The ALA pioneer - nature's Rx - physician Burt Berkson; alpha lipoic acid in prevention, treatment of diseases - Interview

Dr. Burt Berkson has spent much of his medical career using alpha lipoic acid to treat various maladies. His involvement with ALA began in 1977, when, as a young resident at Case Western Reserve Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, he received a macabre assignment: Inform patients with liver disease that they had no hope of survival.

The job so upset him, Berkson recalls, that he began looking for ways to save the patients. His search led him to anecdotal evidence suggesting that ALA could be used to regenerate liver cells. Berkson provided ALA to 79 terminal liver patients. Of these, 75 showed significant liver regeneration.

Berkson's research indicates that ALA can support overall health and immunity, while having powerful anti-aging effects, he says. In 1998, Berkson compiled his 20 years of experience with ALA into The Alpha Lipoic Acid Breakthrough (Prima Press). He now runs the Center for Integrative Medicine in Las Cruces, N.M. He recently discussed the benefits of MA.

Better Nutrition: What is ALA?

Berkson: It's a very important antioxidant, meaning it protects the body from the damaging effects of so-called free radicals [Atoms with unpaired electrons, said to damage tissue]. Not only is it a powerful antioxidant [a substance that inhibits free-radical reactions] in its own right, it also dramatically improves the action of other antioxidants, such as vitamins E and C, glutathione and CoQ10. It's also clear -- based on a lot of research -- that ALA enables the body to utilize insulin efficiently.

BN: What does it mean that ALA is a potent antioxidant?

Berkson: As we age, our bodies produce more and more free radicals. ALA neutralizes these free radicals, effectively delaying the aging process [and] allowing new nerve cells to grow. This is already having exciting implications for the treatment of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and ALS [Lou Gehrig's disease].

BN: You say ALA helps the body utilize insulin. Does this have implications for the treatment of diabetes?

Berkson: An alarming number of adults, even adults in their 20s, suffer from a prediabetic state. The high-carbohydrate, high-sugar diet that is so popular in America overloads the body's response to sugar. This has the effect of altering the body's use of insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar levels. A lot of research has focused on ALA's ability to stimulate the insulin response and get people back to normal blood sugar levels. I've seen fantastic results using MA to reverse all stages of diabetes.

BN: Who should take ALA supplements?

Berkson: People produce enough ALA until they reach about age 45. After that, I recommend people take 300 mg a day. By age 60, ALA levels decrease dramatically. This group should take 600 mg a day to promote longevity and overall health.

BN: Where should people turn if they're seeking professionals who can prescribe ALA for disease treatment?

Berkson: Right now, pharmaceutical companies are seeking licenses to make ALA a prescription drug. Over the next five years, ALA is going to hit the mainstream medical establishment in a big way. Right now, though, there are very few doctors who understand ALA for disease treatment.

BN: Are there any dangers involved with taking it?

Berkson: ALA supplements are known to deplete the body of B vitamins. This makes it necessary to take a good B complex vitamin alongside MA. Also, there are varying grades of ALA on the market and it's definitely "buyer beware." The highest-quality ALA is produced by pharmaceutical companies in Germany, then repackaged and sold in the U.S. This is the ALA that I use with my patients. Supplement makers don't always state where their ALA comes from, though, and it's best to find out.

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