Alpha-Lipoic Acid · R-Alpha-Lipoic Acid
Mitochondrial cofactor with genuine efficacy in diabetic neuropathy.
Short answer
Alpha-Lipoic Acid (R-Alpha-Lipoic Acid) is a metabolic with evidence grade A, meaning it is well-supported by replicated human trials. We track 8 produkter containing Alpha-Lipoic Acid. Typical doses range from 25.0 to 1000 mg per portion. The top-ranked product scores 9.1 out of 10 on our composite scale (dose, evidence, price, testing, transparency). Prices range up to $24.97 per månad.
Top Alpha-Lipoic Acid produkter
| Product | Varumärke | Dose | Pris/mo | 3rd-party tested | Poäng |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha Lipoic Acid Supplement | 600.0 mg | $19.95 | Yes | 9.1 | |
| Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) Powder | 600.0 mg | $21.97 | No | 8.6 | |
| Alpha Lipoic Acid 1000 | 1000 mg | $24.97 | Yes | 7.3 | |
| Jarrow Formulas Alpha Lipoic Sustain with Biotin, 300 mg | 300.0 mg | $24.64 | No | 7.3 | |
| Two-Per-Day Multivitamin (capsules/tablets) | 25.0 mg | $24.50 | Yes | 7.1 |
Scores are editorial judgments, not a scientific standard. Se how we score.
What it is
A short-chain fatty acid your mitochondria use as a cofactor. Works as both a water- and fat-soluble antioxidant, which is unusual.
Why people take it
Best evidence: reduces symptoms of diabetic nerve pain at 600 mg/day (well-run German trials). Modest blood-sugar lowering. Longevity claims are speculative.
Our verdict
Solid choice if you're specifically targeting nerve health or mitochondrial support. R-ALA (natural isomer) absorbs ~2× better than the racemic mix most produkter sell.
Structure & class
1,2-dithiolane-3-pentanoic acid; cofactor for pyruvate dehydrogenase and α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase.
Mechanism & clinical data
SYDNEY trials confirmed efficacy at 600 mg IV/oral in diabetic polyneuropathy. Bioavailability improves 2 to 3× with R-isomer vs racemic. Half-life short (~30 min), sustained-release preferred.
Pharmacokinetics
~30 minutes.
Dose & forms
What to watch out for
Cheap 'ALA' produkter sell the racemic form (50% inactive). Look for 'R-ALA' or 'R-alpha-lipoic acid'. Take on empty stomach.
Säkerhet limits and interactions
When a product exceeds the UL or contains an ingredient with clinically significant interactions, a "Review advised" flag appears on its product page and links here.
Where this dose comes from
The trial dose above is our editorial pick from the published human trials for this ingredient. We choose the dose that the best-available studies used on the endpoint most relevant to longevity. The range shows the lowest and highest doses tested in published trials. The landmark studies below are the papers we read to set it. You can click through and check our work.
When new trials publish, our automated sweeps flag them. If a new study materially changes the dose, we update it through editorial review and record the old dose, new dose, and the triggering study in every affected product's recommendation history. The dose is never changed automatically.
Regelverk status
Timeline
Regelverk events, evidence grade changes, and key research milestones for Alpha-Lipoic Acid, most recent first. Every entry links to its primär source.
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EU safety review of alpha-lipoic acid restricts use in ItalyItaly classified alpha-lipoic acid as a drug at therapeutic doses, restricting its sale as a food supplement. Other EU member states vary in enforcement. The Italian precedent creates uncertainty for cross-border supplement sales.
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EU Court sharpens the bar for botanical health claimsA Court of Justice of the European Union ruling in april 2025 further tightened the requirements for how botanical ingredients (herbs, plant extracts) can be marketed with health claims in the EU, effectively removing much of the flexibility of the on-hold list.
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EU report identifies 117 supplement substances as potential health risksThe HoA Working Group on Food Supplements (26 European countries) published its first report evaluating 117 substances used in food supplements. Of these, 65 were assessed as likely novel foods, 6 were already regulated, 34 had insufficient data, and 12 were prioritized for Article 8 restriction under Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006. The 12 priority substances include ashwagandha, curcumin, melatonin, piperine, St. John's wort, coumarin, p-synephrine, maca, holy basil, Melaleuca, black cohosh, and L-tryptophan. The report drew on 1,500 RASFF alerts reviewed between 2017 and mid-2022.
