Lipoic Acid
What is the difference between Alpha Lipoic acid and Alpha Linolenic acid? Are they the same?
I'm taking 2 tbsp of liquid flaxseed oil every morning along with a 200mg pill of Alpha Lipoic acid also. The flaxseed oil is rich in alpha linolenic acid and was wondering if I'm double dosing by taking both of these?
I'm just taking them for overall health as I've heard they're great for heart health, skin, hair, nails, inflammation, anti-cancer, etc.
ipoic acid is an organic compound, one enantiomer of which is an essential cofactor for many enzyme complexes. The molecule consists of a carboxylic acid and a cyclic disulfide. Only the R-enantiomer is biologically significant. It is essential for aerobic life and a common dietary supplement. Dihydrolipoic acid is the reduced form of lipoic acid although it is sometimes also called "lipoic acid." "Lipoate" is the conjugate base of lipoic acid, and this form is mainly present at physiological conditions.
One of the most visible roles of lipoic acid is as a cofactor in aerobic metabolism, specifically the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. Lipoate participates in transfer of acyl or methylamine groups in 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase (2-OADH) and glycine cleavage complexes (GCV), respectively.[2]
Alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA, is an essential fatty acid, which means that it is essential to human health but cannot be manufactured by the body. For this reason, ALA must be obtained from food. ALA, as well as the fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), belongs to a group of fatty acids called omega-3 fatty acids. EPA and DHA are found primarily in fish while ALA is highly concentrated in certain plant oils such as flaxseed oil and to a lesser extent, canola, soy, perilla, and walnut oils. ALA is also found in wild plants such as purslane. Once ingested, the body converts ALA to EPA and DHA, the two types of omega-3 fatty acids more readily used by the body.
It is important to maintain an appropriate balance of omega-3 and omega-6 (another essential fatty acid) in the diet as these two substances work together to promote health. These essential fats are both examples of polyunsaturated fatty acids, or PUFAs. Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation and most omega-6 fatty acids tend to promote inflammation. An inappropriate balance of these essential fatty acids contributes to the development of disease while a proper balance helps maintain and even improve health. A healthy diet should consist of roughly two to four times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids. The typical American diet tends to contain 11 to 30 times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids and many researchers believe this imbalance is a significant factor in the rising rate of inflammatory disorders in the United States.
Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce inflammation and help prevent certain chronic diseases such as heart disease and arthritis. These essential fatty acids are highly concentrated in the brain and appear to be particularly important for cognitive and behavioral function as well as normal growth and development.
So in answer to your question "Yes" there is a difference. Too bad you did not explain more about the reason for knowing ? I hope this info helped you
