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Alpha lipoic acid
It is quite possible that, in due course, alpha lipoic acid will replace
ginkgo biloba and vitamin E as the most important antioxidant for the
brain. Laboratory tests have shown that alpha lipoic acid can prevent
damage to the brain caused by acute free radical attacks. Maybe it will
also prove to be effective in protecting the brain from the daily onslaught
of free radicals.
Alpha lipoic acid offers powerful protection against heart attacks, heart
disease and cataracts. It reinforces memory skills and combats the ageing
process in the brain. It disarms bad genes responsible for accelerating
the ageing process and causing cancer. It has been successfully
applied in the treatment of liver diseases such as hepatitis C, and
research has shown that it is effective in the treatment of liver poisoning.
More importantly, however, alpha lipoic acid strengthens the entire
antioxidant defence system. Taking alpha lipoic acid increases levels of
vitamin E and C, glutathione and CoQ10.As yet little is known about the properties of alpha lipoic acid. The more I
find out about it, the more I feel that it should be classified with vitamins.
One of the reasons for this is that the production of alpha lipoic acid
decreases with age. |
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By the age of forty we can only just produce the basic
amount of alpha lipoic acid required by the body, but that is not enough
to ensure maximum benefit. That is why we need to get as much alpha
lipoic acid as possible from the food we eat. However, in view of the fact
that food contains only small amounts of this substance, I would recommend
an alpha lipoic acid supplement. I would advise a daily dose of 100
mg, but an amount this size cannot be obtained from food (for example:
approximately 4 kg of spinach contains 1 mg of alpha lipoic acid).
1 Breast cancer can be linked to a number of factors. These include hormonal factors
(early menstruation, pregnancy later in life or no pregnancies at all, late menopause,
shorter menstrual cycles, oral contraception, HRT); environmental factors (pesticides,
herbicides, lack of sunlight, exposure to power stations, electric blankets, various types
of radiation, chemotherapy); lifestyle (smoking or passive smoking, excess weight, lack
of exercise); food (too many saturated fats, not enough antioxidants, fibre, alpha-linolenic
acid, too much linoleic acid (Omega-6), not enough phyto-oestrogen, too many
alcoholic beverages). |
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