Betsy's Article Library
Please note that these are excerpts from newsletter articles and that the information contained on these documents is not intended as medical advice, but is solely for education purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, prescribe, and does not replace the services of a trained physician. It is assumed that the reader will consult a medical or health professional if you know or suspect that you have a serious health problem.
Increasing energy The antioxidant alpha lipoic acid (ALA) improved the ability of the body to absorb and convert sugar (glucose) to energy (glycemic control-insulin sensitivity) in type 2 diabetes mellitus, according to a new study. Researchers recruited 12 obese type 2 diabetics, average age 53, and gave an oral dose of 600 mg of ALA, twice per day for a daily total of 1,200 mg of ALA, for four weeks. Doctors also monitored, as a control group, 12 healthy subjects with normal glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity who did not take ALA. At the end of the study period, scientists found that the diabetics were able to clear glucose from the blood nearly twice as quickly—an average 85.8% increase in clearing rate—as before taking ALA. The doctors also determined how sensitive the diabetics were to insulin—the natural hormone produced by the healthy body that regulates glucose—and found that insulin sensitivity increased 62.3% after taking ALA. The scientists noted that there was no statistically significant difference in insulin sensitivity between the diabetics who had taken ALA and the healthy control group, leading the doctors to conclude that short-term oral ALA treatment increases insulin sensitivity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Prior studies have shown that ALA improved insulin sensitivity when patients received an injection of the antioxidant, and doctors wanted to determine if ALA would be as effective entering the system through the digestive tract. Reference: Hormones (Athens, Greece); October-December, 2006, Vol. 5, No. 4, 251-8. 
ALA, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes Two new studies have found that the naturally-occurring antioxidant, alpha lipoic acid (ALA), lowered risk for hardening arteries (atherosclerosis) in obese patients, and reduced symptoms of nerve disease in diabetics. In the atherosclerosis study, 58 patients with metabolic syndrome—a set of risk factors that usually includes high blood-fat levels (triglycerides, cholesterol), high blood pressure, high fasting-levels of blood sugar, and abdominal obesity—took 300 mg of ALA per day, or a placebo, for four weeks. At the end of the period, those who had taken ALA had 44% greater blood-flow capacity (vasodilation) in the upper arm (brachial artery), compared to placebo. The ALA group also had significantly lower blood-fluid (plasma) levels of an inflammatory factor (interleukin-6) and a blood-clotting enzyme (plasminogen activator-1), signaling less inflammation. Researchers noted that there were no significant changes in blood pressure, and concluded that ALA improved circulation, reduced inflammation, and lowered risk for atherosclerosis in patients with metabolic syndrome. In the second double-blind study, 181 diabetic patients with a nerve disease affecting both arms and/or both legs (distal symmetric polyneuropathy, or DSP), took 600 mg of ALA, 1,200 mg of ALA, 1,800 mg of ALA, or a placebo—all once per day—for five weeks. Symptoms including stabbing pain, burning pain, pricking or tingling of the skin (paresthesia), and numbing of the feet known as "falling asleep," decreased by 50% in the combined ALA groups compared with 32% for placebo. Within the ALA groups, 56% responded favorably, compared to 26% in the placebo group. The lowest dosage of ALA—600 mg per day—was nearly as effective as the highest, 1,200 mg dose, reducing symptoms 51% versus 52%. Some patients who took the higher doses reported nausea and vertigo, leading doctors to recommend 600 mg of ALA per day as the best dose to reduce DSP symptoms with the least risk of side effects. Reference: Diabetes Care; 2006, Vol. 29, No. 11, 2365-70. The articles on Betsy's website are reprinted courtesy of Retail Insights, Inc. Copyright 2007. |
