http://relentlessimprovement.com/included/docs/GeroNova_on_RLA_R_DHLA.pdf

Posted as a PDF in the blog of a supp supplier.

A few questions were raised in this thread:
http://www.imminst.org/forum/index.php?act=ST&f=6&t=10990&hl=&s=
regarding this info and they are adressed by a post in the same supp
supplier here:

Friday, June 16, 2006
Follow-up to R-Lipoic Acid Discussion Paper by David A. Carlson


All of this info was a rebuttal to AOR's comments here:

http://www.aor.ca/magazines/pdf/Advances_10_May_2006_R+-lipoic_acid_or_R-Dihydro\
lipoic_Acid.pdf

Scott La Pidus

[Thanks for the information, Scott. However, since the first PDF above is 26
pages long, the last is 7 pages long and the thread contains 17 messages
(currently), I really do not have the time or interest to read and analyze those
writings in detail. Therefore, I will simply list some facts that I think are
pertinent to the situation and let others make up their own minds accordingly
and/or ask specific questions.

1) RLA and DHRLA are the oxidized and reduced forms of the exact same chemical.
2) All antioxidants in the body are constantly being cycled between oxidized and
reduced states. Therefore, when supplementing an antioxidant the only choice
that matters is the stability, bioavailability and price of the form which is
being taken. Also therefore, any contention about which of RLA or DHRLA is more
beneficial is just so much marketing nonsense.
3) Reduced antioxidant forms will be largely changed to their oxidized forms
during digestion. (I think this will almost certainly happen to DHRLA.)
Therefore, there is generally no added benefit from taking a reduced form. (The
only reason that I use the DHRLA that LEF provides is because of my special
arrangement - free supplements for life - with LEF and they do not provide the
RLA form.)
4) While some antioxidants are more bioavailable in one form or the other
(reduced or oxidized), I do not know whether or not this is true for RLA/DHRLA
and is likely irrelevant because it all ends up as RLA anyway before it is
absorbed.
5) While polymerization is an important negative for pure RLA when kept at or
above room temperature, once RLA is mixed with any fillers or other chemicals,
no significant polymerization will take place under any normal environmental
conditions.

Hope this helps. --Paul]

[I've just finished reading both the papers and the discussion related to them
on imminst.org. I might just post some comments later when I've looked into this
some more. -°Olafur]