Role of Alpha Lipoic Acid in the Treatment of Neuropathy

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Alpha lipoic acid (ALA or thioctic acid), is a sulfur-containing molecule that is synthesized in body from a fatty acid called octanoic acid. The primary established use for alpha-lipoic acid is the therapy of diabetic neuropathy. Nerve damage from diabetes is called diabetic neuropathy. There are 4 types of diabetic neuropathy: peripheral, autonomic, focal, and proximal. When occurring in the extremities, neuropathy can lead to pain, tingling, and numbness. Diabetic neuropathy results as a consequence of harm to nerves caused by periods of high blood sugar. High blood sugar can injure nerve fibers throughout your body, however diabetic neuropathy typically damages nerves in your legs and feet.

Alpha Lipoic Acid Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment and Studies

ALA is a strong lipophilic free radical scavenger of peripheral nerve both in vitro and in vivo. ALA protects nerves through its antioxidant properties, which improve blood flow to nerves and helps maintain rapid nerve conduction speed. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is one of the most common and painful complications of diabetes. For patients suffering from peripheral neuropathy, alpha-lipoic acid may help to alleviate pain, itching and numbness. Generally, the available research demonstrates that therapy with 600 mg/day of intravenous alpha lipoic acid for 3 weeks significantly reduces the symptoms of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Oral and Intravenous (IV) alpha-lipoic acid has been used for years to treat peripheral neuropathy in Germany.

A review in the Apr 2010 edition of  The Netherlands Journal of Medicine showed that ALA, when administered either intravenously or orally at a dosage of 600 mg daily, led to important diminution in pain among people suffering from diabetic neuropathy. A Romanian study of 26 participants found symptomatic healing with oral alpha lipoic acid (600mg daily) after 3 months. In a study, oral with 1,200 mg/day of Alpha-lipoic acid for 6 weeks improved a measure of capillary perfusion in the fingers of eight diabetic patients with peripheral neuropathy.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in 181 patients with diabetic neuropathy found that oral with 600 mg/day, 1,200 mg/day, or 1,800 mg/day of alpha-lipoic acid for 5 weeks significantly improved neuropathic symptoms. In this study, the 600 mg/day dose was as effective as the higher doses. Taking alpha-lipoic acid may help other diabetes-related problem called autonomic neuropathy. One study found that seventy-three people with cardiac autonomic neuropathy, which affects the heart, demonstrated fewer signs of the condition when taking 800 mg of ALA orally compared to placebo.

ALA provided significant symptom improvement and delay in the progression of neurologic deficit in patients with diabetic neuropathy in the 4-year NATHAN study. Scientists have suggested that a decrease in the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy secondary to a reduction in oxidative stress may be a potential mechanism of action consistent with the antioxidant effect of ALA. In the Feb 2004 edition of Diabetic Medicine, scientists explain their meta-analysis of clinical findings on the intravenous therapy of diabetic neuropathy with thioctic acid. Their examination shows that a therapy regimen consisting of an intravenous dose of 600 mg of lipoic acid per day for 3 weeks significantly reduces the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy. Dr. Dan Ziegler’s team at the German Diabetes Clinic has performed a number of trials in people with type 2 diabetes trying to determine optimal doses of alpha lipoic acid for diabetic neuropathy. The Alpha-Lipoic Acid in Diabetic Neuropathy Study found important effect in using intravenous alpha lipoic acid for a period of 3 weeks, with an therapeutic dose of 600 or 1200mg daily.

Can Alpha Lipoic Acid Help Type 2 Diabetes Treatment?

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Alpha-lipoic acid (thioctic acid or ALA) is an antioxidant that is produced naturally by your body. Blood sugars and insulin sensitivity have also been shown to improve with ALA treatment. ALA is used for diabetes and nerve-related symptoms of diabetes including burning, pain, and numbness in the legs and arms. ALA are approved in Germany for the therapy of these symptoms.

Alpha Lipoic Acid Diabetes Benefits

In several studies, ALA appears to help lower blood sugar levels. A review of literature reported in Endocrine, Metabolic and Immune Disorders Drug Targets in 2009 demonstrated that ALA was an efficacious medicinal agent. Supplement of 300 mg of alpha-lipoic acid a day for 4 weeks improved vascular health by 44 % in diabetics, compared to a placebo. A study reported in the autumn 2006 edition of  Hormones demonstrated  that insulin sensitivity improved in type 2 diabetic patients who took 600 mg of ALA twice daily for 4 weeks.

