Supplement Review Part 2

First off let me say that I am sorry I have been away for a while, but life is getting pretty busy up here in the frozen Tundra. Anyways I am back and will try to be more active on here.

OK back to R-ALA

After a full month and a half on it I have determined that it is a decent product for its price. I did not find any of the fat burning qualities it has claimed to have, but I did notice the "muscle pump" from it, and found it very pleasing.

Actually if you compare it to Arginine (they share similar qualities) it is far superior. Far cheaper (less known product that companies have not marketed the hell out of), and actually works!

I give this product a 4 out of five.

A deeper look into Alpha Lipoic Acid:

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA): Antioxidant Extraordinaire

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is the only antioxidant that is both fat and water soluble. This is important because Alpha Lipoic Acid can access all parts of the cell, giving it tremendous ability to trap free radicals wherever they may be. One of the leading causes of the symptoms we know as aging is free radical damage.

Not coincidentally, the levels of ALA in our bodies decrease with age as the free radical activity increases. Supplementation with ALA can help reverse this process.

Dr. Tory Hagen at the UC Berkley conducted a study to verify that the free radical levels increased substantially as we age and if that condition could be reversed with supplementation of Alpha Lipoic Acid.

In his study he used 2 groups of rats, one young, and one old. It was determined that the free radical levels were much higher in the older rats. Using video cameras and computers to analyze their movements, he determined that the older rats only moved about and explored their cages one third as much as the younger rats. They were also less active in other ways, expending less energy grooming themselves, etc.

After only two weeks of ALA supplementation they saw a significant decrease in the levels of free radicals and an increase in levels of glutathione similar to those in the younger rats. ALA also wiped out the age associated increase in DNA damage to the heart, bringing levels back to those seen in young animals.

The change could be seen more dramatically in the old animals appearance and in their activity. They doubled the amount of exploring in their cages and also appeared to be otherwise more active than the animals who did not get the ALA supplementation.

ALA is one of the very few substances that can actually cross the blood/brain barrier to enter the brain and go directly where it is needed most. ALA supplementation causes increased levels of glutathione, which helps the body dispose of toxins.

This is important as glutathione protects the brain from free radical damage, and low levels of glutathione in the brain are associated with brain disorders such as stroke, dementia, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.