Pharmaceutical science offers a large number of weight loss products, most of which have many contraindications, and to decide on such therapy, you need to seriously consider whether it is worth risking your health. Medical research has shown that vitamin preparations, which have almost no contraindications, can help reduce weight. One of them is lipoic acid for weight loss - this drug has been used not so long ago, but judging by the reviews, people who take it have achieved good results.
How does this vitamin affect weight loss? Women who dream of losing weight decide on different experiments, just to achieve the desired goal. They study the internet and study medical literature, hoping to find a magic pill for weight loss. Lipoic acid is by no means a magic pill, but a complete medicine. Other names for this vitamin: thioctocide, alpha lipoic acid. This substance is found in food and is produced by the human body itself, but at a certain age it becomes insufficient. Since thioctocide is a strong antioxidant, a person may have a pronounced deficiency of it under certain conditions.
Indications for use of lipoic acid
Lipoic acid is involved in the complex therapy of diabetic complications. Previously, in many countries, medicines containing this vitamin were used to treat autoimmune diseases and atherosclerosis, but, unfortunately, in practice, the effectiveness of such therapy has not been confirmed. But its positive effect on a number of diseases has been proven, in which a lasting result has been achieved.
This vitamin is prescribed in the complex treatment:
- liver diseases, including hepatitis and cirrhosis;
- diseases of the nervous system;
- senile dementia;
- diabetes mellitus;
- chronic fatigue syndrome;
- oncology;
- helmimi;
- obesity;
- alcoholism.
For weight loss, thioctocide is prescribed for the fact that it actively participates in the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats, and this is of great importance for maintaining good physical shape.
Careful! Lipoic acid therapy for weight loss will only be effective when combined with dietary adjustments and exercise.
The tool starts the fat burning process, which will not start without physical activity. When muscles work actively, they need nutrients and begin to absorb vitamins and minerals from the body, but they may not be enough. Lipoic acid helps replenish energy reserves and increases a person’s stamina, making exercise more effective.
Expert opinion
Nutritionist:
If you study the official instructions, you may find that this is an alpha lipoic acid salt with EDTA. Officially, the drug is indicated for polyneuropathy, fatty degeneration of the liver, as well as chronic intoxication of the body. This substance, unlike L-carnitine, is not produced in our body, and is therefore a drug with a strong antioxidant effect. Its task is to stop lipid peroxidation and so-called oxidative stress. This is why it has found its application among weight loss enthusiasts: after all, a decline in diet and the use of its own lipids as energy sources leads first to an increase in the oxidation of free radicals, as well as in oxidative stress. However, like everything else, the use of drugs has side effects. The drug may cause a change or violation of taste, double vision, hemorrhagic rash, a decrease in plasma glucose with the possible development of hypoglycemic conditions. In some cases, allergic reactions, skin rash and urticaria have been described. Official guidelines state that before the age of 18, the drug is not used even if indicated, as there is no data on effectiveness and safety. Also, it should not be taken by pregnant and lactating mothers. In case of overdose of this medicine, the symptoms usually appear in the form of vomiting, nausea and headache. Therefore, the use of thioctic acid as a dietary aid and weight loss is not recommended. After all, there are no official indications for such drug use.
Extraction forms
Lipoic acid is available in tablets, capsules, suspension powders and injection solutions. This substance is also found in various medicinal products.
Careful! Lipoic acid preparations should not be used without consulting an endocrinologist!
Thioctocide is often a component of dietary supplements for athletes and people who want to lose weight.
Weight Loss Benefits
Most weight loss drugs burn fat, as opposed to lipoic acid, which works differently in the body.
Careful! During the burning of fats with the help of medicines, harmful substances are formed in the human body and metabolic processes are disrupted, lipoic acid, on the contrary, heals the body!
Thioctocid has the following properties:
- activates metabolism and improves them;
- is not produced synthetically, as it is a natural substance;
- there are almost no contraindications;
- side effects while taking lipoic acid are very rare;
- Fasting is not required to achieve the desired weight loss while taking lipoic acid;
- does not have a fat burning effect, but by processing fats into energy, allows the body to use them;
- is a relatively inexpensive drug;
- acts on the body in a complex way, not only contributing to weight loss, but also making it healthy;
- positively affects the production of collagen in the skin, therefore, during the weight loss process, there will be no shrinkage and stretch marks;
- The drug can also be used by diabetics, unlike other weight loss drugs.
