cell proliferation as well as apoptosis in healthy cells (19). On the contrary, ALA may actually promote the destruction of cancerous cells. Conventional cancer therapy treatment today involves processes that further increase DNA damage and create free radicals. Mitomycin C is a c hemotherapy drug and antibiotic that is very efficient at causing cellular damage and depleting available antioxidant sources. Radiation treatment damages cells and is also responsible for initiating the growth of secondary tumors(17, 18).