Does Not Contain:. milk, egg, wheat, corn, sugar, sweeteners, starch, or preservatives.

Alpha-Lipoic Acid

Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA, thioctic acid) is a naturally occurring vitamin-like nutrient that has been intensely investigated as a beneficial agent for a variety of bodily functions involving the nervous, cardiovascular, immune, and detoxification systems. It exists as two enantiomers or stereoisomers: R-(+)-lipoic acid (RLA) and S-(-)-lipoic acid (SLA). It is produced in small amounts in the liver and other body tissues, where it is needed by enzymes to catalyze numerous essential chemical reactions in the body. For instance, ALA is essential inside the mitochondria of cells, where it is needed to metabolize glucose and direct calories into energy production.

ALA is considered to be a multimodal supplement because, aside from its enzymatic role in energy production, it acts by multiple mechanisms and displays diverse health-enhancing and antioxidant properties. Recently discovered is ALA's ability to regulate several genes linked to cell survival and oxidative stress. Therefore, in addition to its enzymatic role, ALA is a powerful antioxidant and performs a number of other vital functions related to its ability to modify the expression of various genes. Supplementing with ALA is, therefore, not so much a direct benefit to cells, but rather an indirect aid that effectively "kick start" declining function, helping cells recover functionality that came more easily and naturally in youth.

Researchers at Oregon State University's Linus Pauling Institute for Micronutrient Research have found that our body's natural lipoic acid levels decline markedly with age, but can be replenished through dietary supplementation. They describe ALA as an "age-essential" micronutrient and have shown that, when fed to rats, it markedly improves mitochondrial function and ameliorates many signs of aging (Hagen et al. 2002; Suh et al. 2004; University 2007) ALA is also being extensively studies in humans by researchers across the globe, and so far has been found to exhibit a number of both confirmed and potential benefits for health and longevity.

What is Stabilized R-Lipoic Acid?

ALA exists in two forms, designated as "R-lipoic acid" and "S-lipoic acid." R-lipoic acid (RLA) is naturally synthesized by humans, animals and plants. S-lipoic acid is formed during chemical synthesis of alpha lipoic acid, which produces a mixture of the two mirror-image compounds containing equal parts of each. This "racemic" mixture is the product used most often in human clinical studies on ALA, although other forms have recently become available and are beginning to be the preferred form of many ALA researchers.

Best Stabilized R-Lipoic Acid contains BioEnhanced^TM Na-RALA, the sodium salt of R-Lipoic acid. Pure RLA is a very unstable molecule that has a tendency to polymerize with exposure to heat, light and moisture, turning into a sticky and ineffective product. It is also hygroscopic, or water seeking. This presents problems for those wishing to supplement with pure RLA, since any of these conditions can lead to deactivation of the beneficial activity of lipoic acid.

Unlike pure RLA, BioEnhanced^TM Na-RALA is a stabilized form of RLA that will not polymerize at high temperatures, is more bioavailable and has no solvent residues

On a weight basis Na-RALA reaches a much higher maximum concentration in human plasma. Stability, pharmacokinetic, plasma and tissue studies reveal that commonly used raw (unstabilized) R-Lipoic Acid utilized in most commercially available RLA products has very low GI absorption and bioavailability, significantly lower than even the mass-produced racemic mixture of R,S-ALA.

Na-RALA requires no refrigeration and has a shelf life of at least 3 years without polymerization. Solid R-Lipoic Acid is prone to quickly polymerize upon exposure to heat, light, and moisture. In addition, RLA is poorly soluble in water, whereas Na-RALA is completely water-soluble.

Unstabilized RLA can also contain harmful heavy metals and residual solvents that are very difficult to remove. There is a tendency for RLA to hold on to high amounts of cyclohexane, ethyl acetate or toluene, but the processing and stabilization of Na-RALA removes all traces of residual solvents from the raw material.

Note regarding sodium: The RLA in this product is stabilized with Na (sodium). However, one serving of this product contains less than 1% of the Daily Value for sodium, an insignificant contribution to dietary sources. Research suggests that sodium may impact blood pressure in some individuals only when it is consumed as sodium chloride (NaCl, table salt) and not in other forms. The sodium in this product is unlikely to affect blood pressure levels.

D-Biotin
Best Stabilized R-Lipoic Acid includes optically pure D-Biotin, the natural form of biotin. D-Biotin is a water-soluble vitamin and member of the vitamin B-complex that aids in the utilization of other B-complex vitamins. Integral to many of the activities of enzymes in the human body, D-biotin is necessary for the breakdown and conversion of fatty acids and carbohydrates into energy, allowing for the production of fats and excretion of protein breakdown products.

Chronic administration of lipoic acid can lower the activities of the biotin-dependent enzymes pyruvate carboxylase and beta-methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase by competing with biotin Supplementing with ALA may thus increase the body's requirements for this vitamin.

Benefits

• Prevents oxidative damage by neutralizing free radicals and enhancing the antioxidant activity of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and glutathione.


• Supports eye, nerve, and brain health.


• May help maintain healthy glucose metabolism.


• Resets and normalizes metabolic processes to help maintain cardiovascular health.