After having recently read Dr. Nicholas Perricone’s books The Perricone Promise and Ageless Face, Ageless Mind, I developed a renewed interest in the antioxidant  alpha lipoic acid (ALA). Dr. Perricone relies heavily on ALA, both in his extensive line of anti-aging face and body care products and for anti-aging oral supplementation.

I have been taking ALA, 200 mg/day, for about 5 years for glaucoma. (I was first diagnosed with occular hypertension, the precursor condition to glaucoma, when I was 33). About a year ago at a bi-annual checkup, my ophthalmologist said that I was “doing better than I should be.” I would not be surprised if this is a positive result of my super-healthy diet and my regular supplementation with ALA.

My research indicates this about ALA. It is widely viewed as an anti-aging antioxidant as the result of experiments with mice. As reported in May 2007 by Showcrash in his blog Biosingularity, researchers at the Linus Pauling Instiute at Oregon State University identified the mechanism of action of lipoic acid. Team member Tori Hagen reported, “The evidence suggests that lipoic acid is actually a low-level stressor that turns on the basic cellular defenses of the body, including some of those that naturally decline with age.” Hagen added, “In particular, it tends to restore levels of glutathione, a protective antioxidant and detoxification compound, to those of a young animal. It also acts as a strong anti-inflammatory agent, which is relevant to many degenerative diseases.”

Moreover, Hagen offered, “We’re coming into the middle of an aging epidemic in the country,” he said. “In a short time more than 70 million Americans will be over 65. This is partly because of the Baby Boom, but also people are living longer, being saved with antibiotics and other medical treatments. In any case, it will be an unprecedented number of elderly people in this nation.”

The goal of LPI research, Hagen said, is to address issues of “healthspan,” not just lifespan – meaning the ability to live a long life with comparatively good health and vigor, free of degenerative disease, until very near death. The best mechanisms to accomplish that, scientists say, have everything to do with diet, exercise, healthy lifestyle habits and micronutrient intake (my emphasis added).

“Our studies have shown that mice supplemented with lipoic acid have a cognitive ability, behavior, and genetic expression of almost 100 detoxification and antioxidant genes that are comparable to that of young animals,” Hagen said. “They aren’t just living longer, they are living better – and that’s the goal we’re after.”

Alpha lipoic acid is naturally present in low amounts in green leafy vegetables and broccoli. However, to fully benefit from ALA, supplementation is necessary, usually at a recommended level of 200-300mg/day for general anti-aging protection and capping at 600mg/day for diabetics with neuropathy.

Filed under: Anti-aging solutions