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“R-Lipoic Acid” from Thorne Research contains a particularly high potency of the most medically effective form of lipoic acid. R-lipoic acid is the only type of alpha-lipoic acid that exists in Nature. A nerve, eye and liver protector and antioxidant, natural (cis) R-lipoic acid is present in only tiny amounts in, and tightly bound to, mitochondria in animal and plant tissues. Because of the difficulty and high cost of isolating natural R-lipoic acid, many common formulas labelled “alpha-lipoic acid” contain a synthetic fifty-fifty mixture of R-lipoic acid and (trans) S-lipoic acid. These R- and S- isomers are mirror images of each other, but only the R-form has the chief medicinal benefits. It is at least twice as well-absorbed, and is the biologically active type in the body, up to ten times more potent at a cellular level than mixed S- and R-lipoic acid blends. Thorne's “R-Lipoic Acid” formula is particularly concentrated, containing a high 200mg. per capsule, versus the common baseline dose of 50mg. It has R-lipoic acid bound to sodium, the most effective bonding to further enhance its bioavailability. The main ingredients are sourced from the Geronova company, who have specialized for decades in R-lipoic acid chemistry research and formulation. This assures us that it is pure, safe, has a stable shelf life, and that an effective dose reaches the tissues. In 1998 when R-lipoic acid was not readily available, Geronova began testing ways to produce it in a stable dosage; now they participate in clinical trials evaluating its pharmacology, and are seeking entirely “green” processes for synthesizing it. Our patients have seen good results over time for neurological and eye protection with this thoroughly-studied formula of “R-Lipoic Acid”.

About R-lipoic acid

R-lipoic acid is a sulfur-rich vitamin-like molecule that a vital cofactor for cellular energy production from ATP in the mitochondria of all tissues. It is sometimes called “nature's perfect antioxidant”: Antioxidants are substances that render free radicals harmless and halt the formation of new free radicals. R-lipoic acid is a compact molecule that easily crosses cell membranes. It has unusually broad-ranging actions against both water-soluble and fat-soluble free radicals, both inside cells and in the supportive tissues outside. There is evidence that it either helps recycle vitamins C and E, or that it actually substitutes for their antioxidant actions. R-lipoic acid is the only antioxidant that can regenerate glutathione in the body, and it is a key nutrient for safeguarding mitochondria from damage. As they generate energy, mitochondria naturally produce oxidants as by-products; without adequate antioxidants to clear these, mitochondria decay faster with age, leading to more rapid cellular decline.

A primary use for R-lipoic acid is as a nerve protector for diabetes and neuropathy, for the brain, for the retina which derives from brain nerve tissue, and for other special senses including hearing. It may also have anti-aging benefits. Mounting evidence shows that mitochondrial dysfunction due to oxidation of lipids, proteins and nucleic acids contributes to brain aging and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s. R-lipoic acid counters this, and protects neurons against toxic damage from beta-amyloid. It also restores levels of acetylcholinesterase which decline with age in the cerebral cortex, cerebellum and hypothalamus. In research, R-lipoic acid measurably boosted nerve conduction speed, reduced nerve axon degeneration, and improved locomotor skills for people, by its ability to scavenge aggressive oxygen species. Lipoic acid is a key nutrient for diabetic neuropathy, used as an approved drug treatment in Europe, verified by double-blind studies. R-lipoic acid increases blood flow to peripheral nerves, may actually stimulate regeneration of nerve fibers, and also improves glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity which further protects nerves from injury. We now know that R-lipoic acid lowers free radical byproducts in serum, increases kidney function, while simultaneously neuropathy significantly improves, in trials of three or more months. This means that using the antioxidant effects of R-lipoic acid to clear free radicals directly links with reducing nerve damage, because oxidative stress promotes nerve injury.

