Alpha Lipoic Acid Supplements: Universal Antioxidants in a Bottle

Antioxidants are naturally found in and produced by our body. But health experts insist that women over 40 grab a bottle of alpha lipoic acid supplement. Here's the reason why.

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Alphalipoic acid is a vitamin-like chemical many experts consider as a potent antioxidant. A chemical produced and found in our body -- which essentially shows how great our body can be -- alphalipoic acid functions to break down the food we eat and convert it into something we, women over 40, need to be at our best: Energy. While it is primarily used for the management of diabetes, alpha lipoic acid supplements have been known to prevent certain types of cell damage in our body and recycles vitamin levels like vitamin C and vitamin E, therefore, making them serviceable again. But what makes ALA truly unique is that it is more effective in warding off free radicals than other antioxidants, working efficiently and fighting free radicals in both the watery and fatty parts of the cells.

Alpha Lipoic Acid and Anti Aging

Though alphalipoic acid is produced by the body, it only acts as an antioxidant when there is an excess of it. The body produces too little ALA, really not enough to fend off free radicals caused by the natural oxidation process in our body, environmental or external toxins, and other conditions like stress. And both internal and external attacks made to our cells can really overwhelm our whole body, making our natural free-radical defense system weak and unable to do its job. Free radicals moves and reproduces quickly, damaging and injuring the DNA, which creates the perfect hub for the seed of a disease to grow. And what is worse is that free radicals are industrious, they don’t only damage one molecule but it can actually set off a whole chain reaction.

You need to help your body fend off free radicals by taking alpha lipoic acid supplements. But why this antioxidant when you have so many to choose from? According to the UC Berkley Wellness Guide to Dietary Supplements, alphalipoic acid is one of, if not, the most versatile antioxidants, which makes the process of deactivating various types of cell-damaging free radicals in our system relatively easy for our body.

Clinical studies show that ALA prevents cell and nerve damage caused by free-radical attacks. In fact, alphalipoic acid is used and approved in Germany to treat diabetes and its nerve-related symptoms, significantly reducing the numbness, burning, tingling sensation, and pain experienced in the arms and legs. Other uses of alphalipoic acid include the treatment and management of chronic fatigue syndrome, memory loss, eye-related disorders like glaucoma and cataracts, and diseases of the blood vessels and the heart.

Alpha Lipoic Acid Recommended Dosage

ALA comes in tablets and capsules, in 50 to 300 milligrams. The recommended dose is 50 to 100 milligrams a day. For the treatment of type 2 diabetes, including, but not limited to, the treatment and management of symptoms, such as the burning pain and numbness in the arms and legs, the recommended dosage of ALA is 300 to 600 milligrams a day.

The effectiveness of alpha lipoic acid decreases with a meal. It is generally recommended that you take alpha lipoic acid supplements on an empty stomach, or at least an hour before or two hours after mealtime.

Side Effects

Alphalipoic acid is safe for most people. One possible side effects of ALA is a rash, especially when you take it by mouth. Expecting and breast-feeding moms, diabetics, thiamine deficient (or those who drink excessive amount of alcohol), and those with thyroid disease should consult with their doctors first before taking alpha lipoic acid supplements.

Interactions

ALA, which essentially has the same structure as biotin, has been shown to compete with the latter in terms of being transported across layers of cells.

If you are under medications for cancer or diabetes such as Amaryl, Micronase, DiaBeta, insulin, Actos, Avandia, Glucotrol, Diabinese, or Orinase, you may want to observe the effects of alpha lipoic acid to the efficacy of your meds.

Alpha Lipoic Acid 100mg Supplements

When it comes to alpha lipoic acid, less is more. While there may be brands that offer alpha lipoic acid over 500 milligrams per tab, you may want to make sure that you stick to lower doses if you’re not being treated for diabetes or diabetic neuropathy. When taken as a general antioxidant support, you may want to look for alpha lipoic acid supplements offering 50 to 100 milligrams of alpha lipoic acids per tab.

Swanson Ultra Double-Strength R-Fraction Alpha Lipoic Acid

Supplement Facts

R-Fraction Alpha Lipoic Acid: 100 mg

Other ingredients: Rice flour, soybean oil, gelatin, and may contain one or both of the following: magnesium stearate, silica.

One of the most effective alpha lipoic acid supplements under the Swanson Health Products name, Swanson Ultra Double-Strength contains a stabilized form of R-ALA, a natural isomer that is said to be at least 3 times more effective than standard alpha lipoic acid. Compared to conventional ALA brands that contain a racemic (or 50-50) blend of synthetic ALA and R-LA, Swanson’s R-Fraction Alpha Lipoic Acid contains 100% pure R-ALA isomer, the natural, biologically-active form of ALA responsible for bringing in most of what alpha lipoic acid can do for our body.

Studies exploring the benefits of isolating the R-isomer, or the R-alpha lipoic acid, have shown that the antioxidant is highly effective in preventing neurodegenerative diseases by working against oxidative damage caused by reactive oxygen species. R-ALA has been also proven effective to recycle glutathione, which is considered as the body’s most important antioxidant, according to Alison Palkhivala of WebMD.com.

Source Naturals Alpha Lipoic Acid

Supplement Facts

Alpha Lipoic Acid: 100 mg

Other ingredients: Microcrystalline cellulose, gelatin (capsule), colloidal silicon dioxide, and magnesium stearate.

Source Naturals Alpha Lipoic Acid contains 100 milligrams of water- and fat-soluble alpha lipoic acids, which is perfect for women over 40 since they need their antioxidants to work more efficiently to combat free radicals. Water- and fat-soluble antioxidants work their way through the watery and fatty parts of the cell, protecting both layers from free-radical damage.

