On 12/4/07 at 11:30 PM on HDNet (HD TV) there was a segment on medications made in India hosted by Dan Rather.  In 1972 India passed a law basically making all medications in India generic (no patent).  However, in 2005 they changed the law in order to join the World Trade Organization.  The way I understand it, all patents after 2005 will be honored by India.  The HDNet segment claimed that the generic medications in India had to pass the same inspections as medications manufactured in the US.  They noted an AIDS drug that went for $77 per year in India but sold for $10,000 per year in the US.  I've been taking a quarter tablet of letrozole from OffshoreRx1.com in India to prevent aromatization.  It's still being sold as generic and I've never given quality a second thought.

Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 12/12/07.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

Another Study Finds Heart Risks in a Diabetes Drug - New York Times, 12/11/07 - "Avandia users had a 60 percent increased risk of heart failure, a 40 percent increased risk of heart attacks and a 30 percent increased risk of death, compared with patients taking other oral diabetes medicines"

Waist, Hips May Predict Heart Disease - WebMD, 12/10/07 - "a big waist with comparably big hips does not appear to be as worrisome as a big waist with small hips"

Elevated Insulin, Glucose Raise Risk of Polyp Recurrence - Medscape, 12/10/07 - "patients with elevated insulin or glucose at the time of adenoma removal are at increased risk for recurrent adenoma ... Levels of glucose that produced the increased risk in this study were actually not very high, 99 mg/dL, which is right at the border of what we would describe as impaired fasting glucose ... the odds ratio for a recurrent polyp with advanced histology or large size was 2.43 at a fasting glucose level above 99 mg/dL ... These results "fit with the theory that insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, and hyperglycemia promote the development of colorectal neoplasia,""

Black Raspberries and Esophageal Cancer - Medscape, 12/10/07 - "Most important, 8-epiprostaglandin F2α (8-isoprostane) declined significantly after berry consumption (P < .05), with dramatic individual level declines occurring in 58% of the study patients" - See raspberry extracts at iHerb.

Eating More Red And Processed Meats Linked To Greater Risk For Bowel And Lung Cancer, Findings Suggest - Medscape, 12/10/07 - "people who eat a lot of red and processed meats have greater risk of developing colorectal and lung cancer than people who eat small quantities. They also indicate that a high red meat intake is associated with an increased risk of esophageal and liver cancer and that 1 in 10 colorectal and 1 in 10 lung cancers could be avoided if people reduced their red and processed meat intake to the lowest quintile"

Green Tea Shown To Possess Antitumor Effect In Breast Cancer - Science Daily, 12/8/07 - "green tea has antitumor effect in breast cancer cells ... Dr. Maheshwari’s study observed that green tea can inhibit the invading capacity of these breast cancer cells and have also identified the mechanisms involved in death inducing and invasion inhibiting effects of green tea" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.

Patients With Mild Cushing Syndrome May Benefit From Adrenalectomy - Science Daily, 12/8/07 - "Diabetes and hypertension improved considerably in most affected patients after adrenalectomy. In addition, all eight patients who reported easy bruising before surgery noted resolution of the problem, and seven of the nine patients lost weight. Fat accumulation around the neck disappeared and muscle weakness improved, often markedly ... patients with subclinical Cushing syndrome rarely have enough cortisol in their urine to raise concern ... The cutoff values are intentionally set high so that we minimize the false positives" - Also see my cortisol page.

Sugar and Alzheimer's: Are They Linked? - WebMD, 12/7/07 - "The brains of the sugar-fed mice had about twice as many plaque deposits as the mice fed regular water" - [Science Daily]

Diabetes May Increase Woman's Risk of Colorectal Cancer - oncologystat.com, 12/7/07 - "There was about a 50% increased risk of colorectal cancer in women with diabetes ... The researchers hypothesized that the elevated levels of insulin typically seen in people with type 2 diabetes may play a central role. Insulin stimulates the growth of normal colonic and carcinoma cells"

Folate may reduce depression symptoms for men, says study - Nutra USA, 12/7/07 - "male subjects with the highest average intake (235 micrograms per 100 kcal) were 50 per cent less likely to have depressive symptoms than men with the lowest average intake (119 micrograms per 100 kcal)" - [Abstract] - See folic acid at Amazon.com.

