Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA)

[chiang mai]

I'm curious to know if any forum members are taking ALA to lower blood glucose levels and if so what success they have had with it - the few reports/studies of ALA that do exist seem generally favorable although none of the studies have been large enough to be conclusive.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

It's good stuff and helpful for glucose issues. It's available in Thailand but expensive.

Try experimenting with it... Like a lot of supplements it helps some and not others depending on specific inbalances and issues.

Best to buy good quality/value and ship or bring it in.

[chiang mai]

It's good stuff and helpful for glucose issues. It's available in Thailand but expensive.

Try experimenting with it... Like a lot of supplements it helps some and not others depending on specific inbalances and issues.

Best to buy good quality/value and ship or bring it in.

Thanks for that, any idea on doseage, I've read 600 mg a day for diabetes but the pharma's up here only seem to have 50mg tabs?

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Probably depends on your supply. If your buying it in Thailand the 600mg dose is going to be expensive.

What does a bottle of 50 mg cost? times 12 to equal 600 mg. That could be 500+ baht per day.

It's reasonable cost if you buy in the US. Maybe 100 baht per month for 600 mg per day.

As a cost example

http://www.puritan.com/antioxidants-040/alpha-lipoic-acid-600-mg-017965

[chiang mai]

I just got similar numbers from the UK, very inexpensive indeed. Here, Facino's, 50mg x 14 = THB 350, argghhh! It might be time for a UK trip.

[chiang mai]

Today I found a pharamacy in the basement of Gad Suan Gow (sp) called Green Health, ALA, 250 mg x 60 tabs, made in the USA, THB 1,250, it works for me.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

check this out from Iherb

I guess they postmark from within Thailand so it's cheap and reliable.

http://www.iherb.com/search?kw=ala&x=-898&y=-140#p=1

[chiang mai]

check this out from Iherb

I guess they postmark from within Thailand so it's cheap and reliable.

http://www.iherb.com/search?kw=ala&x=-898&y=-140#p=1

Neat, where do you see the info about shipping within Thailand, all I can see is lots of disclaimers about Customs?

[beammeup]

Man you have to very carful with ALA, I took it for a year not knowing that it chellates mercury. I was sick a lot., I had 13 amalgam fillings. I stopped the ALA and havent been sick since. I've had the fillings removed and am thinkling of going back onto the ALA at low dosage. I have seen it in pharmacies in Thailand

[chiang mai]

Man you have to very carful with ALA, I took it for a year not knowing that it chellates mercury. I was sick a lot., I had 13 amalgam fillings. I stopped the ALA and havent been sick since. I've had the fillings removed and am thinkling of going back onto the ALA at low dosage. I have seen it in pharmacies in Thailand

Thanks, I've read up on this issue but since I don't have any amalgam fillings it is not a concern, others should take note however.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

check this out from Iherb

I guess they postmark from within Thailand so it's cheap and reliable.

http://www.iherb.com/search?kw=ala&x=-898&y=-140#p=1

Neat, where do you see the info about shipping within Thailand, all I can see is lots of disclaimers about Customs?

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/649473-quality-suplimentals-cheap-shiping/

[chiang mai]

Thanks CSN, much appreciated.

[chiang mai]

Just to wrap up: this stuff works really well, so much so that it's almost scary and it starts me wondering why sites like Diabetes UK and such like are not recommending it. Conversly it has to be said there are no negative reports out there on the subject, unless you have amalgam fillings of course (see earlier post),

I've been taking 250 mg a day for four days and my glucose readings are substantiantially lower, as a result I'm self testing more frequently so as to better understand the changes. But this morning my fasting number was 96 (I get sub 100 40% of the time and sub 110 the remainder), I ate half a cup (dry) of oatmeal plus one cup milk plus flax seeds and then went to the gym, after the gym I recorded 85 which is a normal fasting level for non-diabetics, luckily I'm going to see my endo this week so it'll be interesting to see what she has to say. Whatever, I'm just really pleased I'm not seeing those 160's any more, hopefully never again.

[beammeup]

I found some at the Watsons pharmasy it was mixed with some Bio rice bran (or something like that)

[chiang mai]

Regrettably I've got to reverse my earlier opinion on ALA, after taking it for a week it did indeed lower my blood glucose levels but I coincidently had a blood test for liver function after one week and the numbers were pretty bad, consequently I had to stop taking it and the liver function returned to normal! I'd urge anyone who is taking ALA for this purpose to doa blood test to determine if it's having a negative affect. I also talked to my endocrinologist about this this morning and she said my experience is not unusual, folks need to tread really really carefully with this.

[Somnambulist]

Man you have to very carful with ALA, I took it for a year not knowing that it chellates mercury. I was sick a lot., I had 13 amalgam fillings. I stopped the ALA and havent been sick since. I've had the fillings removed and am thinkling of going back onto the ALA at low dosage. I have seen it in pharmacies in Thailand

ALA is very effective at chelating mercury and other heavy metals but that's only half the battle. It's still in the bloodstream and will just end up in a different place unless you take something such as spirulina to usher it safely out of your body.

[uptheos]

Today I found a pharamacy in the basement of Gad Suan Gow (sp) called Green Health, ALA, 250 mg x 60 tabs, made in the USA, THB 1,250, it works for me.

My son brings it over for me, you might like to look at the prices here.

http://www.puritanspride.co.uk/alpha-lipoic-cid-530.html