IO Genix R-ALA 250 mg

What is IO Genix R-ALA 250 mg?

IO Genix R-ALA is a single-ingredient supplement: one capsule provides 250 mg of alpha-lipoic acid in the R form. The box holds 60 capsules for a net weight of 25 g, that is, a two-month course at one dose a day. The rest of the Spanish range can be found in our IO Genix section.

Alpha-lipoic acid is a molecule the body makes in small amounts and which acts as a cofactor in several reactions of cellular energy metabolism, within the mitochondria. Diet supplies very little of it: traces are found in offal, spinach and broccoli, but nothing comparable to a supplement.

Its chemical peculiarity is real and rarely explained properly: it is one of the only antioxidant molecules that is soluble in both water and fat. Most of the others are confined to one medium or the other. The “R” designation, for its part, refers to the form naturally present in the body, as opposed to the racemic mixture, which also contains the inactive S form.

What does one R-ALA capsule contain?

250 mg per capsule is a measured dose, and that is rather good news. Alpha-lipoic acid supplements are sold at doses ranging from 100 to 600 mg per serving, and the highest are not the most advisable — we come to that in the next section. At 250 mg in a single daily dose, this product stays within a reasonable range.

One point of composition needs to be flagged clearly, because it contradicts a widely held assumption about this range: the shell is made of gelatine, not plant cellulose. This product is therefore suitable for neither a vegetarian nor a vegan diet, unlike other products from the same brand. It is a piece of information that is not always given and that settles the purchase for some customers.

On the regulatory side: no health claim is authorised in Europe for alpha-lipoic acid. Not on oxidative stress, not on energy, not on blood sugar, not on the regeneration of other antioxidants. Its role as a mitochondrial cofactor is described in the literature; the effect of oral supplementation, on the other hand, has no approved dossier. So we describe the molecule and its dose, and promise nothing.

Two statements from the old description have also been removed. The first announced a GMP certification issued by a third-party body: we cannot verify it, and we do not pass on certifications that cannot be verified. The second urged customers to “secure your course” because of “limited quantities”: that is a false commercial urgency, and it has no place on a product page.

Ingredients list

Alpha-lipoic acid (R-ALA), capsule (GELATINE), anti-caking agents (magnesium salts of fatty acids and magnesium carbonate) and rice flour. May contain traces of NUTS, PEANUTS, EGGS, MILK, SULPHITES, FISH and SOYA.

How do you take R-ALA 250 mg?

Dose: 1 capsule. Liquid: a large glass of water, 250 ml. Timing: in the morning, preferably. Frequency: one dose a day, no more. Duration: one box corresponds to a two-month course.

The manufacturer advises taking it in the morning. Many sources also recommend taking alpha-lipoic acid away from meals, since a full stomach slows its absorption. The manufacturer does not say so here: we therefore stick to its recommendation, in the morning with a large glass of water.

Do not exceed the recommended daily dose. This instruction, routine on most products, is a genuine one on this one. Alpha-lipoic acid lowers blood sugar, and that is precisely why you should neither double the dose nor improvise a protocol found on a forum.

Consistency matters more than anything else. Two months is the period one box covers, and it is also the sort of timescale on which an active of this type is judged. Taking it erratically supports no conclusion at all.

The product combines without difficulty with vitamin C, vitamin E or coenzyme Q10, which belong to the same family of ingredients without duplicating one another. If you are introducing several products at once, space them a fortnight apart: it is the only way to know what actually changes anything for you.

Who is R-ALA for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at a healthy adult who wants to try a single active, properly dosed, in one daily serving. It is a short-formula product, which remains a good selection criterion in this aisle.

The contraindications, on the other hand, are specific, and the manufacturer states them plainly: lipoic acid is not recommended for people with diabetes, for pregnant women or for women who are breastfeeding. The first deserves explaining rather than simply copying out: this molecule lowers blood sugar, and combined with an antidiabetic treatment it can bring on hypoglycaemia. This is not a token precaution.

