How does Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) impact healthy aging?

Christopher Thomas

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. Nutrition, Recent Articles — By Christopher Thomas on June 18, 2011

ALA and the impact on AGEs

Inside the body, the longer a protein lives, the greater the chance it will meet a sugar and become modified by it. The chemical products of these reactions are known as AGEs (Advanced Glycation End products) and they can be used as a marker of aging. ALA is an advanced glycation inhibitor.

What is Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) and how does it work?

ALA is an advanced glycation inhibitor. Alpha-lipoic acid is a potent antioxidant with additional actions to regenerate antioxidant defenses. It is a universal antioxidant, anti-atherogenic, metal chelator, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and neuroprotective agent.

Foods rich in alpaha-lipoic acid are potatoes, carrots, broccoli, beets and yams, as well as red meat. In the body, alpha-lipoic acid occurs in two forms: R-lipoic acid and R-dihydro-lipoic acid. R-dihydro-lipoic acid exerts a number of antioxidant and neuroprotective actions that are not seen with R-lipoic acid.

In particular, R-dihydro-lipoic acid has been shown to improve mitochondrial function, reduce nerve damage in aging and improve memory and performance.

Selection and dose of Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA)

When buying a supplement, look for the one that definitely contains the active component. When used as a supplement in high dose, generic alpha lipoic acid can produce sideeffects, including skin rash, lowering of blood sugar and depletion of B group vitamins, especially B1.

The recommended dose of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) for healthy aging is 50 to 150mg/day.

Folate or folic acid and aging

In this post, we ask expert educator Ann-Mary Hromek about folic acid and aging. Folate or folic acid is a form of the water soluble B-vitamin that is vital in the production and healthy development of the cells in the body. It is an important regulator of metabolism, and it is essential in cell replication as it aids in the synthesis ...

Supplements to reduce Advance Glycation End products (AGEs)

What reduces Advance Glycation End products (AGEs)? The browning of proteins by sugars is not the only element that leads to aging. But it is one that we can do something about. We can prevent AGEs and one of the most straightforward ways is to prevent diabetes. A number of widely available supplements have also been shown to reduce the accumulation of ...

Folate or folic acid and aging

Supplements to reduce Advance Glycation End products (AGEs)