Alpha-Lipoic Acid dosage and evidence
Written by Aaron CuhaReviewed Sep 2026
The short answer
Alpha-Lipoic Acid is an antioxidant studied for nerve pain in diabetes and for metabolic health. It is sold as a supplement and used as a drug in some countries.
Evidence grade for Alpha-Lipoic Acid: Limited. The rule: people have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. The sum on this page: 1 completed trial, none stating how many people. A grade counts how much has been done to people, not whether it works.
- People given it
- 0
- Human studies
- 1
- Found nothing
- 0
Dose
No human dose established
Amounts that were given in studies sit in Human evidence on this page. None of them is a personal dose.
1 completed trial, 0 people given it
3 effects reported, 2 unwanted, 1 wanted, by people using it, not a trial
In plain English
In plain English, from Aaron
This is how I would explain it to a friend. The evidence, with the numbers, is further down the page.
Alpha-lipoic acid is an antioxidant your body makes in small amounts. It is sold as a supplement. In some countries it is given by drip as a medicine for nerve damage from diabetes. It is not a peptide.
What people take it for
- Easing burning and numbness from diabetic nerve damage.
- General antioxidant support.
- Better blood sugar and metabolic health.
What studies in people showed
A review that pooled studies of the drip found 600 mg a day for 3 weeks eased nerve symptoms. 52.7 percent of people were helped, against 36.9 percent on a dummy. Taken by mouth, it cut symptom scores by about half in 5 weeks. On a dummy pill, they fell by about a third. The 600 mg dose worked as well as higher doses, with fewer stomach problems. A 4-year study by mouth missed its main goal. Nerve damage did get worse more slowly on it, but that was a side result.
What people report
Reports, not study results
The good
- Less burning and numbness from diabetic nerve damage, in the studies on this page.
The bad
- Stomach upset at higher doses. That is why 600 mg is the dose the study liked best.
- It failed its main goal over four years.
Where these come from: Everything here is from the review and human studies on this page. We have not collected forum or user reports for this one yet.
My bottom line
For diabetic nerve pain, it has a real but modest effect. For general health, the case is weak. Fix your blood sugar first.
An opinion, not a finding. I am a coach, not a doctor.
What it has been measured to do
Nothing indexed yet
The 3 citations on this page do not report a result for any of the 36 goals indexed here. Most of what sits here is something else: a listing of a planned study, a study of how the body handles the drug, a safety report or a government record. None of those tests whether it works.
Show full evidence
What is Alpha-Lipoic Acid?
Alpha-Lipoic Acid is an antioxidant studied for nerve pain in diabetes and for metabolic health. It is sold as a supplement and used as a drug in some countries.
Alpha-lipoic acid is a natural compound that works as an antioxidant in both the watery and fatty parts of the body. It also helps recharge other antioxidants. It has been studied most for nerve damage from diabetes. In some countries, a drip form is used as a medicine. A review that pooled studies of the drip found 600 mg a day for 3 weeks eased nerve symptoms. 52.7% of people were helped, against 36.9% on a dummy. Taken by mouth, it cut symptom scores by about 50% in 5 weeks, against 32% on a dummy pill. The 600 mg dose had the best balance of benefit and side effects. A 4-year study by mouth missed its main goal, though nerve damage got worse more slowly. It is widely sold as a supplement. It is not a peptide.
How does Alpha-Lipoic Acid work?
It works as a broad antioxidant. It recharges vitamins C and E and glutathione, and it helps mitochondria make energy.
The evidence, in charts
Fig. 1a · how many people
2studies in people cited, but none says how many people took part
number of people not stated
We do not draw a total, because none of the studies in people on this page gives one. Read the sources below for what each study measured.
We read the number of people from the source lines on this page. Where a line gives no number, we count nothing for it. We do not guess.
Fig. 1b · evidence mix
2 of 3 sources here are studies in people. The rest is not.
- Study in people · done in people267%
- Review of studies · sums up other studies133%
Counted from the list of sources on this page. It counts only what we cite, so there may be more studies out there. A review counts once, however many studies it sums up.
Fig. 2 · evidence over time
The studies cover 3 different years, 2004 to 2011, counted from the list of sources on this page. The newest source on file is from 2011, more than five years ago. Research on it may have gone quiet.
Fig. 3 · legal status at a glance
US
Not approved
UK
Not approved
AU
Not approved
CA
Not approved
Not approved in any of the four countries shown. This is what the law says, not a verdict on the science. See Legal status below for the full text and any notes.