Is There an Anticancer Diet? - WebMD, 12/6/07 - "Raw cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, broccoli sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower seem to reduce bladder cancer risk by about 40%"

Chemoprevention, Naturally: Findings On Plant-derived Cancer Medicines - Science Daily, 12/6/07 - "rats fed a diet containing Polyphenon E, a standardized green tea polyphenol preparation, are less than half as likely to develop colon cancer ... After 34 weeks, rats that received Polyphenon E developed 55 percent fewer tumors compared to the control rats that did not receive Polyphenon E. Moreover, the tumors were 45 percent smaller in rats treated with green tea extract" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.

Vitamin D Deficiency Highly Prevalent Among Epilepsy Patients - Medscape, 12/6/07 - "the study showed 44.5% of epilepsy patients — 45.3% of men and 43.7% of women — were vitamin D deficient, putting these patients at potential increased risk for a wide variety of conditions, including osteoporosis, autoimmune disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and infectious disease, among others" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

The Cataracts Are Gone—and So Is the Need for Glasses - US News and World Report, 12/5/07 - "Unlike the standard single-power lenses doctors have been implanting for 30 years, the newer multifocal intraocular lenses and accommodating lenses allow patients to see near, far, and in between—and even to shed their glasses"

Herbal Extract Found To Increase Lifespan - Science Daily, 12/5/07 - "Flies that ate a diet rich with Rhodiola rosea, an herbal supplement long used for its purported stress-relief effects, lived on an average of 10 percent longer than fly groups that didn’t eat the herb ... Although this study does not present clinical evidence that Rhodiola can extend human life, the finding that it does extend the lifespan of a model organism, combined with its known health benefits in humans, make this herb a promising candidate for further anti-aging research ... Rhodiola rosea ... has been used by Scandinavians and Russians for centuries for its anti-stress qualities ... patients taking a Rhodiola extract called SHR-5 reported fewer symptoms of depression than did those who took a placebo" - See Rhodiola rosea at Amazon.com.

Mental Health Treatment Extends Lives Of Older Patients With Diabetes And Depression - Science Daily, 12/5/07 - "Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine report that older adults with diabetes and depression are half as likely to die over a 5-year period when they receive depression care management than depressed patients with diabetes who do not receive depression care management"

Vinegar at Bedtime Moderates Waking Glucose Level in Type 2 Diabetics - Medscape, 12/4/07 - "The investigators report that the vinegar treatment was especially effective for subjects with a typical fasting glucose greater than 7.2 mmol/L (n = 6). Fasting glucose in these participants was reduced 6% compared with a reduction of 0.7% in those with a typical fasting glucose less than 7.2 mmol/L" - See Source Naturals, Apple Cider Vinegar.  1 Source Natural 500 mg tablet equals 2 tsb of vinegar.  4.5 tablets equals about 3 tablespoons by my calculations.

• Vinegar may help dieters eat less - Nutra USA, 9/7/05 - "Both glucose and insulin responses were about 25 per cent lower at 90 minutes when the volunteers had consumed the highest level of vinegar compared to the reference meal ... This level of vinegar is equivalent to about two to three tablespoons"
• Vinegar supplementation lowers glucose and insulin responses and increases satiety after a bread meal in healthy subjects - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2005 Jun 2 - "Compared with the reference meal, the highest level of vinegar significantly lowered the blood glucose response at 30 and 45 min"
• Vinegar as a Sweet Solution? - Science News, 12/18/04 - "2 tablespoons of vinegar before a meal—perhaps, as part of a vinaigrette salad dressing—will dramatically reduce the spike in blood concentrations of insulin and glucose that come after a meal ... vinegar cut their blood-glucose rise in the first hour after a meal by about half ... a 2-pound weight loss, on average, over the 4 weeks in the vinegar group"

