Alpha Lipoic Acid 600 60 cap

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is a very important vitamin-like antioxidant that was not discovered until 1988. It is not a true vitamin however because it can actually be made by your body and it is not considered to be a critical element in the human diet.

However, many would argue that it is critical as a supplement for its role in protecting human health! In fact it is often called ‘the king of free radical fighters’ because it is currently the only known antioxidant that is both fat and water soluble. Free radicals are highly reactive and very unstable molecules that can damage our body tissues. Free radicals are produced by or found in environmental pollution, cigarette smoke, medications, alcohol, illness and stress. The need for powerful antioxidants in our day to day lives is therefore extremely important as we are constantly exposed to very large amounts of free radicals. This is where ALA comes in.

ALA is an interesting antioxidant because it is easily absorbed through the walls of our cell membranes and is thus able to protect against free radical oxidative damage to the proteins and DNA structures inside our cells. Most antioxidants are unable to cross the cell wall and can only provide external cellular protection. Once inside the cell, ALA breaks down further to a complicated sounding type of antioxidant called dihydrolipoic acid.