Doctor's Best, Stabilized R-Lipoic Acid with BioEnhanced Na-RALA, 100 mg, 180 Veggie Caps

Effects of Lipoic Acid Lipoic acid (LA) is a sulphur-containing fatty acid that performs vitamin-like roles in the body. Also known as "thioctic acid," LA functions, in a similar way to B complex vitamins, as a co-enzyme in the metabolism of carbohydrates that produces energy inside cells for the body's metabolic needs. Lipoic Acid is required for synthesis of "acetyl CoA," a key metabolite in the cellular process that turns glucose (blood sugar) into energy. Because the body produces LA on its own, it is not classified as a true vitamin. As with other so-called "non-essential" nutrients, however, internal LA production may not always be optimal. Lipoic acid functions as both a water-soluble and fat-soluble antioxidant. LA's ability to act upon free radicals in both a watery and fatty environment makes it a highly versatile antioxidant. In the body, alpha-lipoic acid can be converted (reduced) to DHLA, or dihydrolipoic acid. Together, these two forms of LA make up a "redox couple," whi