Alpha-Lipoic acid is an organosulfur compound, one enantiomer of which is an essential cofactor for many enzyme complexes. Alpha-lipoic acid is an antioxidant that is manufactured in the human body. Lipoic acid was first postulated to be an effective antioxidant when it was found it prevented the symptoms of vitamin C and vitamin E deficiency. Several studies suggest that treatment with ALA may help reduce pain, burning, itching, tingling, and numbness in people who have nerve damage (called peripheral neuropathy) caused by diabetes. Alpha-lipoic acid may prove useful in the treatment of chronic hepatitis because it relieves stress on the liver and helps rid the body of toxins.