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ALA + T2D RCT 2022 (16 RCTs)In 16 RCTs (1,035 T2D patients), each 500 mg/day increase in ALA significantly reduced HbA1c, body weight, and CRP, though effect sizes were below clinically important thresholds.
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ALA glycemic metaanalys 2021 (28 RCTs)Across 28 RCTs (1,016 participants), ALA supplementation significantly reduced insulin and HOMA-IR but had no significant effect on glucose or HbA1c.
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ALA inflammatory metaanalys 2019 (41 studies)A metaanalys of 41 studies found ALA significantly reduced fasting blood sugar, HbA1c, TNF-alpha, IL-6, and CRP, supporting anti-inflammatory and glycemic benefits.
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EU Health Claims Regulation adoptedRegulation (EC) No 1924/2006 laid down harmonised rules for nutrition and health claims made on foods, including supplements. Only claims listed in the EU Register of authorised claims can be used. Rejected botanical claims are held in a separate on-hold list.
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EU introduces the Novel Food RegulationRegulation (EC) No 258/97 required any food or food ingredient without a history of consumption in the EU before 15 maj 1997 to be authorised before being placed on the market. This is the framework that captures NMN, spermidine as a supplement ingredient, urolithin A, and many other longevity actives.
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ALADIN Studie (Ziegler 1995)In a 328-patient, 3-week RCT, intravenous alpha-lipoic acid (600 mg/day) significantly reduced diabetic peripheral neuropathy symptom scores versus placebo (63.5% vs 38.4% reduction).
Reported adverse events
Consumer reports submitted to an official government adverse-event database. These reports mention this ingredient but do not prove it caused the reaction. Report volume reflects market penetration as much as inherent risk.
Retrieved from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (CAERS) via the openFDA API. Verified 2026-08-06. Reports are voluntary consumer submissions and mandatory serious-event filings. They establish surveillance, not causality.
Alpha-lipoic acid is a mitochondrial antioxidant that eases diabetic nerve pain but shows no effect on cholesterol or blood sugar in healthy overweight adults.
Verified 2026-06-15. We update this section as new peer-reviewed trials land.
Best-supported claim
Alpha-lipoic acid's best-supported claim is easing diabetic peripheral neuropathy symptoms, its original and most-studied clinical use in Germany for over 50 years (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2756298/). A 2012 metaanalys of 15 RCTs and 1,058 patients found intravenous ALA (300-600 mg/day for 2-4 weeks) significantly improved nerve conduction velocity and neuropathic symptoms (odds ratio 4.03 for efficacy) (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22837391/). A more recent 2025 metaanalys of 9 RCTs and 1,345 patients confirmed oral ALA at 600-1,800 mg/day significantly reduced HbA1c, neuropathy impairment score, and total symptom score, though it did not significantly improve motor nerve conduction velocity, meaning it likely eases symptoms without reversing underlying structural nerve damage (https://www.explorationpub.com/Journals/ent/Article/1004125). A 2025 metaanalys of 63 RCTs also found ALA improved cardiometabolic markers including waist circumference, BMI, fasting glucose, HbA1c, and triglycerides in mixed populations with existing metabolic conditions.
Not supported by the evidence base
ALA is marketed broadly as a weight-loss and blood-sugar supplement for the general population, but the strongest and most recent data contradicts this for people who are simply overweight without diabetes. A 2025 metaanalys of 11 RCTs and 704 overweight or obese adults without underlying metabolic disease found no significant effect of ALA on triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, HOMA-IR, or fasting blood glucose (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11969596/). An earlier weight-loss-specific metaanalys of 10 RCTs did find a statistically significant but modest 1.27 kg greater weight loss with ALA versus placebo, smaller than the effect of prescription weight-loss medications. The apparent contradiction resolves by population: ALA's metabolic benefits concentrate in people who already have diabetes or metabolic syndrome, not in generally healthy overweight adults, a distinction most marketing omits. Longevity-focused marketing citing ALA as a lifespan extender also overstates the evidence; animal data on lifespan is inconsistent, with some studies showing no extension or even reduced lifespan in mice.
