I am also curious about it being 'stable'. Are the other ones no good and unstable? Does the 'stability' act like sustained release?
While I agree the sustained release might be a bit better, I dont think its worth an extra $20US. For that kind of money I could get another cool supplement to add to my regime
Stability has to do with shelf life- not degrading or polymerizing before you take it. It doesn't relate to sustained release.
As long as you aren't taking ALCAR, the fast release form should be OK. Personally, I don't think the R form is worth the extra $20... I spend a little extra for timed release, but it's racemic. (Jarrow sustained rec LA + biotin, 60 300mg $16.77; AOR R+SR about $36) I just take twice as much as I would if it was R. So far I have not seen any compelling evidence that S-LA is harmful. All the evidence I've seen says that R is better than S, but not that S is bad. AOR, who have put more effort into promoting RALA than anyone else I've seen, talks about a rat study that Bruce Ames is doing that will, you know,
certainly prove that R is way better than racemic. Here is the text: (from
http://www.r-lipoic....Supplements.htm )
Fortunately, however, there's another lifespan study already underway - a study which will yield the kind of answers we seek. After looking at the astounding rejuvenation of mitochondrial function achieved by researchers using R(+)-Lipoic Acid - and especially the R(+)-Lipoic Acid/ALCAR cocktail - the National Institutes on Aging are now convinced of the need for a new R(+)-Lipoic Acid lifespan study. 77, 86 Unlike the Riverside/Madison study, this experiment (run by Drs. Hagen and Ames) will be done using the right molecule: R(+)-Lipoic Acid. And unlike the first, published study, 119 it will use the right rodent, too: a long-lived strain of rat. There will be no ambiguity in these results.
It's taken Hagen and Ames some time to get started. There were problems getting the animals, and also problems getting the R(+)-Lipoic Acid: 86 until very recently, the only sources in the world were two German pharmaceutical companies, who have been very jealously guarding the precious stuff. But the funding is in place, the animals are housed, and the diets prepared. In a couple of years, we should know if R(+)-Lipoic Acid pills are seeds stolen from the Tree of Life.
All the reference links are broken at this site. I couldn't find a date, but I think that the site is pretty old, like from around 2000 or 01, based on the references that are there. I haven't seen anything from Ames and Hagen on this, so unless it hasn't been published yet, it must not have worked. Does anyone know what's up with the RALA rats?