Supports the Body's Defenses Against Free Radicals and Helps Maintain a Healthy Blood Sugar Level When Used as Part of the Diet Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is a sulfur-containing fatty acid that functions like a vitamin in the body. As a coenzyme, ALA plays an important role in the metabolism of glucose that produces energy cells. ALA also has antioxidant properties and thus is important for controlling free radicals. Because it is soluble in water and fat, ALA is sometimes referred to as the "universal antioxidant." How "Sustained Release" works Using a highly sophisticated process involving mixing and compression, a specialized form of cellulose is combined with ALA, which results in substantial lengthening of the time required by the stomach to digest and release the nutrient into the small intestine. This enables the ALA to be slowly absorbed by the system, thereby maintaining and optimal concentration of effective antioxidant in the bloodstream throughout the day.
