Diabetes, Oxidative Stress & Alpha lipoic acid Protection from Diabetic Complications
Let us get to know a bit more about Diabetes. Diabetes is a metabolic disease where the body is unable to convert the sugar from blood to be stored in the cells for energy production. This could be because the body does not produce sufficient insulin (the hormone responsible for the conversion) or unable to use effectively the insulin produced. This excess sugar in the blood affects the blood supply to both small and big blood vessels leading to damage of organs like Kidney, Eyes, Nerves (called micro vascular complications) and increases the risk of heart attack and stroke (called macro vascular complications).
According to the International Diabetes Federation estimates in 2021, nearly 537 Million adults are diabetic and is projected to be 643 Mn by 2030. It is considered as the silent epidemic that causes death and also the major cause for blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and lower limb amputation.
There are different types of Diabetes:
- Type 2 – Ineffective use of insulin produced in the body (most common)
- Type 1 – Caused by lack of production of insulin hormone Gestational Diabetes This occurs during pregnancy
In addition, there are also transition stages like Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT) & Impaired Fasting glycaemia (IFG) which eventually progresses to diabetes.
Early diagnosis is the key to successful management of diabetes. Often physicians begin with diet and lifestyle modifications and eventually progresses to oral medicines. Some may even need insulin injections regularly to control the sugar levels.
Our body continuously goes to various chemical reactions as part of functioning. The bio chemical wastes (free radicals) produced by these reactions) are eliminated using anti- like Vitamin C. However, in diabetes, the free radicals produced are far more than the anti-oxidants produced by the body leading to a major imbalance that puts a stress on the body referred as Oxidative Stress.
Oxidative stress in diabetes is one of the main reasons that causes the microvascular damages (kidney, eye & nerves). If not addressed, oxidative stress leads to chronic inflammation of our blood vessels which may cause stroke or heart attack. Many recent studies have shown the necessity to manage oxidative stress as part of diabetes management.
Let us now look at how Alpha Lipoic Acid benefits in managing diabetes complications:
Alpha Lipoic acid is naturally produced in the body by the Mitochondrion – called the powerhouse of the cells. It helps generate energy for the cells and also regenerates Vitamin C, E and Glutathione. Numerous researches have shown that the antioxidant properties of Alpha Lipoic acid may also help in reducing the risk of diabetes complications.
- Recent studies in adults with metabolic syndrome have shown that Alpha Lipoic Acid may help reduce insulin resistance and lower fasting blood glucose and HbA1c3
- Alpha lipoic acid is proven to reduce symptoms of nerve damage in human studies4
- Studies have shown that alpha lipoic acid reduces risk of retinopathy as well as secondary complications like glaucoma in retinopathy patients5
- Alpha Lipoic Acid is known to improve and maintain skin health holistically
- It improves the body’s immunity and overall wellbeing while slowing down the aging process.
Though produced in small quantity by the body, it’s necessary to optimize the levels to support anti-oxidant activity especially in diabetes or old age. Products like red meat is a great source in addition to vegetables like broccoli, tomato, spinach etc. but the amounts will be very low on our regular diets. Hence, regular oral supplementation is necessary.
Synergen presents ALA-600 for outstanding antioxidant support. Its high content of Alpha Lipoic acid help you battle all afore mentioned conditions efficiently. Check out our website for all the information you need regarding this product and many more. You can buy our specialized supplements in just a few clicks on the website.
References
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes
https://idf.org/aboutdiabetes/what-is-diabetes/facts-figures.html
Ayman M Elbadawy, Rasha O. Abd Elmoniem & Amira M. Elsayed (2021); Alpha lipoic acid and diabetes mellitus: potential effects on peripheral neuropathy and different metabolic parameters, Alexandria Journal of Medicine, 57:1, 113-120, DOI: 10.1080/20905068.2021.1907961
Evangelos Agathos, Anastasios Tentolouris et al.; Effect of a-lipoic acid on symptoms and quality of life in patients with painful diabetic neuropathy, Journal of International Medical Research 2018, Vol. 46(5) 17791790
Suzana Pavljaševic, Glaucoma and alpha lipoic acid in diabetic retinopathy, 10th EGS congress, Copenhagen, 2012 of quantities