Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) and Alzheimer’s disease:
Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) stabilized cognitive function and lowered progression of Alzheimer\’s disease in a study by Hager K et al. However, this was not a double-blinded, placebo-controlled or randomized design. Because oxidative stress is an important contributor to Alzheimer\’s disease, powerful antioxidants like alpha lipoic acid (ALA) may help to slow down its progression in people already diagnosed with Alzheimer\’s. One study found that alpha lipoic acid protects against Alzheimer\’s by preventing free radical production. In one study, a daily dose of 600 mg of ALA was given to 9 patients with Alzheimer\’s disease and after a year, the ALA helped to stabilize their cognitive function as measured by two neuropsychological tests (the mini mental state exam, MMSE and the Alzheimer\’s disease assessment score cognitive subscale, ADAS cog). During a larger and longer follow-up study that included 43 patients observed for up to 48 months, the progression of the disease was dramatically lower among those taking ALA compared to those getting no treatment or those taking conventional Alzheimer drugs. In patients with mild dementia ADAS cog increased by 1.2 points/year and MMSE decreased by 0.6 points/year. The results were about twice these rates in patients with moderate dementia. (8)