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Alpha Lipoic Acid quik-solv™ Tablets 100 mg EACH

Lipid and Water Soluble Thiol
60 TabsProd # 20002
180 TabsProd # 20003

Suggested Usage: As a dietary supplement, take 1 to 6 tablets per day, preferably
with meals, or as directed by your qualified health consultant.

Alpha Lipoic Acid, also called Thioctic Acid, is active in all the tissues of the body and in
its cellular compartments.Alpha lipoic acid recycles both fat and water soluble antioxidant
vitamins, improves sugar metabolism and energy production, promotes the incorporation
of cysteine into glutathione and combines synergistically with other antioxidants for
increased benefits.Thus it is known as the ideal or universal antioxidant and free radical
scavenger.

Alpha lipoic acid is a cofactor in the multienzyme complex that catalyzes the last stage of the process called glycolysis.Glycolysis is the first step in converting blood sugar
(glucose), which is obtained from carbohydrates and proteins, into energy in a form that
the body can use.Although alpha lipoic acid is found in foods, such as liver and yeast,
there are no foods rich enough in alpha-lipoic acid to serve as good sources.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Each fast dissolving Quik-Solv tablet contains:
Alpha Lipoic Acid (Thioctic Acid) 100 mg

Other ingredients:cellulose and magnesium stearate.

Contains no soy, wheat, yeast, corn, dairy, artificial flavor, color or preservative, or other
common allergen.

Alpha Lipoic Acid appears to function in two ways in the body. First, it functions as a
co-enzyme in the metabolic process.

Second, at levels which may be achieved through supplementation, it also works as an
antioxidant.

Metabolic Function

Alpha Lipoic Acid serves as a co-factor for a number of vital enzymes responsible for the
conversion of glucose, fatty acids and other energy sources into chemical energy (ATP).
Small amounts of Alpha Lipoic Acid are bound chemically (co-enzyme) at the active site
of enzyme complexes. Alpha Lipoic Acid works by becoming reduced and facilitates
biological reactions from which energy is harnessed.

Antioxidant Function

Alpha Lipoic Acid also effects the biochemistry of the body when it is in its free form, that
is, not bound to enzymes. The fact that Alpha Lipoic Acid is predisposed to donating an
electron to unpaired molecules makes it an ideal antioxidant when confronted by free
radicals. Alpha Lipoic Acid is able to inhibit free radical reactions from such diverse
sources as those generated from the body's own metabolism or from various
environmental sources. Alpha Lipoic Acid acts with other antioxidants in two significant
ways. First, through the enhancement of the antioxidant network resulting from increased
activity among the antioxidants within the cell. And second, through the regeneration of
other antioxidants by bringing them back to their reduced antioxidant-potent form.

The body's major natural antioxidant substances that defend us against free radicals are
substances such as vitamin E, and vitamin C, which are essential in the diet. Another
important antioxidant is glulathione. Vitamin E is the most lipid soluble (fat
soluble) antioxidant preventing cell membrane damage. Vitamin C and glutathione work in
the cytoplasms, the aqueous or water-soluble parts of cells. As mentioned previously, one
of the unique characteristics of Alpha Lipoic Acid is that it has both water and fat soluble
characteristics. Thus, Alpha Lipoic Acid is a molecule which connects the activity of
antioxidants in the cell rnembrane with antioxidants in the cytoplasm, strengthening the
antioxidant network. Hence, the intake of vitamin E and vitamin C should be coupled with
Alpha Lipoic Acid supplementation in order to ensure complete cell protection since
vitamin E, vitamin C, and Alpha Lipoic Acid work synergistically.

Alpha Lipoic Acid plays an important role in antioxidant and vitamin recycling. This
process can be viewed as a sort of chain reaction. Antioxidants are most powerful in their
reduced form. When antioxidants come into contact with free radicals, they lose their free
radical scavenger fighting abilities and return to their oxidized form.

The reduced form of molecules always has an extra electron. The reduced form of Alpha
Lipoic Acid, dihydrolipoic acid, is able to donate this electron to the oxidized or
antioxidant-inactive form of glutathione and vitamin C. The oxidized form of
glutathione is called glutathione disulfide. The oxidized form of vitamin C is called
dehydroascorbate. When Alpha Lipoic Acid donates the electron to either of these
molecules, it serves to regenerate them back to their reduced, potent antioxidant forms
known as glutathione and ascorbate (vitamin C) respectively. The reduced form of vitamin
C (ascorbate), regenerates vitamin E from its oxidized form (chromanoxyl radical to its
reduced form (tocopherol) by means of a similar process of electron donation.