Source Naturals Alpha Lipoic Acid 100mg is suitable for vegetarians as it is free from traces of yeast, dairy, egg, and gluten. It doesn’t contain soy, wheat, salt, sugar, starch, preservatives, fragrance, or flavoring.

Natrol Alpha Lipoic Acid

Supplement Facts

Alpha Lipoic Acid: 100 mg

Other ingredients: Rice flour, gelatin, water, magnesium stearate

Essentially functioning like the rest of the conventional ALA brands, Natrol Alpha Lipoic Acid contains 100 milligrams of alpha lipoic acid needed to produce enough energy for the body to perform its normal functions. But what’s great about Natrol Alpha Lipoic Acid is that the tabs are reasonably sized and coated for easy swallowing, which many women over 50 appreciate.

Natrol Alpha Lipoic Acid doesn’t contain yeast, wheat, corn, milk, egg, soy, glutens, artificial colors or flavors, added sugar, or preservatives. Only $7.99 (60 capsules) at Amazon.com

Everything You Need To Know About Antioxidants and Why Women Over 40 Need It With Their Fight Against Free Radicals

Many, or most, women over 40 believe that they have already faced the biggest challenge life can serve them. After all, they have given birth to their children, raised a family, became a friend a friend can hope for, and have been a productive and valuable member of the community they have shared their lives with. But if there is one challenge women just need to champion and overcome, it is their ongoing battle with free radicals.

Facts about Free Radicals

Often times, women feel overwhelmed with major life stressors: From their job down to the pile of dishes she comes home to. Aside from struggling with these external stressors, women over 40 most specially need to be aware of the internal battlefield that they have to deal with. And to have a healthy body, they need to confront their major health’s adversary: Free radicals.

Free radicals are essentially a group of tiny and ‘bad’ molecules that ravage our body’s healthy cells. But don’t belittle these tiny tots as they are dead serious in doing their job. In fact, they’re good at it.

Free radicals essentially target and aim at healthy cells at least 10,000 times a day. And, worst, they strive to burn the surrounding membranes of our cells to make sure that they it is easier for them to vanquish it the next day. And if you are wondering the effect of free radicals in our body, experts do believe that these bad molecules are one of the leading factors in the development of life threatening diseases like stroke, cancer, and other blood vessel diseases.

But where does a single bad molecule come from? Experts say that we actually encourage the development of free radicals through:

• Normal process in your body. And these include the breakdown of fats, carbohydrates, sugar, and, yes, even your dinner. If you have burned the treadmill, dare to imagine how many calories plus free radicals your system has to process.
• External pollutants. Here is one reason why you should help heal Mother Nature.
• Processing of meds. Though your doctor’s objective is to make you better, one of the many reactions you need to face when you pop that pill is that truckload of free radicals that is produced by your system when it breaks down your meds.

Faced with a powerful nemesis, this reason alone pushes the fact that our body really can’t fight and cripple free radicals alone. Our body’s best ally: Antioxidants.

Build Your Defenses

Today, you need to feed your body more antioxidants than what you’re doctor prescribed your mother. With all the toxins your body generates plus all the pollutants you breathe from the city air, definitely you need more than just plain vitamin C. You need loads of antioxidants to stop free radicals from its track. These include good ol’ vitamin C and E, phytochemicals, polyphenols, flavonoids, selenium, and zinc, among others.

Go for the best. While all vegetables and fruits are good for you, when it comes to fending off free radicals, experts have finally come with a list of the best among the best: The next time you shop for your antioxidant network, make sure that you grab the freshest of beets, kale, broccoli, potatoes, red bell peppers, brussell sprouts, sweet potatoes, and corn. But don’t forget to throw in your favorites, just make sure that you have all these antioxidant A-listers.

Love your spinach. There’s a reason why Popeye will never leave home without his can of spinach. If you are dreaming of stopping signs of aging and reversing the effects of free radicals in your body, healthy spinach-based meals can be your best allies. So if you have been un-kind to your body, simply start looking for wonderful spinach recipe in your cookbook and eat your way to a younger-looking you.

Go for high-octane olive oil. While extra-virgin, cold-pressed olive oil is undeniably labeled with a pricier price tag, experts agree that when it comes to shopping for olive oil, the more expensive the better for your health. Though the grimy dark green color of the oil may put you off, cold-pressed virgin olive oil is undeniably healthier and tastier that the yellow variety. The less processing the oil has gone through, the better for your taste palate and health. This is definitely one of the many reasons why you can’t put a price tab on your health.

Prepping Up Your Antioxidants Network

When it comes to building up your body’s defenses, it’s not only what you eat that counts, it’s really how you prepare it. Though researchers do agree that the preparation method will affect the level of the antioxidant of a fruit or vegetable, the result, however, vary – even with a single vegetable. But because we can’t know the best prep method for all our veggies and fruits, here’s a list of good rules when it comes to the pre-plate even:

Opt for quickie. Boiling will increase a tomato’s antioxidant level, but do you know that doing the same thing with carrots will shove down its antioxidant level? For a safer option, a good rule of thumb is the shorter you put it on fire, the better. A better alternative to boiling is a quick steam. Why? Because steaming, in general, will lock in your veggies’ phytonutrients and antioxidants, leaving you the nutrients your body needs – and not in the water.

The simpler, the better. Sometimes, being too busy is actually good for your health. If you feel too tired to slice, mince, and dice all that goes in your salad, let it go. But never, ever, be too tired to wash your veggies. Get a bowl, throw in your veggies, and just let the running water do the cleaning.

Again, to Griganica2004 of Webshots.com, thanks.