Pharmaceutical science offers a huge 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 medicine was used not so long ago, but judging by the reviews, the people who took it achieved good results.
How does this vitamin affect weight loss? Women who dream of losing weight decide on various experiments, just to achieve the desired goal. They study the internet and study the medical literature, hoping to find a magic weight loss pill. Lipoic acid is not a magic pill at all, but a complete cure. Other names for this vitamin: thioctocide, alpha lipoic acid. This substance is found in food and the human body produces it on its own, but by a certain age it becomes insufficient. Because thioctocide is a strong antioxidant, a person can have a serious deficiency in it under certain conditions.
Indications for the use of lipoic acid
Lipoic acid is involved in the complex therapy of diabetic complications. Previously, in many countries, drugs containing this vitamin have been used to treat autoimmune diseases and atherosclerosis, but, unfortunately, the effectiveness of such therapy has not been confirmed in practice. But its positive effect on a number of diseases has been proven, in which a stable result has been achieved.
This vitamin is prescribed in complex treatment:
- liver disease, including hepatitis and cirrhosis;
- diseases of the nervous system;
- senile dementia;
- diabetes mellitus;
- chronic fatigue syndrome;
- oncology;
- poisoning;
- obesity;
- alcoholism.
For weight loss, thioctocide is prescribed due to the fact that it actively participates in the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats, and that is of great importance for maintaining good physical shape.
Attention! Lipoic acid therapy for weight loss will be effective only if it is accompanied by adjustment of diet and exercise.
The tool starts the process of burning fat, which will not start without physical activity. When muscles are actively working, they need nutrients and they begin to attract vitamins and minerals from the body, but they may not be enough. Lipoic acid helps restore energy reserves and increases a person's endurance, making training more effective.
Expert opinion
nutritionist:
If you study the official instructions, you can find out that it is a salt of alpha lipoic acid 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 strong antioxidant action. Its task is to stop lipid peroxidation and so-called oxidative stress. That is why it has found its application among weight loss enthusiasts: after all, reducing the diet and using their own lipids as an energy source first leads to a rush of free radical oxidation, but also oxidative stress. However, like everything else, the use of medications has side effects. The drug may cause a change or violation of taste, double vision, hemorrhagic rash, drop in plasma glucose with possible development of hypoglycemic conditions. In some cases, allergic reactions, skin rashes and hives have been described. The official instructions state that the drug should not be used before the age of 18, even if it is indicated, because there are no data on its effectiveness and safety. Also, it should not be taken by pregnant or breastfeeding women. In case of overdose with this drug, symptoms such as vomiting, nausea and headache usually occur. Therefore, the use of thioctic acid as an adjunct in diet and weight loss is not recommended. After all, there are no official indications for such use of the drug.
Forms of publishing
Lipoic acid is available in tablets, capsules, powder suspensions and solutions for injection. This substance is also found in various medicines.
Attention! Lipoic acid preparations should not be used without consulting an endocrinologist!
Thioctocide is often an integral part of dietary supplements for athletes and people who want to lose weight.
Benefits of weight loss
Most weight loss drugs burn fat, unlike lipoic acid, which works differently in the body.
Attention! When fat is burned with the help of drugs, harmful substances are created in the human body, and metabolic processes are disrupted, lipoic acid, on the contrary, heals the body!
Thioctocide has the following qualities:
- activates metabolism and improves it;
- it is not synthetically produced because it is a natural substance;
- there are almost no contraindications;
- side effects when taking lipoic acid are very rare;
- Fasting is not necessary to achieve the desired weight loss while taking lipoic acid;
- it does not have the effect of burning fat, but by processing fat into energy it allows the body to use it;
- is a relatively inexpensive drug;
- acts on the body in a complex way, not only contributes to weight loss, but makes it healthy;
- positively affects the production of collagen in the skin, so during the weight loss process there will be no relaxation and stretch marks;
- the drug can be used even by diabetics, unlike other weight loss drugs.
Lipoic acid helps the body cope with many diseases, has a positive effect on vision, 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, this drug affects weight loss. This is because this vitamin works as follows:
- reduces the activity of harmful substances and their effect on the body;
- removes radionuclides, heavy metals, toxins and decomposition products;
- stimulates the process of burning sugar in the body and normalizes its amount in the blood;
- has a beneficial effect on the walls of blood vessels;
- stimulates thyroid 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 rejuvenating them.
As a result of taking lipoic acid, unlike other weight loss drugs, metabolic processes are not disturbed, but on the contrary are activated. Harmful substances are easily eliminated, and fat cells are converted into energy, providing the body with useful nutrition.
Attention! Lipoic acid is very often used in dietary supplements for bodybuilders, as it allows the body to cope better with strenuous physical activities and relieves pain after strenuous workouts.
Thioctacid has the ability to block the action of the enzyme protein kinase, which signals the brain to start eating. So the person does not feel hungry. In addition, this substance improves the absorption of vitamins A and E, which are considered vitamins of youth.
Instructions for use
Thioctocide is, although a vitamin preparation, a medicine. Therefore, it will be better if the nutritionist tells you how to take lipoic acid for weight loss, prescribes a certain dose of this drug and a course. The fact is that the efficiency of lipoic acid intake directly depends on the correct calculation of its average daily dose. The fact is that an overdose of this drug can harm the body and cause hypoglycemia - a condition in which blood sugar levels are much lower than normal.
Attention! The daily dose of lipoic acid should not exceed 600 mg - this rate is set for severe diabetes, for weight loss is set at a maximum of 200 mg!
Weight loss directly depends on how to properly drink alpha-lipoic acid, so the doctor should calculate the dose on an individual basis. 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 and then gradually increase it.
To increase the effectiveness of thioctocides for weight loss, take:
- for breakfast (before meals or immediately after);
- no later than half an hour after playing sports;
- before sleeping.
The effect of the drug will be more effective if its intake is accompanied by the consumption of foods that contain large amounts of carbohydrates. For example, cereals, legumes, sweet fruits or bread. Lipoic acid prevents the conversion of carbohydrates into fatty deposits, but man's energy reserves are restored.
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 stimulates the consumption of energy obtained by fat synthesis and removal of breakdown products of metabolic processes. When buying a weight loss product, pay attention to whether levocarnitine and lipoic acid are present in its composition, if these substances are present in it, then it is a complex agent with high effect.
Contraindications to use
Lipoic acid is not recommended for children, pregnant women and people who are allergic to it. This conclusion was drawn from clinical trials.
Attention! Often many skinny people who do not know the correct dose of alpha lipoic acid, hoping to quickly get rid of annoying kg, significantly exceed the rate of its use, leading to side effects.
People suffer because of this:
- nausea;
- vomiting;
- diarrhea;
- heartburn.
Sometimes patients adhere to the correct dose of the drug, but are worried about side effects. This happens with the simultaneous intake of alcohol or preparations containing iron. Therefore, the instructions for use of lipoic acid should be carefully studied and a doctor should be consulted on how to take it properly.