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I have been taking a few supplements, maybe 3, with Bioperene added to them for years. They always only have small amounts of it. No issues whatsoever. Plus, I add freshly ground pepper intentionally to most of my foods for flavor. Again, no issues, ever.


According to this article, it has numerous very important and helpful benefits. No matter what you research, there are generally always opposing views. Who is right? No way of knowing for sure...

The main benefits:

1. May increase nutrient absorption

2. Could boost brain function

3. May alleviate inflammation
(possibly working form me along with my other protocols since I don't seem to have any inflammation and have not for many years - there is no way of knowing for sure of course). Certainly, it is not affecting me negatively.

4. Could block cancer cell growth

5. May stabilize blood sugar levels

I do enjoy ALL of the above benefits, but I cannot know exactly why because I am extremely proactive with my health care with so many different protocols. Plus I am not consuming a large amount of Bioperene. I don't even know what amounts were studied in the trials NHE is referring to.



https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/bi ... ell-growth)

Jaded wrote: ↑Fri Dec 08, 2023 3:33 pm Still it is interesting that the R lipoic acid I just paid a fortune for isn't well absorbed.

R Lipoic Acid should not be overly expensive. Which one are you referring to? What is the dosage you are taking?

And possibly most importantly, is it stabilized? Stabilized R-Alpha Lipoic Acid has been shown to have 40x more absorption to help produce desirable biological actions and bind to key enzymes.

Don't assume it is poorly absorbed, there is no way of knowing for sure. And even if it was poorly absorbed, it is still being absorbed and you are benefiting by taking it. I have been taking this supplement for many years. It is an important one that you should continue to take.

ElliotB wrote: ↑Fri Dec 15, 2023 3:38 am

Jaded wrote: ↑Fri Dec 08, 2023 3:33 pm Still it is interesting that the R lipoic acid I just paid a fortune for isn't well absorbed.

R Lipoic Acid should not be overly expensive. Which one are you referring to? Don't assume it is poorly absorbed, there is no way of knowing for sure. I have been taking this supplement for many years. It is an important one that you should continue to take.

AFAIK R-ALA has a poor bioavailability of 30% while Na-R-ALA has increased ~40% bioavailability but contains ~70% R-ALA.
For example from 100mg of R-ALA you abrosb ~30mg while from 100mg of Na-R-ALA that contains 70mg R-ALA you absorb (30X1,40=)42% x 70mg = 30mg, so you should take MORE Na-R-ALA in order to abrorb the same quantity...

I take this one and on closer inspection I think it might be Na- RALA - see the back.
https://www.lifeextensioneurope.com/sup ... ic-acid-eu


DIM, Elliot thanks.

I didn't say it was poorly absorbed - that was just my response to the previous post. I have no idea whether it is well-absorbed or not!

Jaded wrote: ↑Fri Dec 15, 2023 6:50 am I take this one and on closer inspection I think it might be Na- RALA - see the back.
https://www.lifeextensioneurope.com/sup ... ic-acid-eu

Yes, that's the stabilized version with better absorption. The brand I take suggests taking it on an empty stomach. Do you do that? I take mine in between meals.

"AFAIK R-ALA has a poor bioavailability of 30% while Na-R-ALA has increased ~40% bioavailability but contains ~70% R-ALA.
For example from 100mg of R-ALA you absorb ~30mg while from 100mg of Na-R-ALA that contains 70mg R-ALA you absorb (30X1,40=)42% x 70mg = 30mg, so you should take MORE Na-R-ALA in order to absorb the same quantity..."

OR you could take a high potency and stabilized R-ALA supplement that has up to 40x the absorption.

600mg per 2 capsule serving, but you could just take 1 probably for 300mg which is what I did when I took this supplement, reasonably priced too:

https://www.amazon.com/Stabilized-R-Alp ... 07DP8DHBH/

ElliotB wrote: ↑Fri Dec 15, 2023 7:39 am
OR you could take a high potency and stabilized R-ALA supplement that has up to 40x the absorption.

I know what supplement companies claim but also what studies conclude, what 40x more absorption means?
I also order Na-R-ALA from Life Extension but I don't believe it has such high bioavailability:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... 8718301404

ElliotB wrote: ↑Fri Dec 15, 2023 7:39 am OR you could take a high potency and stabilized R-ALA supplement that has up to 40x the absorption.

600mg per 2 capsule serving, but you could just take 1 probably for 300mg which is what I did when I took this supplement, reasonably priced too:

https://www.amazon.com/Stabilized-R-Alp ... 07DP8DHBH/

The Life Extension Super R-Lipoic product that Jaded posted, as well as the supplement I take, Doctor's Best Stabilized Na-R-Lipoate, contains the same ingredient, i.e., the stabilized sodium salt of R-Lipoic acid. This is identical, according to the labels, to the supplement you posted.

The point of my post is that the supplement I linked to had more mg per capsule than the other similar products listed for around the same price and is really not much different in cost to 'regular' R-Lipoic supplements. The Doctor's Best is only 200mg per capsule, Life Extension's is 240mg. Jaded has stated that the supplement purchased cost a fortune when in reality none of these are overly expensive, even when compared to other typical R-Lipoic supplements.

This one is an even better value, 90 capsules for less than the cost of 60 capsules of the other brands mentioned (there are likely other similar products that are similar in value too):
https://www.amazon.com/R-Lipoic-Acid-30 ... 081K7G5LX/

This one is 120 capsules, still 300mg each capsule, and is an even better value being about 25% less expensive as the other supplements mentioned:
https://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Labs-Antio ... 0C6X5H3HL/

ElliotB wrote: ↑Fri Dec 15, 2023 8:18 pm

120 capsules, still 300mg each capsule, and is an even better value being about 25% less expensive as the other supplements mentioned:
https://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Labs-Antio ... 0C6X5H3HL/

According to the label, that supplement is regular R-Lipoic acid. It's not Na-R-lipoate.

In addition, cheaper is not always better with supplements. There are many companies that simply purchase ingredients off the net, often from China, and then encapsulate the stuff without verifying the ingredients. I have tried several supplements from quality brands, had good results and then switched to less expensive generic house brands only to have the good results cease.

The following documentary from Frontline contains a segment where herbal supplements underwent a DNA analysis comparing the results to herbarium specimens. Many supplements didn't contain the ingredients listed on the label. Some even contained Chinese houseplants.

Frontline: Supplements and Safety

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/docu ... nd-safety/

I missed that on the last supplement I posted. Thanks for the correction.

You are correct, cheaper is not always better with supplements. Likewise, more expensive is not always better either.

There is no real regulation in the supplement industry. The FDA is technically in charge of regulating supplements, but they do not review any products before they go to market. This means that anyone can create a supplement and sell it, without even having to register it or prove its effectiveness.

So, while it may be a good idea to use a major, well/long established supplement company, and possibly more expensive supplements, doing so is no guarantee of anything, unfortunately. I shop wisely and so far, seem to have made good choices.