Alpha-lipoic acid ALA, thioctic acid is a naturally occurring vitamin-like nutrient that has been intensely investigated as a therapeutic agent for a variety of conditions involving the bodys nervous, cardiovascular, immune, and detoxification systems. It exists as two enantiomers or stereoisomers: R--lipoic acid RLA and S---lipoic acid SLA. It is produced in small amounts in the liver and other body tissues, where it is needed by enzymes to catalyze numerous essential chemical reactions in the body. For instance, ALA is essential inside the mitochondria of cells, where it is needed to metabolize glucose and direct calories into energy production. ALA is considered to be a multimodal supplement because, aside from its enzymatic role in energy production, it acts by multiple mechanisms and displays diverse pharmacologic and antioxidant properties. Recently discovered is ALAs ability to switch the regulation of several genes linked to cell survival, inflammation and oxidative stress. So
