I have a question as to how significantly can ALA affect blood sugar levels?

I had a 2 hr GTT in mid September. The resulrs were that my blood sugar level was 95. I have been taking 800 mg daily since about mid June. When the GTT was scheduled I had planned to hold off the ALA for a week prior to taking the GTT. However, the GTT appt. slipped up on me and I did not do that. I did remember to stop taking the ALA the day prior to the GTT.

Have I been taking ALA long enough (do I have enough of it in my system) to push my blood sugar levels down so as to present a false GTT response?

Thanks for your responses!

I am not sure I understand. When during the test was your sugar 95? On fasting? At the end? on the first draw?

I don't recall reading explanations of how long alpha lipoic acid lasts in the body exerting the lowered blood sugar effect.
If I find an answer, I will come back to this thread.

If your sugar level was 95 on fasting before the test, is this lower than before?

Sorry mrsd. about not being clear -

My suger level was 95 at the end of the test.

Did they do an insulin level before the test?

ALA supposedly lowers insulin levels too.

I suspect there was an effect. But how much can only be
determined with the test redone after abstaining from ALA for a while.

People with insulin resistance may show reactive hypoglycemia at 2 hrs, and you did not. So the ALA may be working for you.
Can't be certain however.

can someone please tell me how to get to the stickies? i hear there's a list of supplements that have really helped some people overcome PN.

mrsD. - I don't know if they did an insulin level before the test. I have an appt. in 3 weeks and will see what I can find out. All I really know is that the copy of the report says:
Glucose Fasting and 2 hr
Glucose, Plasma
Two specimens had no times indicated. Labeled 1 and 2 for labs use. 1 = 89 mg/dl and 2 = 94 mg/dl.

Then the report goes on to report the results of the thyroid test.

Thank you for your response.

You only had 2 blood draws?

That is not enough to determine a good tolerance reading.

This lab site explains the test you had:
OGTT test
http://labtestsonline.org/understand...cose/test.html

This is an example of a more complete test..which will show hypoglycemia and reactive hypoglycemia.
http://www.rajeun.net/gtt.html

According to your two results, you are normal. But this does not show insulin resistance or hypoglycemic potential.
(elevated fasting insulin will show the trend to insulin resistance and it is one draw.)

--that when I have my yearly glucose tolerance test, I make sure the order is written for FIVE hours, with glucose and insulin level drawings at baseline, a half-hour post drink consumption, 1 hour post, 1.5 hours post, 2 hours post, 2.5 hous post, and then at 3, 4, and 5 hours post.

I may be going a bit overboard--one may not need quite the length or number of draws that I insist on--but knowing as I do my insulin resistance and tendency towards reactive hypoglycemia, I do this so I can interpret the rises and falls of both the glucose level and the insulin reaction to it--the insulin reaction lags the glucose reaction--and to see if there is overreaction of the feedback system (which generally means too much insulin produced in response to glucose challenge, resulting in reactive hypoglycemia). I also want to see precisely when this happens, which is why I want half hour draws the first three hours.

I wonder to about R-lipoic acid. Does it have an effect on glocose. I switched to it because it was brtter for pn pain. Really didn't see any difference.Could use a drop in glucose reading.
any one have info .

henryb