dietary supplement lipoic acid

If you do not have diabetic peripheral neuropathy, heavy metal chelation needs, or a long-term extremely unbalanced diet, there is no need to purchase additional dietary supplements of lipoic acid.

It is originally a vitamin-like substance that can be synthesized by the human body itself. It is hidden in the mitochondria and acts as a "double-sided scavenger" - it can not only remove water-soluble free radicals, but also clean up fat-soluble ones. Otherwise, it would not be touted as a "universal antioxidant" by merchants. When I followed the anti-sugar trend two years ago, I also bought an imported brand of dextrolipoic acid. I ate a bottle of more than 300 yuan for two months. To be honest, I ate animal liver two or three times a week and a pound of green leafy vegetables every day. Apart from my wallet being a little flat, I didn’t see half of the effects of “removing yellow gas, lowering blood sugar, and losing weight” reported online.

The current controversy about lipoic acid on the Internet is actually quite interesting. It is completely two extremes. The skin care and anti-aging circles and the ketogenic circle praise it as a god: ketogenic bloggers say it can improve insulin sensitivity, help speed up fat metabolism, and does not require carbon control or gain weight after eating. ； Skin care bloggers say that it can block the glycation reaction and make your face less yellow after taking it for half a month. But on the other hand, the clinical nutrition point of view is actually very clear: At present, only medicinal doses of more than 600mg per day have clear evidence-based evidence that it can improve peripheral neuropathy in diabetic patients, which is the numbness and tingling in the hands and feet that diabetics often suffer from. My relative was diagnosed with complications last year, and the doctor prescribed it. It is medicinal lipoic acid. After taking it for three months, the numbness has indeed disappeared a lot, but it is a medical-grade dose. Most of the dietary supplements bought by ordinary people only have 100-200 mg per pill. The amount is not much different from what you would get if you eat half a pound of spinach. It cannot reach the so-called effective anti-sugar and fat-reducing dose.

Oh, yes, there is also the popular saying "Dextral lipoic acid is 10 times better than the ordinary mixed one". This is not completely false. Dextral lipoic acid is indeed the active form, and the absorption rate is two or three times higher than that of the mixed one. But it can't be said that ordinary people are not lacking it in the first place? What your body synthesizes every day plus what you take in from food is enough to fight against daily oxidative damage. No matter how high the absorption rate is, it is unnecessary. On the contrary, long-term consumption of large doses may cause nausea and dizziness. People who take anti-diabetic drugs may even induce hypoglycemia. I used to have a friend who took 300mg a day to fight against sugar. He had acid reflux every day for half a month and stopped for two days. He was just spending money to find fault.

If we really want to say who is suitable for taking supplements, there are actually only two categories: one is diabetic patients who have already developed peripheral neuropathy. They can just follow the doctor’s advice and buy pharmaceutical-grade supplements, which are much cheaper than imported supplements that often cost hundreds of dollars.； There is also a category of special occupations that are exposed to heavy metals for a long time, such as welders and mining workers. The chelation effect of lipoic acid is like a small magnet, which can trap and expel excess heavy metal ions from the body. This is also supported by clear research. If you just want to resist sugar and whiten your skin, it is better to drink two less cups of milk tea and sleep two more hours. There is about 0.7 mg of lipoic acid in 100g of spinach, and there are also many in broccoli, tomatoes, and red meat. Eating enough vegetables is more effective than any supplement.

To be honest, supplements are always about "filling the gap". You eat in a mess, and you expect a small pill to solve all the problems of oxidation, aging, and weight gain? How could such a good thing happen? I'm really not sure whether to take supplements. It's more useful to ask a nutritionist first than to read 10 videos of bloggers growing grass. Don't pay the IQ tax in a daze. In the end, your body doesn't get better but you end up with eating problems. That's a real loss.