This must be viewed as a cycle. After donating the electron, the dihydroliopic acid returns
to its oxidized form, Alpha Lipoic Acid. Each time a molecule in its reduced form donates
an electron, it returns to its oxidized form. Each time a molecule in its oxidized form
receives or accepts an electron it returns to its reduced form. This is known as the "redox
cycle".

One of the unique characteristics of Alpha Lipoic Acid is that it possess antioxidant
qualities in both its oxidized and reduced forms. This enables the molecule to perpetuate
the regeneration cycle. Thus, Alpha Lipoic Acid is able to supply reducing potential to
maintain all of the major antioxidant substances in their biologically active and potent
forms.

The reduced form of the antioxidant works in a similar way in combating free radicals. For
example, vitamin E donates an electron to peroxide, a free radical, thus balancing out the
unpaired electron in the peroxide molecule to create hydrogen peroxide, a relatively
harmless molecule. Now that vitamin E has given up the extra electron it loses its free
radical scavenging properties and is in its oxidized state. The presence of Alpha Lipoic
Acid initiates the chain of regeneration as described above, ultimately leading to the
reduction of vitamin E whereby it regains its antioxidant potencies.

Alpha Lipoic Acid is a small molecule that is soluble in both water and fat. This is
significant because water soluble antioxidant nutrients (vitamin C for example) are found
within the cell and fat soluble antioxidants (vitamin E for example) are found on the cell
membrane. Because Alpha Lipoic Acid works both inside the cell and at the membrane
level, you get dual protection. At the membrane level you get protection before free
radicals enter the cell. Any free radicals that makes it past the first line of protection are
combated right in the cell itself.

Alpha Lipoic Acid may exist in its original oxidized form or its reduced form (as
dihydrolipoic acid.) Most antioxidant substances can be oxidized and reduced and usually
can only act as antioxidants when they are in their reduced form. Alpha Lipoic Acid is
unique in that both its oxidized and reduced forms possess antioxidant properties. In its
oxidized form, the surface atoms at the end of the molecule form a ring structure known
as the dithiolane ring. It is because of a minute particle of disulfide in this ring that Alpha
Lipoic Acid is able to perform its attributed functions as an enzyme catalyst and as an
antioxidant. The dithiolane ring is broken when the molecule is reduced, either by enzymes
or free radicals. The result is dihydrolipoic acid, which itself is an even more potent
antioxidant.

Alpha Lipoic Acid will be mainly found in food stuffs which have been derived from
sources where active energy production is occurring. These are usually high in
mitochondria. Mitochondria are round or rodshaped structures found just outside the cell
nucleus. They produce energy for the cell and have abundant fats, protein and enzymes.
Since one of the more important functions of Alpha Lipoic Acid involves the production
of energy which takes place in the mitochondria of cells, cells or tissues that are
mitochondria-rich would be expected to have higher sources of Alpha Lipoic Acid. Alpha
Lipoic Acid is present in the leaves of plants containing mitochondria and
nonphotosynthetic plant tissues, such as potatoes. A survey of plant tissues rich in
Alpha Lipoic Acid is currently underway.

Another source which is very high in mitochondria is red meat. This is probably the richest
source of naturaliy-occurring Alpha Lipoic Acid. Bearing that in mind, dietary
supplementation of Alpha Lipoic Acid may be especially important for vegetarians and
those cutting down on red meat consumption.

Under normal conditions, our bodies contain small amounts of Alpha Lipoic Acid.
However, these may not be sufficient levels to provide optimal protection from free
radicals. It may be difficult to consume adequate levels of Alpha Lipoic Acid in the
normal diet to prevent free radical damage. Therefore, supplementation of Alpha Lipoic
Acid may be necessary to ensure sufficient levels in order to obtain the antioxidant benefits
of this nutrient.

As with any antioxidant, the optimum levels of Alpha Lipoic Acid would be expected to
vary from individual to individual and with levels of exposure to sun, physical activity, diet
and lifestyle, exposure to stress and polluted environments. Factors that increase oxidative
stress would be expected to increase the need for antioxidant protection


Alpha lipoic acid Research abstracts:

Alpha-Lipoic acid as a biological antioxidant.

