Also known as thioctic acid, lipoic acid is a sulphur-containing, vitamin-like substance. It is both fat and water-soluble, which means that it has a wide range of uses.

As an Antioxidant
Lipoic acid acts as an antioxidant by recycling other antioxidants such as glutathione (a major de-toxifier in the liver), vitamin C and Co Q10, as well as vitamin E.

Heavy/Excess metal removal
Heavy metals like lead, mercury and cadmium can be chelated to lipoic acid for harmless removal from the body. It is also thought to have an effect on other conditions of excess metals, e.g, iron in haemochroatosis.

Lipid Protection
Lipoic acid directly and indirectly protects fats. It helps to recycle vitamin E to its tocopherol form and protects LDL cholesterol from oxidative damage. Research suggests that it also may even revert oxidised LDL cholesterol into its non-oxidised form. Lipoic acid facilitates glutathione production, one of the body's most important antioxidant and detoxification compounds.

Blood sugar control
Lipoic acid assists a better utilisation of glucose by muscles, therefore reducing blood sugar levels, and acts as a cofactor in the production of cellular energy (ATP). It is shown that low levels of lipoic acid often occur in diabetes, which increases the chance of glycation (cellular damage triggered by glucose) - this can lead to common problems in diabetes such as diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage).

Cell protection
Lipoic acid protects the cell membranes. Because of its relatively small molecular size lipoic acid can protect both outside and inside cell membranes, including the membrane around the nucleus, which houses the DNA.

Anti-ageing
Free radical damage and a process called gycation are perhaps the two major factors in the ageing process and body degeneration in general. Glycation occurs when proteins react with excess glucose causing damage to tissues, collagen is one of the proteins most susceptible to this process. Glycation happens spontaneously, it doesn't require enzymes and is as destructive as oxidative damage. In part, due to its impact on blood sugar metabolism and subsequent reduction of blood sugar levels, lipoic acid has been shown to inhibit glycation.