Bison wrote:This is what we need! Troops on the front line of science, willing to put their health on the line... I bow to your dedication KP of putting yourself through the horrors of eating whole bars of chocolate!!!

Definately seems to work though, BG almost back to normal within 40 mins is pretty impressive.

simon m wrote:So, in plain English, what is the benefit of Na-RALA apart from you getting to eat shit for breakfast?

How could we use thios and when?

Benefits

Supports the Body’s Defense Against Free Radicals*

Recycles Antioxidant Nutrients such as Vitamin C and Vitamin E*

Helps Maintain a Healthy Blood Sugar Level when used as part of the diet*



Lipoic Acid— the "Universal Antioxidant"


Lipoic Acid is often referred to as the “universal antioxidant” for a number of reasons. This substance has a broad range of antioxidant activity that makes it ideally suited as a potent free radical scavenger. An ideal antioxidant would have the ability to quench a wide variety of free radicals, to support the functioning of other antioxidants, to function in watery and fatty environments, and to be present in tissues, cells and extracellular spaces. Lipoic Acid exceeds these criteria and can thus be considered one of the most potent antioxidants available.


Together, LA and DHLA are ideal for the following reasons:2,3,4

1) LA is readily converted to DHLA in various tissues.

2) As a pair, LA and DHLA neutralize superoxide, hydroxyl, peroxyl, and hypochlorus radicals.

3) LA and DHLA form stable complexes with metal ions such as iron, manganese, copper and zinc ions.

4) LA and DHLA scavenge free radicals in fatty and watery environments.

5) DHLA recycles other important antioxidants.


DHLA regenerates vitamin C, vitamin E and glutathione.


Vitamin C, vitamin E and glutathione are key antioxidants that play major roles in the body’s defense mechanism. These antioxidants exert their activity by cycling between their oxidized and reduced forms. This is necessary to maintain the balance between oxidation and its reverse––the neutralization of free radicals by antioxidants.


DHLA is an essential component in the interaction between these antioxidants.5 Studies show that the addition of lipoic acid to liver tissue results in increased vitamin C levels. It has been found that DHLA is responsible for regenerating vitamin C, which in turn regenerates vitamin E.4 DHLA also converts glutathione from its oxidized form back into its free radical scavenging reduced form.4,6 The LA/DHLA pair is vital for prevention of "oxidative stress," which occurs when the balance is tipped in favor of oxidation in cells.5 DHLA helps preserve antioxidants in both the watery cell interior and the fatty structure of cell membranes.7 Evidence from animal studies suggests that DHLA protects the brain against free radical damage.8 By regenerating vitamin C, E, and glutathione in tissue, LA/DHLA help reestablish the antioxidant/oxidant balance in the body.


Lipoic Acid and Blood Sugar


Lipoic acid is a key factor in the cellular process that metabolizes glucose for energy production. LA’s role in blood sugar metabolism is seen in studies on LA and type-2 diabetes. In a small pilot study, thirteen people with type-2 diabetes showed improved utilization of glucose in muscle tissue in response to intravenous administration of LA.9 In a larger controlled trial, 74 people with type-2 diabetes took LA in oral doses of 600, 1200 or 1800 mg per day. After 4 weeks, the normal lowering of blood sugar levels in response to insulin improved.10 In vitro studies have shown that LA has a positive effect on insulin-stimulated uptake of glucose by muscle cells.11


Superiority of the R- form

Lipoic acid comes in two forms, designated as “R-lipoic acid” and “S-lipoic acid.” R- and S- lipoic acid are isomers­­––compounds containing the same atoms with a different arrangement of those atoms in space. R- and S-lipoic acid are optical mirror-images of each other; isomers with this characteristic are called “enantiomers.” R-lipoic acid is naturally synthesized by humans, animals and plants. S-lipoic acid is formed during chemical synthesis of alpha lipoic acid, which produces a mixture of the two enantiomers containing equal parts of each.


Pharmacokinetic studies show that R-lipoic acid reaches higher serum levels than the S- form. Following single oral doses of 50 to 600 mg maximum serum levels of LA were 40 to 50% higher with the R-form.12



In vitro and animal studies have compared the effects of the two alpha lipoic acid isomers. In many cases the naturally occurring R-lipoic acid has shown greater potency than the S-form. For example, R-lipoic acid decreased cataract formation induced by the toxin buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) in rats, while S-lipoic acid had no effect.13 In an in vitro study, brain cells from newborn rats were exposed to two toxins that inhibit synthesis of glutathione, resulting in neuronal degeneration via oxidative stress. Both R- and S-lipoic acid protected cells against oxidative neurotoxicity induced by homocystic acid (HCA). Only R-lipoic acid protected cells against prolonged exposure to BSO.14


The comparative effects of R- and S- lipoic acid on glucose metabolism in insulin-resistant skeletal muscle of rats have also been studied. Zucker obese rats were injected with either the R- or the S- isomers. R- lipoic acid increased insulin-mediated glucose uptake into skeletal muscle, whereas S-lipoic acid had no effect. Additionally, R-lipoic acid stimulated glucose oxidation and glycogen synthesis, whereas S-lipoic acid, again, was without effect. Moreover, R-lipoic acid reduced plasma insulin levels, while S-lipoic acid actually increased plasma insulin by 15%. These findings suggest R-lipoic acid alone helps normalize blood glucose in insulin-resistance subjects, although this has yet to be confirmed in humans.15


Aging is accompanied by a decreased ability of the liver to recycle ascorbic acid following oxidative stress. R-lipoic acid, after two weeks of supplementation to aged rats, reversed the age-related impairment of ascorbic acid recycling and concentration in liver cells.16 A second study confirmed these results. Researchers determined that an RLA-supplemented diet fed to old rats for two weeks resulted in improved mitochondrial function, decreased free radical damage and increased metabolic rate. Whereas a significant decline was seen in ascorbic acid and glutathione levels in the livers of the control rats, the RLA supplemented group showed no decline in the levels of these critical antioxidants.17

julesm wrote:true v true- pointless doing pwo
you obviously know about study bias and set decent confidence intervals with your self experimenting

would be interesting nonetheless to see how effective na-rala is on different types of carbs though- if they are all equal?

did you get the strips on script or buy them?

why roche over any other monitor? i nearly jumped ship to lifescan recently (one touch) ....jobwise but didnt bother

Hugh wrote:Excellent !!

What about chromium polinicotinate

I read some guys use up to 600-1000 mg of R-ALA for cutting.