What are the side effects of ALA?

Users most often report liver damage, headache, fatty liver, mercury brain, intellectual decline. Side effects came up 9 times across 320 reports.

User reports can't establish safety. PubMed lists 100 meta-analyses and 243 randomized trials. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist, especially if you take other medication.

ALA side effects

Across 320 first-hand reports, people mentioned a side effect 9 times (about 3 per 100 reports). The most common: liver damage, headache, fatty liver. User reports show what people notice — they can't tell you whether ALA is safe for you.

Reported side effects

liver damage2

headache1

fatty liver1

mercury brain1

intellectual decline1

stress intolerance1

hepatic steatosis1

increased triglycerides1

In their own words

“I read alot about alpha lipoic acid with carnitine and coq 10, and fish oil being important, though I never noticed any improvement”

Didn't helpRead the discussion ↗

“Alpha Lipoic Acid gives me crazy crazy headaches. and i suffered enough until i figured it out.”

MixedRead the discussion ↗

Is ALA safe? What the research covers

AResearch: Strong100 meta-analyses · 243 randomized trials on PubMed

Cephalalgia · 2022

A systematic review of treatment for patients with burning mouth syndrome

Conclusion: A more significant volume in terms of sample size, multi-centres, and multi-arm comparison of therapeutic agents with placebo and longitudinal follow-up studies is recommended to establish a standardised burning mouth syndrome treatment protocol. Further studies are required to assess the analgesic benefits of topical clonazepam and capsaicin, alternative medicines with neurodegenerative prevention capability and psychology support in treating burning mouth syndrome and reducing systemic adverse drug reactions.Registration International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO):Pro

J Am Coll Cardiol · 2022

Micronutrient Supplementation to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk

Conclusion: Supplementation of some but not all micronutrients may benefit cardiometabolic health. This study highlights the importance of micronutrient diversity and the balance of benefits and risks to promote and maintain cardiovascular health in diverse populations. (Antioxidant Supplementation in the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases; CRD42022315165).

Cochrane Database Syst Rev · 2024

Alpha-lipoic acid for diabetic peripheral neuropathy

Conclusion: Our analysis suggests that ALA probably has little or no effect on neuropathy symptoms or adverse events at six months, and may have little or no effect on impairment at six months. All the studies were at high risk of attrition bias. Therefore, future RCTs should ensure complete follow-up and transparent reporting of any participants missing from the analyses.