According to a small clinical trial published by the University of Oregon in Oxford University’s Journal of Nutrition, lipoic acids may be efficacious as a potential dietary supplement ingredient for the purposes of supporting weight management. Lipoic acids are found abundantly in both plants and animals, and are thought to function in energy and amino acid metabolism.
 
In a preliminary clinical trial, 31 overweight people with elevated triglycerides were administered daily supplements containing a 600 mg dose of lipoic acid for 24 weeks, alongside a similarly-sized control group which received a matching placebo. The participants of the trial were advised not to change their diet or physical activity.
 
Supplementation did not reduce triglycerides significantly at the end of the trial, but it did result in a significantly greater reduction in average BMI compared to the placebo group with an average reduction of 0.8, however, women in the supplementation group saw an average 5% weight loss, and obese participants  saw reductions of 4.8%, along with the greatest loss of body fat (-9.4% and -8.6% respectively).
 
“The data clearly showed a loss in body weight and body fat in people taking lipoic acid supplements,” Balz Frei, director emeritus of OSU’s Linus Pauling Institute and one of the scientists involved with the study, said. “Particularly in women and in the heaviest participants.”
 
Additionally, the groups which received lipoic acids had greater antioxidant gene expression at 24 weeks, along with biomarkers indicating less potential for inflammation.
 
The body generally produces enough lipoic acid to supply the enzymes whose proper function requires it, researchers said, however, it appears that when it is taken as a dietary supplement lipoic acid displays additional properties possibly unrelated to mitochondrial function. Its apparent ability to stimulate glucose metabolism and antioxidant defenses, and modulate the inflammatory response may complement certain metabolic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, or age-related cognitive decline.
 
"Scientists have been researching the potential health benefits of lipoic acid supplements for decades, including how it might enhance healthy aging and mitigate cardiovascular disease," Alexander Michels, another scientist involved with the study, said. "In both rodent models and small-scale human clinical trials, researchers at the Linus Pauling Institute have demonstrated the beneficial effects of lipoic acid on oxidative stress, lipid metabolism and circadian rhythm."
 
The current study on lipoic acids addressed two issues that were commonly ignored in previous human clinical trials, the authors said.
 
Many existing studies evaluated lipoic acid supplementation on volunteers with pre-existing conditions, and the potential health benefits observed could not be generalized to a broader population beyond those with diseases. Additionally, many studies used a synthesized form of lipoic acid which cannot be found in nature, however, the researchers in this study used the R form, which is found organically, rather than the S form.
 
In the future, identifying which patients will benefit most from lipoic acid supplementation, and how much they need, is important for both clinical and economic reasons, the authors said. Lipoic acids are often quite expensive, and maximizing the benefits with smaller amounts of the ingredient is a worthy pursuit.