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Benefits for Diabetes
Diabetes Mellitus is a group of chronic diseases associated with abnormally
high levels of sugar in the blood. Glucose (sugar) builds up in the bloodstream
as a result of the body's inability to produce insulin (which regulates blood/sugar
levels) or the inability of insulin in the body to control sugar levels.
Diabetics
suffer from many symptoms and complications. These include, but are not limited
to; neurological, vascular, kidney and visual problems. Neuropathy is also a very
common chronic problem for diabetics.
Diabetes and Alpha Lipoic Acid
For well over 30 years physicians in Germany have been clinically treating
Diabetics with ALA. Studies worldwide have shown ALA's ability to normalize glucose
uptake and utilization. In one study, ALA was even shown to prevent diabetes in
70% of the animals tested. In another study type II diabetics were given 500mg
of ALA daily and in 10 days saw a 30% increase in insulin stimulated glucose disposal.(2)
Nerve damage or neuropathy affects over 50% of diabetics and is one of
its most damaging complications. A study published in "Diabetes Care" has shown
that supplementing with ALA can partly restore diabetic nerve function after only
four months of high-dose oral treatment.(1)
(1) Nagamatsu, M., et al.
"Lipoic acid improves nerve blood flow, reduces oxidative stress and improves
distal nerve conduction in experimental diabetic neuropathy." Diabetes Care, 18:
1160-67, 1995.
(2) Jacob S, Henriksen EJ, Tritschler HJ, et al. Improvement
of insulin-stimulated glucose-disposal in type 2 diabetes after repeated parenteral
administration of thioctic acid. Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 1996;104:284-288.
Antioxidant Home: Alpha Lipoic
Acid (ALA) |
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