Fit Beats Fat for a Longer Life - WebMD, 12/4/07 - "Fitness was found to be a strong predictor of longevity in the study, which involved adults ages 60 and older, while obesity had little influence on death risk"

Abstracts from this week's Doctor's Guide Nutrition/Dietetics plus abstracts from my RSS feeds (Click here for the journals, the Medline ones at the top):

Childhood dairy intake and adult cancer risk: 65-y follow-up of the Boyd Orr cohort - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Dec;86(6):1722-9 - "High childhood total dairy intake was associated with a near-tripling in the odds of colorectal cancer [multivariate odds ratio: 2.90 (95% CI: 1.26, 6.65); 2-sided P for trend = 0.005] compared with low intake, independent of meat, fruit, and vegetable intakes and socioeconomic indicators"

Dietary fiber intake and retinal vascular caliber in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Dec;86(6):1626-1632 - "Dietary fiber was related to wider retinal arteriolar caliber and narrower venular caliber, which are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. These data add to the growing evidence of the benefits of fiber intake on various aspects of cardiovascular pathogenesis"

L-Carnitine treatment reduces severity of physical and mental fatigue and increases cognitive functions in centenarians: a randomized and controlled clinical trial - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Dec;86(6):1738-44 - "Our study indicates that oral administration of levocarnitine produces a reduction of total fat mass, increases total muscular mass, and facilitates an increased capacity for physical and cognitive activity by reducing fatigue and improving cognitive functions" - See l-carnitine at Amazon.com.

Vitamin B6 treatment for tardive dyskinesia: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study - J Clin Psychiatry. 2007 Nov;68(11):1648-54 - "The mean decrease in ESRS clinical global impression scores from baseline to endpoint was 2.4 points in patients treated with vitamin B(6) and 0.2 points in patients treated with placebo (p < .0001). The mean decrease in the parkinsonism subscale score was 18.5 points and 1.4 points, respectively (p < .00001), and the mean decrease in the dyskinesia subscale score was 5.2 points and -0.8 points, respectively ... Vitamin B(6) appears to be effective in reducing symptoms of TD. The specific mechanisms by which vitamin B(6) attenuates symptoms of TD are not clear"

Soy isoflavone intake increases bone mineral density in the spine of menopausal women: Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - Clin Nutr. 2007 Dec 4 - "Isoflavone intervention significantly attenuates bone loss of the spine in menopausal women. These favorable effects become more significant when more than 90mg/day of isoflavones are consumed. And soy isoflavone consumption for 6 months can be enough to exert beneficial effects on bone in menopausal women"

Coffee consumption and mortality in a 14-year follow-up of an elderly northern Finnish population - Br J Nutr. 2007 Dec 6;:1-8 - "The total mortality rate was inversely related to the number of cups (average volume, 125 ml) of coffee consumed daily. After adjustment for age, sub-period of follow-up, sex, marital status, basic educational level, previous occupational group, current smoking, BMI, history of myocardial infarction, self-rated health and presence of diabetes, cognitive impairment or physical disability, the estimated relative risk reduction of total mortality per an increment of one more cup of coffee per d reported at baseline was 4 (95 % CI 0, 8) % ... The present study provides evidence for daily (caffeine-containing) coffee intake being inversely associated with mortality in the elderly"

Association of folate intake with the occurrence of depressive episodes in middle-aged French men and women - Br J Nutr. 2007 Dec 6;:1-5 - "the risk of experiencing recurrent depressive episodes (two or more) during the follow-up was strongly reduced in men with high folate intake (OR 0.25 (95 % CI 0.06, 0.98) for the highest tertile v. the lowest" - See folic acid at Amazon.com.

