Alpha lipoic acid

[Sapien]

Do diabetics take alpha lipoic acid primarily to help with neuropathy or does it also have an effect on the liver that helps lower blood sugar? Has anyone taken it and seen a drop in fasting blood sugar?

Edit: typo originally wrote lipoid instead of lipoic

 

[ert]

I used to take it to help manage blood sugars. I haven't for a while. I've just ordered some more. Thanks for the reminder. Does it make a difference? It's too difficult to say but I'm trying everything.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Do diabetics take alpha lipoid acid primarily to help with neuropathy or does it also have an effect on the liver that helps lower blood sugar? Has anyone taken it and seen a drop in fasting blood sugar?

Do you mean Alpha Lipoic Acid? I take it, but I take the R-Fraction ALA as it is more effective and 100% natural ALA.
I have mild chemo induced neuropathy in my feet, not diabetic neuropathy. It sure works on that! I have been taking it a few years now but can't say I have noticed a drop in fasting blood sugar - my FBS is OK anyway. It does say in the stuff that comes with it that it can lower blood sugars with a warning that you need to watch out if you are on diabetes meds in case you drop too low. I have no idea if this is true for everyone, and I haven't noticed it.

 

[WuTwo]

I take it in the form of milled flaxseed (or chia seeds sometimes) because I'm vegan, and I need a good source of ALA. Flaxseed is a brilliant source and goes well in my (non dairy) milk or yoghurt.

 

[Tophat1900]

I take R-ALA.... good for nerve damage to the lower legs and in my experience it does lower blood glucose levels, so be careful if using anything that lowers levels, insulin etc.

 

[Bluetit1802]

I take it in the form of milled flaxseed (or chia seeds sometimes) because I'm vegan, and I need a good source of ALA. Flaxseed is a brilliant source and goes well in my (non dairy) milk or yoghurt.

I had no idea flaxseed contains Alpha Lipoic Acid? It isn't mentioned as a source in anything I have read.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/alpha-lipoic-acid#sources-and-dosage

 

[WuTwo]

I had no idea flaxseed contains Alpha Lipoic Acid? It isn't mentioned as a source in anything I have read.

https://www.vegan.com/omega-3/

I quote:

"Vegans can easily meet their ALA needs by consuming a little ground chia or ground flax seeds every day. These seeds are so rich in ALA that it’s possible to cover your entire day’s needs with just a tablespoon. With chia it’s desirable to grind the seeds for better absorption by the body, and with flax it’s imperative to do so—flax is essentially indigestible unless the seeds are ground up. It’s wise to grind right before eating, since ground seeds quickly go rancid without refrigeration. A mortar and pestle or a cheap spinning-blade coffee grinder will do the job in seconds. Just don’t use a burr-style coffee grinder, or any grinder that’s not based on a spinning blade, or you’ll ruin your machine!"

Also:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-flaxseeds#section2

(not saying I believe all the wonderful claims made about it, but I do use it as a source of ALA)

 

[Bluetit1802]

https://www.vegan.com/omega-3/

I quote:

"Vegans can easily meet their ALA needs by consuming a little ground chia or ground flax seeds every day. These seeds are so rich in ALA that it’s possible to cover your entire day’s needs with just a tablespoon. With chia it’s desirable to grind the seeds for better absorption by the body, and with flax it’s imperative to do so—flax is essentially indigestible unless the seeds are ground up. It’s wise to grind right before eating, since ground seeds quickly go rancid without refrigeration. A mortar and pestle or a cheap spinning-blade coffee grinder will do the job in seconds. Just don’t use a burr-style coffee grinder, or any grinder that’s not based on a spinning blade, or you’ll ruin your machine!"

Also:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-flaxseeds#section2

(not saying I believe all the wonderful claims made about it, but I do use it as a source of ALA)

I thought this must be the case. You are mixing up Alpha Lipoic Acid with Alpha Linolenic Acid. Alpha Linolenic is a fatty acid that is one of the omega 3 fatty acids. Alpha Lipoic Acid is completely different. They are both shortened to ALA, which is where the confusion arises. Flaxseed is an excellent source of Alpha Linolenic Acid (omega 3) but not of Alpha Lipoic Acid.

 

[WuTwo]

Thank you! That's very kind of you, and I appreciate your letting me know.

 

[mefunk]

My orthopedist recommended taking several supplements to address leg neuropathy due to spinal stenois, radiculitis etc. I gave the list of supplements to my Endo just to make sure none of them adversely affected my BGLs. He was fine with me taking all of them and went on to say that he recently read a clinical article from a German study that demonstrated that Alpha Lipoic Acid is effective in helping diabetics with neuropothy and that German docs are now prescribing it.

 

[Bluetit1802]

My orthopedist recommended taking several supplements to address leg neuropathy due to spinal stenois, radiculitis etc. I gave the list of supplements to my Endo just to make sure none of them adversely affected my BGLs. He was fine with me taking all of them and went on to say that he recently read a clinical article from a German study that demonstrated that Alpha Lipoic Acid is effective in helping diabetics with neuropothy and that German docs are now prescribing it.

It has been used extensively in Germany, but generally only in the more severe cases and is administered in large doses by intravenous infusion. Maybe they are now prescribing it in tablet form for less severe cases, I don't know. All I know is it works for me, and my chemo induced neuropathy is mild to begin with.

 

[Higgipop (wots it all about)]

It works for me also but l use the expensive stabilised version doctors best.
Now here's the interesting bit.. l take it in the evening and it clearly stabilises my blood levels during my sleep so no dawn phanoman giving me an average level reading of 5.2 to 5.6 over a 7hr sleep period.. happy days