Antioxidants In Anti-Aging Creams

–  Alpha Lipoic Acid

Alpha Lipoic Acid, also known as lipoic acid, thioctic acid, ALA, is a fatty acid found naturally inside every cell in the body. Alpha-lipoic acid is found in the mitochondria, the cellular organ for producing the energy for various cell functions. It’s needed by the body to produce the energy for our body’s normal functions. Alpha lipoic acid converts glucose (blood sugar) into energy. Thus, it can augment the metabolic processes, DNA repair of the cell and cell renewal — the biochemical processes requiring energy.

Alpha lipoic acid is also an antioxidant, a substance that neutralizes potentially harmful free radicals, thus helps repair skin and prevent future damage. What makes alpha lipoic acid unique is that it functions in both water and fat (both water and fat-soluble), unlike the more common antioxidants vitamins C and E. This enables it to enter all parts of the nerve cell and protect it from damage.

It appears to be able to increase the beneficial effects of other antioxidants and appear to have the ability to recycle antioxidants such as vitamin C and glutathione after they have been used up. Glutathione is an important antioxidant that helps the body eliminate potentially harmful substances. Alpha lipoic acid increases the formation of glutathione.

Alpha lipoic acid can cross the blood-brain barrier, a wall of tiny vessels and structural cells, and pass easily into the brain. It is thought to protect brain and nerve tissue by preventing free radical damage.

In addition, it turns off an inflammatory messenger NFκB, a transcription factor, which turns on inflammation. Another role of alpha lipoic acid in anti-aging is that it can activate another cellular messenger molecule AP-1, and in turn activate enzymes that only digest damaged collagen (but UV sunlight also activate AP-1 to induce free radicals and turn on inflammation). More over, alpha lipoic acid can decrease glycation — one of the 6 main causes of aging, decrease pore size. Often the result of these is a decrease in facial lines when applied topically.

While studies of alpha lipoic acid do exist, none of them were carried out on people, and none were double-blind or placebo-controlled to evaluate effects on wrinkling. Most of the research was done on human dermal fibroblasts in vitro in cell-culture systems. In vitro results are interesting, but it’s not known if the results translate to human skin. These models do mimic human skin, but something that mimics human skin is not the same as living skin. Again, whether or how that translates into an effect on skin is unclear.

Side effects of alpha lipoic acid may include headache, tingling or a “pins and needles” sensation, skin rash, or muscle cramps. The safety of alpha lipoic acid in pregnant or nursing women, children, or people with kidney or liver disease is unknown.

There have been a few reports in Japan of a rare condition called insulin autoimmune syndrome in people using alpha lipoic acid. The condition causes hypoglycemia and antibodies directed against the body’s own insulin without previous insulin therapy.

Alpha lipoic acid may improve blood sugar control, so people with diabetes who are taking medication to lower blood sugar, such as metformin (Glucophage), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase), should only take alpha lipoic acid under the supervision of a qualified health professional and have their blood sugar levels carefully monitored.

Animal studies indicate that alpha lipoic acid may alter thyroid hormone levels, so it could theoretically have the same effect in humans. People taking thyroid medications such as levothyroxine should be monitored by their healthcare provider.

Alpha lipoic acid can be found in very small amounts in foods such as spinach, broccoli, peas, Brewer’s yeast, brussel sprouts, rice bran, and organ meats. Alpha lipoic acid supplements are available in capsule form. There is research showing that alpha lipoic acid, when taken orally, can help prevent cellular damage via its antioxidant properties