Dietary lipoic acid-dependent changes in the activity and mRNA levels of hepatic lipogenic enzymes in rats - Br J Nutr. 2007 Dec 7;:1-9 - "Lipoic acid profoundly decreased serum and liver concentrations of TAG, and also lowered serum concentrations of phospholipid and NEFA, and the concentration of cholesterol in the liver. A hypoglycaemic effect of this compound was also observed. Lipoic acid dose-dependently decreased the activity and mRNA levels of fatty acid synthase, ATP-citrate lyase, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, malic enzyme and pyruvate kinase in the liver despite that reductions were considerably attenuated in the NADPH-producing enzymes. This compound also dose-dependently lowered the mRNA levels of spot 14, adiponutrin, stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1, and Delta5- and Delta6-desaturases. In addition, lipoic acid dose-dependently lowered serum concentrations of insulin and leptin, but increased those of adiponectin. Lipoic acid appeared to reduce hepatic lipogenesis and hence decreases serum and liver lipid levels. Alterations in serum concentrations of insulin and (or) adiponectin may trigger this consequence" - See alpha lipoic acid at Amazon.com.

Dietary intake of folate, other B vitamins, and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in relation to depressive symptoms in Japanese adults - Nutrition. 2007 Nov 29 - "The multivariate odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for depressive symptoms for men in the first, second, third, and fourth quartiles of folate intake were 1.00 (reference), 0.78 (0.38-1.63), 0.57 (0.27-1.18), and 0.50 (0.23-1.06), respectively" - See folic acid at Amazon.com.

Effects of green tea on insulin sensitivity, lipid profile and expression of PPARalpha and PPARgamma and their target genes in obese dogs - Br J Nutr. 2007 Dec 6;:1-9 - "At 12 weeks in the green tea group, mean insulin sensitivity index was 60 (sem 11) % higher (P < 0.05) and TAG concentration 50 (sem 10) % lower (P < 0.001), than baseline ... These findings show that nutritional doses of green tea extract may improve insulin sensitivity and lipid profile and alter the expression of genes involved in glucose and lipid homeostasis"

Effect of the Angiotensin Receptor Blocker Irbesartan on Metabolic Parameters in Clinical Practice: the DO-IT Prospective Observational Study - Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2007 Nov 27;6(1):36 - "Six months of irbesartan therapy decreased systolic blood pressure by 14% (157.4+/-14.7 vs. 135.0+/-10.7 mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure by 13% (92.9+/-9.2 vs. 80.8+/-6.8 mmHg). This was associated with a decrease in body weight (-2.3%), fasting glucose (-9.5%), HbA1c (-4.6%), LDL-cholesterol (-11%), triglycerides (-16%) and gamma-GT (-12%) and an increase in HDL-cholesterol (+5%)"

Effects of androgen deprivation on glycaemic control and on cardiovascular biochemical risk factors in men with advanced prostate cancer with diabetes - Aging Male. 2007 Dec;10(4):189-96 - "In men with insulin-dependent diabetes, androgen deprivation therapy may have negative effects on their glycaemic control and may aggravate the biochemical risk profile of cardiovascular disease to which diabetics are predisposed. These observations are in agreement with the emerging role of low levels of testosterone in metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance"

Erectile dysfunction is associated with low bioactive testosterone levels and visceral adiposity in men with type 2 diabetes - Int J Androl. 2007 Nov;30(6):500-7 - "ED is associated with low bioavailable and free testosterone levels, age, visceral adiposity and hypertension in type 2 diabetic men"

Testosterone, diabetes mellitus, and the metabolic syndrome - Curr Urol Rep. 2007 Nov;8(6):467-71 - "One third of men with type 2 diabetes mellitus are now recognized as testosterone deficient. Emerging evidence suggests that testosterone therapy may be able to reverse some aspects of metabolic syndrome"

Guanidino Compounds After Creatine Supplementation in Renal Failure Patients and their Relation to Inflammatory Status - Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2007 Nov 29 - "Specific guanidino compounds have been described as uraemic toxins and their concentrations are increased in renal failure due to dimished glomerular filtration, whereas the guanidino compound creatine is used as a performance-enhancing substance in athletes. The present study investigates the effects of creatine supplementation on plasma guanidino compounds in a chronic haemodialysis population ... Patients were treated with creatine (2 g/day) or placebo during two treatment periods of 4 weeks ... Upon creatine supplementation, guanidinoacetate concentrations decreased by 15%, due to inhibition of creatine synthesis. Concentrations of alpha-keto-delta-guanidinovaleric acid increased three-fold and argininic acid concentrations doubled" - See creatine at Amazon.com.

