Casein & Gluten Free Hypoallergenic Dietary Supplement Kirkman's Alpha Lipoic Acid is a powerful and versatile antioxidant that helps protect the body against free radical damage and, as a result, is a protector of many types of cells and tissues. It also helps increase glutathione production, which helps in detoxification processes in the body. This is a hypoallergenic formulation specially designed for individuals with special requirements and sensitivities. Each capsule contains 25 mg of alpha lipoic acid. Alpha lipoic acid is a disulfide compound also known as thioctic acid. Lipoic Acid is a unique antioxidant in that it is both fat- and water-soluble. Other well-known antioxidants can only function within their soluble media, such as vitamin E in fatty membranes of cells and vitamin C in watery portions of cells. Because of its dual solubility, lipoic acid can function in both fatty and aqueous phases of the cell. This is significant and makes lipoic acid a complete antioxidant capable of defending against a wide variety of invading free radicals. Alpha lipoic acid has both sulfur atoms and carboxyl groups in its chemical structure, making it a very reactive compound. Alpha lipoic acid is converted into the reduced form, dihydrolipoic acid, inside of cells, and dihydrolipoic acid possesses two sulfhydryl groups. Alpha lipoic acid is found naturally in foods such as spinach, broccoli, tomato, liver, heart and animal muscle tissue. Its bioavailability from food may be limited, however, because it is bound to a protein called "lipoyllysine.â€