Antioxidant Boosts Weight Loss
Get full access to Outside Learn, our online education hub featuring in-depth nutrition, fitness and adventure courses, and more than 2,000 instructional videos when you sign up for Outside+..
Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), known for its antioxidant properties, has now been found to enhance weight loss. In a Spanish study, 77 overweight women followed a calorie-reduced diet for 10 weeks with one of these daily supplement regimens: 300 mg of ALA, 1,300 mg of EPA (found in fish oil), a combination of ALA and EPA, or no supplements. Those taking ALA lost, on average, more than 15.5 pounds, compared to about 11.5 pounds in the non-ALA groups. EPA did not produce weight loss but increased levels of leptin, the hormone that signals a feeling of fullness after eating, and may help with weight maintenance. The study was published in the journal Obesity.
