The reviews found a statistically significant difference in the amount of weight lost between treatment and placebo groups. The most commonly used measure to correlate weight and height is the body mass index BMI. It uses weight and height to try and estimate body fat. The resulting number is then used to categorize people as underweight, normal weight, overweight, obese, or morbidly obese.

BMI is not perfect, however, and does not account for other factors that determine body composition like age, muscle mass, or sex.

BMI calculations may, for example, overestimate body fat in athletes or in older people. ALA may aid in the control of glucose by speeding up the metabolism of blood sugar.

This could potentially help manage diabetes, a disease characterized by high blood glucose levels. A review of 20 randomized controlled trials looked at ALA use in people with metabolic disorders , including type 2 diabetes.

Results showed ALA supplementation lowered fasting blood glucose, insulin concentration, insulin resistance, and hemoglobin A1C levels. Your hemoglobin A1C level shows your average blood sugar over the past three months.

A review published in suggested ALA reduced fasting blood glucose and A1C levels. However, a more recent systematic review found that ALA supplementation reduced insulin and insulin resistance but did not reduce A1C levels. If you have diabetes and are considering ALA supplementation, ask a healthcare provider if it would be appropriate for your needs.

Neuropathic pain is the medical term used to describe the pain, numbness, and abnormal sensations caused by nerve damage. The damage is often caused by oxidative stress placed on the nerves by chronic diseases like:.

A clinical trial published in found that people with pain from unknown causes reported less severe pain scores when they took between milligrams and milligrams of an oral ALA supplement compared to those who took a placebo.

ALA may also have antioxidant effects in people with diabetic neuropathy , a potentially debilitating condition experienced in people with advanced diabetes. A review of studies concluded that the antioxidant properties of alpha lipoic acid could be helpful in managing neuropathic pain, though it also noted that clinical studies have so far been inconsistent in things like dosing and treatment protocols.

And because ALA is often combined with other compounds, it's not yet known how much benefit it has on its own. ALA has long been believed to influence weight and health by altering the lipid fat composition in the blood.

This includes increasing "good" high-density lipoprotein HDL cholesterol while lowering "bad" low-density lipoprotein LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. However, recent research suggests this may not be so. However, they experienced no improvements in total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, or triglycerides.

In fact, higher doses of ALA were connected to increases in total cholesterol and LDL in study participants. A study also found no improvements in serum lipids with ALA.

However, there is some evidence that ALA can reduce markers of inflammation, such as C-reactive protein , interleukin-6 , and tumor necrosis factor-alpha which promotes insulin resistance and is associated with obesity-induced, type 2 diabetes. High levels of C-reactive protein are considered a risk factor for heart disease.

A review found a significant reduction in these three markers with supplementation of ALA. In addition, another study published in found that milligrams of ALA given orally for four months significantly reduced these same markers.

ALA supplementation has been recommended in people with primary mitochondrial disorders, or PMDs. PMDs are rare genetic disorders that occur due to errors in the function of the mitochondria, limiting the body's ability to make energy within cells. There is very little evidence to support the use of ALA in this population.

Most of the evidence is based on case reports simply because the disorders are so rare. People with PMDs should be monitored by a team of specialists who focus on these complex metabolic disorders. ALA deficiency is extremely rare. Generally, healthy people can produce all the ALA the body needs. Alpha-lipoic acid has been studied for other benefits, including:.

ALA is generally considered safe when taken as an oral supplement or used as a topical cream ointment. It has also been found to be "safe, effective, and stable" when given intravenously, according to one Food and Drug Administration FDA report.

The same report says there does "not appear to be significant adverse effects associated with alpha-lipoic acid. Since ALA is an acid, it may contribute to reflux.

Eating a small snack like graham or saltine crackers with the dosage can help ease heartburn or reflux. Supplementation of ALA in children has not been carefully studied.

Therefore, it is not recommended for children. Like many other supplements, ALA is not recommended for people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or chestfeeding. Not enough research has been done to understand ALA's effects in these groups. The food you eat will always be your best source of nutrients.

If you have a healthy appreciation for vegetables, you may be able to get plenty of ALA from your diet. ALA can be found in:. Always speak with a healthcare provider before taking a supplement to ensure that the supplement and dosage are appropriate for your individual needs.

While ALA is considered safe, there are no guidelines directing its use. Most oral supplements are sold in capsule or tablet formulations ranging from milligrams to milligrams. A dose of milligrams to 1, milligrams daily appears the most common in studies. This is typically divided into three equal doses each day.

These numbers are meant only to give you an idea of a possible daily dosage. It's never wise to follow an arbitrary number or someone else's dosage plan. No two people are alike, and someone else may be dealing with circumstances you are unaware of.

Like most nutritional supplements, ALA should be stored in a cool, dry place. Since ALA is not an essential nutrient, there is no recommended amount to get in your diet or through supplements.

There also is no set upper intake limit. If you take too much ALA, you may experience some of the side effects discussed above, but they tend to resolve when the supplement is stopped. Some studies have found that taking large amounts of ALA can be dangerous. In one reported case, a year-old woman experienced multiple organ failures from too much ALA.

In another, accidental exposure to ALA caused a toddler to experience convulsions. In a third case, a year-old woman experienced tachycardia or a rapid heartbeat, altered mental state, and metabolic acidosis after an intentional overdose of ALA.

It is essential to carefully read the ingredient list and nutrition facts panel to know which ingredients and how much of each ingredient is included. Review this supplement label with a healthcare provider to discuss any potential interactions with foods, other supplements, and medications.

