Like Glutathione, Alpha Lipoic Acid is made every day in our own bodies. Also like Glutathione, Alpha Lipoic Acid production becomes less and less as we age and are exposed to various toxins and diseases in food and the environment. Nonetheless, it is a critical, if not an essential nutrient needed to remove mercury from the body. In fact, without Alpha Lipoic Acid in our body, we would immediately die.

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is also known as Lipoic Acid or Thiotic Acid. It is an organic sulfur compound made up of left and right components. Originally ALA was thought to be a vitamin, but then it was discovered that the human body produces it on its own. Alpha Lipoic Acid is involved in aerobic metabolism, such as breathing. So as I stated above, without it you will immediately die.

Alpha Lipoic Acid is part of four enzyme complexes in Mitochondria that generate ATP from Glucose. With the increased ATP production comes an increase in energy currency exchange in the body. ALA also increases cardiac output and blood flow in general.

So how does this all pertain to Mercury and the detoxification from it?

Because Alpha Lipoic Acid is soluble in fat and water, it can easily cross the blood brain barrier. This means, like Glutathione, ALA can detoxify Mercury from the brain. The sulfur content is not only what gives ALA its beautiful sunshine color, but it is also the sticky substance that binds to mercury and other harmful particles and chelates them from the body. ALA can be administered by Intravenous Therapy or by mouth and quickly distributes throughout all body tissues.

Alpha Lipoic Acid also works to help Glutathione repair and rebuild itself. So the two together are a powerhouse in mercury detoxification. In addition, ALA works synergistically with the B vitamins and works in the body to help restore Vitamin C and E levels. All in all, Alpha Lipoic Acid is a wonderful antioxidant with so many health benefits, especially pertaining to mercury and other heavy metal detoxification.

Red meats, particularly organ meats are the highest food source of Alpha Lipoic Acid. With that, broccoli, spinach, beets, and carrots are other great sources too.

Now that you are familiar with the two primary mercury chelating agents, I want to look further into the other nutrients needed to assist in the complete process of mercury detoxification. These nutrients are not necessarily directly involved in the removal of mercury, but they play a key role in either protecting and repairing antioxidants, or helping the body to heal from the damage done as a result of mercury poisoning.