Weight Loss Supplements: Lipoic Acid Pills Found Promising In 'Otherwise Healthy' Obese People

Lipoic acid is a natural protective antioxidant present in foods like spinach, broccoli, yeast, potatoes, and red meat. A new study pointed out that this antioxidant promoted weight loss and it was given as a dietary supplement to overweight individuals without any other underlying health conditions.

The experts at the Linus Pauling Institute analyzed the effects of 24 weeks of daily supplementation of 600 mg of lipoic acid on 31 individuals with a similarly sized group that were given a placebo. Their findings are published in the journal of Nutrition.

They observed loss in body weight and body fat in study participants who took lipoic acid pills. The findings revealed that the weight loss was more significant in women and the heaviest participants.

Lipoic acid functions inside cells’ mitochondria where it normally attaches to proteins involved in energy and amino acid metabolism. It is a medium-chain fatty acid that has a unique structure that allows the transfer of electrons from other sources.

Dietary lipoic acid supplementation stimulates glucose metabolism, antioxidant defenses, and anti-inflammatory responses and thereby makes a promising complementary treatment for people who suffer from heart diseases, diabetes, and age-related cognitive decline.

“Scientists have been researching the potential health benefits of lipoic acid supplements for decades, including how it might enhance healthy aging and mitigate cardiovascular disease. In both rodent models and small-scale human clinical trials, researchers at the LPI have demonstrated the beneficial effects of lipoic acid on oxidative stress, lipid metabolism, and circadian rhythm,” News Medical quoted the study’s lead author Alexander Michels.

Several clinical trials that used lipoic acid have focused only on people with pre-existing health conditions like diabetes. This might make it challenging to find out if these supplements simply act as a disease treatment or if they might have any other potential health benefits. Also, previous studies have only used the S form of the antioxidant which is a product of industrial synthesis and not found in natural sources.

The researchers said that they used only the R form of lipoic acid which is present naturally in the human body.

Although they didn’t find any differences in triglyceride levels, they found that study participants who lost weight also found a reduction in this type of fat.