Alpha Lipoic Acid which is also known as thioctic acid, is a powerful antioxidant, found in potatoes, broccoli, and liver; and has been shown to be of great benefit in the treatment of Type II Diabetes. Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) enhances insulin sensitivity, improves glucose effectiveness, and enhances glucose disposal making it a Hyper Glucose Transport System for individuals with Type II Diabetes. ALA's ability to enhance glucose uptake is a very exciting effect that could enhance other nutrient distribution. By mimicking insulin, ALA increases uptake of glucose into the muscle cell by 65%. This glucose transport stimulation is accomplished through ALA's participation in the insulin signaling pathway. ALA provokes an upward shift of the glucose-insulin dose-response curve. This is an important function that could enhance muscle cell nutrient uptake and protein turnover.

ALA Increases Glucose Effectiveness. When ingested, ALA decreases serum lactate and pyruvate concentrations and improves glucose effectiveness in lean and obese patients with type 2 diabetes.

Additionally, ALA may help slow the nerve damage that plagues many patients with diabetes. One study of 328 patients found that three doses of ALA, taken intravenously, substantially eased pain, burning, and numbness associated with diabetes-related nerve damage.

ALA is a natural antioxidant with free radical scavenging abilities as well as the ability to regenerate oxidized antioxidants. This actually makes other antioxidants more potent. ALA also increases the levels of intra-cellular glutathione and and could help to prevent the cellular damage accompanying the complications of diabetes. Glutathione has been shown to enhance recovery from heavy training by reducing intra-cellular damage.

Alpha Lipoic Acid, was first discovered in the 1950's. It is an enzyme found in the mitochondria, which are the energy powerhouses of the human cell. Scientists in the late 1980's discovered that it possessed powerful antioxidant properties. In addition, it recycles other antioxidants, specifically vitamin C and vitamin E, enhancing their potency. Unlike other antioxidants, it has the unique ability to be active in both water and fat compartments in the body. Thus, Alpha Lipoic Acid is sometimes referred to as a "universal antioxidant" and is more effective in neutralizing free radicals than the majority of other antioxidants. It also plays an important role in the process that recycles glutathione which is another major antioxidant in the body. Additionally, it assists B vitamins in converting carbohydrates, proteins, and fats into energy.

We get very little Lipoic acid in our food. It occurs as lipolylysine and not actual lipoic acid itself. You'll never get any realistic amount out of food as broccoli (one of the best sources), for example, contains a mere 100 micrograms per 100 gram serving. This means you would have to eat over two pounds of broccoli to get one single milligram of lipolylysine to convert into alpha lipoic acid. This is then converted to dihydrolipoic acid during digestion. This occurs as the Rform, while the lipoic acid of commerce occurs as the racemic (containing both isomers) R- and S- forms (these are mirror images).

The journal BioFactors volume 10 (1999) published a study from the Eberhard-Karls University in Germany. Doctors there found that ALA helps cure insulin resistance, normalize blood sugar levels and cure diabetes. They gave real adult human diabetics large (600 mg) doses of regular lipoic acid for only 10 days and improved insulin sensitivity an amazing 27%. When they gave them 1,000 mg the insulin sensitivity was improved a surrealistic 51%!!! They did this in only ten days. This is far, far more than any pharmaceutical drug anywhere on earth at any cost could possibly do. These are real human studies, using generic ALA with no funding from anyone at a major university in Germany with 39 citations.