Supplement·Interactions·Reviewed June 9, 2026
Alpha-Lipoic Acid interactions.
Alpha-Lipoic Acid has 55 documented interactions in the NutriStack database: 3 to avoid or watch closely, 32 that need timing or caution, and 20 that work synergistically. The full list, with what each pairing does, is below.
In short
Alpha-Lipoic Acid at a glance.
A quick, data-grounded summary. The full table is below.
Alpha-Lipoic Acid has 55 documented interactions in the NutriStack database: 3 to avoid or watch closely, 32 that need timing or caution, and 20 that work synergistically. The full list, with what each pairing does, is below.
Interactions
Everything that interacts with alpha-lipoic acid.
Every supplement and medication in the NutriStack database with a documented interaction with this substance, highest-severity first. Open any pair for the mechanism and sources.
| Substance | Interaction | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| IGF-1 LR3 (Long R3 IGF-1) | Contraindicated | Alpha-lipoic acid may lower glucose and could add to IGF-1 LR3-related hypoglycemia risk. |
| Vitamin B5 | Conflict | Pantothenate (B5) also uses the SMVT transporter and may compete with alpha-lipoic acid for absorption. |
| Vitamin B7 | Conflict | Alpha-lipoic acid competes with biotin (B7) for the SMVT transporter in the gut, potentially reducing biotin absorption. details → |
| Acarbose | Caution | Alpha-Lipoic Acid may lower glucose and add to the glucose-lowering effects of Acarbose. |
| Dapagliflozin | Caution | Alpha-lipoic acid improves insulin sensitivity and dapagliflozin causes urinary glucose excretion. Dapagliflozin alone rarely causes hypoglycemia,... |
| Dulaglutide | Caution | Alpha-lipoic acid may modestly improve insulin sensitivity or glucose handling in some people with diabetes. When layered onto dulaglutide, additive... |
| Elamipretide (SS-31) | Caution | Alpha-lipoic acid can lower glucose and is used for mitochondrial redox claims, complicating adverse-effect attribution. |
| Empagliflozin | Caution | Alpha-lipoic acid improves insulin sensitivity and lowers fasting glucose, while empagliflozin causes urinary glucose excretion. On empagliflozin... |
| GHRP-2 | Caution | Alpha-lipoic acid affects insulin sensitivity while GHRP-2 may alter glucose handling. |
| GHRP-6 | Caution | Alpha-lipoic acid may lower glucose while GHRP-6 can alter glucose and hunger signals. |
| Glimepiride | Caution | Alpha-lipoic acid improves insulin sensitivity and lowers fasting glucose in type 2 diabetes meta-analyses. It has also been associated with insulin... details → |
| Glipizide | Caution | Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) improves insulin sensitivity and lowers fasting glucose and HbA1c in meta-analyses of diabetic patients. ALA has also... details → |
| Glyburide | Caution | Alpha-lipoic acid improves insulin sensitivity and has been reported to trigger insulin autoimmune syndrome (Hirata syndrome) with severe... details → |
| Hexarelin | Caution | Alpha-lipoic acid can affect glucose handling while hexarelin may worsen glucose tolerance. |
| HGH Fragment 176-191 | Caution | Alpha-lipoic acid may improve insulin sensitivity and obscure adverse glucose effects from peptide exposure. |
| Humanin | Caution | Alpha-lipoic acid affects glucose handling and oxidative stress, complicating interpretation of humanin effects. |
| Insulin Aspart | Caution | Alpha-lipoic acid may improve insulin-mediated glucose disposal and has rare reports of insulin autoimmune syndrome with severe hypoglycemia.... |
| Insulin Glargine | Caution | Alpha-lipoic acid may improve insulin-mediated glucose disposal and has rare reports of insulin autoimmune syndrome with severe hypoglycemia.... |
| Insulin Lispro | Caution | Alpha-lipoic acid may improve insulin-mediated glucose disposal and has rare reports of insulin autoimmune syndrome with severe hypoglycemia.... |
| Iron | Caution | ALA chelates metals including iron. May reduce iron absorption or redistribute iron stores. |
| Iron Bisglycinate | Caution | ALA chelates metals including iron bisglycinate. May reduce iron bisglycinate absorption or redistribute iron bisglycinate stores. details → |
| Liraglutide | Caution | Alpha-lipoic acid may modestly improve insulin sensitivity or glucose handling in some people with diabetes. When layered onto liraglutide, additive... |
| Metformin | Caution | Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) has its own blood glucose-lowering effects through improved insulin sensitivity and enhanced glucose uptake. When combined... details → |
| MitoQ (Mitoquinone) | Caution | Both MitoQ and alpha-lipoic acid act as mitochondrial-associated antioxidants. Stacking multiple potent antioxidants that target mitochondrial ROS... |
| MK-677 (Ibutamoren) | Caution | Alpha-lipoic acid may change glucose readings while MK-677 can impair glucose tolerance. |
| MOTS-c | Caution | Alpha-lipoic acid can improve insulin sensitivity and may increase hypoglycemia risk in a metabolic peptide stack. |
| Pioglitazone | Caution | Alpha-Lipoic Acid may lower glucose and add to the glucose-lowering effects of Pioglitazone. |
| Pramlintide | Caution | Alpha-lipoic acid may improve insulin-mediated glucose disposal and has rare reports of insulin autoimmune syndrome with severe hypoglycemia.... |
| Repaglinide | Caution | Alpha-Lipoic Acid may lower glucose and add to the glucose-lowering effects of Repaglinide, increasing hypoglycemia risk. |