In a study of 20 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, intravenous infusion of 500 mg/day of alpha lipoic acid for 10 days also improved insulin sensitivity when measured 24 hours after the last infusion. A clinical trial in 13 people with type 2 diabetes mellitus found that a single intravenous infusion of 1000 mg of alpha-lipoic acid improved insulin-stimulated insulin sensitivity by 50% compared to a placebo infusion. In a study of a controlled-release form of oral alpha lipoic acid, 15 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus took 900 mg/day for 6 weeks and 1,200 mg/day for another 6 weeks, in addition to their current drugs. At the end of 12 weeks, plasma fructosamine concentrations decreased by approximately 10% from baseline.

Seventy-four patients were divided into four groups (600 mg Lipoic acid once, twice, or thrice daily and placebo) for a four-week study to investigate its effects on insulin sensitivity, using a measurement called the MCR (Metabolic Clearance of Glucose). Alpha-lipoic acid therapy led to important improvement in MCR, though there was no significant difference between doses. A meta-analysis of clinical studies of ALA in diabetic patients demonstrated a important reduction in neuropathic symptoms. Diabetes patients are  prone to kidney disease due to oxidative stress. A German study demonstrated that diabetic patients with kidney disease who were with ALA had a slower progression in their illness than non-treated people over a period of 18 months.

Can Ginger Root Help Cancer Treatment?

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Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a plant native to India and China. Ginger contains some important active components, including volatile oils and phenol compounds such as gingerols, shogaols and zingerone. Gingerols, shogaols, zingerone, and volatile oils give ginger its distinct aroma, as well as its health effects. Some pungent components present in ginger and other zingiberaceous plants have strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and some of them exhibit cancer preventive effect in experimental carcinogenesis.

Ginger Cancer Prevention and Treatment

Ginger has been known to display antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiproliferative effects, indicating its promising role as a chemopreventive agent. Therapy with (6)-gingerol, has been found to have the activity to kill cancerous cells according to a study reported in March 2007 edition of  Molecular Nutrition and Clinical Research. Researchers at the “University of Michigan” have showed that ginger root  kills ovarian cancer cells by inducing apoptotic and autophagic cell death. “In multiple ovarian cancer cell lines, we found that ginger induced cell death at a similar or better rate than the platinum-based chemotherapy drugs typically used to treat ovarian cancer,” says Jennifer Rhode, M.D. a gynecologic oncology fellow at the U-M Medical School.

In a 2003 study, rats with colorectal tumors who were injected with ginger had significantly less tumor growth and spreading than control rats. A new study was performed at the University of Minnesota’s Hormel Institute in Austin, that show consuming ginger root may reduce tumors and aid in cancer prevention. Researchers at the “University of Minnesota” evaluated the effect of ginger on lab mice injected with human bowel cancer tumour cells. Twenty mice were fed the ginger before receiving therapy. A control group of mice was also injected with cancer but not fed the spice. After 2 weeks, 13 tumours had appeared among the control mice, but just 4 among the ginger-treated animals. Ginger root reduced markers of colon inflammation in a select group of patients, according to a study  reported in “Cancer Prevention Research“. By researchers at the University of  Michigan Medical School, enrolled 30 patients and randomly assigned them to 2 g of ginger per day or placebo for 28 days. After 28 days, the scientists measured standard levels of colon inflammation and found statistically significant decrease in most of these markers, and trends toward significant decrease in others.

Some researches demonstrate that ginger root may help reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer, kill cancerous cells.  Detailed studies have approved that  ginger root extract perturbed cell-cycle progression, impaired reproductive capacity, modulated cell-cycle and apoptosis regulatory molecules and induced a caspase-driven, mitochondrially mediated apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells. A study out of  “Georgia State University” demonstrated  ginger root extract was able to shrink prostate tumor size by 56 % in mice. Tumour tissue from ginger root extract -treated mice demonstrated reduced proliferation index and widespread apoptosis compared with controls, as determined by immunoblotting and immunohistochemical methods.

Ginger Root Can be An Important Treatment For Arthritis

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Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a plant native to China, South East Asia, West Africa and the Caribbean. This spice has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for hundreds of years to fight inflammation and rheumatism. Ginger contains active ingredients, including gingerols, which have anti-inflammatory effects. Its ability to reduce inflammation is especially beneficial for those with either rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Several lab and animal-based studies have found ginger root can reduce the production of several chemical substances that promote joint inflammation. (Powdered ginger is more strong than fresh ginger).

Ginger Pain Relief and Arthritis Treatment

Ginger has been shown to alleviate the pain of arthritis. The discovery of ginger’s inhibitory properties on prostaglandin biosynthesis in the early 1970s has been repeatedly confirmed. Ginger root suppresses prostaglandin synthesis through inhibition of  COX-1 (cyclooxygenase-1) and COX-2 (cyclooxygenase-2).  In a 1992 study reported in the journal, “Medical Hypotheses“, all 56 participants who suffered from osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and other muscular disorders experienced healing in pain and inflammation while taking powdered ginger. In the period of therapy with ginger root, none of the participants reported side effects like they did with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids and other anti-inflammatory medications.

