Anti-Oxidant.
Scientists first discovered the importance of Alpha Lipoic Acid (Lipoic Acid/Thioctic Acid) in the 1950s initially classed as a vitamin, it was then recognised as a very powerful anti-oxidant in 1988.
Interest in Alpha Lipoic Acid as a dietary supplement has grown rapidly since then, particularly during the past decade. Indeed, it is now a common nutritional supplement in the US and fast becoming more popular in British health-food stores/outlets.
Because it dissolves in both water and fat, Alpha Lipoic Acid is characterized as the "universal antioxidant" which is able to deactivate more free-radical cells than most anti-oxidants, the majority of which tend to dissolve in either fat or water but not both. Alpha Lipoic Acid can reach tissues composed mainly of fat, such as the nervous system, as well as those made mainly of water, such as the heart and therefore protect both lipoproteins and membranes; no other natural anti-oxidant can do this.
In fact, this compound has proved to be many times more potent than other more familiar anti-oxidants like vitamins C and E. It even recycles C and E, as well as other anti-oxidants, regenerating them and enhancing their effectiveness.