For diabetes, there is abundant research on R-lipoic acid: It stabilizes and improves plasma insulin, and increases glucose uptake out of the blood and into cells by stimulating glucose transport via the insulin signaling pathway. It improves insulin sensitivity, and may help convert sugar into energy. Clinical trials show that R-lipoic acid can even improve islet cell function in the pancreas, helping full blown diabetes. Thus R-lipoic acid may reduce the need for anti-diabetic medication, potentially causing short-term hypoglycemia which should be watched for. R-lipoic acid can improve blood flow in small vessels by reducing endothelial dysfunction so that blood vessels are more open; and by preventing diabetic endothelial damage in type 2 diabetes, particularly in men with a long history of diabetes and poor glucose control. Research shows that R-lipoic acid restores glucose storage in nerves, and reduces protein lost in the urine, albuminuria, due to its antioxidant protection for nerves and kidneys. In addition, R-lipoic acid is beneficial for metabolic syndrome: it can lower blood pressure and insulin resistance, improve lipid profiles, and promote weight-loss.

The benefits of R-lipoic acid for macular degeneration are related to its antioxidant attributes, protecting the retina from damage due to free radicals or unstable oxygen. Because it naturally occurs in the human body and unlike other antioxidants is widely distributed in both watery and fatty tissues, R-lipoic acid can penetrate all areas of the eye, membranes and cells. It protects nerve tissue from damage, which includes retinal cells which originate from brain tissue. R-lipoic acid counteracts peroxidation injury to lipids in eye cell membranes. Eye proteins may also be shielded from glycosylation, where excess sugar attaches to them, and R-lipoic acid can induce natural antioxidative defenses in the lens of the eye.

For male fertility, R-lipoic acid has been shown in studies to protect sperm and enhance sperm health. It forms a sheath around and within the vulnerable mid-section of the sperm, a barrier that can shield the sperm from free radical damage. R-lipoic acid improves sperm motility, including rapid forward progression and straight linear velocity, and boosts mitochondrial activity in the sperm cell. An environment with higher R-lipoic acid inhibits peroxidation damage to membrane lipids and prevents sperm membrane impairment. For sperm that undergo cryopreservation, which can cause a dramatic reduction in their vitality, R-lipoic acid reduces DNA damage. Because it is soluble in lipid and water media, R-lipoic acid efficiently scavenges and negates free radicals, resulting in a greater number of live sperm of which more are healthily formed.

For COPD and chronic bronchitis, R-lipoic acid can improve oxygenation because it is an essential cofactor for mitochondrial function. Though R-lipoic acid naturally occurs in the lungs, the small amounts produced may not be sufficient for high-intensity free radical quenching. It is now known that oxidative stress is a cause of COPD. R-lipoic acid has a dual action: it targets oxidative stress directly, and boosts the body's inner reserves of antioxidants. Oxidative stress means that the levels of damaging free radical or oxidants is too high, or the availability of antioxidants is too low to counter them. The lungs are continuously exposed to oxidants, either from the body's own waste such as phagocyte exudate or from mitochondrial electron transport, or from outside air pollutants or cigarette smoke. Normally the lungs are protected by well-developed antioxidant systems, but these are often depleted in people with COPD, even if they don't smoke. Glutathione is a critical lung antioxidant, concentrated in the epithelial lining fluid. If glutathione levels drop, the lung epithelial cells lose their barrier function and become permeable and leaky. In lung washings glutathione is 100-fold more concentrated than in blood. R-lipoic acid serves as a lung antioxidant in its own right, it safeguards mitochondria from damage, and it is the only nutrient that can regenerate glutathione in the body, so it has a key role for COPD care. Further, several studies show that R-lipoic acid helps repair damaged lung tissues, and control inflammatory gene expression. Large population studies found that people consuming more antioxidants have less obstructive airway symptoms and fewer deaths from COPD, and that R-lipoic acid supplementation eases lung oxidative stress in patients with higher body mass index.

