Pharmaceutical science offers a huge number of weight loss products, most of which have many contraindications, and in order to decide on such therapy, you need to seriously think about 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 reviews, people who take it have achieved good results.
How does this vitamin affect weight loss? Women who dream of losing weight decide to conduct various experiments, just to achieve the desired goal. They study the internet and medical literature, hoping to find a magic weight loss pill. Lipoic acid is not a magic pill at all, but a complete drug. Other names for this vitamin: thioctocid, alpha lipoic acid. This substance is found in food and is produced by the human body on its own, but at a certain age it becomes insufficient. Since thioctocide is a strong antioxidant, a person can be severely deficient under certain conditions.
Indications for the use of lipoic acid.
Lipoic acid is included in the complex therapy of diabetic complications. Previously, in many countries, drugs 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 has been shown in a number of diseases, in which a stable result has been achieved.
This vitamin is prescribed in complex treatments:
- liver diseases, including hepatitis and cirrhosis;
- Diseases of the nervous system;
- senile dementia;
- Mellitus diabetes;
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome;
- oncology;
- poisoning;
- obesity;
- alcoholism.
For weight loss, thioctocide is prescribed because it actively participates in carbohydrate and fat metabolism, and this is of great importance for maintaining good physical shape.
Attention! Lipoic acid therapy for weight loss will only be effective when accompanied by dietary adjustments and exercise.
The tool starts the fat burning process, which will not start without physical activity. When muscles are actively working, they need nutrients and begin to attract vitamins and minerals from the body, but they may not be enough. Lipoic acid helps replenish energy stores and increases a person's endurance, making training more effective.
Expert opinion
Nutritionist:
If you study the official instructions, you may find out that it is an alpha lipoic acid salt with EDTA. Officially, the drug is indicated for polyneuropathy, fatty degeneration of the liver and chronic intoxication of the body. This substance, unlike L-carnitine, is not produced in our body, so it is a drug with a strong antioxidant effect. Its function is to interrupt lipid peroxidation and the so-called oxidative stress. That is why it has found its application among lovers of weight loss: after all, a decrease in diet and the use of lipids themselves as energy sources leads first to an increase in the oxidation of free radicals, as well as to oxidative stress. However, like everything else, drug use has side effects. The drug can cause a change or alteration of taste, double vision, hemorrhagic rash, decrease in plasma glucose with the possible development of hypoglycemic conditions. In some cases, allergic reactions, skin rashes, and hives have been described. Official instructions say 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 or nursing mothers. In case of overdose of this remedy, the symptoms usually appear in the form of vomiting, nausea and headache. Therefore, it is not recommended to use thioctic acid as a diet and weight loss aid. After all, there are no official indications for such use of the drug.
Forms of emission
Lipoic acid is available in tablets, capsules, suspension powders, and injectable solutions. This substance is also found in various medications.
Attention! 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.
Slimming benefits
Most weight loss medications burn fat, unlike lipoic acid, which works differently in the body.
Attention! During the burning of fats with the help of drugs, harmful substances are formed in the human body and metabolic processes are disrupted, lipoic acid, on the contrary, heals the body.
The thioctocide has the following qualities:
- activates and improves metabolism;
- it is not produced synthetically, as it is a natural substance;
- it has almost no contraindications;
- side effects from taking lipoic acid are very rare;
- Fasting is not required to achieve desired weight loss while taking lipoic acid;
- it does not have a fat-burning effect, but by processing fats into energy, it allows the body to use them;
- it is a relatively cheap 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 sagging and stretch marks;
- the drug can even be used by diabetics, unlike other weight loss drugs.
Lipoic acid helps the body cope with many ailments, has a positive effect on vision, heart, and lowers blood sugar. Due to the fact that this drug 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 in general, 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 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 the function of the thyroid gland;
- reduces the symptoms of diabetic pathologies, including neuropathy;
- prevents the formation of plaques in blood vessels;
- restores damaged nerve endings;
- significantly reduces appetite;
- stimulates the activity of the liver, 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 instead are activated. Harmful substances are easily removed, and fat cells are converted into energy, providing the body with useful nutrition.
Attention! Lipoic acid is used very often in dietary supplements for bodybuilders, as it allows the body to better cope with intense physical activity and relieves pain after strenuous workouts.
Thioctacid has the ability to block the action of the enzyme proteinacanase, which signals the brain to start eating. Therefore, 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, although it is a vitamin preparation, is a medicine. Therefore, it will be better if a nutritionist tells you how to take lipoic acid for weight loss, prescribes a specific dose of this drug and a course. The fact is that the effectiveness of lipoic acid intake directly depends on the correct calculation of its average daily rate. The fact is that an overdose of this drug can harm the body and cause hypoglycemia, a condition in which the blood sugar level is much lower than normal.
Attention! The daily rate of lipoic acid should not exceed 600 mg; this rate is set for severe diabetes, for weight loss it is set at a maximum of 200 mg.
Weight loss is directly dependent on how to drink alpha lipoic acid correctly, so the dose must be calculated individually by the doctor. 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 thioctocide for weight loss, you take:
- at breakfast (before meals or immediately after);
- no later than half an hour after playing sports;
- before bedtime.
The effect of the drug will be more effective if its intake is accompanied by the consumption of foods that contain a large amount of carbohydrates. For example, cereals, legumes, sweet fruits or breads. Lipoic acid prevents the conversion of carbohydrates into fatty stores, but a person's energy stores 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 elimination of the decomposition products of metabolic processes. When buying a slimming agent, you need to 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 allergic to it. This conclusion was drawn from clinical trials.
Attention! Often many who lose weight and do not know the correct dose of alpha lipoic acid, hoping to quickly get rid of annoying kg, significantly exceed the rate of use, which leads to side effects.
People suffer as a result:
- nausea;
- vomiting
- Diarrhea;
- acidity.
Sometimes patients stick to the exact dosage of the drug, but 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.