For some people the constant tingling in their feet is the wrost part. Others feel like their feet are being stabbed or burned, or that their extremities are simply lifeless. All these folks suffer from peripheral neuropathy, nerve damage that afflicts nearly 30% of people with diabetes aged 40 and older. And if the discomforting sensations are not enough, neuropathy can lead to falls, wounds that wont heal, even amputations.
Untold numbers of individuals have been helped by alpha lipoic acid (ALA), a supplement that European practitioners have used as a standard neuropathy treatment for 30 years. ALA (also known as thioctic acid) assist in the chemical reaction that generates energy within cells. It serves as a universal antioxidant - a substance that can fight tissue-damaging free radicals in both the fatty and watery parts of a cell - and helps the body create additional free-radical fighters, such as glutathione. ALA can even help regenerate several other antioxidants, including coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10_ and vitamans C and E.
People with diabetes need antioxidant protection as much as anyone. Fortunately for them, though, ALA fights this insidious disorder in many other ways.
Diabetes occurs when the body can no longer effectively use glucose (blood sugar), its main energy source; ALA helps shepherd glucose out of the blood and into cells. It also interferes with glycosylation, a process in which glucose sticks to proteins such as the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) that carries cholesterol through the bloodstream. That's important because this "sticky" LDL can adhere to arterial walls, creating a major risk factor for heart disease. ALA combined with exercise appears to make insulinm the hormone that controls glucose usage, more effective. What's more, early research indicates that ALA can deflect another cardio hazard by interfering with the ability of salt to push blood pressure upward (Molecular and Cellular Biology 12/03).
Diabetes doesn't just attack the nerves and the heart - its effects are felt throughout the body. That's why scientist are examining whether ALA can tackle other diabetic complications: In lab studies it has forestalled diabetes-related kidney and eye damage. (Check blood-sugar levels regularly when using ALA, especially if you're taking other glucose regulators.)
While diabetes is one of the most common causes of nervous-system damage, it isn't the only one. In test tube studies ALA has prompted chemical reactions that encourage neurons (nerve cells) to survive and grow; as a result some scientist believe that this natural antioxidant may eventually play a role in treating degenerative nerve disorders. Such research is in its beginning stages, but the results are still intriguing. For example, in mice ALA has slowed progression of a disorder that mimics multiple sclerosis in human beings (Journal of Neuroimmunology 3/04) and imporved age-related memory loss when used with N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), another antioxidant supplement (Journal of Neuro-chemistry 3/03). A number of other conditions that become more common with age may also benefits from ALA, including arthritis and thinning skin.
If you suffer from both diabetes and the nerve damage it causes, ask your practitioner about ALA. It just may help your feet - and the rest of you- feel happy.
What is it? Alpha Lipoic Acid, a substance the body creates naturally.
What it does: ALA, a powerful antioxidant in its own right, plays a vital role in the creation and renewal of other antioxidants. It is used to treat peripheral neuropathy, nerve damage caused by diabetes, and is also under investigation for possible therapeutic effects in other disorders, including multiple sclerosis and age-related cognitive decline.