Lipoic Acid Usage

Lipoic acid has been widely used for decades in Germany to treat diabetic peripheral neuropathy . This is a condition caused by diabetes in which nerves leading to the arms and legs become damaged, resulting in numbness, pain, and other symptoms. Free radicals are hypothesized to play a role in neuropathy, and, on this basis, lipoic acid has been tried as a treatment. However, the evidence for benefit is largely limited to studies that used the intravenous form of this supplement. ¹ Another set of nerves may become damaged in diabetes, as well: the autonomic nerves that control internal organs. When this occurs in the heart (cardiac autonomic neuropathy), it leads to irregularities of heart rhythm. There is some evidence that lipoic acid supplements may be helpful for this condition. ² Preliminary and sometimes contradictory evidence suggests that lipoic acid may improve other aspects of diabetes, including blood sugar control and the development of long-term complications, such as diseases of the heart, kidneys, and small blood vessels. ³ Mixed evidence exists for the benefits of lipoic acid in the treatment of burning mouth syndrome (BMS) , a condition characterized by unexplained scalding sensations in the mouth. ⁴ Weak evidence hints that use of lipoic acid might help prevent migraine headaches . ⁵ A cream containing 5% lipoic acid has shown promise for the treatment of sun-damaged skin . ⁶ One animal study suggests that lipoic acid might help prevent age-related hearing loss. ⁷ Similarly weak evidence hints that lipoic acid might be helpful for glaucoma, ⁸ as well as for reducing the side effects (specifically, cardiac toxicity) of the cancer chemotherapy drug doxorubicin . ⁹ Other uses for which lipoic acid has been proposed include preventing cancer and heart disease , and treating or preventing cataracts .