What is Lipoic acid?
Lipoic acid, also known as alpha-lipoic acid or ALA, is a powerful antioxidant. It is naturally produced in the body and can also be found in certain foods, such as spinach, broccoli, yeast, and organ meats. Overall, thioctic acid is a versatile compound with antioxidant properties and potential health benefits. However, further research is still needed to fully understand its mechanisms of action and determine its efficacy in various health conditions.
Lipoic acid can be used for:
1. Food and beverage preservatives: Lipoic acid is widely used in food and beverage preservatives to inhibit the growth of bacteria and mold and extend the shelf life of food.
2.Cosmetics and personal care products: Lipoic acid can be used as a preservative and acidity regulator in cosmetics and personal care products to help maintain product stability and quality.
- Lipoic acid has a very good antioxidant capacity, can effectively cause skin aging reactive oxygen components removal, and its component molecules are quite small, easy to be absorbed by the skin, long-term use can improve the face wrinkles and spots, to achieve beauty effect.
3.Pharmaceutical field: Lipoic acid also has a certain application in the pharmaceutical field. For example, it can be used as an adjunct ingredient in certain drugs to help improve the stability of the drug and extend its expiration date.
- Cardiovascular disease
Lipoic acid can increase the activity of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase 2 in cardiomyocytes, reduce the production of peroxide end products, improve the blood supply of cardiomyocytes, thereby preventing myocardial ischemic injury caused by coronary heart disease and improving the cardiac function of patients with chronic heart failure. - Diabetes
Lipoic acid can improve the oxidative damage of vascular endothelium, increase the activity of superoxidase and glutathione peroxidase, improve gastroparesis caused by diabetic autonomic nerve dysfunction, and also treat diabetic peripheral neuropathy. - Other diseases
Lipoic acid can also reduce the degree of acute liver injury, inhibit the growth of various tumor cells, induce tumor cell apoptosis, regulate the body’s immune function and so on.
4.Industrial use: Lipoic acid can be used to synthesize industrial materials such as polyester resins, plastics and coatings, and has a wide range of applications in the industrial field.
Can lipoic acid help lose weight?
Yes, Lipoic acid is a nutrient that is found in small amounts in food, and it has a powerful effect on metabolism, Clinical trials have shown that it helps with weight loss. It has also been shown to reduce oxidative stress, improve blood lipid levels and long-term blood sugar control. In a recent study, R-lipoic acid reduced body weight and total body fat in obese adults, most significantly in women, obesity increases the risk of chronic diseases. R-lipoic acid is a promising tool for weight management programs.
Lipoic acid also has powerful antioxidant properties:
The study found that lipoic acid has a powerful antioxidant function and is the only known substance that can exert antioxidant capacity in both fat-soluble and water-soluble environments.
Lipoic acid can play a powerful anti-oxidative stress role in the body by directly scavenging reactive oxygen species, chelating with free metal ions and promoting endogenous antioxidant regeneration, etc. Oxidative stress is exactly the pathological basis of many diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, liver disease and tumor, etc. Therefore, lipoic acid can play a preventive and therapeutic role in many clinical system diseases.
Matters needing attention:
When patients with diabetes take lipoic acid drugs, they should follow the doctor’s advice, and it is best to regularly monitor blood sugar to avoid hypoglycemia.
