Alpha Lipoic Acid 250mg - 120 V-Caps

Many nutritionist and researchers refer to Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) as the "universal antioxidant" based on its fat/water solubility. This allows it to travel to virtually any cell in the body to quench cell damaging oxidation. In addition, ALA has been shown to increase the free radical fighting abilities of other vitamins and antioxidants, especially C and E. Without ALA, these antioxidants would not function as well. ALA is also an excellent metal detoxifier, particularly for mercury and cadmium. We are exposed to these toxic metals daily through car exhaust and cigarette smoke. ALA binds them and neutralizes them for excretion.

NOW ALA is a versatile water and fat soluble metabolic antioxidant. It is a potent free radical quencher and aids other vitamins in their antioxidant activities.

The Importance of Antioxidants

Antioxidants are a class of nutrients that protect the body from damage caused by different factors, most importantly oxidative damage caused by substances called free radicals. Free radicals are known as "reactive oxygen species", or ROS. They are produced when your body uses oxygen for energy. Just as fire emits smoke as a by-product, ROS are emitted from the conversion of oxygen to energy in the human body, eventually causing oxidative damage to body systems. Free radicals are also created when the body is exposed to pollution, cigarette smoke, car exhaust and other harmful environmental toxins.

What makes a free radical a free radical? Free radical molecules are missing the electron in their atomic composition. They attack other molecules and attempt to steal their electrons, thus creating another free radical. This oxidation process continues until key biological molecules and even genes become permanently damaged from electron loss, lowering the immune system's response to disease and adversely affecting other body systems. Scientists now believe this process is also responsible for the body's decline as we age. This theory, known as "the free radical theory of aging", was first proposed by Dr. Denham Harman in 1954. Over time, if left unchecked, free radicals cause oxidative damage to a wide range of tissues, organs and body systems, slowly damaging more molecules and decreasing immune response. Theoretically, this is why the elderly are so much more fragile and susceptible to disease, much more so than their younger counterparts.

There are different types of antioxidants, and most work better when paired with other antioxidants. This is called synergism. Vitamins can be antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E. The tripeptide glutathione, loosely classified as an amino acid, acts as an antioxidant, along with other true amino acids such as methionine. The raw herbs and vegetables we consume contain natural antioxidants called bioflavonoids and carotenoids, which are effective antioxidants on their own, but are more effective when synergistically combined with other antioxidants. Together these nutrients protect your cells from electron robbery at the hands of larcenous free radicals, protecting the body from disease and slowing the inevitable signs of aging.