Alpha-Lipoic Acid tablets, provided by Vesta Pharmaceuticals, contain 100mg of pure alpha-lipoic acid. Alpha-lipoic acid is a non-vitamin coenzyme that carries out important metabolic and antioxidant functions in the body.

Alpha-lipoic acid is a nutritional coenzyme that is involved in energy metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

Alpha-lipoic acid is a versatile water and fat soluble metabolic antioxidant. It functions in the body much like a B-vitamin, since it is involved in energy production. As part of several multi-enzyme complexes located in the mticochondria, alpha-lipoic acid is essential for metabolizing carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, and for the conversion of their energy into ATP. Two of these enzymes complexes, PDH (pyruvate dehydrogenase) and alpha-KGDH (alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase) are part of the Krebs cycle. Therefore, these enzyme complexes play a central role for general energy production.

As early as 1959, alpha-lipoic acid was suggested to be an antioxidant, since it aids Vitamin C and E in their antioxidant activities. It is only recently, however, that the specific actions of alpha-lipoic acid in free radical quenching, metal chelation, and antioxidant regeneration have been investigated.

Body cells and tissues are often in danger of being damaged by toxic free radicals and reactive oxygen species (e.g. peroxides), which are produced during normal oxygen metabolism and by toxic agents in the environment. Once free radicals are formed, they are capable of disrupting metabolic activity and cell structure. When this occurs, additional free radicals are produced which, in turn, can result in more extensive damage to cells and tissues. The uncontrolled production of free radicals is thought to be a major contributing factor to many degenerative diseases.

Since Alpha-lipoic acid is soluble in both water and lipids, it can neutralize free radicals just about everywhere in the body. Because of its unique sulfur-containing structure, alpha-lipoic acid can scavenge several types of free radicals, such as the highly reactive hydroxyl, and singlet oxygen free radicals. It is also capable of suppressing the generation of free radicals in the first place, since alpha-lipoic acid chelates transition metals, such as iron and copper. Because alpha-lipoic acid is involved in so many different antioxidant functions in virtually all body tissues, it has been called the universal antioxidant.