Stabilized R-Lipoic Acid with Na-RALA, 100mg - 60 vcaps

What is Doctor's Best Stabilized R-Lipoic-Acid? Alpha-lipoic acid is a sulfur-containing fatty acid that performs vitamin-like roles in the body but since the body produces lipoic-acid on its own, it is not classified as a true vitamin. It functions as a co-enzyme in the metabolism of carbohydrates & is required for synthesis of acetyl CoA, a key metabolite in the cellular process that turns glucose (blood sugar) into energy. Stabilized R-Lipoic Acid contains Na-RLA, the sodium salt of R-Lipoic acid. Pure R-Lipoic acid is a very unstable molecule that has a tendency to polymerize with exposure to heat, light, & moisture. Na-RLA is a stabilized form of R-Lipoic acid that won't degrade at high temperatures. How does it work? Lipoic acid is a key factor in the cellular process that metabolizes glucose for energy production. Aging is accompanied by a decreased ability of the liver to recycle ascorbic acid following oxidative stress. R-lipoic acid, has been shown after two weeks of supplementation to aged rats, to reverse the age-related impairment of ascorbic acid recycling & concentration in liver cells. Aging is also associated with oxidative stress in the brain. The brain's high rate of metabolism & its long-lived neurons make it particularly vulnerable to oxidative stress. Since lipoic-acid interrupts cellular oxidative processes in both its oxidized & reduced forms, it plays a modulatory role in the brain & nervous system. Why should I take Doctor's Best Stabilized R-Lipoic-Acid? An ideal antioxidant would have the ability to quench a wide variety of free radicals, to support the functioning of other antioxidants, to bind or "chelate" metal ions that can generate free radicals, to function in watery & fatty environments & to be present in a variety of tissues, cells, & extracellular spaces. Lipoic-acid meets all of these criteria & is often termed as "the universal antioxidant." As we age, our ability to synthesize alpha-lipoic acid decreases. Age also brings an accumulation of oxidized proteins that interfere with mitochondrial efficiency & Alpha-lipoic acid addresses this situation. Alpha-lipoic acid comes in two forms, designated as "R-lipoic acid" & "S-lipoic acid." R- & S- lipoic acid are enantiomer isomers--molecules that appear as mirror images of each other. R-lipoic acid is naturally synthesized by humans, animals, & plants.