Overview of Potential Alpha Lipoic Acid Neurological Benefits
Alpha lipoic acid counteracts many of the elements and events that transform a brain's healthy state to a toxic environment. For example, alpha lipoic acid:
| CONDITION | Anti-Inflammatory | ↑ Natural Antioxidants | ↑ or Reverses ↓ of Brain Growth Factors | Quenches Free Radicals & ↓ Free Radical Damage | Helps Regulate Immune System | Protection from Toxins and/or Metal Chelation Effects | Antidiabetic Activity | Improves/Protects Mitochondria & Cell Function | Helps Regulate & Improve Brain Chemical Levels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alzheimer's Disease | ♦ (iii.34) | ♦ (iii.34) | ♦ (iii.34) | ♦ (iii.2) | ♦ (iii.34) | ♦ (iii.13) | ♦ (iii.34) | ||
| Autism | ♦ (iii.35) | ♦ (iii.35) | ♦ (iii.3) | ||||||
| Bipolar Disorder (Mania) | ♦ (iii.35) | ♦ (iii.4) | ♦ (iii.4) | ♦ (iii.4) | ♦ (iii.35) | ||||
| Cerebral Ischemia (Stroke) |
♦ (iii.2, 21) | ♦ (iii.21) | ♦ (iii.36) | ♦ (iii.21-22) | |||||
| Epilepsy | ♦ (iii.10) | ♦ (iii.10) | ♦ (iii.37) | ||||||
| Hearing Loss | ♦ (iii.38) | ♦ (iii.12) | ♦ (iii.12) | ♦ (iii.12) | ♦ (iii.30) | ||||
| Migraine | ♦ (iii.39) | ♦ (iii.39) | |||||||
| Mitochondrial Disorders | ♦ (iii.3) | ♦ (iii.3) | |||||||
| Multiple Sclerosis (MS) | ♦ (iii.2) | ♦ (iii.23) | ♦ (iii.15) | ♦ (iii.15) | ♦ (iii.15) | ||||
| Nerve Damage (including carpal tunnel syndrome, diabetic and peripheral neuropathy, and sciatica) | ♦ (iii.7) | ♦ (iii.19) | ♦ (iii.7) | ♦ (iii.19) | ♦ (iii.15) | ♦ (iii.7) | |||
| Parkinson's Disease | ♦ (iii.35) | ♦ (iii.40) | ♦ (iii.16) | ♦ (iii.35) | ♦ (iii.41) | ♦ (iii.18, 31) | |||
| Schizophrenia | ♦ (iii.35) | ♦ (iii.1) | ♦ (iii.1) | ♦ (iii.35) | ♦ (iii.1) | ||||
| Vision Loss | ♦ (iii.42) | ♦ (iii.43) | ♦ (iii.43) | ♦ (iii.43) | ♦ (iii.43) | ♦ (iii.43) |
Antioxidants Combination Therapy with Alpha Lipoic Acid
Alpha lipoic acid may be particularly beneficial when used along with other antioxidants and vitamins. When combined with conventional medicines, it may reduce side effects.
- The beneficial neuron-protection from L-acetyl-carnitine may be enhanced when used with alpha lipoic acid for Parkinson's disease. (iii.44)
- Alpha lipoic acid shows benefit when used with coenzyme Q10 and creatine to treat mitochondrial disorders (such as autism). (iii.2)
- Dietary intake of alpha lipoic acid and vitamin E could help reduce damage from stroke, according to researchers. (iii.45)
- Alpha lipoic acid increased survival time in a rat model of stroke by itself or in combination with superoxide dismutase. (iii.46)
- Pretreatment with alpha lipoic acid and resveratrol reduces the size of stroke lesions and the dosage of resveratrol needed. (iii.22)
- Reduced weight gain from conventional schizophrenia medication. (iii.47)
- Works well with omega-3 fatty acids to slow the
rate of decline in mild to moderately-impaired patients with Alzheimer's disease. (iii.48)
Alpha lipoic acid works with B vitamins to convert the food we eat to cell energy. In the brain, the combination of alpha lipoic acid, biotin, and other B-complex vitamins (e.g., folate,
Clinical Evidence of Alpha Lipoic Acid's Healthy Brain Benefits
Although most research so far is preliminary, some clinical studies have been done with alpha lipoic acid alone or with other treatments. They indicate that alpha lipoic acid supplements can reduce symptoms and/or slow down the progression of neurological disease. Alpha lipoic acid also reduced unwanted side effects of psychiatric medications. Patients helped by alpha lipoic acid include those suffering from: (iii.16)
| Condition | Alpha Lipoic Acid Benefit |
|---|---|
|
↓ Cognitive and functional decline in several small clinical studies and a randomized controlled clinical trial. (iii.48-49) |
|
|
↓ Painful symptoms. (iii.6) |
|
|
↑ Nerve function. (iii.7) ↓ Painful symptoms. (iii.7) |
|
|
↑ Nerve function. (iii.2) ↓ Symptoms. (iii.2) |
|
|
↓ Evidence of ear damage associated with hearing loss when taken prior to noise exposure (600 mg/daily for 10 days). (iii.12) |
|
Mitochondrial Disorders 
|
↑ Mitochondrial function. (iii.3) ↓ Free radicals. (iii.3) ↓ Strength decline. (iii.3) Alpha lipoic acid showed benefits when used along with CoQ10 and creatine monohydrated in the randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled trial. (iii.3) |
|
Migraine
|
Dosage used was 600 mg/day of alpha lipoic acid for 3 months, and results showed: (iii.50) ↓ Frequency of migraine attack in the approximately 31% who responded to treatment. ↓ Length of attack. ↓ Headache severity. |
|
Schizophrenia
|
Alpha lipoic acid reduced weight gain from medication. (iii.47) |
Recommended Alpha Lipoic Acid Dosage for Some Neurological Conditions
Experts in integrative medicine recommend the following doses of alpha lipoic acid for the following neurological conditions:
- Autism: 50-200 mg/day, along with other antioxidants and vitamins (e.g., acetyl-l-carnitine, B-vitamins, biotin, CoQ10, creatine, L-carnitine, N-acetyl-l-cysteine, vitamin C, and vitamin E). (iii.3)
- Fibromyalgia: 100-200 mg/day for antioxidant and detoxification activity. Other helpful supplements include CoQ10, N-acetyl cysteine, milk thistle, acetyl-L-carnitine, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin D, and vitamin E. (iii.11)
- Migraine headaches: 200 mg 3 times a day. (iii.39)
- Multiple sclerosis: 600-1200 mg/day. (iii.51)
- Parkinson's disease: 400-800 mg/day. (iii.31)