RE: Quality of ala supplements (was how to divide doses?)

January 12, 2008

By " pharmaceutical grade " he may mean USP, which stands for United States

Pharmacopoeia. I don't know the details, but substances labeled USP have

passed certain quality controls or are made according to certain prescribed

standards or procedures, and are believed to be more pure.

It's true that many supplements do not contain what their labels say they

contain. A good source for info on this is www.consumerlabs.com They

recently tested ALA and found that many supplements contain far less ALA

than their label states. Only two brands did not pass; they are:

a.. Pro-Caps® Laboratories Lessman Alpha Lipoic Acid — contained

only 51% of its claimed amount. Among its ingredients was thiamin, which is

known to degrade alpha lipoic acid and may explain the low level found.

Ironically, the label on this product touted unsurpassed quality and

integrity.

b.. ® Alpha Lipoic Acid 50 mg — contained only 88% of its claimed

amount.

Dean

Re: [ ] how to divide doses?

> I was pretty pleased with it, and was eager to share my discovery. Would

> probably be much harder for a man (with larger fingers) to manage, since

the

> little envelopes are delicate.

>

> The rest of the conversation with the pharmacist was not very good. He

was

> adamant about using ³pharmaceutical grade² supps. The only place I was

able to

> find that terminology was on web sites about body-building supps.

>

> Anyone have any input about the whole ³pharmaceutical grade² issue?

>

> Thanks,

>

> [ ] how to divide doses?

>> >

>> > If I buy Kirkmans 25mg of ALA, how do I measure 6 mg doses? Is there

some

>> tiny

>> > spoon I

>> > can buy or do I eyeball it into 5ths? Sorry if this is a dumb

question.

>> > Dani

>> >

January 12, 2008

> b.. ® Alpha Lipoic Acid 50 mg — contained only 88% of its claimed

> amount.

I don't know offhand what QC spec's are in the pharmaceutical industry, but +-

10 or +-

20% are pretty common in other areas.

Drug companies have gotten in trouble for this sort of thing too.

For pratical purposes 88 mg is close enough to 100 mg of ALA that you don't need

to

worry about it, even if you mixed and matched 100 mg and 88 mg (that is 2

different

vendor) capsules in the same round.

The same is not true of 51 mg, and do note the difference between cheap brand

'close

enough for government work' ALA, and ALA in a bottle touting the highest

quality.

This is my general impression, when you see all kinds of claims of 'best,

purest, highest

quality,' be very suspicious. They are sometimes true. Sometimes. And

sometimes it

matters. Not usually.

Andy

January 12, 2008

> Andy and Dean, Thank you so much. I found a site, www.consumerlab.com (no ³s²

> on the lab) that looks like the one. No time right now to browse...but I did

> save it for later.

> Thank you again.

>

> By " pharmaceutical grade " he may mean USP, which stands for United States

> Pharmacopoeia. I don't know the details, but substances labeled USP have

> passed certain quality controls or are made according to certain prescribed

> standards or procedures, and are believed to be more pure.

>

> It's true that many supplements do not contain what their labels say they

> contain. A good source for info on this is www.consumerlabs.com They

> recently tested ALA and found that many supplements contain far less ALA

> than their label states. Only two brands did not pass; they are:

>

> a.. Pro-Caps® Laboratories Lessman Alpha Lipoic Acid — contained

> only 51% of its claimed amount. Among its ingredients was thiamin, which is

> known to degrade alpha lipoic acid and may explain the low level found.

> Ironically, the label on this product touted unsurpassed quality and

> integrity.

> b.. ® Alpha Lipoic Acid 50 mg — contained only 88% of its claimed

> amount.

>

> Dean

>

> Re: [ ] how to divide doses?

>

>> > I was pretty pleased with it, and was eager to share my discovery. Would

>> > probably be much harder for a man (with larger fingers) to manage, since

> the

>> > little envelopes are delicate.

>> >

>> > The rest of the conversation with the pharmacist was not very good. He

> was

>> > adamant about using ³pharmaceutical grade² supps. The only place I was

> able to

>> > find that terminology was on web sites about body-building supps.

>> >

>> > Anyone have any input about the whole ³pharmaceutical grade² issue?

>> >

>> > Thanks,

>> >

>> > [ ] how to divide doses?

>>>> >> >

>>>> >> > If I buy Kirkmans 25mg of ALA, how do I measure 6 mg doses? Is there

> some

>>> >> tiny

>>>> >> > spoon I

>>>> >> > can buy or do I eyeball it into 5ths? Sorry if this is a dumb

> question.

>>>> >> > Dani

>>>> >> >

January 12, 2008

So then can I assume that Kirkman Labs ALA is actually 25mg. and not more or

less?

_____

From: [mailto: ]

On Behalf Of Dean

Sent: Saturday, January 12, 2008 2:21 PM

Subject: RE: [ ] Quality of ala supplements (was how to divide

doses?)