CompoAtlas

Acide lipoïque in food supplements

959 supplements declared in France contain Acide lipoïque as a substance or active ingredient.

Other names in the Compl'Alim list: lipoic acid, acide alpha lipoïque.

Compl'Alim declarations. Compl'Alim, food supplement declarations (France), retrieved 23 October 2026.

What we know about this ingredient

Uses

  • Nutrition, biochemical research /Thioctic acid, dl-form/

  • THERAPEUTIC CATEGORY: Treatment of liver disease; antidote to poisonous mushrooms (Amanita species).

  • Calculated removal (%): 96.4

  • Consumption (g per capita; approx.) in Germany (2009): 0.0916

  • Use (kg; approx.) in Germany (2009): >7500

PubChem : Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) · 2026-10-29 · Lewis, R.J. Sr.; Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary 15th Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York, NY 2007., p. 760; O'Neil, M.J. (ed.). The Merck Index - An Encyclopedia of Chemicals, Drugs, and Biologicals. Whitehouse Station, NJ: Merck and Co., Inc., 2006., p. 1603.

Licence.

PubChem : NORMAN Suspect List Exchange · 2026-10-29 · DOI:10.1021/acs.est.5b03332.

Licence.

A molecule found naturally in plants or organisms; in a supplement it may be extracted from them, made by fermentation or synthesised: the declaration does not say which.

Basis: one CosIngThe European Commission's database of cosmetic ingredients. CAS and natural occurrence recorded in Wikidata (LOTUS database).

Wikidata: names of substances in six languages and taxa in which they occur (largely from the LOTUS database), retrieved 23 October 2026.

Natural occurrence recorded in Wikidata (LOTUS database): 1 taxon; examples: Homo sapiens.

Wikidata: names of substances in six languages and taxa in which they occur (largely from the LOTUS database), retrieved 23 October 2026.

Manufacturing

  • Industrial synthesis of thioctic acid is performed in three stages. Monomethyl or monoethyl adipate is converted into the corresponding acid chloride by reaction with thionyl chloride. Treatment with ethylene in the presence of anhydrous aluminum chloride yields 8-chloro-6-ketooctanoate. In the second stage, this ester is reduced to 8-chloro-6-hydroxyoctanoate by using thionyl chloride in pyridine. In the third stage, the chlorine atoms are replaced by sulfur atoms by treatment with sodium disulfide. Hydrolysis of the resulting dithionooctyl ester formed with alcoholic potassium hydroxide gives thioctic acid.

PubChem : Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) · 2026-10-29 · Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. 6th ed.Vol 1: Federal Republic of Germany: Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. 2003 to Present, p. V15 229 (2003).

Licence.

Appearance

  • Forms yellowish flakes

PubChem : Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) · 2026-10-29 · Csomos G, Leuschner U; Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. 7th ed. (2002). New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons; Gallbladder and Liver Therapy. Online Posting Date: June 15, 2000..

Licence.

Associated research

ClinicalTrials.gov · A trial is not proof: it tests a hypothesis.

2026-11-01

Other names: (RS)-thioctic acid (English), (RS)-Liponsäure (German), Ácido lipoico (Spanish), acido lipoico (Italian), ácido lipoico (Portuguese).

Wikidata: names of substances in six languages and taxa in which they occur (largely from the LOTUS database), retrieved 23 October 2026.

Same substance in cosmetics: THIOCTIC ACID.

In plain words

À quoi il sert, selon les fabricants

Objectifs les plus souvent annoncés pour les compléments qui en contiennent (Acide lipoïque) : antioxydant (188 produits), sport (100 produits), immunité (62 produits), peau (52 produits), minceur / glycémie (50 produits).

Ce sont les objectifs déclarés par les fabricants à l'administration, pas des effets démontrés. Sur l'emballage, seules les allégations de santé autorisées par l'Union peuvent être écrites.

Compl'Alim, food supplement declarations (France), retrieved 23 October 2026.

What the registers say, country by country

Each line repeats what an official register says on the date it was consulted. Not being in a register means neither allowed nor banned.

Compl'Alim ingredient list (France): listed.

Compl'Alim, reference list of ingredients, retrieved 21 October 2026.

Canada, licensed natural health products (LNHPD): 4 products.

Licensed Natural Health Products Database (LNHPD), Health Canada: licensed products, ingredients, doses, uses and risks, retrieved 27 October 2026.

Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada (Health Canada, LNHPD)

Licence du gouvernement ouvert – Canada 2.0 (OGL-Canada 2.0)

United States, supplement labels (DSLD; supplements need no prior approval): 62 products.

Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD), US National Institutes of Health: current and off-market labels, retrieved 27 October 2026.

Source: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Dietary Supplement Label Database (CC0); US market labels.

Malaysia, registered products: 1 product.

NPRA, Malaysian pharmaceutical products register, retrieved 27 October 2026.

Ministère de la santé de Malaisie / NPRA, Pharmaceutical Products, CC BY 4.0

CC BY 4.0

Declared daily quantities

Declared daily quantities: Acide lipoïque
UnitProductsMedianMinimumMaximum
mg2071000.0295700

Calculated from Compl'Alim declarations that provide a quantity. These are quantities declared by manufacturers, not measurements, and preparation is not distinguished (powder, extract of varying concentration): differences between products can be very large.

Official warnings (Health Canada)

DL-ALPHA-LIPOIC ACID/R-ALPHA-LIPOIC ACID

Route of administration: Oral

Cautions and warnings

All products

Ask a health care practitioner/health care provider/health care professional/doctor/physician before use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Ask a health care practitioner/health care provider/health care professional/doctor/physician before use if you have diabetes (Jacob et al. 1999, Konrad et al. 1999, Packer et al. 1995).

Products providing 42 milligrams or more DL-alpha-lipoic acid or 21 milligrams or more R-alpha-lipoic acid, per day

Stop use and ask a health care practitioner/health care provider/health care professional/doctor/physician if you experience sweating, paleness, chills, headache, dizziness and/or confusion (as these may be symptoms of serious low blood sugar) (Bae et al., 2013; Gullo et al., 2014; Bresciani et al., 2011; Chang et al., 2009).

Health Canada monograph dated 27 June 2025

Texts from the monograph of Health Canada, the Canadian authority, reproduced without modification. They do not replace medical advice.

Products