Has this been asked a thousand times?

What the differance between R-Lipoic Acid and Alpha Lipoic Acid??

The R- lipoic acid is much more potent than the alpha lipoic acid.

--and this is due to the fact that naturaly, lipoic acid only occurs in the R-isomer form, but commercial preparations have normally contained both the R and S-isomer forms, and the latter is not is a bodily usable form (having to do, chemically, with the "handedness" of the molecules and their ability to fit into cellular reaction mechanisms).

The Wikipedia article explains this, though rather technically. The Linus Pauling Institute article is a bit less technical:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipoic_Acid

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/othernuts/la/

The usual efficacy I've seen quoted is that the amount of usable Lipoic acid from R-lipoic is roughly six to ten times that of a racemic mixture, so if one is taking 600mg of alpha lipoic each day, one can get a similar effect from 60-100mg of R-lipoic. Of course, there are individual differences. I went from 600mg of alpha lipoic to 100mg of R-lipoic, and seem to get roughly the same effect. The other advantage is that some people find the supplement, well, acidy, and the smaller amount of R-lipoic needed tends to help with that.

Given the LONG track record in the research on the benefits of
lipoic acid, it is very worth taking.

It appears in the aging research as a mito support, in addition to the PN papers.

I take 100mg of r-lipoic myself.

There is one paper out there on the alpha form causing some thyroid suppression in rats. It as not been duplicated/verified in rats or humans at this time. It might be "alpha" version has this
tendency. I've been on r-lipoic for over a year now, and my thyroid tests have not changed, and I have not needed any increases in doses.

I bought Acetyl L-Carnitine (400mg per does) that has some Alpha Lipoic Acid (200mg per does) in it from walmart. It was inexpensive but I'm wondering once I bump up the Acetyl L-Caritine to 1200mg if I will be getting to much Alpha Liptoic Acid at 600mg per day?

If so I can add Acetyl L-Carnitine to my order from Iherb.com and disontinue to buy the stuff from walmart.

Also since r-lipoic is better I will add 100mg of r-lipoic to my order.


Thanks a bunch!

Hello,
Thanks for bringing this up, started the ALA and AcetylL Carnitine this week from IHerb, will change to the R-Lipoic Acid next month. Hope everyone is feeling GOOD.
Lanny