The Nutrition Examination Research Digest (NERD) aims to provide rigorous, unbiased analysis of the latest and most important nutrition and supplementation studies. Click here to subscribe or login if already a subscriber .
Study under review: The effects of alpha-lipoic acid supplementation on glucose control and lipid profiles among patients with metabolic diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Introduction
The cluster of issues that arise from a disordered metabolism (e.g., impaired glucose tolerance, elevated triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol) is often referred to as metabolic syndrome[1]. Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of several chronic diseases, specifically type 2 diabetes[2] (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease [3](CVD).
Currently, there are several approaches to managing the markers of metabolic disease, including both lifestyle modification[4] and pharmacological therapies. The primary efficacious lifestyle interventions involve caloric restriction through dietary modifications and implementation of exercise. Additionally, exercise alone can directly improve glucose and lipid metabolism. Pharmacological interventions, such as metformin and statins, are considered standard-of-care for many diseases, including T2DM and CVD.
There are additional non-pharmacological interventions that may improve markers of metabolic disease. Among these non-pharmacological interventions, alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) may have antioxidant[5], glucose lowering[6], and lipid lowering properties[7]. Furthermore, two meta-analyses have examined ALA’s effects on bodyweight[8] (which we covered in NERD 35v1) and inflammatory markers[9]. Their results are summarized in Figure 1.
References: Kucukgoncu et al. Obes Rev. 2017 May.
Akbari et al. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2018 Jun.
To date, there have also been numerous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the effect of ALA on glucose and lipid metabolism in people with diseases of disordered metabolism, such as T2DM[10] and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)[11]. While some ALA trials have shown a benefit on glucose and lipid metabolism, others have shown no benefit. The present study is a systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs on the effect of ALA on glucose and lipid metabolism among participants with diseases related to disordered metabolism.
Metabolic disturbances, primarily impaired glucose tolerance and dyslipidemia, increase the risk of metabolic disease, such as T2DM and CVD. ALA is a non-pharmaceutical intervention that displays some glucose-lowering and lipid-lowering effects. The present study is a systematic review and meta-analysis on the effect of ALA on glucose and lipid metabolism.
Who and what was studied?
What were the findings?
What does this study really tell us?
The big picture
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I know?
Other Articles in Issue #48 (October 2018)
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Interview: Bill Willis, PhD
What the heck is HMGB1 and why care about it? In this interview, we pick the brain of Examine.com researcher Bill Willis about a recent paper he published on the matter, and get his insights on the research process and his opinion on the recent spate of scientific misconduct reports.
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NERD Mini: Vitamin D, dementia, and lipids: the ApoE connection
In this NERD mini, we give you a quick summary of recent research examining how ApoE genotype affects the way blood lipids respond to swapping out dietary saturated fat for carbs.
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Can keratin supplementation improve body composition and cycling performance in endurance-trained men?
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Which diet’s best for weight and metabolic risk factors in people with type 2 diabetes?
There's quite a bit that's known about how diets impact diabetes. What's less well understood is how different diets compare. This network meta-analysis aimed to find out.
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Paleo plus exercise: not the perfect match from the past?
There's little question that diet and exercise both help with type 2 diabetes. But the added benefits of exercise on top of the paleo diet is less well understood.
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CoQ10 supplementation helps with one pole of bipolar disorder
There's reason to believe that coenzyme Q10 supplementation can impact on unipolar depression. This trial looked at whether it could also improve depression in people with bipolar disorder when added to standard treatment.
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Elderly people at risk for dementia may benefit from vitamin D supplementation
Not everyone with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) proceeds progresses to dementia, but the majority do. Can vitamin D supplementation help with cognition in people with MCI?