Renoprotective effect of the addition of losartan to ongoing treatment with an Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor in type-2 diabetic patients with nephropathy - Hypertens Res. 2007 Oct;30(10):929-35 - "During the 12-month treatment, addition of losartan or addition of an ACE-I to the treatment protocol reduced systolic blood pressure (SBP) by 10% and 12%, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) by 7% and 4%, and urinary albumin excretion by 38% and 20% of the baseline value, respectively. However, the effects on both BP and urinary albumin were not significantly different between the two therapies. In conclusion, addition of losartan or an ACE-I to an ongoing treatment with an ACE-I, or addition of an ACE-I to ongoing treatment with a conventional antihypertensive were equally effective at reducing the urinary albumin excretion and BP, and provided renal protection in patients with type-2 diabetic nephropathy"

Supplement Focus (Alpha Lipoic Acid):

• See alpha lipoic acid at Amazon.com.
• Memory loss in old rats is associated with brain mitochondrial decay and RNA/DNA oxidation: Partial reversal by feeding acetyl-L-carnitine and/or R-alpha -lipoic acid - Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2002 Feb 19;99(4):2356-2361 - "Electron microscopic studies in the hippocampus showed that ALCAR and/or LA reversed age-associated mitochondrial structural decay"
• Alpha Lipoic Acid - Vitacost Health Library - "Chronic administration of alpha lipoic acid in animals has interfered with the actions of the vitamin, biotin. Whether this has significance for humans remains unknown"
• Alpha Lipoic Acid - The Natural Pharmacist
• Lipoic Acid, The Unique Antioxidant - Ray Sahelian, M.D.
• I have noticed more and more articles on the benefits of lipoic acid. What is your opinion of it? - Dr. Murray
• Is there any advantage to taking a timed-release alpha-lipoic acid supplement over an immediate release capsule? - Dr. Murray
• Alpha-Lipoic Acid - thenutritionreporter.com
• Lipoic Acid Explored As Anti-aging Compound - Science Daily, 5/17/07 - "mice supplemented with lipoic acid have a cognitive ability, behavior, and genetic expression of almost 100 detoxification and antioxidant genes that are comparable to that of young animals"
• Alpha-Lipoic Acid Supplements review - ConsumerLab.com, 5/16/07 - "two alpha lipoic acid supplements contained significantly less of this ingredient than promised on their labels"
• Four powerhouse nutrients - Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals, 4/05 - "L-carnitine shuttles fuel into cells to be burned as energy; coenzyme Q10 sparks the energy within the cells; ribose is a component of adenosine triphosphate (ATP); and alpha-lipoic acid increases ATP levels"
• R-Dihydro-Lipoic Acid - The Optimal Form of Lipoic Acid - Life Extension Magazine, 2/05
• Testing of Alpha-Lipoic Acid Supplements By Consumerlab.com Finds Most Meet Label Claims :: Natural and Nutritional Products Industry Center :: News - NPI Center, 12/21/04 - "one of 21 alpha-lipoic acid supplements recently tested contained only 15% of the alpha-lipoic acid that it claimed ... There is fairly good evidence that alpha-lipoic acid can be help people with diabetes"
• The Advantage of Single Daily Dosages of Herbal Medicines - Dr. Murray's Natural Facts, 9/15/04 - "Based upon the clinical research over the last 30 years and the pharmacokinetics of immediate-release alpha-lipoic acid, it appears to be obviously superior to the timed-release product"
• Antioxidant [alpha]-Lipoic Acid Provides Relief for Diabetic Polyneuropathy - Doctor's Guide, 6/20/03 - "After 3 weeks, alpha-lipoic acid had a 24.1% improvement over placebo ... for TSS [Total Symptom Score] and 16.0% for NIS [Neuropathy Impairment Score]"
• Alpha-Lipoic Acid Effective Against Burning Mouth Syndrome - New Hope Natural Media, 5/15/03
• Alpha Lipoic Acid Helping the Fight against Diabetes - Physician's Weekly, 5/12/03 - "the over-the-counter antioxidant supplement alpha lipoic acid has been effective against the burning, numbness and pain that often is associated with diabetic neuropathy. The antioxidant works mainly as a pain medication and was clinically shown to have few side effects"
• Antioxidant Soothes Diabetic Neuropathy - WebMD, 4/11/03 - "Alpha lipoic acid seems to actually change the metabolism of the nerve or blood supply to the nerve ... It is a very strong antioxidant and it is assumed that oxidation plays a role in the development of diabetes ... This means the substance -- produced in very small amounts by the body and also found in foods such as potatoes and red meat -- protects against damage by cell-ravaging "free radicals." This oxidation process is implicated in various diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and neurologic conditions including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's ... alpha lipoic acid improves the function of cell "transporters" that carry and distribute glucose. "This helps insulin do its role,"" - See iHerb or Vitacost alpha lipoic acid products.
