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Home > Supplements > Alpha Lipoic Acid >
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BioEnhanced™ Na-RALA Stabilized R-Lipoic Acid
Best
Stabilized R-Lipoic Acid contains BioEnhanced™ Na-RALA,
the sodium salt of R-Lipoic acid (RLA). Pure RLA is a
very unstable molecule that has a tendency to polymerize
with exposure to heat, light and moisture. RLA is also
hygroscopic, or water-seeking. This presents problems
for those wishing to supplement with RLA. Any of these
conditions can lead to deactivation of the beneficial
activity of lipoic acid. Unlike pure RLA, BioEnhanced™
Na-RALA is a stabilized form of RLA that won’t degrade
at high temperatures, is more bioavailable than regular
RLA and has no solvent residues.
Lipoic
acid (LA) plays an important role in glucose metabolism
and energy production. Because it is soluble in both
water and fat, LA is known as the “universal
antioxidant.” LA occurs in two forms, designated as “R”
and “S.” Studies suggest that RLA, the natural form, is
more biologically active than the S form.
R-Lipoic Acid is chemically considered to be a weak
acid. A principle of pharmacology is that salts of weak
acids have a much higher solubility in water than the
weak acid on its own.1 Supplementing with the
sodium salt of RLA increases its solubility and improves
its dissolution in the body. This is the principle upon
which BioEnhanced™ Na-RALA was founded.
Note:
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.
Effects of Lipoic Acid
Lipoic acid (LA) is a sulfur-containing fatty acid that
performs vitamin-like roles in the body. Also known as
"thioctic acid," LA functions, in a similar way to B
complex vitamins, as a co-enzyme in the metabolism of
carbohydrates that produces energy inside cells for the
body’s metabolic needs. LA is required for synthesis of
"acetyl CoA," a key metabolite in the cellular process
that turns glucose (blood sugar) into energy. Because
the body produces LA on its own, it is not classified as
a true vitamin. As with other so-called "non-essential"
nutrients, however, internal LA production may not
always be optimal. Lipoic acid functions as both a
water-soluble and fat-soluble antioxidant. LA’s ability
to act upon free radicals in both a watery and fatty
environment makes it a highly versatile antioxidant. In
the body, alpha-lipoic acid can be converted (reduced)
to DHLA, or dihydrolipoic acid. Together, these two
forms of LA make up a "redox couple," which means that
each form can chemically change into the other and back
again. DHLA also functions as an antioxidant.
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Supports the Body’s
Defense Against Free Radicals*
Recycles Antioxidant
Nutrients such as Vitamin C and Vitamin E*
Helps Maintain a
Healthy Blood Sugar Level when used as part of the diet*
Lipoic
Acid— the "Universal Antioxidant"
Lipoic Acid is often
referred to as the “universal antioxidant” for a number of reasons.
This substance has a broad range of antioxidant activity that makes it
ideally suited as a potent free radical scavenger. An ideal antioxidant
would have the ability to quench a wide variety of free radicals, to
support the functioning of other antioxidants, to function in watery and
fatty environments, and to be present in tissues, cells and
extracellular spaces. Lipoic Acid exceeds these criteria and can thus
be considered one of the most potent antioxidants available.
Together, LA and DHLA
are ideal for the following reasons:2,3,4
1)
LA is
readily converted to DHLA in various tissues.
2)
As a
pair, LA and DHLA neutralize superoxide, hydroxyl, peroxyl, and
hypochlorus radicals.
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