Typical dose
600-1,800 mg/day oral for neuropathy symptoms; 300-600 mg/day intravenous under medical supervision for acute nerve pain
Säkerhet
A pooled safety analysis of 71 clinical studies and 4,749 subjects found ALA supplementation was not associated with increased risk of any treatment-emergent adverse event compared to placebo, including in people with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, renal impairment, or in children (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7603186/). Higher doses (800-1,200 mg) can cause gastrointestinal side effects and flushing, especially in elderly people; a tolerability study found 1,200 mg was not well tolerated by a subset of adults over 65. The most common side effects at standard doses are mild nausea, headache, and heartburn.
Interactions worth flagging
- diabetes medications and insulin (may enhance blood-sugar-lowering effect)
- thyroid medications
- chemotherapy agents
Three recent studies to know
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Alpha lipoic acid: advancing insights in diabetic neuropathy through updated systematisk översikt and metaanalysLäs studie →
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Alpha-lipoic acid on intermediate disease markers in overweight or obese adults: a systematisk översikt and metaanalysLäs studie →
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Säkerhet Evaluation of alpha-Lipoic Acid SupplementationLäs studie →
Landmark studies
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ALADIN Studie (Ziegler 1995)
In a 328-patient, 3-week RCT, intravenous alpha-lipoic acid (600 mg/day) significantly reduced diabetic peripheral neuropathy symptom scores versus placebo (63.5% vs 38.4% reduction).
Läs studie → -
ALA glycemic metaanalys 2021 (28 RCTs)
Across 28 RCTs (1,016 participants), ALA supplementation significantly reduced insulin and HOMA-IR but had no significant effect on glucose or HbA1c.
Läs studie → -
ALA inflammatory metaanalys 2019 (41 studies)
A metaanalys of 41 studies found ALA significantly reduced fasting blood sugar, HbA1c, TNF-alpha, IL-6, and CRP, supporting anti-inflammatory and glycemic benefits.
Läs studie → -
ALA + T2D RCT 2022 (16 RCTs)
In 16 RCTs (1,035 T2D patients), each 500 mg/day increase in ALA significantly reduced HbA1c, body weight, and CRP, though effect sizes were below clinically important thresholds.
Läs studie →
Found in these produkter (8)
Alla produkter in our catalog that contain Alpha-Lipoic Acid, ranked by our overall score. Ranking is editorial, never paid.
Buying guides and comparisons
Related ingredients
Se alla in Metabolic →Molekyler in the same class, plus the actives most often formulated alongside Alpha-Lipoic Acid in our catalogue.
Frequently asked questions
What is Alpha-Lipoic Acid?
A short-chain fatty acid your mitochondria use as a cofactor. Works as both a water- and fat-soluble antioxidant, which is unusual.
What dose of Alpha-Lipoic Acid should I take?
The trial dose in published human studies is 600 mg per dag, with a range of 300 to 1200 mg per dag. Always consult a qualified clinician before starting any supplement.
Is Alpha-Lipoic Acid safe?
Cheap 'ALA' produkter sell the racemic form (50% inactive). Look for 'R-ALA' or 'R-alpha-lipoic acid'. Take on empty stomach.
What is the best Alpha-Lipoic Acid supplement?
We track 8 produkter containing Alpha-Lipoic Acid. The top-ranked product scores 9.1 out of 10 on our composite scale, which evaluates dose, evidence, price, third-party testing, and transparency. See the comparison table above. Scores are editorial judgments, not a scientific standard.
What is the evidence grade for Alpha-Lipoic Acid?
Alpha-Lipoic Acid has evidence grade A, meaning it is well-supported by replicated human trials. Grade A means replicated human RCTs with hard endpoints. Grade B means human RCTs with biomarker outcomes. Grade C means mixed or small human trials. See our evidence grading methodology.
Data verification
Bevisning grades are reviewed when new human RCTs are published. Product counts update automatically as new produkter are added. Dose ranges reflect published trial data, not brand recommendations. Read how we verify.