| Semaglutide | Caution | Alpha-lipoic acid may modestly improve insulin sensitivity or glucose handling in some people with diabetes. When layered onto semaglutide, additive... details → |
| Sermorelin | Caution | Alpha-lipoic acid may lower glucose while sermorelin-related GH/IGF-1 changes can alter glucose handling. |
| Sitagliptin | Caution | Alpha-lipoic acid improves insulin sensitivity and sitagliptin (a DPP-4 inhibitor) prolongs endogenous GLP-1 activity. On sitagliptin alone the... |
| Tesamorelin | Caution | Alpha-lipoic acid can affect glucose handling while tesamorelin requires glucose monitoring. |
| Tirzepatide | Caution | Alpha-lipoic acid may improve insulin sensitivity and lower glucose, which can add to tirzepatide's glucose-lowering effects. details → |
| Vanadium | Caution | Vanadium acts as an insulin mimetic and alpha-lipoic acid improves insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake, so the pair can additively lower blood... |
| Acetyl-L-Carnitine | Synergy | Both improve mitochondrial function in aging models; the classic Hagen and Ames protocol pairs them for cellular energy support. |
| Anthocyanins (Bilberry Extract) | Synergy | Alpha-lipoic acid and bilberry anthocyanins are complementary antioxidants sometimes combined for microvascular and retinal support, particularly in... |
| Banaba Leaf (Corosolic Acid) | Synergy | Both may improve insulin sensitivity and glucose disposal. |
| Berberine | Synergy | Both improve insulin sensitivity through AMPK activation. ALA also supports glucose uptake via GLUT4 translocation. |
| Berberine HCl | Synergy | Both improve insulin sensitivity through AMPK activation. ALA also supports glucose uptake via GLUT4 translocation. |
| Bitter Melon | Synergy | Combined use may intensify glucose-lowering effects. |
| Carnosine | Synergy | Both compounds counter glycation and carbonyl stress through complementary routes, so they may offer additive anti-AGE and antioxidant support,... |
| Chromium | Synergy | Combining chromium with alpha-lipoic acid may improve insulin sensitivity and cellular glucose uptake more than either taken alone. |
| Cinnamon Extract | Synergy | Both may support insulin sensitivity and neuropathy-related metabolic pathways. |
| Coenzyme Q10 | Synergy | Both support mitochondrial function. CoQ10 is essential for the electron transport chain; ALA is a cofactor for mitochondrial dehydrogenases. |
| Coenzyme Q10 Ubiquinol | Synergy | Both support mitochondrial function. CoQ10 is essential for the electron transport chain; ALA is a cofactor for mitochondrial dehydrogenases. |
| Creatine | Synergy | Alpha-lipoic acid increases skeletal muscle uptake and storage of creatine, raising total creatine and phosphocreatine content above what creatine... |
| Gymnema Sylvestre | Synergy | Both may improve insulin sensitivity and glucose handling. |
| L-Carnitine | Synergy | L-Carnitine and alpha-lipoic acid are a classic mitochondrial-support pairing. Animal aging studies (notably the Ames and Hagen group work using the... details → |
| L-Glutathione | Synergy | Alpha-lipoic acid raises intracellular glutathione and, with glutathione, participates in a regenerating antioxidant cycle that restores other... |
| Lisinopril | Synergy | Alpha-Lipoic Acid lowers blood pressure modestly and improves endothelial function. The QUALITY study found that the blood pressure and endothelial... |
| Myo-Inositol & D-Chiro-Inositol | Synergy | Both are used for insulin sensitivity and may have additive glucose-lowering effects. |
| NAC | Synergy | Both support glutathione recycling. ALA regenerates glutathione from its oxidized form, while NAC provides the cysteine precursor for new... |
| Vitamin C | Synergy | ALA regenerates vitamin C from its oxidized form (dehydroascorbate) back to ascorbate. |
| Vitamin C Liposomal | Synergy | ALA regenerates vitamin C from its oxidized form (dehydroascorbate) back to ascorbate. |
Go deeper
The full alpha-lipoic acid profile.
Benefits, dosing by goal, forms, and the cited evidence for this supplement.
FAQ
Common alpha-lipoic acid questions.
Quick answers drawn from the table above.
What interacts with Alpha-Lipoic Acid?
In the NutriStack database, Alpha-Lipoic Acid has 55 documented interactions with other supplements and medications. The most notable include IGF-1 LR3 (Long R3 IGF-1), Vitamin B5, Vitamin B7, Acarbose, and Dapagliflozin.
What should you not take with Alpha-Lipoic Acid?
Alpha-Lipoic Acid is flagged against 3 substances in the database, including IGF-1 LR3 (Long R3 IGF-1), Vitamin B5, and Vitamin B7. Review these with a clinician before combining, especially alongside prescription medications.
What works well with Alpha-Lipoic Acid?
Alpha-Lipoic Acid pairs synergistically with Acetyl-L-Carnitine, Anthocyanins (Bilberry Extract), Banaba Leaf (Corosolic Acid), Berberine, and Berberine HCl in the NutriStack database. Synergy still depends on dose and timing; open any pair for the detail.
Can you take Alpha-Lipoic Acid with IGF-1 LR3 (Long R3 IGF-1)?
NutriStack classifies the Alpha-Lipoic Acid and IGF-1 LR3 (Long R3 IGF-1) pairing as contraindicated: Alpha-lipoic acid may lower glucose and could add to IGF-1 LR3-related hypoglycemia risk. Do not combine; seek medical care for hypoglycemia symptoms after any exposure.
Check your whole stack
See how alpha-lipoic acid fits your routine.
NutriStack screens your full stack for interactions and timing conflicts, and updates the moment you change it.