Overweight people are ready to try any method to help them lose weight. Diets and workouts require effort, not everyone who is losing weight can stand it. Then they start taking various dietary supplements and vitamin-like substances that are sold in large quantities in pharmacies and sports shops. One such drug is lipoic acid. What this is, how to take it, and whether it contributes to weight loss will be discussed below.
What is lipoic acid
Lipoic acid has many names: thioctic acid, thiococide, vitamin N, lipoate, ALA. It is considered a vitamin-like substance with antioxidant properties. Lipoic acid is produced by the body, but in small amounts.
Its consumption is compensated by the consumption of the following foods: mushrooms, dairy products, leafy vegetables, beef, legumes, bananas. It must be absorbed in large quantities to maintain the body's supply of thioctocides. It is preferable to use the acid in the form of a pharmaceutical excipient, a tablet, a capsule, a solution for injection.
What is it for
The body is actively producing lipoic acid for about 30 years. Women older than this may be deficient in this substance and appear to be overweight. The use of thioctocide preserves a woman’s beauty and youth for a long time, slowing down the aging process. Lipoic acid has the following effects on the body:
- It is involved in the energy supply of the organization: it starts recycling its used resources. This way, all the nutrients from the food are processed as efficiently as possible.
- It forces the body to use glucose as energy, thus helping to lower blood sugar.
- It ensures the proper functioning of the pancreatic acid. Due to the absence of insulin, the process of processing other energy sources, such as fats, is activated.
- It prevents the body from aging prematurely by binding and removing free radicals.
- Normalizes the immune system.
Note!Before using the lipoate, you must make sure that it is compatible with the other medicines you are taking.
How to help lose weight
The original use of lipoic acid was to protect and restore liver cells against intoxication with various substances (including alcohol). It was later used to build muscle mass. Thiococide is also currently used as a means of weight loss.
When lipoic acid enters the body, processes begin that normalize metabolism. It directly affects the consumption and removal of fat reserves. Normal metabolism serves to create a slim figure. The benefits of ALA for weight loss include:
- the stabilization of sugar as a result of intake makes it possible to control the amount of food consumed;
- by stimulating the breakdown of fat, lipoic acid removes fat deposits from the body in order to lose weight;
- full absorption of nutrients helps to improve skin color, prevent brittle hair and nails;
- the feeling of hunger is reduced, which is blocked for a long time without damaging the body;
- improves mental and physical activity;
- all organs begin to function more efficiently.
You should know that the use of lipoic acid has contraindications, you should not take it with the following diseases:
- heart failure;
- chronic kidney disease;
- thyroid dysfunction (hypothyroidism);
- inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract;
- hypersensitivity to the components of the drug;
- individual intolerance.
Some dietary supplements use cinnamon and vanilla as impurities. Due to these substances, the drug is very popular among women. After completing the course, a decrease in the desire for sweets and weight loss is noticed.
Important!Before using lipoic acid for weight loss, consult your doctor: endocrinologist, therapist, or nutritionist.
Those taking the medication felt that they felt better, longing for an active lifestyle. After the therapy, many had an improved blood count and a change in appearance: the pimples and inflammations disappeared from the face. It should be noted that weight loss occurred only in conjunction with the normalization of diet and exercise in the gym.
How to drink
In order not to harm your body, you need to know how to drink lipoic acid properly to lose weight. Exceeding the dose can lead to health damage. Lipoate has a high chemical activity and reacts with many substances, so you should read the instructions carefully before taking it.
Dosage
Your selection should focus on the person's food addiction, intensity of physical activity, and general health. General rules for the use of thioctocide:
- in a satisfactory state the dose for prophylaxis is 25-50 mg per day;
- the elderly - 50 mg daily;
- athletes - 75-200 mg;
- for the treatment of diseases - up to 600 mg;
- slimming women - minimum dose 30-50 mg; for men - 50-75 mg daily (divided into 3 doses).
With intramuscular administration of the acid, the dose should not exceed 50 mg daily. Although some sources indicate that positive results can only be obtained with a daily intake of 100-200 mg, treatment should be initiated at low doses. Doses in excess of 600 mg daily without physical activity can dramatically worsen your health.
Note!Lipoic acid is only effective for weight loss if you follow a diet, strength training in the gym, and physical activity.
How many days can you drink
For general body improvement, thioctocide should be taken several times a year for 2-3 weeks. Longer intake is required for weight loss, according to the following scheme: 1 month intake, then a break of 1-2 months, then repeating the course, etc. You can lose 4-6 kg per month when you take this medicine in combination with a balanced diet and physical activity.
Recommendations
- Lipoic acid is given in the morning and evening.
- In order not to feel discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract, use the drug after a meal.
- Thioctocide inhibits the absorption of calcium, so lactic acid products are consumed 4 hours after ingestion.
- Alcohol inhibits the absorption of lipoic acid, and dizziness and nausea may occur if taken at the same time.
- The drug is taken no earlier than 30 minutes after strength training.
- Compatibility with other drugs should be checked before taking thioctocide.
The effect of the slimming procedure will only be if you follow a diet and exercise in the gym. Protein foods should be used in this case. When there are fewer carbs, the body begins to use up its available reserves and loses weight. When consuming sweets, pasta, cereals, lipoic acid is used to process the resulting sugars without affecting the fats.
Overdose
The dose should be prescribed by your doctor and cannot be adjusted upwards on your own. A lot is not good yet. Overdose can be dangerous to health: it can lead to seizures and bleeding disorders. Due to the sharp drop in blood sugar, there is a possibility of hypoglycaemic coma, and low levels of the hormones produced can provoke thyroid disease (hypothyroidism).
As a treatment, they induce vomiting, use gastric lavage, and prescribe activated charcoal. But even these manipulations can be useless because there is no antidote. Therefore, read the instructions carefully before use and avoid overdose.
Side effects
Lipoic acid is generally well tolerated, but sometimes the following unpleasant symptoms may occur:
- abdominal pain;
- headache;
- allergic reaction in the form of a rash;
- increased pressure;
- nausea and vomiting;
- diarrhea;
- metallic taste in the mouth.
When these symptoms appear, the medication should be stopped immediately.
Important!When taking thioctic acid, you should stop drinking alcohol because it slows its absorption.
Using lipoic acid is not a panacea for losing excess pounds, but it can help you lose weight by working with diet and exercise. In addition, it normalizes metabolic processes in the body, prevents aging.