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Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) helps enzymes which process fuel in the body. Some food sources of ALA are spinach, broccoli, potatoes plus kidney heart and liver meats. ALA is also an important signaling chemical that regulates body weight.

An Oregon State Universtiy study found ALA supplements helped prevent hardening of the arteries in mice. It worked by reducing inflammation, triglycerides (blood fats) and obesity. This article explains how those mechanismas work. From this it was concluded ALA supplements might help prevent heart disease and obesity.

In other studies, rats given ALA reduced their food intake and lifted meatbolic burn. The ALA rats were 20% lighter than their controls.

ALA is a powerful antioxidant and protects from free radicals which are produced as a result of metabolism. These are linked to cell membrane destruction and immune system breakdown. ALA also improves bloood sugar control, thus increasing insulin sensitivity in people with diabetes.

ALA has promise as a supplement, but there have not been any large scale human studies to date.

It was reported today that the State Government is giving community prizes of up to One Million Dollars each year for the best suggestion to combat the “obesity epidemic”.

The money is to be used by the winners to create some sort of community facility like a pool to get people slimmer. Maybe a school auditorium full of Wii fits will do the trick?

What happened to proper food and exercise? Turn off the TV, computer and Playstation, and drag the kids down to a park or beach for a few hours with a hamper full of salads, fruit and good protein sources…

As far as building community swimming pools - well how are you going to convince an overweight woman whose self image is already suffering - to put on a swimming suit and parade in front of the neightbours at the local pool?

Live long. Live well.