Alpha-Lipoic Acid

Other names ALA, R-Alpha-Lipoic Acid, Na-R-Alpha-Lipoic Acid

Alpha-lipoic acid is produced naturally by the body, and some people use it as a dietary supplement to improve their mood, focus, and energy levels. But does it actually have such benefits? Read on to find out what the science says.

This nootropic has no healthy human placebo-controlled studies that meet our inclusion criteria. Negative side effects can occur if used carelessly, so make sure you’re aware of the risks of Alpha-Lipoic Acid.

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Benefits

Read about the effects of Alpha-Lipoic Acid in relation to the amount of evidence we've found

Why do people use Alpha-Lipoic Acid?

People who self-experiment with Alpha-Lipoic Acid often state they use it to improve their:

There is a lack of solid scientific evidence for the effectiveness of Alpha-Lipoic Acid for any of these purposes, especially in healthy humans.

Can alpha-lipoic acid reduce brain fog and increase energy levels?

People that use ALA to improve their cognitive performance use it specifically for increased energy levels and increased mental clarity. But is it effective for these purposes?

There is a lack of data on the effectiveness of alpha-lipoic acid for any increased energy or reduced brain fog in healthy humans. There is some anecdotal evidence of people that experienced increase energy levels (see FAQ below), and also some evidence for cognitive enhancement in insulin-resistant people with cognitive impairment [7]. Since insulin resistance is a symptom of poor glucose metabolism, the reason for ALA's cognitive-enhancing in people with certain cognitive problems may be a boost in mental energy.

ALA might boost energy levels for some, but there's a lack of evidence for or against its efficacy in healthy people.

Can alpha-lipoic acid enhance your cognitive performance?

Once again, there are no sources of high-quality data available for us to be able to answer this question.

No studies have been conducted on ALA in healthy humans, but several have examined its cognitive effects in diseased people.

ALA improved cognitive functions in people with insulin resistance and Alzheimer's disease more than it did in patients without insulin resistance that had Alzheimer's disease [8]. This insulin-dependent effect of ALA likely means that it is only (or at least more) effective for people with poor glucose metabolism.

Since insulin resistance varies from individual to individual and within an individual from time A to time B, it might be effective for you in increasing your cognitive performance when you are relatively insulin resistant. If you have been drinking cans of sodas and eating giant pizzas for an entire week, ALA would in theory likely be an effective cognitive enhancer for you. However, even this use case needs to be backed by studies in humans confirming such effects.

ALA can likely enhance cognitive functioning in certain people at certain times, but there is a need for more research on who should take it and when.

Risks

The legality and side effects of Alpha-Lipoic Acid

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about Alpha-Lipoic Acid

How does it feel when you take Alpha-Lipoic Acid?

The following qualitative user experience reports and reviews are included to give you an understanding of what the experience of taking Alpha-Lipoic Acid is like.

Anecdotal alpha-lipoic acid experience reports and reviews

One person who shared their ALA experiences said that he had a strong mental clarity boost and reduced brain fog [10]. He also said the following:

"My own anecdotal experience with taking the compound in 50-75MG quantities is that it seems to clear out brain "gunk" and put me in a super clear, super functional brain state. I can literally feel my brain working faster (9 years of nootropics usage + meditation has sensitized me to the subtlest of changes in processing speed), and my todo list always seems profoundly easier. I just want to get to work." [11]

Another person said it had no measurable or noticeable cognitive effect for them [12].

One person on Reddit reported improved mood from 500mg alpha-lipoic acid [14].

Another redditor said the following:

"Overall I just got feelings of irrtability, restlessness and the sensation of a hundred differnet thoughts firing off my my head at once, but I ad no managment over them. So I stopped taking it, started to feel back to normal by 48 hours. Altough I thought i noticed a slight imrpovment in muscle recovery in the gym. That's all well and good but could not function at work or relax genrally." [15]

How does alpha-lipoic acid work?

Improves NMDA receptor deficits [16]
Reduces oxidative stress [17]
Reverses mitochondrial structural deterioration induced by aging in the hippocampus [18]
Increases glutathione [19]
Improves glucose metabolism [7]
Improves insulin sensitivity [8]

The neuropsychopharmacological effects of alpha-lipoic acid have not yet been fully discovered by researchers.

Should you use alpha-lipoic acid?

There is a lack of high-quality research, especially in healthy humans.

Because of the lack of research on alpha-lipoic acid, we never recommend that people use it.

If you have already decided to use it, here are some guidelines to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks.

How much and how often should you dose alpha-lipoic acid?

Human studies in people with cognitive impairment tend to use doses between 500 and 1800mg. It is usually taken once daily.

Anecdotal reports from dosages used by self-experimenters posting how they use it on the web tend to be lower: between 50mg, and 500mg.

For the Na-R-ALA or R-ALA forms of ALA, lower doses are likely needed for any potential nootropic effects. People tend to use about 100mg of these.

What substances may stack well with alpha-lipoic acid?

There's no high-quality research on the effects of combining alpha-lipoic acid with other substances, such as nootropic drugs or supplements. The safety and efficacy of the below-listed combinations are supported only by anecdotal reports.

People tend to report better effects from alpha-lipoic acid when they use:

Choline sources, such as Alpha-GPC, Choline bitartrate, or Citicoline
Uridine Monophosphate
Carnitine (as ALCAR)
Performance Lab Energy

Before combining any drugs or supplements, talk with your trusted medical professional about the risks involved.

Studies

Studies conducted on the effects of Alpha-Lipoic Acid in healthy humans

Last updated Saturday, June 10, 2023