Q: Is alpha lipoic acid water soluble? Or is alpha lipoic acid fat soluble?

A: Thanks for asking and reminding me to address this. Obviously you already know the difference between water soluble and fat soluble vitamins, but for our readers that don’t, I would like to take a quick second to talk about them.

There are two different classifications for vitamins (and vitamin-like nutrients):

Water Soluble: This refers to vitamins which are dissolved easily in water. Since our bodies are largely water, and our entire digest tract from our mouth down contains water, that means these are readily absorbable in our bodies.

Unfortunately, they only stay in our bodies temporarily; when we go to the bathroom they leave us. Therefore, we constantly need to replenish our body’s water soluble vitamins, ideally every several hours for many of them. Common vitamins in this category include C and B.

Fat Soluble: This references those vitamins which are absorbed in the intestinal tract along with other fats. Therefore, if you just take a fat soluble supplement without fatty foods, it will not be absorbed very well with your body. It’s best to consume them with fatty substances (healthy ones like avocados and olive oil). Unlike water-soluble, our body stores most fat-soluble – therefore it is possible to overdose if you take too many for long periods of time. Some of the most common which fall under this umbrella are A, D, E, and K.

Alpha Lipoic Acid Solubility
That brings us back to the question… is alpha lipoic acid water soluble? Well, the answer here will totally surprise you. Alpha lipoic acid is both fat and water soluble. That means this antioxidant and metabolic catalyst can be absorbed throughout our body. That’s what makes alpha lipoic acid cream for skin so versatile. This important and potent antioxidant can not be obtained in adequate supply through diet, which is why alpha lipoic acid supplements are so important.