Everything about R-Alpha-Lipoic Acid

Only the purest form

Before we go into more detail about the Priosa® defense retard product line, there is something to note about alpha-lipoic acid. Alpha-lipoic acid comes in right-handed and left-handed variants. In the context of alpha-lipoic acid, you often read about various side effects. These are exclusively attributable to the left-handed alpha-lipoic acid. 

In regular alpha-lipoic acid products, both variants are often present in equal 50/50 proportions. However, Sanopoly products use exclusively the right-handed variant, R-alpha-lipoic acid. It can be assumed that even with extreme overdosing, no side effects occur. 

Medical Significance

R-Alpha-Lipoic Acid can either donate or accept an electron. Free radicals that damage cells lack an electron – here R-Alpha-Lipoic Acid donates an electron. However, it can also reactivate already used antioxidants (such as Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Q10, or Glutathione) by accepting an electron. 

In short, this means it plays an elementary role in cellular metabolism processes of aerobic organisms (including humans). Its effects reach all the way to the power plants of the cell, the mitochondria.

Versatile and Simple

It is also interesting that through the electron uptake and release described above, the properties between water solubility and fat solubility can be changed, allowing R-Alpha-Lipoic Acid to penetrate various tissue layers. This allows it to also cross the blood-brain barrier. 

We thus recognize that R-Alpha-Lipoic Acid in its pure form possesses incredibly positive properties for humans. Therefore, many therapists use the LIPON R product line from Sanopoly for various therapeutic applications. Some are listed here:

1 - Diabetes Mellitus 

All diabetic secondary diseases are triggered by free radicals (circulatory disorders, high blood pressure, nerve damage, arteriosclerosis, cataracts, etc.). 

Very clear effects are achieved through radical scavengers. The combination of radical-scavenging vitamins (Priosa® immun) and R-alpha-lipoic acid (Priosa® defense retard) (maximum effective Priosa® defense retard Forte) has proven effective.

Blood sugar uptake into the cell [which is restricted in diabetes] can also be increased by over 50% by activating special molecules through Priosa® defense retard. (Studies: Passwater 1995, Biewenga et al. 1997. Ley 1996)

Furthermore, Priosa® defense retard increases insulin sensitivity. This means that the insulin receptors on the cell become more responsive again and allow sugar into the cell (opposite of insulin resistance) (Study: Ziegler et al. 1999)

And as if that were not enough, Priosa® defense retard supports sugar breakdown in the liver and the reduction of fat storage.

Free radicals destroy blood vessel walls, as a side effect in diabetes. This leads to arteriosclerosis as emergency repair in the blood vessel walls. As a result, nutrients can no longer penetrate from the bloodstream through the vessel wall into the tissue. This leads to undersupply of the hands and feet. (Study: Ziegler et al 1999) The alpha-lipoic acid (R+L mixed form) even has a drug approval in Germany for this; how much more should the pure form R-alpha-lipoic acid actually be used for this.

Diabetics often have intracellular vitamin C deficiency. Examinations by Dr. Pfaffly showed in 2001 that R-alpha-lipoic acid can counteract vitamin C deficiency in the cell; also in cases of scurvy symptoms.

2-Recycling of antioxidants

As already mentioned in the introduction, the special potential of Priosa® defense retard lies in the regeneration of other antioxidants, which can then perform their task on the radical front!

The most important antioxidants that R-alpha-lipoic acid works with are glutathione, vitamin C, vitamin E, and coenzyme Q10.

For example, when vitamin E captures a lipid radical, it itself becomes oxidized into a radical - an electron is stolen from it by the lipid radical. Vitamin E gets this electron back from the vitamin C present as liquid in the cell interior. Vitamin C in turn holds itself harmless at the di-hydro-lipoic acid, which is simply oxidized to R-alpha-lipoic acid. The two latter can simply be converted into each other by alpha-keto dehydrogenase (Colman and Packer, 2000). 

Thus Priosa® defense retard provides the ideal regeneration partner for the primary radical scavengers in the body. 

Explained once more visually, the primary radical scavengers (such as vitamin C and vitamin E) are the soldiers at the front (in the cell against free radicals). When vitamin E donates an electron to the free radical to neutralize it, vitamin E is no longer able to act; the ammunition is empty. When the soldiers run out of ammunition (electrons), R-alpha-lipoic acid is the cart with new ammunition.

3 - Heavy metal detoxification and reduction of radiation damage

Environmental physicians consider so-called chelating agents essential, which can bind metals and toxic fat-soluble substances and excrete them in a water-soluble form. The problem with foreign chelating agents (DMPS, DMSA, Ca-EDTA, etc.) is that they also bind desired metal ions (iron, zinc, manganese, etc.) and remove them from the body – how fatal! If the amount of poisoning is very high, the administration of these chelating agents is of course medically necessary.

R-alpha-lipoic acid, a natural chelating agent, can bind heavy metals (lead, cadmium, arsenic, etc.) and bring them to excretion via the kidneys without transporting away important metal ions for the body.