Lipoic acid helps the body cope with many diseases, has a positive effect on eyesight, heart and lowers blood sugar. Due to the fact that this medicine has so many positive qualities, many people choose it for weight loss.
Mechanism of action
Lipoic acid not only has a positive effect on the functioning of the body as a whole, but this drug affects weight loss. This is because this vitamin works in the following way:
- reduces the activity of harmful substances and their effect on the body;
- removes radionuclides, heavy metals, toxins and decay products;
- stimulates the process of burning sugar from the body and normalizes its amount in the blood;
- has a beneficial effect on the walls of blood vessels;
- stimulates thyroid gland function;
- reduces the symptoms of diabetic pathologies, including neuropathy;
- prevents the formation of plaques in blood vessels;
- restores damaged nerve endings;
- significantly reduces appetite;
- stimulates liver activity, restores its damaged cells;
- affects the regeneration of tissues in the body, significantly renewing them.
As a result of taking lipoic acid, unlike other drugs for weight loss, metabolic processes are not disturbed, but rather activated. Harmful substances are easily eliminated, and fat cells are converted into energy, providing the body with beneficial food.
Careful! Lipoic acid is very often used in dietary supplements for bodybuilders, as it allows the body to better cope with strenuous physical activity and relieves pain after strenuous exercise.
Thioctacid has the ability to block the action of the enzyme protein kinase, which signals the brain to start eating. Thus, the person does not feel hungry. In addition, this substance improves the absorption of vitamins A and E, which are considered the vitamins of youth.
Instructions for use
Thioctocide, although a vitamin preparation, is a medicine. Therefore, it would be better if a nutritionist tells you how to take lipoic acid for weight loss, prescribe a specific dose of this medicine and a course. The fact is that the effectiveness of taking lipoic acid depends directly on the accurate calculation of its average daily rate. The fact is that an overdose of this medicine can damage the body and cause hypoglycemia - a condition in which the blood sugar level is much lower than normal.
Careful! The daily rate of lipoic acid should not be more than 600 mg - this rate is set for severe diabetes, for weight loss is set at a maximum of 200 mg!
Weight loss will be followed by fatigue and constant tiredness. The minimum dose of lipoic acid per dose is 25 mg, if you need to lose more than 5 kg of weight, the dose is increased to 50 mg. You can start taking this medicine with a dose of no more than 20 mg, then gradually increase it.
To increase the effectiveness of thyroidicide for weight loss, take:
- in the morning (before meals or immediately after);
- no later than half an hour after playing sports;
- before bed.
The effect of the drug will be more effective if its intake is associated with the consumption of food containing a large amount of carbohydrates. For example, cereals, legumes, sweet fruits or bread. Lipoic acid prevents the conversion of carbohydrates into fatty deposits, but a person's energy reserves are replenished.
Lipoic acid and other drugs
In some preparations, this substance is called L-carnitine, which is practically the same. This substance is an acid that promotes the expenditure of energy obtained from the synthesis of fats and the removal of the decay products of metabolic processes. When buying a slimming agent, you should pay attention to whether levocarnitine and lipoic acid are present in its composition, if these substances are present in it, then this is a complex agent with a high effect.
Contraindications for use
Lipoic acid is not recommended for children, pregnant women and people who are allergic to it. This conclusion is drawn from clinical trials.
Careful! Often, many weight loss people who do not know the exact dose of alpha lipoic acid, in the hope of getting rid of the annoying pounds quickly, significantly exceed the rate of its use, which leads to side effects.
People suffer as a result:
- nausea;
- vomiting;
- diarrhea;
- urth.
Sometimes patients adhere to the correct dose of the drug, but they are concerned about side effects. This happens with the simultaneous intake of alcohol or preparations containing iron. Therefore, you should carefully study the instructions for use of lipoic acid and consult a doctor on how to take it correctly.