Weight gain...two words that instill fear and dread in most people who hear them. Alpha lipoic acid (ALA)...three words that should instill hope and excitement; yet most people may never have heard them spoken. ALA is an antioxidant that helps control blood sugar and aids in weight loss and maintenance.



Other benefits include protection against cardiovascular disease and lowering cholesterol levels. Along with a reduced calorie diet and moderate exercise, ALA has been shown to achieve greater weigh loss than with diet and exercise alone.

Alpha lipoic acid has many useful properties. It breaks down amino acid chains, activates enzymes important in energy production and is an extremely powerful antioxidant. It is this last property that makes it helpful for fat reduction, because it is the most effective antioxidant inside the mitochondria of muscle cells.

What does that mean in English? The only place in your body where fat is burned is inside muscle cells, so getting sufficient ALA keeps your fat-burning engine running as efficiently as possible. Who doesn't want to burn fat more efficiently while increasing energy levels?

In weight gain studies on mice, ALA's ability to increase energy expenditure was evident. Those treated with ALA were noted to be much more physically active and actually chose to eat less than those that did not receive the nutritional supplement, even when offered equal amounts of food. While both groups consumed the same diet, the group treated with ALA gained 40 percent less weight than the untreated rodents.

Another unique property of ALA is its ability to increase glucose (sugar) storage in muscle tissue and not in adipose (fat) tissue. This can lead to greater performance, increased muscle activity and growth, greater support of lean body mass and a further reduction in the likelihood of fat storage. This not only benefits those looking to lose a few pounds and tone up, it can mean help with daily management of glucose levels for diabetics, reduction in cholesterol levels, and protection against cardiovascular disease.

Weight gain is no laughing matter. Not only does taking alpha lipoic acid along with a healthy diet and moderate exercise help turn the gain into a loss, it has added benefits like helping diabetics manage their disease, reducing cholesterol and increasing energy. And unlike some "weight loss" supplements with harsh, sometimes embarrassing side effects, ALA has very few side effects. Instances of mild headache, rash, tingling sensations and muscle cramps have been reported in a small number of cases.