The Potential of Alpha Lipoic Acid and Copper to Reduce Cellular Damage and Aging in Diabetics

Alpha Lipoic Acid, a universal and powerful antioxidant for diabetics, provides an extra surge of antioxidant protection; like a light bulb, it fuels an energetic jolt to synergistically enhance other antioxidants. This vitamin-like substance, (also called Thioctic Acid or Lipoic Acid), can counter cellular damage in Diabetics and in anyone who wishes to slow down aging and burn fat. According to Richard A. Passwater, Ph.D., in his book Lipoic Acid: The Metabolic Antioxidant, Alpha Lipoic Acid neutralizes free radicals, protects the body's genetic material, slows aging, and protects against heart disease and cancer. During aging a protein called NF-kappa-B builds up in the cells and binds to the DNA and slows DNA function. As a result, the immune system weakens, skin ages faster and body systems deteriorate, no longer functioning in a vital state. Alpha Lipoic Acid (and also glutathione/reduced glutathione) help block the binding of NF-kappa-B to cellular DNA. This results in a younger and less wrinkled skin. In animals, Alpha Lipoic Acid has anti-atherosclerotic effects.

Diabetics are at risk for heart disease in part because they have a faulty energy metabolism which results from their inability to utilize glucose efficiently. Heart disease is associated with how well heart cells produce energy. Alpha Lipoic Acid can help in this regard since it produces ATP, the body's energy transferring molecule. When producing ATP from glucose, a molecule called Acetyl Co A generates and creates ATP through the Krebs cycle. Alpha Lipoic Acid, a necessary co-factor in many of Krebs cycle reactions, can increase cellular energy production. Since one of the key characteristics of aging is a sharp fall-off energy, Alpha Lipoic Acid may help all of us lead a longer more energetic life. According to Dr. Hans Tritschler, a scientist in Munich, Germany, supplemental Alpha Lipoic Acid can increase ATP production from glucose by approximately 40%. Furthermore, this increases the body's burning of fat since fax oxidation requires metabolism intermediates produced by the burning of glucose. An old biochemical adage is "Fat burns in the flame of the sugars."

Since Alpha Lipoic Acid is a universal antioxidant, soluble in both fat and water, it interacts with other antioxidants such as vitamins E (fat soluble) and C (water soluble) and glutathione; it synergistically helps to regenerate them. Most antioxidants get destroyed in the process of deactivating tissue-damaging oxidative agents. However, Alpha Lipoic Acid can regenerate and recycle antioxidants, providing a powerful punch to oxidative damage. Alpha Lipoic Acid recycles ascorbic acid (vitamin C). When ascorbic acid takes electrons from a free-radical, it turns into a dihydroascorbate. When dihydroascorbate encounters available Alpha Lipoic Acid, the kidneys will excrete the dihydroascorbate into the urine, thereby robbing the body of its benefits. Alpha Lipoic Acid also recycles the tocopherols (Vitamin E) and Glutathione by acting as a "Redox" (reduction-oxidation) agent. Very few substances can perform this recycling function and, in this way, Alpha Lipoic Acid multiples the effectiveness of other antioxidants.

The elevated body sugars associated with diabetes increase the tissue damaging process called glycation, a process in which sugars in the body bind to proteins and damage the proteins. Glycation occurs when portions of glucose molecules attach to issue proteins and producing Advanced Glycosalation End-products (AGE). This glycation damage sometimes ruptures tissue, producing dysfunctional or dead cells with reduced tissue integrity. This type of damage is cumulative and is the principal cause of the progressive tissue damage of diabetes and one of the ways that muscle tissue is lost during aging.

Alpha Lipoic Acid is another protector against glycation. European physicians use Alpha Lipoic Acid to reduce the need for injected Insulin or insulin enhancing drugs such as Glucotrol. It is used to help control blood sugar levels and reduce the glycation damage associated with primary and secondary diabetes.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy increased risk of developing foot ulcers because of the lack of feeling in the limbs. Alpha Lipoic Acid has been reported to help regeneration of nerve cells damaged by diabetic neuropathy. It was initially thought that this was the result of Alpha Lipoic Acid reducing the progressive nerve destruction which allowed the some repair of nerves. However, Dr. Ziegler at Heinrich-Heine University reported that treatment with Alpha Lipoic Acid induced "sprouting", or growth of new fibers, in as little as three weeks which is a marked acceleration of normal nerve repair.

Cataracts associated with diabetes are caused by the degeneration of proteins in the lenses lenses of the eyes. The two principal causes are glycation of proteins and damage from ultraviolet rays of the sun. The lenses of the eyes are not well protected by anti-oxidants in blood. In 1994, Dr. Lester Packer and his group found that Alpha Lipoic Acid increased the levels of glutathione, vitamin C and vitamin E in the eye lens tissue of animals and reduced the rate of cataract formation.

Alpha Lipoic Acid has been used in Europe for more than thirty years at dosages of 300 to 600 milligrams per day for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy without noticeable undesirable side-effects.
More information on protective dietary supplements...

Increased tissue Copper, taken as a supplement, reduces protein glycation. Copper proteins are the primary defensive anti-oxidant system in the human body. More information about copper's effect on health...

Aminoguanidine to Stop Excessive Glycosylation During Diabetes

Like Alpha Lipoic Acid, Aminoguanidine is an anti-glycosylation agent which can be obtained from vitamin stores. It may be the most potent available anti-glycosylation agent. It effectively counters the damage caused by protein cross linkages and appears especially useful preventing collagen crosslinks. Studies in animals have shown that aminoguanidine can prevent the types of molecular cross linking that occurs with diabetes, atherosclerotic plaque formation, blood vessel hardening with age, and cross linkage of brain proteins.

BioHeal for Skin Health During Limited Mobility

Bedsores and pressure ulcers can pose a serious health threat for those bound by wheelchairs. When one suffers limited mobility, the constant rubbing and pressure can irritate skin leading to a wide range of dermal ulcers. The best way to avoid a serious complication is to accelerate healing. Customers have raved in our testimonials about how this SRCP (Skin Remodeling Copper-Peptide) cream rapidly healed their skin ulcers and thereby prevented deadly infections.