One further point must be added, one the manufacturer does not mention and a French buyer is entitled to know: ANSES has reported cases of severe hypoglycaemia associated with the consumption of food supplements containing alpha-lipoic acid, and recommends caution, particularly in people who are predisposed. That is not a reason to give up if you are in good health; it is a reason to stick strictly to the dose and to seek advice at the first unexplained episode of feeling unwell.

The product contains gelatine and is therefore not suitable for vegetarian or vegan diets. It may also contain traces of nuts, peanuts, eggs, milk, sulphites, fish and soya.

What not to expect from it: it is not a treatment, it is not a weight-loss product, and it is not a stimulant. You will feel nothing when you take it, which is normal for an antioxidant. Any question about blood sugar, neuropathy or an ongoing treatment is a matter for your doctor or your pharmacist, never for a supplement bought on its own.

R-ALA or coenzyme Q10?

These are the two molecules in the aisle that act closest to cellular energy metabolism, and we are often asked to choose between them.

Coenzyme Q10 is a fat-soluble compound, present in high concentrations in the heart and the muscles, which takes part in the mitochondrial respiratory chain. It is very well tolerated, with no contraindications comparable to those listed above, and it is taken with a meal because it needs fat in order to be absorbed. It is the better choice if you are looking for an antioxidant with no grey areas, particularly after the age of fifty, when the body's own production declines.

R-ALA has its dual solubility going for it, which lets it act in environments coenzyme Q10 cannot reach. It is the better choice if it is precisely that property that interests you and if none of the contraindications applies to you. It generally costs less per dose.

Neither has an authorised claim in Europe for this use: on that score they are level, and the choice comes down to tolerance and profile, not to a promise. If you are instead looking for a short-formula antioxidant with no particular contraindications, our NAC section offers a third route, and standardised turmeric a fourth.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between R-ALA and standard alpha-lipoic acid?

Alpha-lipoic acid exists in two mirror forms, R and S. Only the R form is the one the body produces and uses; the S form is inactive. A product sold as R-ALA contains nothing but the active form, whereas a standard alpha-lipoic acid contains roughly half of it. At an equal stated dose, then, the amount of active ingredient is not the same.

How long does one box last?

Two months, at one capsule a day for 60 capsules. That is a duration consistent with what can be expected of an active of this type: nothing is judged in a fortnight, and two months make for a reasonable first trial.

Is this product suitable for vegetarians?

No. The capsule shell is made of gelatine, which is of animal origin. That is a notable difference from several other products in the same range, which use vegetable capsules. For a vegetarian or vegan diet, you will need to turn to a different product.

Why is it not recommended for people with diabetes?

Because alpha-lipoic acid lowers blood sugar. Combined with an antidiabetic treatment, it carries a risk of hypoglycaemia. The manufacturer advises against it explicitly, and ANSES has also reported cases of severe hypoglycaemia linked to supplements containing this molecule. If this applies to you, the question is one for your doctor before any purchase.

What time of day should it be taken?

In the morning, with a large glass of water, as the manufacturer indicates. Consistency counts for more than the exact hour: a daily dose at a set time makes it possible to assess a two-month course honestly, which taking it at random never does.

Can it be combined with other antioxidants?

Nothing stands in the way as far as the ingredients go: vitamin C, vitamin E and coenzyme Q10 do not compete with it. The practical advice remains to introduce one product at a time, a fortnight apart, rather than starting everything on the same morning.

Is there a noticeable effect?

No, and none should be expected. It is an antioxidant that works at cell level, with no associated sensation. A product in this category that produced a perceptible effect on being taken ought to worry you rather than excite you.

Where can you buy IO Genix R-ALA?

The box of 60 capsules can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is a product in front of which we always ask one question before selling: “are you diabetic or on medication?”. With a molecule that lowers blood sugar, that is the only serious way to go about it. The rest of the range can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.