Whole Food Multivitamin

Archive for the ‘Antioxidants’ Category

The antioxidant alpha lipoic acid  cannot actually be called a vitamin because it is made naturally in our bodies.  It’s main functions  is to clean up free radicals in our body and convert glucose into energy.

Outside the body, alpha lipoic acid is found in small amounts in some foods  such as potatoes, carrots, beets, yams, kohlrabi and others. Red meat is among the rich sources of naturally-occurring alpha lipoic acid.

Alpha lipoic acid is named  the “universal” antioxidant and has protective effects in the liver, kidney, and brain, and enhances the effects of metal-chelating agents.

It functions in both the fatty and watery regions of the cells.

Whole Food Nation put this super antioxidant in the Purple and Green Pops with the other 75 ingredients.

Lipoic acid may play a role in the prevention and/or treatment of the following medical conditions:
Reference: WHFoods

• Cataracts
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Conditions involving chronic muscle fatigue
• Diabetes
• Glaucoma
• HIV+/AIDS
• Hypoglycemia
• Impaired glucose tolerance
• Insulin resistance
• Liver diseases (including alcoholic liver disease)
• Lung cancer
• Neurodegenerative diseases of childhood, particularly Leigh’s disease
• Radiation injury

Alpha lipoic acid is required by numerous enzymes and is important for many cellular functions. In addition to its scavenging of free radicals, alpha lipoic acid boosts the availability of other antioxidants such as vitamins C and E. These properties may protect against cardiovascular disease.

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Antioxidants, such as those found in alpha lipoic acid, have been beneficial in protecting the skin against UV radiation and pollution. As we age, our skin undergoes changes such as lines, wrinkles, pigment changes, skin growths, and precancerous lesions that can become cancerous. Factors that contribute to skin aging include poor nutrition, excess alcohol, environmental pollution, and especially UV radiation (sun).

Alpha-lipoic acid was able to protect retinal cells from damage induced the sun and by chemicals present in cigarette smoke. This antioxidant may help prevent retinal diseases like age-related macular degeneration. This nutrient is especially needed as we age and is reduced in people with compromised immune systems.

Source: Alpha lipoic acid

References

1. Yeh GY, Eisenberg DM, Kaptchuk TJ, Phillips RS. Systematic review of herbs and dietary supplements for glycemic control in diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2003 Apr;26(4):1277-94. View Source
2. Wollin SD, Jones PJ. Alpha-lipoic acid and cardiovascular disease. J Nutr. 2003 Nov;133(11):3327-30. View Source
3. Singh U, Jialal I. Alpha-lipoic acid supplementation and diabetes. Nutr Rev. 2008 Nov;66(11):646-57. View Source
4. Patrick L. Lead toxicity part II: the role of free radical damage and the use of antioxidants in the pathology and treatment of lead toxicity. Altern Med Rev. 2006 Jun;11(2):114-27. View Source
5. Puizina-Ivić N. Skin aging. Acta Dermatovenerol Alp Panonica Adriat. 2008 Jun;17(2):47-54. View Source
6. Li X, Liu Z, Luo C, Jia H, Sun L, Hou B, Shen W, Packer L, Cotman CW, Liu J. Lipoamide protects retinal pigment epithelial cells from oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. Free Radic Biol Med. 2008 Apr 1;44(7):1465-74. Epub 2008 Jan 18. View Source