Lipoic Acid In Nutritional Supplements Found To Help Prevent Multiple Sclerosis, Study Finds

Photo – Bru-nO – pixabay.com

Multiple sclerosis is a debilitating health condition that affects an estimated 2 million people worldwide. It causes deterioration of the nerves, because the body’s immune system attacks the protective sheath or coating around them. Eventually, people affected with MS have difficulty moving and even experience problems with bladder and bowel movement. Here’s the kicker — it has no cure. Science tells us how MS works — it is an autoimmune disorder where your body’s natural defense system starts attacking the healthy tissue that surrounds your nerves — but not why or how to stop it. ^[1][2]

Managing MS means dealing with the symptoms that arise from the disease process to try and improve the patient’s quality of life. People with MS usually take steroids, either orally or intravenously, in order to reduce inflammation of the nerves. More serious cases need plasmapheresis, a procedure wherein your blood cells and plasma are separated; the blood cells mixed with albumin (a type of protein), then put back inside your body. This is because your immune system’s antibodies can be found in plasma, and since MS causes your body to attack itself, plasmapheresis can help stop that from occurring. However, not only does this procedure come with a lot of risk, it can be very expensive. ^[2]

Light At The End Of The Tunnel

But there’s hope yet. A pilot study was published in September 2017 that highlighted the relationship between multiple sclerosis and lipoic acid. Dr. Spain and her team of researchers conducted a randomized controlled pilot trial over two years, following 54 adults diagnosed with MS. 27 participants were given 1200 milligrams of oral lipoic acid, while the rest of the participants received a placebo. Dr. Spain and her team focused on annual percent change in brain volume or PCBV as their studies outcome, or the measure by which they would conclude the effectivity (or ineffectiveness) of lipoic acid supplements. ^[3]

Out of the 54 participants of the study, only 51 took at least one dose of lipoic acid supplement each day (and could therefore be included in the analysis) while a total of 46 completed the study in its entirety. 22 participants out of the 46 took lipoic acid and 24 participants took the placebo.

What Dr. Spain and her team found out was nothing short of a miracle – after two years, the experimental group or the group of people who were given the supplement had significantly less PCBV compared to the control group given the placebo. The percentage of reduction of brain atrophy came up to a whopping 68 percent! This meant the lipoic acid supplementation was able to promote brain tissue health and protect it from the debilitating effects of nerve destruction seen in MS. Overall, the researchers deemed lipoic acid as safe and easily available, making it an excellent option to be included in the treatment and management of MS.

While the researchers admit that one of the study’s weakness is the small sample size, the results are very valuable in improving the lives of people diagnosed with MS. If anything, Dr. Spain encourages more studies be done on the capabilities of lipoic acid supplementation and its role on MS management – larger trials in order to confirm its safety and effectiveness in treatment.

Lipoic Acid is a readily available supplement that is noted for numerous other health benefits.

We found a high purity, top quality, non-GMO Alpha Lipoic Acid supplement that got a massive number of five star reviews on Amazon – check it out here.