Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is an antioxidant that has two main benefits. The first benefit is the removal of free radicals from your body and the functional enhancement of other antioxidants, such as vitamins A, C and E. Free radicals are waste products that are created when your body turns food into energy. Ridding your body of free radicals could deter the onset of many age related diseases, including diabetes, cancer, stroke, glaucoma, heart disease, and Alzheimer's. The second benefit of ALA is its "insulin mimicking" effects - the dramatic decrease in glucose levels. Insulin mimicking also provides increased concentrations of glutathione in the cells, which has been shown to speed up recovery from weight training. It also enhances muscle cell nutrient intake and protein turnover.