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The Miracle Benefits of Alpha Lipoic Acid

Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) was discovered in the 1950’s and recognized as an antioxidant in the 1980’s. It plays an essential role in helping the body produce energy. It is necessary for aerobic life. Alpha Lipoic Acid only acts like an antioxidant when there is an excess of it in its free state in our cells. Since there is little free circulating ALA naturally in the body, one needs to supplement or have it injected into the body in order to have enough of it available for its protective, antioxidative effects.

ALA boosts the activity of the entire antioxidant network so that when you take it as part of your treatments at Sunridge Medical, you’re also increasing your body’s level of vitamin E, vitamin C, CoQ10, and glutathione. This helps deactivate a wide array of cell-damaging free radicals.

Alpha Lipoic Acid and Cancer

ALA has the ability to modify and regulate genetic expression. This is significant for cancer patients since ALA can turn off genes that spur the development of, or accelerate cancer without any signs of toxicity. For example, research has shown that mice with malignant tumors given ALA had their life spans extended by 25%.

Alpha Lipoic Acid treatment at Sunridge Medical

Finally, ALA does not interfere with chemotherapy. German scientists found that when they combined ALA with two chemotherapy agents (cyclophosphamide and Vincristine) in mice, they observed lower toxic side effects, increased survival, and no detrimental effect on the chemotherapy’s potency. ALA also seemed to protect certain patients being treated with Cisplatin from permanent hearing loss or deafness, a significant side effect of this therapeutic agent.

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Research on Alpha Lipoic Acid

Lester Packer, Eric H. Witt, Hans Jürgen Tritschler, Alpha-lipoic acid as a biological antioxidant, Free Radical Biology and Medicine, Volume 19, Issue 2, 1995, Pages 227-250,
ISSN 0891-5849, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304416509002153

(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/089158499500017R) Abstract: α-Lipoic acid, which plays an essential role in mitochondrial dehydrogenase reactions, has recently gained considerable attention as an antioxidant. Lipoate, or its reduced form, dihydrolipoate, reacts with reactive oxygen species such as superoxide radicals, hydroxyl radicals, hypochlorous acid, peroxyl radicals, and singlet oxygen.

It also protects membranes by interacting with vitamin C and glutathione, which may in turn recycle vitamin E. In addition to its antioxidant activities, dihydrolipoate may exert prooxidant actions through reduction of iron. α-Lipoic acid administration has been shown to be beneficial in a number of oxidative stress models such as ischemia-reperfusion injury, diabetes (both α-lipoic acid and dihydrolipoic acid exhibit hydrophobic binding to proteins such as albumin, which can prevent glycation reactions), cataract formation, HIV activation, neurodegeneration, and radiation injury.
Furthermore, lipoate can function as a redox regulator of proteins such as myoglobin, prolactin, thioredoxin and NF-κB transcription factor. We review the properties of lipoate in terms of (1) reactions with reactive oxygen species; (2) interactions with other antioxidants; (3) beneficial effects in oxidative stress models or clinical conditions. Keywords: Antioxidant; Dihydrolipoate; Dihydrolipoic acid; α-Lipoate; a-Lipoic acid; Oxidative stress; Redox regulation; Review; Thioctic acid; Free radicals
Kate Petersen Shay, Régis F. Moreau, Eric J. Smith, Anthony R. Smith, Tory M. Hagen, Alpha-lipoic acid as a dietary supplement: Molecular mechanisms and therapeutic potential,

Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) – General Subjects, Volume 1790, Issue 10, 2009, Pages 1149-1160, ISSN 0304-4165, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304416509002153

Abstract: Alpha-lipoic acid (LA) has become a common ingredient in multivitamin formulas, anti-aging supplements, and even pet food. It is well-defined as a therapy for preventing diabetic polyneuropathies, and scavenges free radicals, chelates metals, and restores intracellular glutathione levels which otherwise decline with age. How do the biochemical properties of LA relate to its biological effects? Herein, we review the molecular mechanisms of LA discovered using cell and animal models and the effects of LA on human subjects.

Though LA has long been touted as an antioxidant, it has also been shown to improve glucose and ascorbate handling, increase eNOS activity, activate Phase II detoxification via the transcription factor Nrf2, and lower expression of MMP-9 and VCAM-1 through repression of NF-kappa B. LA and its reduced form, dihydrolipoic acid, may use their chemical properties as a redox couple to alter protein conformations by forming mixed disulfides.
Beneficial effects are achieved with low micromolar levels of LA, suggesting that some of its therapeutic potential extends beyond the strict definition of an antioxidant. Current trials are investigating whether these beneficial properties of LA make it an appropriate treatment not just for diabetes, but also for the prevention of vascular disease, hypertension, and inflammation.

Alpha Lipoic Acid reduces Chemotherapy Toxicity

Werida, R.H., Elshafiey, R.A., Ghoneim, A. et al. Role of alpha-lipoic acid in counteracting paclitaxel- and doxorubicin-induced toxicities: a randomized controlled trial in breast cancer patients. Support Care Cancer 30, 7281–7292 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-022-07124-0
Paclitaxel and doxorubicin are associated with neurotoxicity and cardiotoxicity respectively. This study aimed at investigating the role of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) in counteracting paclitaxel-induced neuropathy and doxorubicin-associated cardiotoxicity in women with breast cancer.
This randomized double-blind placebo-controlled prospective study included 64 patients with breast cancer who were randomized into control group (n = 32) which received 4 cycles of doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide (every 21 days) followed by weekly doses of paclitaxel for 12 weeks plus placebo tablets once daily and ALA group (n = 32) which received the same chemotherapeutic regimen plus ALA 600 once daily for 6 months.
Patients were assessed by National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI-CTCAE version 4.0) for grading of neuropathy and by 12-item neurotoxicity questionnaire (Ntx-12). The assessment included also echocardiography and evaluation of serum levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), malondialdehyde (MDA), and neurotensin (NT). Data were analyzed by paired and unpaired t-test, Mann–Whitney U test, and chi-square test.
As compared to placebo, ALA provoked significant improvement in NCI-CTCAE neuropathy grading and Ntx-12 score after the end of 9th and 12th weeks of paclitaxel intake (p = 0.039, p = 0.039, p = 0.03, p = 0.004, respectively). At the end of the chemotherapy cycles, ALA resulted in significant decline in serum levels of BNP, TNF-α, MDA, and neurotensin (p < 0.05) as compared to baseline data and placebo.
Alpha-lipoic acid may represent a promising adjuvant therapy to attenuate paclitaxel-associated neuropathy and doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in women with breast cancer.

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