Been reading on supplements alot (various places) and a person said this:

Alpha Lipoic acid is very dangerous to take unless one is specifically taking it to chelate heavy metals like mercury and follows a very strict protocol, taking it every three hours, per Andrew Cutler. This goes against most reports I know, but a quick google search on Cutler and ALA will confirm the misuse of this compound.


Has anyone else heard of this? I know mostly I read positive stuff, so this was a surprise.

Some things to read:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21806773

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17408840

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-mercury

You can Google thioctic acid (lipoic's other name) or on PubMed with mercury as a second word in the keyword searches.

You will find many confusing things.

If you believe you have a mercury overload, you can get tested for it.

I cannot vouch for the information about Cutler. He remains controversial, at this time.

I think people who test high in mercury, should consult an environmental physician specialist for advice.

So, what I am understanding is ALA is safe for everyone except people who have high mercury?

thank you!

I think you should do the research yourself.

We've even had some posts here on mercury. Use that as a keyword in the search function.

Everyone here has to do a bit of homework, and decide for himself/herself about the topics.

One thing I've wondered...there have to be a bunch of people on this site who take lipoic acid and have the amalgam fillings. Surely this is the case? Has anyone who takes or has taken lipoic acid and has these fillings ever reported any issues here?

I would like to think that with as many people in the world who take lipoic acid and who have these type fillings that there would have been more reported incidents by now and this would have translated over to your webmd type sites if there were actually many cases of lipoic acid transporting mercury from then fillings to the brain and causing problems.

Wouldn't you think so?

Yes, I have some amalgam fillings and I don't have any symptoms or problems with mercury.

Most of the mercury ALA posts seem to revolve around the autism community. And I have seen papers going back to 40yrs from Europe that never bring this up as a risk.

The ALA doses are using the old racemic mixture, and those are quite high. Using the more efficient r-lipoic stabilized in 100mg a day is quite different IMO.

I would think that we'd see some damage if it were going to happen coming out of Japan. Japan uses lipoic acid heavily and is very touchy since the clioquinol (Vioform) B12 incident in the 70's and there are still law suits floating around from that one.

This Wiki article gives a good overview, and mentions, specific dosing for people using lipoic acid who have had amalgams removed only in reference to mercury. I would hope anyone undergoing this procedure would be seeing a holistic/integrative doctor for proper chelation. Typically succimer (chemet) is used in my area for this.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipoic_acid

I have those fillings also. I have been taking ALA and doing great. I am on a forum for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and many people take it fine. It is one of the most important supplements I take.

book from mims cushing &norman latov, md, p.137, states :a-l-a 600--800 mg/day maybe helpful.