Free Radic Biol Med (UNITED STATES) Aug 1995, 19 (2) p227-50

alpha-Lipoic acid, which plays an essential role in mitochondrial dehydrogenase reactions,
has recently gained considerable attention as an antioxidant. Lipoate, or its reduced
form,dihydrolipoate, reacts with reactive oxygen species such as superoxide radicals,
hydroxyl radicals, hypochlorous acid, peroxyl radicals, and singlet oxygen. It also protects
membranes by interacting with vitamin C and glutathione, which may in turn recycle
vitamin E. In addition to its antioxidant activities, dihydrolipoate may exert prooxidant
actions through reduction ofiron. alpha-Lipoic acid administration has been shown to be
beneficial in a number of oxidativestress models such as ischemia-reperfusion injury,
diabetes (both alpha-lipoic acid and dihydrolipoic acid exhibit hydrophobic binding to
proteins such as albumin, which can prevent glycation reactions), cataract formation, HIV
activation, neurodegeneration, and radiation injury. Furthermore, lipoate can function as a
redox regulator of proteins such as myoglobin, prolactin, thioredoxin and NF-kappa B
transcription factor. We review the properties of lipoate in terms of (1) reactions with
reactive oxygen species; (2) interactions with other antioxidants; (3) beneficial effects in
oxidative stress models or clinical conditions. (153 Refs.)

Lipoate prevents glucose-induced protein
modifications.

Free Radic Res Commun (SWITZERLAND) 1992, 17 (3) p211-7
Nonenzymatic glycation has been found to increase in a variety of proteins in diabetic
patients. The present study examined a possibility of preventing glycation and subsequent
structural modifications of proteins by alpha-lipoic acid (thioctic acid) as lipoate, a
substance which has gained attention as a potential therapeutic agent for diabetes-induced
complications. Incubation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) at 2 mg/ml with glucose (500
mM) in a sterile condition at 37 degrees C for seven days caused glycation and structural
modifications of BSA observed by SDS-PAGE, near UV absorption, tryptophan and
nontryptophan fluorescence, and fluorescence of an extrinsic probe, TNS (6-(p-toluidinyl)
naphthalene-2-sulfonate). When BSA and glucose were incubated in the presence of
lipoate (20mM), glycation and structuralmodifications of BSA were significantly
prevented. Glycation and inactivation of lysozyme were also prevented by lipoate. These
results suggest a potential for the therapeutic use of lipoic acid against diabetes-induced
complications.


Neuroprotection by the metabolic antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid

Free Radical Biology and Medicine (USA), 1996, 22/1-2 (359-378)

Reactive oxygen species are thought to be involved in a number of types of acute and
chronicpathologic conditions in the brain and neural tissue. The metabolic antioxidant
alpha-lipoate (thioctic acid, 1, 2-dithiolane-3- pentanoic acid; 1, 2-dithiolane-3 valeric
acid; and6,8-dithiooctanoic acid) is a low molecular weight substance that is absorbed
from the diet andcrosses the blood-brain barrier. alpha-Lipoate is taken up and reduced in
cells and tissues todihydrolipoate, which is also exported to the extracellular medium;
hence, protection isafforded to both intracellular and extracellular environments. Both
alpha-lipoate and especially dihydrolipoate have been shown to be potent antioxidants, to
regenerate through redox cycling other antioxidants like vitamin C and vitamin E, and to
raise intracellular glutathione levels.

Thus, it would seem an ideal substance in the treatment of oxidative brain and neural
disordersinvolving free radical processes. Examination of current research reveals
protective effects ofthese compounds in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion, excitotoxic amino
acid brain injury, mitochondrial dysfunction, diabetes and diabetic neuropathy, inborn
errors of metabolism, andother causes of acute or chronic damage to brain or neural
tissue. Very fewneuropharmacological intervention strategies are currently available for
the treatment of strokeand numerous other brain disorders involving free radical injury.

We propose that the variousmetabolic antioxidant properties of alpha-lipoate relate to its
possible therapeutic roles in a variety of brain and neuronal tissue pathologies: thiols are
central to antioxidant defense in brainand other tissues. The most important thiol antioxidant, glutathione, cannot be directlyadministered, whereas alpha-lipoic acid can. In vitro, animal, and preliminary human studies indicate that alpha- lipoate may be effective in numerous neurodegenerative disorders.