Alpha-lipoic acid is a fatty acid found naturally inside every cell of the human body. Its primary role is to convert blood sugar glucose into energy using oxygen. Many people use it to help with diabetes, nerve pain, weight loss, heart disease, and primary mitochondrial disorders.

Side effects of using ALA appear mild and, when they're not, seem to be caused by taking too much. Like other supplements, ALA is capable of interacting with other medications. Thus, it's crucial that a healthcare provider understands your full health picture before offering a verdict on whether you can safely use ALA.

ALA may help to manage blood sugar associated with diabetes and ease neuropathy pain. There is less evidence that it helps with weight loss.

There is no evidence to confirm that ALA can help you sleep. In fact, insomnia can be a side effect of the supplement. However, ALA may reduce pain from neuropathy, which may help some people sleep better. ALA has anti-inflammatory properties. However, it does not work in the same way as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

It may help to reduce systemic inflammation over time, but you will not notice any immediate effects. An ALA deficiency is practically unheard of. Rare genetic mutations have been described in medical literature in which the body is unable to produce lipoic acid synthase.

It is estimated that fewer than one in a million people are affected. Gomes MB, Negrato CA. Alpha-lipoic acid as a pleiotropic compound with potential therapeutic use in diabetes and other chronic diseases.

Diabetol Metab Syndr. Mayr JA, Feichtinger RG, Tort F, Ribes A, Sperl W. Lipoic acid biosynthesis defects. J Inherit Metab Dis. Kucukgoncu S, Zhou E, Lucas KB, Tek C.

Alpha-lipoic acid ALA as a supplementation for weight loss: results from a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Obes Rev. Namazi N, Larijani B, Azadbakht L. Alpha-lipoic acid supplement in obesity treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials.

Clinical Nutrition. Vajdi M, Abbasalizad Farhangi M. Int J Clin Pract. Gutin I. In BMI We Trust: Reframing the Body Mass Index as a Measure of Health.

Soc Theory Health. Akbari M, Ostadmohammadi V, Lankarani KB, et al. The effects of alpha-lipoic acid supplementation on glucose control and lipid profiles among patients with metabolic diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Metab Clin Exp. Rahimlou M, Asadi M, Banaei Jahromi N, Mansoori A. Alpha-lipoic acid Ala supplementation effect on glycemic and inflammatory biomarkers: a systematic review and meta- analysis.

Clinical Nutrition ESPEN. Mahmoudi-Nezhad M, Vajdi M, Farhangi MA. An updated systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of the effects of α-lipoic acid supplementation on glycemic markers in adults. Esposito C, Ugo Garzarella E, Santarcangelo C, et al. A randomized controlled trial of long-term R -α-lipoic acid supplementation promotes weight loss in overweight or obese adults without altering baseline elevated plasma triglyceride concentrations.

J Nutr. Primary: Assess the efficacy of R -alpha lipoic acid R-LA in reducing elevated plasma triglycerides in overweight and obese adults. The duration of the trial was 24 weeks.

Participants received either 2 capsules containing mg R-LA each or matched inert tablets on an empty stomach 30 minutes before breakfast. Researchers asked the participants not to change any other aspect of diet or lifestyle during the course of the study. In some people, obesity and overweight are strongly correlated to concomitant health risks including elevated triglycerides, 1,2 inflammation, 3 and oxidative stress.

The extent to which these physiological changes can impact overall health 5 and mortality 6 is significant and warrants a multidisciplinary approach in working with this patient population. The journey of thoroughly and permanently implementing foundational, health-promoting lifestyle changes can be a long, winding, arduous one.

Therefore, taking advantage of supplementary aids to help people improve their BMI makes sense. When that support works directly to improve key physiological factors that may otherwise contribute to eventual pathological changes, it makes even more sense.

Although this study showed no effect in terms of its primary outcome, impacts seen in various secondary outcomes strongly suggest that R-LA may still fit that bill. Arguably, the changes in the intervention group may have a more impactful contribution to health than the primary outcome measure does.

While this study did not show that R-LA lowered triglycerides, the clear impacts on inflammation and oxidative stress that this nutrient appears to have in this patient population make R-LA clinically relevant.

This is especially the case when one considers the negative impacts of inflammation and oxidative stress on cardiovascular risk induced by hypertriglyceridemia.

However, triglycerides are not thought to be directly atherogenic themselves, but rather a biomarker of risk because they frequently correlate with other atherogenic factors. In fact, an elevation in triglycerides may have questionable negative impacts when inflammation is under control.

Some evidence suggests that clear effects on endpoint markers of cardiovascular disease may occur even when triglycerides increase with treatment if inflammation and oxidative stress improve. As always, we should strive for using a multipronged approach in the care of patients, well-grounded in foundational health-promoting principles diet, exercise, sleep, stress reduction, etc.

Having additional tools like R-LA on board, or at the ready, can serve to protect our patients in important ways while they work toward ever-improving health-promoting lifestyle practices and an improved level of health.

Daniel Chong, ND , is a licensed naturopathic physician who has been practicing in Portland, OR, since He earned his naturopathic doctorate from National University of Natural Medicine.

In addition to his degree in naturopathic medicine, Chong has completed certificate training in cardiometabolic medicine at The Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, a BaleDoneen Method Preceptorship, and served for 4 years as a clinical consultant for Boston Heart Diagnostics.

He currently maintains a telehealth-based practice. You can learn more about him at cardiowellnessconsults. May 5, R -Alpha Lipoic Acid: Weight Loss with Benefits? Results from a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Daniel Chong. Although supplementation with lipoic acid did not decrease triglycerides, it did lower weight, body mass index, and inflammation in overweight and obese adults. Reference Bobe G, Michels AJ, Zhang WJ, et al.