Lipoic acid
What is it?
Lipoic acid is a vitamin factor and a basic nutrient.
- Lipoic acid has an excellent safety profile, with few side effects, in the recommended forms and doses. If administered with oral antidiabetic drugs or insulin, it should be noted that it can improve glucemia.
Lipoic acid supplementation
Most supplements currently on the market contain racemic alpha lipoic acid, which is a mixture of the R-lipoic and L-lipoic isomers. R-lipoic acid is the natural form found in foods and synthesized in the body, and it is the one with antioxidant, antiglycation, detoxifying, and anti-inflammatory properties. The S-lipoic form does not seem to be biologically active and is not found in nature. It is created through inadequate or low-quality chemical synthesis and does not provide the benefits associated with R-lipoic acid.
Foods with lipoic acid
The main dietary sources of lipoic acid are organ meats (liver, heart, kidney) (Shay 2009; Singh 2008) and, to a lesser extent, vegetables like spinach and broccoli (Singh 2008; Foster 2007).
The amount of lipoic acid in foods is very low, and very little of it is absorbed.
It is mainly found in the following:
- Organ meats: liver, heart, kidney, etc.
- Organ meats: liver, heart, kidney, etc.
