Alpha lipoic acid with acetyl L-carnitine has been shown to restore mitochondria to a youthful state, and is thought to be the answer to the mitochondrial theory of aging. Alpha Lipoic Acid is soluble in both water and fats, making it relatively ideal as an antioxidant.
R-Alpha Lipoic Acid chelates both copper and iron, helping it both oppose the spread of cancer via copper and helping it to protect hippocampal mitrochondria against copper and iron, opposing cognitive decline, dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease. Sodium-R-lipoic acid has been shown to be more bioavailable than lipoic acid (half active R-lipoic acid, half inactive S-lipoic acid) or pure R-lipoic acid, capable of achieving 10-30 times higher levels in the blood than R-lipoic acid, reaching peak plasma concentrations in just 10-20 minutes. ( Life Extension's Super R-lipoic Acid, a brand of sodium-R-lipoic acid.)
Alpha Lipoic Acid is able to regenerate vitamins E and C, CoQ10 and glutathione. It raises blood levels of glutathione, a powerful antioxidant. It is so effective at protecting against toxicity that it is being used in liver poisoning and in hepatitis C.
Alpha lipoic acid increases heat shock protein expression, including the expression of HSP90, which transports transcription factors and transcription factor complex components such as testosterone into the cellular nucleus. HSP90 is also a protein folding chaparone for hTERT, and apparently accelerates hTERT transcription, so that HSP90 may be regarded as a telomerase activator.
