Does alpha lipoic acid have another name?

Answer 1

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is also often referred to as Lipoic Acid (LA). There are some related terms that you have to be very careful about. Unless they specify otherwise, Lipoic Acid supplements on the market are a 50/50 mixture of the natural R-lipoic acid (R-ALA) and the synthetic S-lipoic acid. In some cases the S form is simply less effective than the R form, but in other cases the S form actually acts in opposition to the effects of the R form. So, if you intend to purchase lipoic acid supplements, you need to make sure you are getting only the R-Alpha Lipoic Acid (R-ALA). And that is not all. Once the S form is taken out, the lipoic acid becomes unstable. Make sure the supplement you get is STABILIZED R-Alpha Lipoic Acid. You can find more details about these issues in the links below.