1Fast400 R-ALA, 100 Capsules/100 mg
What is R-ALA?R-lipoic acid is the biologically active form of alpha lipoic acid. It has been called the mitochondrial antioxidant because it is a key component of mitochondrial dehydrogenase complexes. R-lipoic acid is directly involved in cell metabolism and redox states. R-lipoic acid crosses the blood brain barrier, and helps regulate neuronal calcium homeostasis, scavenges a variety of reactive oxygen species (ROS) while recycling vitamins C, E and glutathione. R-lipoic acid has been shown to regulate pro-inflammatory cytokines, and alter the expression of toxic genes. R-lipoic acid has been used to treat diabetes and has been recommended as a neuroprotective agentWhy do I need it?If it is naturally occurring within our bodies, then why do we need to take lipoic acid as a supplement? There are at least four good reasons. First, as we age, our bodies lose the ability to synthesize enough Lipoic acid, right at the time when we most need it. Secondly, you cannot get sufficient quantities from your foods. Third, the body produces small amounts of R-Lipoic acid for metabolism that may not be of sufficient quantity to neutralize rising free radical concentrations. Fourth, a minimum amount is necessary for normal metabolic processes. Taking larger amounts, can have pronounced therapeutic effects. How is R-ALA different from ALA?I have to get a little technical here in order to make the terminology meaningful. In chemistry, a compound that has four different groups attached to carbon has a plane of asymmetry. That carbon is designated ôchiralö, meaning it has ôhandednessö. That means that the molecule can exist in two different forms that are non super-imposable mirror images of one another. Put your right palm on the back of your left hand. What do you see? Both hands have five fingers, with the same arrangement relative to the thumb and yet the thumbs point in different directions, so the hands are said to be mirror images of one another. Chiral molecules, like hands have this property. One of these isomeric molecules (called stereoisomers or enantiomers) rotates the plane of light in a machine called a polarimeter to the right and is designated dextro or +. The other isomer rotates the plane of light to the left and is called levo or -. There is another consideration when dealing with chiral molecules that places the four different substituents in order of priority. The priority is determined by convention and establishes what is called the æAbsolute ConfigurationÆ of the molecule. By starting with the highest priority substituent and moving in a clockwise direction to the second highest, and on to the third and fourth designates the molecule R. If you move in the opposite direction, the absolute configuration is S. Molecules in living systems generally exist in only one form. When the same molecule is synthesized, it consists of equal amounts of both forms. Commercially available alpha Lipoic acid is a synthetic product consisting of two forms, the R+ and S- isomers in equal amounts. As we said, naturally occurring Lipoic acid, the type your body makes and requires contains one form, the R-dextro or + form. This gives R-lipoic acid significantly more potency and efficacy. This is because the body recognizes R-lipoic acid and knows how to properly metabolize it, since all the key enzymes are structured to hold only the R-form of lipoic acid. Does that mean ALA is no good?Remember, alpha lipoic acid is contains 50% of the natural R-form and 50% of the unnatural S-form. Most of the therapeutic value lies in the R-form. That is the reason why people get results when they take an alpha Lipoic acid supplement. So if I take half the amount of R-ala compared to ALA, Ill get the same results?ItÆs not quite that simple, although until recently researchers thought this was the case. There is new evidence surfacing that the unnatural S-form may actually interfere with the beneficial properties of the R-form. In one study with mice, alpha Lipoic acid at high doses shortened the mean lifespan, but even at low doses, the R- f
