Lose 35% More Weight with the Fat-Fighting Antioxidant You've Never Heard Of

Losing weight can be hard.

But more and more research shows that one of the most important things you can do when you cut calories is to take alpha-lipoic acid (ALA).

ALA is one of the most important dietary supplements of all time. This antioxidant is a powerhouse for heart, liver and kidney health. And it can help control blood sugar and fight diabetes.

ALA is especially important when you're dieting, for two reasons:

• It improves your body's ability to convert food into energy.

• It prevents fat formation.

Research also confirms that it can help you lose significantly more weight than dieting alone.

ALA can do this on its own or in combination with other stars: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is one of the main omega-3 essential fatty acids, also found in fish oil.

In a study that lasted 10 weeks, 97 overweight or obese women were put on an eating plan in which their total daily calories were cut by 30 percent. The women were then divided into four groups. One group received 300 mg of ALA daily, one group received 1.3 grams of EPA a day, and another group received both ALA and EPA. The fourth group received a placebo.

At the end of the study, the placebo group had lost an average of 5.2 kg, and the EPA group had lost an average of 5.5 kg.

The women who took ALA lost the most weight, 7 kg on average. The ALA/EPA group was close behind, losing 6.4 kg.

While the group that took ALA lost the most weight, the researchers said that adding EPA significantly reduced the drop in leptin, the hormone that regulates hunger.

So if hunger pangs are sabotaging your weight-loss efforts, you may want to complement your ALA with EPA. You'll lose almost as much weight, and you'll probably feel more comfortable doing it.

So take 100 mg of ALA three times a day. It's an easy way to be slimmer and healthier overall.

And if you want to add EPA, it's best to take it as mercury-free fish oil, so that you get a dose of the essential fatty acid DHA at the same time. It's generally a good idea to consume 3,000 mg of EPA and DHA a day.