Keeping youthful vitality and healthy skin can be helped by R-lipoic acid and high-potency antioxidants that give excellent defense against premature aging and immune system injury, and may help reverse the effects of aging. Science now shows that free radicals play a major role in the aging process. Huge numbers of cells are destroyed over years and organs are compromised by free radicals. They exacerbate skin damage, wrinkles, and tissue degeneration; and increase the risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, macular degeneration, infertility, and arthritis. R-lipoic acid is an excellent anti-aging antioxidant and tissue protector that may even contribute to reversing oxidative damage, as it has broad actions against fat and water-borne free radicals, inside and outside cells.

A free radical is an over-reactive atom or molecule that has one or more solo electrons. Normally electrons come in pairs. If one electron is lost from that pair, it makes the atom ‘highly reactive' as it aggressively tries to replace that lost electron anywhere it can. In the body, when free radicals drag replacement electrons from tissues, they injure those tissues, damage DNA, alter critical biochemical compounds, corrode cell membranes, and may kill cells outright. A ravenous free radical can destroy an enzyme, a protein molecule, a strand of DNA, or an entire cell in a fraction of a second. And it can trigger a chain reaction that rapidly releases thousands more lethal free radicals. Oxidative stress develops when the development of free radicals exceeds the body's ability to neutralize them or to repair the resulting damage.

There are several types of free radicals that arise in the body, and they each attack different molecules or parts of cells. Some especially destructive include: (a) Superoxide radicals which steal electrons from the mitochondria: when mitochondria fail, a cell loses its ability to produce energy from convert food and it dies; (b) Hydroxyl radicals, which attack essential unsaturated fats in cell membranes, enzymes, and proteins; (c) Lipid peroxyl radicals that unleash a deadly chain reaction of chemical disruptions in cell membranes, so they are torn apart, cells burst open, lose their intracellular contents, and die; and (d) Singlet oxygen, a metabolite that acts like a free radical, and can be controlled by antioxidants, or it will cause widespread tissue damage.

Antioxidants are natural molecules that neutralize and disarm free radicals and stop the chain reaction formation of new free radicals. Because R-lipoic acid easily crosses cell membranes, acts against both water-soluble and fat-soluble free radicals, works inside cells and in the supportive tissues outside, helps to maintain vitamins C and E levels, regenerates glutathione, and safeguards mitochondria, it is an excellent anti-aging antioxidant and tissue protector that may even contribute to reversing oxidative damage. Antioxidants are also made in the body: enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, and catalase are powerful antioxidant scavengers, but after age thirty or so we make far less of them. Antioxidants occur in food sources including the eight-member vitamin E family, vitamin C in its natural bioflavonoid-magnesium complex, natural mixed carotene complex, and green tea extract.

Contents

2 capsules provide: R-Lipoic Acid (as Sodium R-Lipoic Acid)* 200 mg.

Other Ingredients: Hypromellose (derived from cellulose) capsule, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Magnesium-Citrate-Laurate, Silicon Dioxide, Leucine. *This product uses GeroNova Research’s Bio-Enhanced® R-Lipoic Acid. Bio-Enhanced is a registered trademark of GeroNova Research, Inc.

Free of: - This product does Not contain: artificial coloring, artificial flavoring, preservatives, parabens, dairy/milk/casein products, gluten, corn, ingredients of animal origin, shellfish, egg, salt, sugar, soy, wheat, yeast.

Cautions

Always take natural remedies under the supervision of your health care provider. Do not use ‘R-Lipoic Acid' without the advice of your healthcare professional if you take medications for diabetes or high blood sugar, including insulin, metformin, glyburide, pioglitazone (Actos), and others. ‘R-Lipoic Acid' can reduce blood glucose and improve insulin sensitivity, so if you take hypoglycemic drugs monitor your blood glucose levels closely as your dose requirements may change. Check your blood sugar regularly if you take natural remedies that may lower blood sugar including chromium, vanadium, gymnema sylvestra, capsella, cinnulin, banaba, ‘Metabolic X', fenugreek or garlic. Do not use ‘R-Lipoic Acid' during pregnancy or nursing unless under the guidance of your physician, there is insufficient data about safety during pregnancy.

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