• Alpha-Lipoic Acid Helpful in Diabetic Neuropathy - Medscape, 3/7/03 - "Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) rapidly and significantly reduces sensory symptoms and pain of diabetic neuropathy"
• 12 Ways to Feel and Look Younger - WebMD, 10/25/02 - "In addition to the effective antioxidant vitamin C, Morris says CoQ10, vitamin E, alpha lipoic acid (another antioxidant), and perhaps some of those "mental acuity" mixtures in the health-food store should be in your medicine cabinet"
• ALC and Alpha-Lipoic Acid - Dr. Janson's Newsletter, 7/02 - "The recent studies in rats show that ALC (especially when combined with the antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid) can protect the brain from the oxidative damage related to aging, and can protect the mitochondrial membranes ... when older animals are supplemented with ALC and lipoic acid they are more physically active, have better short-term memory, and overall enhanced cognitive function. (They also have better liver function because of the same protection of the mitochondria, with increased mitochondrial metabolism and reduced oxidative damage.) ... It appears that these nutrients also help the heart, especially when taken together. While ALC helps restore cardiac carnitine levels, and improves cardiac energy, the aging heart also becomes sensitive to oxidative stress. For protection from such stress, you need to combine the ALC with alpha-lipoic acid (LA) ... It is apparent that the accelerated aging that results from lifestyle choices, stress, and oxidative exposures, can be slowed or even reversed"
• Do Anti-aging Supplements Really Work? - Life Extension Magazine, 6/02 - "The National Academy of Sciences has published three new reports showing that aging may be partially reversible with currently available supplements"
• Putting Antioxidants To Use In Functional Formulas - Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals, 5/02 - "Clinical studies have found that it can improve insulin function, helping to improve glucose tolerance in people with diabetes.15,16 Some researchers have suggested that long-term use of alpha-lipoic acid may help prevent adult-onset diabetes"
• The Wizard is Oz - Life Extension Magazine, 11/01 - "Best-selling author and nutritional guru to the rich and famous, Oz Garcia is singing the praises of the Life Extension Foundation and its products in his newest book, The Healthy High Tech Body, published in September 2001 ... Supplements at the top of Garcia's list of recommendations ... DHA ... NADH ... Alpah Lipoic Acid ... Acetyl-L-Carnitine ... An expanded list of his recommendations includes lycopene, gamma tocopherol, vinpocetine, SAMe, folic acid, carnosine, glutathione, DMAE, Huperzine A, probiotics, MSM, secretagogues, arginine pyroglutamate, IP-6, bioflavonoid formulas and grape skin/seed extracts"
• The Hard-Liver's Guide to the Liver - WebMD, 10/8/02
• The Prediabetic Epidemic - Nutrition Science News, 3/01 - "Supplements to Regulate Glucose and Insulin ... Alpha-Lipoic Acid ... Only recently have researchers understood its antioxidant actions quench free radicals responsible for many diabetic complications. It also lowers glucose levels—by 10 to 30 percent—and improves insulin function ... Vitamin E ... Vitamin C ... Chromium ... Silymarin"
• Sustain the Brain - Nutrition Science News, 2/01 - "ALA may protect the body from oxidative damage by enhancing detoxifying agents such as glutathione, which occurs in the brain and serves as an antioxidant in these tissues ... Results of animal studies demonstrate that ALA can reduce damage to neurons caused by toxic substances that are by-products of inflammatory processes.12 Another animal study showed memory improvement in aged rats given ALA ... Clinical trials conducted in Germany have shown ALA to be valuable for treating diabetic polyneuropathy, a disease involving the peripheral nerves. Supplementation was shown to improve motor and sensory nerve conduction"
• ALA Eases Diabetic Neuropathy Symptoms - Nutrition Science News, 11/00
• Some Diabetics Buck Tradition and Turn to Herbs - WebMD, 10/9/00 - "Researchers have submitted study results to the journal Diabetes Care for another natural product -- alpha lipoic acid, known by the brand name Glucotize. The product "lowers blood sugar levels, which is excellent," ... "Because that's what causes a lot of diabetic complications.""
• Lipoic Acid: The Universal Antioxidant - Nutrition Science News, 10/00
• Staying Young Forever, Putting new research findings into practice - Life Extension Foundation, 12/99 - "lipoic acid is the only antioxidant that can boost the level of intracellular glutathione, a cellular antioxidant of tremendous importance. Besides being the body's primary water-soluble antioxidant and a major detoxification agent, glutathione is absolutely essential for the functioning of the immune system"
• Alpha Lipoic Acid For Diabetes, Atherosclerosis And Aging - Life Extension Magazine, 3/96

