The use of alpha lipoic acid for the purpose of weight loss is gaining popularity among weight watchers. Read on to know how this drug works and how to take it for maximum benefits.
There’s no dearth of things that claim to aid weight loss. And there is definitely no dearth of people who are ready to try out those things. However, after trying out every diet under the sun, it seems that people are simply fed up of those fad diets. Instead of losing their weight, the only real thing they manage to do is, lose their temper. So, when it comes to losing weight, one turns to means other than starvation, like, weight loss supplements? One such supplement that is gaining popularity is alpha lipoic acid. So, what is this compound and how does it work? Let’s find out …
For Weight Loss
Lipoic acid is a type of fatty acid, which is found in many different food types, including kidney beans, broccoli, and spinach. However, the amount of this acid in natural dietary food is very less and is often bound, so that it cannot be easily taken up by the body. It is basically a strong antioxidant and it also has anti-inflammatory actions. Its antioxidant potential is said to be as strong as that of vitamin A, C, and E. Lipoic acid is basically a part of an enzyme known as pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. Thus, it is found in mitochondria in the cell and it is directly involved with the release of energy for various functions. Thus, this means that it enhances the ability of the body to metabolize food ingested into energy.
One of the main advantages of using this antioxidant supplement is that it is soluble in both water and fat and hence, it can easily travel past cell membranes and can reach the cytoplasm of the cells. Due to this feature, it has often been dubbed as being a universal antioxidant. Due to its excellent properties related to its penetration, it increases the ability of the cells to take up glucose. This helps to increase the sensitivity of insulin to glucose and so, this leads to a decrease in blood sugar levels. It also helps to better the functioning of other antioxidants, like, vitamin E and glutathione. However, the dosage for this drug is not fixed and will vary from person to person, depending on his body’s needs.
The best part of using this supplement is that, it helps to promote weight loss while ensuring that the blood sugar levels are stable. It also does not affect the muscle mass when a person loses weight, one of the important things people try to focus on, when aiming for weight loss. Also, when a person works out, he tends to release a lot of free radicals into the body, due to the micro tears in the muscles. The above-mentioned acid manages to counter those free radicals and removes the toxins from the body.
This was all about how this antioxidant works and what to look out for when using it. You need to be sure of your acid dosage and get it checked by a nutritionist or a dietician. This is because there are also a few side effects that you need to be wary of. Also, the various effects of this supplement have only been observed in mice and have not been proven in humans as yet. So, rather than completely relying on some wonder drug for miraculously fast weight loss, you should instead supplement this drug with some healthy eating and regular exercise for worthwhile and encouraging results.