GingerIn a study of 56 people, ginger root extract was effective in reducing pain and inflammation in three-quarters of the arthritis patients and all of the patients with muscular discomfort. According to a study reported in “Arthritis and Rheumatism“, Nov 2001, ginger root can lessen the pain and suffering of people who have osteoarthritis as well as conventional medications or painkillers. One study shows that taking Zintona EC (a specific ginger extract) 250 mg four times daily reduced arthritis pain in the knee after three months of therapy.

Ginger root is efficacious as a therapy for pain and inflammation, according to a 2005 research reported in Archives of Iranian Medicine.  Scientists found that pain fell approximately 50% for people in the ginger and ibuprofen groups. A study reported n 2006 in the Indian Journal of  Rheumatology found that ginger root was as powerful as the standard medication indomethacin in relieving knee pain. A 2008 study in the British journal “Food and Chemical Toxicology” demonstrated that ginger acts as an anti-inflammatory, along with many other favorable effects. In a 2012 in vitro study, Eurovita Extract 77 (a specialized ginger extract) reduced inflammatory reactions in rheumatoid arthritis synovial cells as effectively as steroids.

In a study, a special ginger root extract combined with glucosamine worked as well as the anti-inflamatory drug diclofenac slow release 100 mg daily plus glucosamine sulfate 1 g daily. In another study of 261 participants with osteoarthritis of the knee, those who took a ginger root extract twice daily had less pain and needed fewer pain-killing drugs than those who received placebo. In other study compared the effects of a highly concentrated ginger root extract to placebo in 247 participants with osteoarthritis of the knee. The ginger extract reduced pain and stiffness in knee joints by 40% over the placebo. “Research shows that ginger affects certain inflammatory processes at a cellular level,” says the study’s lead author, Roy Altman, MD, at the University of California.

Are Ginger Effective in Treating Nausea?

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Ginger (Zingiber officinale), has a long history of medicinal use in Asia. Several studies showed that ginger effectively reduces nausea and vomiting caused by motion sickness, surgery, and morning sickness during pregnancy.  The antiemetic action of ginger root is attributed to its constituents, gingerol and and shogaol their interactions with 5HT-3 receptors.  Ginger has been approved by German Commission E for indigestion and to help prevent motion sickness.

Nausea and Vomiting Treatment

A double-blind placebo-controlled study of 79 Swedish naval cadets demonstrated that 1 grams of ginger root could reduce nausea and vertigo at sea.  A double blind study aboard a ship demonstrated ginger was equally as efficacious as various drugs in controlling seasickness, in a large study of 1489 individuals. In a 2006 report from the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, researchers sized up 5 studies and concluded that taking ginger root is more powerful than placebo for post surgery nausea and vomiting. The effectiveness of  ginger root as an antiemetic agent was compared with placebo and metoclopramide in 60 women who had major gynaecological surgery in a study. There were statistically significantly fewer recorded incidences of nausea in the group that received ginger compared with placebo. The number of incidences of nausea in the groups that received either metoclopramide or ginger were similar.

Ginger for Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy

NauseaClinical trials show that 1g daily of ginger root may reduce nausea and vomiting in pregnant women when used for short periods.  A 2004 study performed at Australia’s University of Adelaide found ginger root reduced nausea related to pregnancy. In a study of 30 pregnant women with severe vomiting, those who took 1 g of ginger root every day for four days provided more relaxation from vomiting than those who took placebo.  A review of 6 study with a total of 675 women, reported in the April 2005 edition of the journal, “Obstetrics and Gynecology”, has showed that ginger root is efficacious in relieving the  severity of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.

Ginger for Chemotherapy-related Nausea in Cancer Patients

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting is a common adverse effect of cytotoxic therapy. Early research findings that ginger root may reduce the severity and length of time that cancer patients feel nauseous after chemotherapy. In a study, of over 600 cancer patients found that a ginger root extract lessen chemotherapy-induced nausea by 40%. The Phase II/III placebo-controlled, double-blind study included 644 cancer patients who would receive at least 3 chemotherapy. Patients were divided into four arms that received placebos, 0.5 g of ginger, 1 g of ginger, or 1.5 g of ginger along with antiemetics. They took the ginger supplements 3 days prior to chemotherapy and 3 days following therapy. Patients reported nausea levels at different times of day during following their chemotherapy and those who took the lower doses had a 40% decrease.