Abstracts:

• Dietary lipoic acid-dependent changes in the activity and mRNA levels of hepatic lipogenic enzymes in rats - Br J Nutr. 2007 Dec 7;:1-9 - "Lipoic acid profoundly decreased serum and liver concentrations of TAG, and also lowered serum concentrations of phospholipid and NEFA, and the concentration of cholesterol in the liver. A hypoglycaemic effect of this compound was also observed. Lipoic acid dose-dependently decreased the activity and mRNA levels of fatty acid synthase, ATP-citrate lyase, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, malic enzyme and pyruvate kinase in the liver despite that reductions were considerably attenuated in the NADPH-producing enzymes. This compound also dose-dependently lowered the mRNA levels of spot 14, adiponutrin, stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1, and Delta5- and Delta6-desaturases. In addition, lipoic acid dose-dependently lowered serum concentrations of insulin and leptin, but increased those of adiponectin. Lipoic acid appeared to reduce hepatic lipogenesis and hence decreases serum and liver lipid levels. Alterations in serum concentrations of insulin and (or) adiponectin may trigger this consequence"
• The effect of alpha-lipoic acid on symptoms and skin blood flow in diabetic neuropathy - Diabet Med. 2007 May 8 - "study suggests that alpha-lipoic acid, a potent antioxidant, improves symptoms of diabetic neuropathy"
• Oral Treatment With {alpha}-Lipoic Acid Improves Symptomatic Diabetic Polyneuropathy: The SYDNEY 2 trial - Diabetes Care. 2006 Nov;29(11):2365-2370 - "Oral treatment with ALA for 5 weeks improved neuropathic symptoms and deficits in patients with DSP. An oral dose of 600 mg once daily appears to provide the optimum risk-to-benefit ratio"
• Treatment for diabetic mononeuropathy with alpha-lipoic acid - Int J Clin Pract. 2005 Jun;59(6):645-50 - "alpha-lipoic acid appears to be an effective drug in the treatment for not only peripheral and autonomic diabetic neuropathy, but also diabetic mononeuropathy of the cranial nerves leading to full recovery of the patients" - See iHerb or Vitacost alpha lipoic acid products.
• Memory loss in old rats is associated with brain mitochondrial decay and RNA/DNA oxidation: Partial reversal by feeding acetyl-L-carnitine and/or R-alpha -lipoic acid - Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2002 Feb 19;99(4):2356-2361 - "Electron microscopic studies in the hippocampus showed that ALCAR and/or LA reversed age-associated mitochondrial structural decay"

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