antioxidant
ALA
Water- and fat-soluble antioxidant. Supports glucose metabolism and nerve function.
What it’s good for
ALA for Brain Fog
No Benefit2 studies · 0 supporting · 1 against
5 safety notes
How it was tested: A small unblinded study of 15 people, average age 84, found no effect on memory, thinking or mood.
Reaches the brain and is meant to cut oxidative stress and improve how neurons use glucose.
Dose: 300–600 mg
1 study · 0 supporting · 0 against
5 safety notes
Why it gets suggested: Works inside mitochondria and recycles other antioxidants, which is the basis for an energy claim.
Dose: 300–600 mg
Why we could not verify it: Five searches across PubMed, Cochrane, and Crossref found no human trial testing alpha-lipoic acid as a monotherapy for chronic fatigue syndrome or ME/CFS. Every study that came up used ALA as part of a multi-ingredient combination: the existing cited paper (10.1016/j.aimed.2017.11.001) is a 10-patient open-label pilot with five active nutrients and no ALA-only arm; the Requpero 2022 study tested CoQ10 + ALA (not ALA alone) in post-COVID fatigue (not CFS); a fibromyalgia crossover tested ALA + pregabalin for pain, not fatigue; other ALA trials target neuropathy, weight, and oxidative stress endpoints. The ClinicalTrials.gov study NCT01872351 listed is for sodium dichloroacetate, not ALA. No