Alpha Lipoic Acid: The All Purpose Antioxidant

Alpha‑lipoic acid, otherwise known as thioctic acid or just lipoic acid, is considered a non‑vitamin because the body can manufacture adequate amounts of the subÂstance. Unfortunately, we only manufacture enough of the nutrient to prevent a deficiency, but not enough for the nutrient to live up to its full potential and perform all of its remarkable functions. Thus the need for eating foods rich in lipoic acid, such as potatoes, yeast, and liver ‑ or augmenting the body through supplements.
Lipoic acid is a sulfur‑containing comÂpound, playing a vital role as the critical cofactor in a fundamental, energy‑proÂducing reaction in the production of celÂlular energy. First, lipoic acid aids in the conversion of carbohydrates into enÂergy. During the metabolizing process of blood sugar into energy, the sugar is transformed into pyruvic acid. PyruÂvic acid is a product of a process called glycolysis, which is the first step in conÂverting blood sugar (glucose) into enÂergy that the body can burn. This metaÂbolic activity of lipoic acid occurs inÂside the cells, within the mitochondria. Mitochondria are often referred to as the “engine” of the cell, where food is converted into energy.
Key metabolic enzymes are depenÂdent upon the presence of lipoic acid in order to generate energy. These include alpha‑keto acid dehydrogenase complex enzymes and branched chain alpha‑keto dehydrogenase complex. The body creÂates this multi‑enzyme complex which requires lipoic acid to break down molÂecules of pyruvate, generated in earlier metabolism, into slightly smaller, high‑energy molecules called acetyl‑coenzyme A. Consequently, molecules can enter into a series of reacÂtions called the citric acid cycle or Krebs cycle, which comÂpletes the conversion of food into energy.
In fact, lipoic acid not only improves metabolism, it also protects the body against harmful by‑products of metaboÂlism. It does so by attaching to and preventing the oxidation of certain enzymes during the metabolic process. This act of binding to enzymes not only protects the enzymes from oxiÂdation, but allows them to be used by the body again and again, rather than becoming oxidated refuse.
A Unique, Unequalled Antioxidant
Chemical reactions occur in the human body by the thouÂsands every second. During these reactions, electrons are conÂtinuously shifted around from one place and task to another; removing toxins and waste, fighting infections, breathing, exÂercising, etc. Electron shifting is much like a chemical version of musical chairs ‑ it seems there is always an extra electron that doesn’t get a seat on a molecule. This extra electron is then referred to as a free radical.
In the game version of musical chairs, humans politely drop out of the game when unseated. Free radicals, however, have no such tact. Compelled to be joined once again with a molÂecule, free radicals will do anything to accomplish this end. They will joust other electrons out of their seats, rip molecules out from under other electrons, and even burn their way into a cell membrane or enzyme trying to sit on a molecule and, in the process, damage their immediate environment. ThroughÂout this disruptive process more free radicals are created, each then damaging their immediate environment, and so the proÂcess spirals out of control until an antioxidant is introduced to halt the destruction.
Cell membranes consist of lipids; thus, when free radicals damage cell membranes it is known as lipid peroxidation. The hole left by the free radical is the oxidized portion of the cell membrane. This breach of the cell structure impairs the cell’s function, leading to the early death of the cell, depletion of nutrients, and putting incalculable amounts of stress on the body’s systems in a variety of ways.
Free radicals come in many forms, each with its own funcÂtion and a different antioxidant that neutralizes or controls it. The singlet oxygen radical is a damaging free radical that is quenched by beta carotene. Another is the peroxyl radical, which is quenched by vitamin E. The hydroxyl radical is quenched by glutathione, and the oxyl radical by CoQ10. Other antiÂoxidants such as vitamin C can scavÂenge heavy metals, which can cause free radicals to occur. Vitamin C can also recycle vitamin E. When vitaÂmin E quenches the peroxyl radical, it loses an electron itself, and is no longer able to act as a free radical quencher. Vitamin C is able to doÂnate a missing electron, restoring viÂtamin E to its original and valuable form, or “recycling” it.
Occasionally, a special antioxiÂdant comes along that can quench all the different types of free radicals. Thus far, however, no other antioxiÂdant has come along that can quench all the various free radicals and reÂcycle or restore to useful form numerous nutrients crucial to free radiÂcal destruction. This “new” antioxiÂdant is the medium‑chain fatty acid known as lipoic acid. Recent reÂsearch indicates that this exceptional nutrient has the ability to restore viÂtamins ~ and (:, plus glutathione, CoQ10, plus the metabolic enzymes discussed earlier.
The process by which lipoic acid accomplishes these funcÂtions is remarkable. As a medium‑chain fatty acid, it is readily absorbed. Unlike other nutritive antioxidants, lipoic acid is both fat‑ and water‑soluble, meaning it can enter all domains of the body. Inside cells, lipoic acid is readily reduced to dihydrolipoic acid, a powerful antioxidant capable of destroyÂing superoxide hydroperoxyl and hydroxyl radicals. IncredÂibly, once it has donated an electron to recycle another antiÂoxidant, it becomes even more powerful, capable of quenchÂing other free radicals that it was not able to in its reduced form.
But lipoic acid continues to surprise researchers, as its benÂefits continue to be revealed.