Our Alpha Lipoic Acid Reviews At A Glance
Incredible quality and price
Superior Labs Alpha Lipoic Acid
Superior Labs is known for its high-quality practices and has thousands of excellent reviews.
Brand has a great reputation
Thorne Alpha Lipoic Acid
Thorne enjoys a stellar reputation among health professionals and professional sports leagues such as the NFL, UFC, NBA, and MLB. We almost always recommend Thorne when possible.
Best for controlling dosage
Bulk Supplements Alpha Lipoic Acid
If you are looking to control your ALA dosage, this ALA powder by Bulk Supplements is one of the best quality alpha-lipoic acid options.
Batch tested, independently verified
Toniiq Alpha Lipoic Acid
Toniiq’s line of wellness products are batch tested for purity and verified by an independent lab. They look good in your medicine cabinet, too.
Good brand, good value
Nature’s Bounty Alpha Lipoic Acid
Nature’s Bounty has 50 years of experience creating top-quality nutritional supplements. Their ALA capsules contain 200mg of pure ALA.
First: Who am I, and why did we write this article?
I’m Dusan Stojanovic, and I’m a nutrition and supplement content specialist with over four years of experience and 1000s of articles under my belt about topics in the nutrition, supplement, and health and wellness space. I specialize in writing about supplements and how they can be used to optimize your health.
We published this article because we’ve seen growing interest in alpha lipoic acid, including for skin care, weight loss, in combination with other supplements, and related to sleep. We wanted to create the most comprehensive source of information online about the subject, because it also happened to be in our wheelhouse. The Unwinder strives to publish high-quality, trustworthy information about ‘new wellness’ that its readers can use as a reference for making decisions about how they can best optimize their health.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is a naturally occurring compound that helps our bodies produce energy. It has antioxidant properties and plays a vital role in preventing cellular damage, protecting neurons, and may also have antidepressant effects.
Due to ALA’s role in aerobic metabolism, people have used it for weight loss for quite some time. Here, I’ll help you to learn more about alpha-lipoic acid with respect to its main health benefits and where to buy it.
What Is Alpha Lipoic Acid Used For?
Weight loss is by far the most popular reason people use ALA supplements. Studies show that taking ALA daily may help obese people with weight management. Participants in this particular study who took ALA supplements lost more weight compared to the placebo group. A 2017 meta-analysis presented similar findings, highlighting the small but significant potential of ALA supplementation in short-term weight loss.
Some studies have hinted at the possible benefits of ALA supplementation in people with diabetes. The most significant potential lies in regulating insulin resistance and easing the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy. This condition occurs when excess glucose damages nerves, resulting in pain, tingling sensation, numbness, or even inability to use certain body parts.
Due to its antioxidant properties, ALA also has the potential to help with many chronic conditions, including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and osteoporosis. However, most of the results are mixed and we need further studies to estimate ALA’s true ability to improve these conditions.
In addition, ALA supplements could potentially be used for obstetrics and gynecology, as research shows it has great potential in these areas. They can help reduce oxidative stress in women with polycystic ovary syndrome, prevent endometriosis, reduce the symptoms of painful bladder syndrome, and treat neuropathic pain. For these reasons, using ALA supplements could be beneficial during pregnancy, but women should consult with their doctor or primary health provider before doing so.
Alpha Lipoic Reviews: How We Help You Choose The Best Alpha Lipoic Acid Supplement
If you are searching for the best alpha-lipoic acid supplement brand, our reviews of the following brands should help you make the right decision. We used several important factors when researching these supplements to find the best brand of alpha-lipoic acid.
For any product review on The Unwinder, our first criteria are the user reviews and real-life results people get with these supplements. Even though fake online reviews can paint a misleading picture, we take the time necessary to read each one in order to determine whether or not they are written by real users. After that, we check each brand’s history to make sure their products are top quality. Finally, we review their manufacturing practices, certificates, labels, and third-party reports.
For evaluating alpha lipoic acid, the purity of ALA supplements is particularly important, as some supplements may be misrepresented or contain harmful ingredients. It is essential to choose supplements that have been third-party tested for both purity and potency. For example, Superior Labs, our top choice, is NSF-certified, which ensures the quality and sanitation of their products. Additionally, some supplements may contain added ingredients such as grape seed oil and Bioperine to enhance absorption and potency, which we recommend against. We also recommended supplements with a lower dosage, around 100-200mg, as many people already consume ALA in their diets and high doses may be unnecessary or potentially harmful in the long run.
Now that you know how we picked them, it’s time to discover the top-rated alpha-lipoic acid supplements!
Best Overall Alpha Lipoic Acid
Superior Labs Alpha Lipoic Acid
This ALA supplement comes in capsule form, with 600 mg of pure ALA per capsule. There are 120 servings in each container and the company states that its main health benefits include maintaining healthy blood sugar levels, promoting nerve health, and easing tingling sensations.
Superior Labs is known for its high-quality practices and has thousands of excellent reviews. We selected it as the best alpha-lipoic acid brand because everything is manufactured in an FDA-approved, GMP-certified facility and inspected by 3rd parties for quality.
Brand has a great reputation
Thorne Alpha Lipoic Acid
This bottle of ALA from Thorne contains 60 capsules of pure alpha-lipoic acid, each containing 300 mg, for $32.00. It is recommended to take 1 capsule two to three times daily for best results. Unlike many other ALA supplements, this product does not contain any unnecessary binders, coatings, disintegrants, fillers, or lubricants and is one of the most bioavailable ALA supplements available.
Best Alpha Lipoic Acid Powder
Bulk Supplements ALA Powder
If you are looking to control your ALA dosage, this ALA powder by Bulk Supplements is one of the best quality alpha-lipoic acid options. You mix in ¼ tablespoon of powder in your shake, juice, or water, and drink it once or twice a day. One serving contains around 600 mg of ALA.
This ALA powder is manufactured to cGMP standards, and it’s third-party verified and quality-tested. The standard pack is 250 g (8.81 ounces), and it’s enough for 417 servings.
Batch tested, independently verified
Toniiq Alpha Lipoic Acid
Toniq is a major name when it comes to both purity and potency. This bottle of high-strength ALA contains 120 capsules of 99% alpha-lipoic acid, each containing 500 mg, for $18.97. This ALA is encapsulated in vegetarian capsules and is highly bioavailable.
Best ALA Capsules
Nature’s Bounty Alpha Lipoic Acid
Nature’s Bounty has 50 years of experience creating top-quality nutritional supplements. Their ALA capsules contain 200mg of pure ALA and should be taken twice daily. The bottle contains 30 capsules, so one container will last you 15 days.
This supplement is manufactured in the US and contains no artificial flavors, preservatives, sweeteners, or colors. It is excellent for people looking for lower-dose ALA capsules.
Read our complete guide to using alpha lipoic acid here.
Editor’s note: we are regularly updating this review. If you see any problems, weird interpretations of the data, or just want to say hi, please reach out to hello@the-unwinder.com.
Photo by Peter Conlan on Unsplash
