Are You Ready?! One of the most important supplements that for cellular health. If you want to look your best without going under the knife, researchers at Oregon State University have uncovered a natural supplement that “kick starts” declining function in cells and helps them restore the functions that came more easily and naturally in younger cells. Experiments show that it appears to slow down the process of aging, improve blood flow, enhance immune function and perform many other functions
Alpha-lipoic Acid is naturally found in literally every cell of your body where it helps turn glucose into energy. As with so many things that affect your health ~ your body’s ability to manufacture its own ALA, declines with age. That’s right ~ with each passing year your body is just a little less efficient in it’s ability to regulate sugar.
ALA is a vitamin-like antioxidant. Antioxidants protect against damage to your body’s cells. As a free radical scavenger, it’s really quite unique because it’s both fat and water soluble. What’s that mean?….simply that it’s easily absorbed and transported across cell membranes offering protection (against free radicals) in every part of your cells and even the space in between your cells. Other antioxidants (like vitamins C and E) only provide outside cellular protection.
Oxidative stress has been implicated as a real determining factor in the aging process of your heart and other tissues. Studies have been in search of means to reduce or eliminate this constant health concern.
In one such study conducted by the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Oregon State University; supplementation significantly lowered rate of oxidant production in older hearts to a rate that was no longer significantly different from that in cells from un-supplemented, young hearts. Alpha-lipoic Acid supplementation also restored myocardial ascorbic acid levels and reduced oxidative DNA damage. That’s good news!
“The evidence suggests that Alpha-lipoic Acid is actually a low-level stressor that turns on the basic cellular defenses of the body, including some of those that naturally decline with age,” said Tory Hagen, an LPI researcher and associate professor of biochemistry and biophysics at OSU. “In particular, it tends to restore levels of glutathione, a protective antioxidant and detoxification compound, to those of a young animal. It also acts as a strong anti-inflammatory agent, which is relevant to many degenerative diseases.”
“Our studies have shown that mice supplemented with Alpha-lipoic Acid have a cognitive ability, behavior, and genetic expression of almost 100 detoxification and antioxidant genes that are comparable to that of young animals,” Hagen said. “They aren’t just living longer; they are living better ~ and that’s the goal we’re after.” That’s very good news!
What the OSU researchers now believe is that the role of Alpha-lipoic Acid is not so much a direct one to benefit your cells, but rather an indirect aid that “kick starts” declining function in cells and helps them recover the functions that came more easily and naturally when they were young.
In various effects, Alpha-lipoic Acid appears to help restore a cellular “signaling” process that tends to break down in older blood vessels. It reduces what’s called ‘mitochondrial decay’ in your cells, which is closely linked to the symptoms of aging. With age, Glutathione levels naturally decline, making older animals more susceptible to both free radicals and other environmental toxins but, Alpha-lipoic Acid can restore Glutathione function to near normal. And the expression and function of other genes seems to come back to life.
“We never really expected such a surprising range of benefits from one compound,” Hagen said. “This is really unprecedented, and we’re pretty excited about it.”
There’s also evidence that ALA may have at least 2 positive benefits for people with type-2 Diabetes. A few studies have suggested that Alpha-lipoic Acid supplements enhance the body’s ability to use its own insulin to lower blood sugar in people with type-2 Diabetes. ALA may help reduce the symptoms of the nerve damage that can be caused by diabetes (named peripheral neuropathy) and potentially aid in diabetes prevention.
BUT WAIT! There’s More!! ALA potentially protects your brain tissues and functioning as well ~ Because Alpha-lipoic Acid passes easily into your brain, there’s speculation that it’s antioxidant properties may directly help protect the brain and nerve tissue. Researchers are currently investigating it as a potential treatment for stroke and other brain problems involving free radical damage, such as dementia.
In case you were wondering; yes, there are food sources of ALA such as yeast, organ meats like liver and heart, spinach, broccoli, beets, potatoes, yams and kohlrabi and is also abundant in red meat. BUT…. ALA from food does not appear to produce a noticeable increase in the level of free ALA in your body.
Should you consider Alpha-lipoic Acid supplementation; you’ll find that there are two types on the market: Synthetic (S) and Natural (R). The synthetic form of Alpha-lipoic Acid is useless to your body, while the natural (R) form is double the potency and easily assimilated.
Because of the potential for side effects (Alpha-lipoic Acid can lower blood sugar levels) and interactions with medications, you should take dietary supplements only under the supervision of a health care provider.
Live Your Best Life!
~Jeanne Ricks, CHC