Also, results and studies from disaster areas (Korkina et al. 1993) show surprisingly good results in radiation accidents with radioactivity.

4 – Lens Protection (Eyes)

Through metabolic diseases, a diet too high in sugar or diabetes mellitus, blood sugar gets out of balance and unwanted glyco-proteins are created; so-called Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGEs) – glued proteins: skin ages faster and the proteins in the eye lens stick together and become cloudy.

The formation of AGEs proceeds slowly and is – according to the state of knowledge 2018 – no longer reversible. This is why this process increasingly occurs with age.

The good news: Clinical studies (Bierhaus et al. 1997) showed that the administration of glycosylated proteins reduces the content of antioxidants and mediates vessel inflammation.

But this loss of antioxidants and the formation of inflammations could be completely prevented by the administration of R-alpha-lipoic acid (Priosa® defense retard). Prevention can thus be undertaken.

5 - Transport Function & Protection for Building Blocks That Are Difficult to Transport Into Cells

Priosa® defense retard exists in a fatty environment as R-alpha-lipoic acid and in an aqueous environment as dihydrolipoic acid. This conversion occurs only through the release/uptake of an electron. Thus Priosa® defense retard can easily cross the blood-brain barrier.

It appears that fatty acids used in the brain, e.g. omega 9, through the simultaneous presence of R-alpha-lipoic acid, protects the fatty acids and brings them more easily into the brain. Furthermore, R-alpha-lipoic acid can also couple itself to substances that only pass through these barriers with difficulty or sporadically and thus strengthen their effect. (see point 9)

6 - Blood Vessel Protection

Heart attacks and cardiovascular failure are at the top of the list of causes of death. It is worthwhile to take a closer look here as well. There are various, very exciting, established metabolic phenomena about the vascular benefits of R-alpha-lipoic acid. We have selected a few studies, also experienced in practice, as examples:

1. Study: Hu, Wang, Li 2016
R-alpha-lipoic acid reduces oxidative stress and homocysteine-induced vascular endothelial damage
2.    Study: Zang, Frei 2001
They found that alpha-lipoic acid reduces the signals that promote atherosclerosis.
3.    Study: Packer, Colman 2000
By administering alpha-lipoic acid, the vitamin E content in LDL fat particles increases and can protect the heart from the consequences of a heart attack by 50% (reperfusion damage)
4.    Study: Passwater 1995
Alpha-lipoic acid reduces cholesterol levels in blood and blood vessels by 40% and increases oxygen uptake into various tissues by 70-120% depending on the tissue

7 - Priosa® defense retard and the Nervous System 

Alzheimer's dementia patients who were given alpha-lipoic acid for diabetic polyneuropathy (nerve disorder caused by sugar) showed at least a halt in dementia, and in some cases even an improvement (Study Münch et al. 2000).
Further evidence that free radicals are involved in the formation of protein deposits in the brain (in Alzheimer's) is that oxidized lipids were found in brain tissue posthumously (Study Packer, Colman 2000) and that NF-kB, which is an inflammation parameter, was elevated.

Priosa® defense retard crosses the blood-brain barrier and centrally regenerates the antioxidants vitamin E, vitamin C, glutathione, and Q10. These counteract nerve degeneration. R-alpha-lipoic acid also improves glucose uptake into nerve cells for energy supply. (see point 9 for this)

Furthermore, an increase in memory performance through R-alpha-lipoic acid was observed in animals (Study: Packer and Colman 2000)

8 - Protection of Genes 

In simple terms: Free radicals can switch on certain gene segments, which in turn initiate inflammation. The keyword is

Priosa® defense retard is able to intercept free radicals as stressors, balance excessive NF-kB function, and eliminate disturbances from external stimuli at an early stage.

9 – The L-Glutathione Combination

Priosa® defense retard Forte (Forte = with Glutathione) works closely together with the antioxidants Vitamin E, Vitamin C, and Q10. In addition to the effects of R-alpha-lipoic acid described above, which intercepts radicals, Glutathione can also regenerate Vitamin C and E. 

Oral intake of Glutathione is pointless because it cannot penetrate to the sites of action. In Priosa® defense retard Forte, Glutathione is therefore coupled to a transporter – the R-alpha-lipoic acid. This allows Glutathione to overcome all barriers and thus reach the cell and the mitochondria. This is only available at Sanopoly.

As described in the introduction, the secret lies in the fact that R-alpha-lipoic acid can simply change its nature depending on the environment (fatty or aqueous). This also makes it easy to cross the blood-brain barrier and makes this molecular combination an ideal anti-headache preparation.

Since Glutathione is sulfur-containing, it has many important functions in the body (detoxification, DNA repair, protein structure formation, coenzyme function, anti-aging, and much more). 

In Priosa® defense retard Forte, R-alpha-lipoic acid carries Glutathione piggyback and brings it to its site of action in the cell, where the benefits of Glutathione and R-alpha-lipoic acid unfold. This is sensational, because without this combination it would be impossible. Glutathione as a single dose would already be broken down within 1.5 minutes. (Study: Science of the USA, Wendel, 1990)