Fig. 4 · how much does what
Nobody has tested different amounts in people
This chart would show how the effect changes as the amount goes up. For this compound, nobody has measured that in people. So we leave it empty. We will not borrow an animal chart and pretend it works the same in people.
Fig. 5 · what the molecule is
- Kind of compound
- Supplement
- Molecule weight
- 206.3 Da
- Half-life
- About 30 minutesUltra-short, minutes
- Chain length
- None on file
No amino acid sequence is on file for Alpha-Lipoic Acid, which is expected: a supplement is not built from amino acids.
The studies we cite
- Study in people2006Oral treatment with alpha-lipoic acid improves symptomatic diabetic polyneuropathy: the SYDNEY 2 trial
Swallowed alpha-lipoic acid eased the burning and numbness of diabetic nerve damage. People took it, or a dummy, for five weeks. Their symptom scores fell by about half, against about a third on the dummy. That gap is real but modest, and a third of a dummy group improving tells you how much this measure moves on its own. The lowest dose worked as well as the higher ones and upset fewer stomachs. Five weeks is a short look at a lifelong problem.
Oral ALA 600 to 1,800 mg for 5 weeks reduced symptom scores by about 50% versus 32% with placebo; 600 mg gave the best risk-benefit.
- Study in people2011Efficacy and safety of antioxidant treatment with alpha-lipoic acid over 4 years in diabetic polyneuropathy: the NATHAN 1 trial
Over four years the supplement failed its main test and managed something smaller. It did not beat a dummy on the combined measure the whole trial was built around. On the doctors' examination of nerve function, people on it did better and their nerve damage worsened more slowly. Those were secondary measures, looked at after the main one failed. A trial that misses its own main question does not get to claim the ones it hit. Read this as a hint, not a result.
4-year oral ALA missed its composite primary endpoint but improved and slowed progression of neuropathic impairment.
- Review of studies2004Treatment of symptomatic diabetic polyneuropathy with the antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid: a meta-analysis
A review that pooled studies of alpha-lipoic acid by drip. 600 mg a day for 3 weeks eased nerve symptoms from diabetes. 52.7% of people were helped, against 36.9% on a dummy.
600 mg/day intravenous ALA for 3 weeks improved neuropathic symptoms and deficits; responder rate 52.7% versus 36.9%.
Where to buy Alpha-Lipoic Acid
1 seller lists Alpha-Lipoic Acid in our latest read. They are ranked by trust score, then by archive rating, then by certificate tier, then by the lowest price per milligram. Archive evidence is counted before source-backed. Each path is out of 4, and the two are not added. A higher price does not raise the score. The letter is the certificate chip. 0 of them have a published certificate that names Alpha-Lipoic Acid.
Some seller links may pay this site when you buy through them. A payment never changes a seller's tier or rank, and no seller has a say in any page.
| Seller | Trust score | Vial sizes | From, per mg | Certificate for Alpha-Lipoic Acid | Seller link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Molecules | 28 InsufficientSource-backed 1 of 4. Archive evidence 1 of 4.C | 10 mg | $59.4 | None found for Alpha-Lipoic Acid | View |
- LC Lab-confirmed: the issuing laboratory echoed this certificate back
- A Current certificate, independent laboratory named, laboratory not yet checked
- B Certificate published, but no laboratory link, older than a year, or the laboratory did not recognise the published lookup
- C No certificate could be read
Every listing and vial size for Alpha-Lipoic Acid · How the trust score is counted
Sellers named on the price pages are ranked by certificate tier, then price, and any affiliate income is disclosed there. Naming a seller is not a recommendation to buy or use anything.
Common questions
Has Alpha-Lipoic Acid been tested in people?
Yes. 0 people given it across 1 completed trial cited here, 0 of which found nothing. Alpha-Lipoic Acid is an antioxidant studied for nerve pain in diabetes and for metabolic health. It is sold as a supplement and used as a drug in some countries.
What is the Alpha-Lipoic Acid dosage?
No human dose established. Amounts that were given in studies sit in Human evidence on this page. None of them is a personal dose. 1 completed trial, 0 people given it
Is Alpha-Lipoic Acid FDA-approved?
Sold as a supplement in the US; used as a medicine for nerve damage (neuropathy) in some countries
Is alpha-lipoic acid a peptide?
No. It is a small compound that contains sulphur. It is on this site because it is a popular antioxidant that shows up on peptide and longevity sites.