Y’all know how much I talk about inflammation and it’s horrific effects on your health…here is yet another great way to reduce inflammation in your body. It’s called Alpha Lipoic Acid. Inflammation and free-radical exposure is part of our lives every single day from stress to poor diet choices to pollution. Anti-oxidants are vitamins and minerals that target those free radicals, thereby protecting our cells, slowing down signs of aging, reducing inflammation, and helping our bodies fight disease.
ALA can actually help regenerate other antioxidants in your body like vitamins C & E and glutathione (you remember, glutathione is highest in grass-fed whey protein). Also, ALA recycles Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10 is massively depleted when you take a Cholesterol lowering Rx). ALA is a heavy metal chelator; this means that it eliminates harmful heavy metals from the body. ALA can help your body appropriately respond to insulin. This means when you intake too much sugar (typical American diet, anyone?) ALA will help your body to respond to the insulin that is released from your pancreas, as opposed to be “insulin resistant” as in Metabolic Syndrome or Diabetes.
Speaking of Diabetes, ALA can help with Diabetic nerve pain along with neuropathy symptoms like burning/numbness/tingling in the arms and legs. Another awesome fact about ALA is that it easily passes into the brain. This makes it easy for ALA to protect the bring and nerve tissue, along with ridding free radicals from that part of our bodies.
Alpha Lipoic Acid is produced by healthy bodies. It helps turn glucose into usable energy. But, if you’re having issues with your diet and your health in any way…my suggestion would be to get as many of these dietary sources of ALA: red meat, particularly organ meat (like liver); spinach, broccoli, sweet potatoes, potatoes, brewer’s yeast, potatoes, brussels sprouts, carrots, beets & rice bran.