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Within this teamwork approach to the neutralization
of free radicals, ALA acts as a potent antioxidant, and also is used in the synthesis of a
substance called glutathione. Glutathione is one of the most important antioxidants
present inside the body's cells.
- Soluble, Soluble
Everywhere
- As an antioxidant,
ALA possesses an important advantage over vitamins: it is
soluble in both water and fat. While vitamins are generally either fat soluble (vitamins
A, D and E) or water soluble (the B complex and C), alpha lipoic acid is a relatively
small molecule that can travel virtually anywhere in the body. On the other hand, vitamin
C is usually restricted to the cell's watery interior (the cytoplasm), while vitamin E
clings to fatty cellular membranes.
As an added antioxidant advantage, ALA assumes two
different forms within the body, both forms taking an active role against free radicals.
(Most antioxidants are only potent in what is called their reduced form, before absorbing
excess electrons. ALA retains its protective function in both its reduced and oxidized
forms.)
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- Energy Maker
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- ALA plays an essential
role in cellular and muscular energy production. In so
doing, it helps the body burn sugar: it functions as a cofactor for a number of enzymes
responsible for the conversion of glucose (blood sugar), fatty acids and other molecules
into energy.
ALA's role in the body's uptake of glucose has
excited medical experts who believe ALA supplements may be beneficial for victims of
diabetes. By hastening the removal of glucose from the bloodstream and improving insulin
function (the pancreatic hormone that enables cells to take in and use blood sugar) ALA
decreases insulin resistance, a condition that is often the forerunner of full-blown
diabetes. In Europe, ALA is frequently prescribed for peripheral neuropathy, damage to the
peripheral nerves caused by diabetes. The gathering evidence for ALA'S importance to those
with diabetes has led
the American Diabetes Association to endorse ALA use, in conjunction with vitamin E, to
help prevent life-threatening diabetic complications, such as heart disease,
blindness, nerve damage and kidney disease. Click
here for more ALA Products.
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