The benefits of alpha lipoic acid include lower blood sugar

(NaturalHealth365) Well over 400 million people – worldwide – suffer with diabetes, a chronic condition of high blood sugar coupled with an inability to make (or use) enough insulin effectively.  Unfortunately, too many people remain uninformed about how alpha lipoic acid can dramatically reduce the risk of this deadly condition.

Keep in mind: In the U.S. (alone), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) predicts that over 60 million people will be diagnosed with diabetes by 2060.  This staggering statistic represents an unimaginable disaster, for society, in terms of physical, emotional and mental disorders related to blood sugar problems.

Can alpha lipoic acid really help to reverse diabetes?

Since the prevention and management of diabetes are largely correlated to lifestyle choices, the sharp rise in diabetes is resulting in a demand for natural strategies to help facilitate healthy blood sugar levels and protect diabetics against complications, like neuropathy, that are brought on by oxidative stress. Studies have shown that one substance in particular – alpha lipoic acid (ALA) – can help treat people with type-2 diabetes.

Alpha lipoic acid is an antioxidant that can be found in supplement form, as well as in many different foods, including spinach, yams, beets and tomatoes.  Consuming it may not only help lower blood sugar, but it may also have other benefits, such as improved cardiovascular health.

How does alpha lipoic acid help to lower blood sugar?

Alpha lipoic acid is thought to help people with type-2 diabetes by improving their biological response to sugar and reducing insulin resistance.  ALA is naturally produced by the body and stored in cells to help convert glucose into energy.  It also works to destroy dangerous free radicals, potentially saving the body and its immune system from fighting off dangerous health conditions or infections.

In 2006, an Athens study found that overweight adults with type-2 diabetes experienced dramatic improvements in insulin sensitivity after being given ALA supplementation for just 4 weeks.  Those who took ALA not only maintained improved blood sugar levels, but their bodies also better used glucose as energy.

Preventing nerve damage by consuming ALA

Diabetes is a serious disease that can produce serious consequences. There are many potential complications of diabetes, including diabetic nerve damage known as neuropathy.

Neuropathy is brought on by high levels of glucose within the body. Alpha lipoic acid has been found helpful in treating diabetic neuropathy, reducing uncomfortable symptoms like burning, tingling and extremity pain. A randomized double-blind study of more than 300 diabetic patients found significant improvements in neuropathy symptoms after just 5 weeks of oral alpha lipoic acid supplementation.

There are also significant cardiovascular benefits of ALA supplementation. In fact, experimental studies have connected alpha lipoic acid with improvements in metabolic syndrome – a condition that can have dangerous effects on the heart and cardiovascular system.  ALA has been found to lower blood pressure, reduce weight and improve lipid profiles in people who have prediabetes.

Don’t underestimate the stress (and damage) that blood sugar imbalances place on your health.  If you’re looking for a way to minimize free radical damage and reverse the signs of premature aging and death – then, I suggest you increase your antioxidant uptake.

Simply put, antioxidants represent the best way to optimize health and ALA is a powerful ally. Keep in mind, alpha lipoic acid is naturally present in younger people – but, diminishes with age. If you would like to learn more about ALA – check out the work of Burt Berkson, M.D.

In his book, “The Alpha Lipoic Acid Breakthrough: The Superb Antioxidant That May Slow Aging, Repair Liver Damage, and Reduce the Risk of Cancer, Heart Disease, and Diabetes”, Dr. Berkson shows you how ALA can help you protect against heart disease; prevent the complications associated with diabetes; prevent the progression of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease; reverse chronic liver disease plus much more.

Sources for this article include:

WHO.int
CDC.gov
LifeExtension.org