Benefits for Diabetes

Diabetes Mellitus is a group of chronic diseases associated with abnormally high levels of sugar in the blood. Glucose (sugar) builds up in the bloodstream as a result of the body’s inability to produce insulin (which regulates blood/sugar levels) or the inability of insulin in the body to control sugar levels.

Diabetics suffer from many symptoms and complications. These include, but are not limited to; neurological, vascular, kidney and visual problems. Neuropathy is also a very common chronic problem for diabetics.

Diabetes and Alpha Lipoic Acid

For well over 30 years physicians in Germany have been clinically treating Diabetics with ALA. Studies worldwide have shown ALA’s ability to normalize glucose uptake and utilization. In one study, ALA was even shown to prevent diabetes in 70% of the animals tested. In another study type II diabetics were given 500mg of ALA daily and in 10 days saw a 30% increase in insulin stimulated glucose disposal.(2)

Nerve damage or neuropathy affects over 50% of diabetics and is one of its most damaging complications. A study published in “Diabetes Care” has shown that supplementing with ALA can partly restore diabetic nerve function after only four months of high-dose oral treatment.(1)

(1) Nagamatsu, M., et al. "Lipoic acid improves nerve blood flow, reduces oxidative stress and improves distal nerve conduction in experimental diabetic neuropathy." Diabetes Care, 18: 1160-67, 1995.

(2) Jacob S, Henriksen EJ, Tritschler HJ, et al. Improvement of insulin-stimulated glucose-disposal in type 2 diabetes after repeated parenteral administration of thioctic acid. Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 1996;104:284-288.