{
  "dataset": "alpha-lipoic-acid-cost-by-brand",
  "title": "Alpha-Lipoic Acid Supplements Compared — cost per serving and cost per 100 mg of active R-ALA",
  "sourcePage": "https://verifiedsupplementdata.com/alpha-lipoic-acid/best-overall/",
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licenseUrl": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "attribution": "Verified Supplement Data (2026), Alpha-Lipoic Acid Cost & Enantiomer Comparison",
  "dateModified": "2026-07-16",
  "methodology": "Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) has two enantiomers; only the R-(+) form is endogenously synthesized and biologically active (Salehi 2019, PMID 31405030). Most commercial ALA is RACEMIC (a 50/50 R/S mix), so a labeled \"600 mg alpha-lipoic acid\" delivers only ~300 mg of active R. rAlaMgPerServing = active R mg (racemic = total/2; R-ALA/Na-R-ALA = total; hybrid products = the disclosed R fraction). costPer100mgRAla = costPerServing / (rAlaMg / 100) — computed for every product. \"verdict\": r-form (R-ALA or stabilized sodium-R-lipoate, 100% active R), racemic (50% active R), hybrid (mostly racemic + a little added R, a label that \"sounds\" like R-ALA but is not). KEY FINDING: priced per mg of actual active R, bulk racemic is the CHEAPEST source of R; premium R-form products cost several times more per mg of R. The genuine advantage of stabilized sodium-R-lipoate (Na-R-ALA) is better absorption/higher plasma levels (Carlson 2007, PMID 18069903), not lower cost per mg of active R. Standard studied oral dose is 600 mg/day (trials used racemic).",
  "headline": {
    "productsCompared": 13,
    "racemicProducts": 8,
    "rFormProducts": 4,
    "cheapestActiveRBrand": "BulkSupplements",
    "cheapestActiveRCostPer100mg": 0.03,
    "cheapestActiveRVerdict": "racemic",
    "cheapestRFormBrand": "Nutricost",
    "cheapestRFormCostPer100mg": 0.18,
    "note": "Priced per 100 mg of the ACTUAL active R-enantiomer, the cheapest source is a racemic product. R-ALA and stabilized sodium-R-lipoate cost more per mg of active R — you are paying for better absorption, not more active per dollar."
  },
  "columns": [
    "brand",
    "product",
    "slug",
    "form",
    "verdict",
    "totalMgPerServing",
    "rAlaMgPerServing",
    "servings",
    "price",
    "costPerServing",
    "costPer100mgRAla",
    "thirdParty"
  ],
  "units": {
    "totalMgPerServing": "mg total ALA (labeled)",
    "rAlaMgPerServing": "mg active R-ALA",
    "price": "USD",
    "costPerServing": "USD/day",
    "costPer100mgRAla": "USD per 100 mg active R-ALA"
  },
  "citations": [
    {
      "claim": "Only the R-(+) enantiomer is the natural, active form; commercial ALA is widely racemic; R shows better bioavailability than S.",
      "source": "Salehi B, et al. 2019, Biomolecules",
      "pmid": "31405030"
    },
    {
      "claim": "Stabilized sodium-R-lipoate reaches higher Cmax/AUC than plain R-lipoic acid or racemic ALA.",
      "source": "Carlson DA, et al. 2007, Altern Med Rev (human PK, n=12)",
      "pmid": "18069903"
    },
    {
      "claim": "IV ALA 600 mg/day reduced diabetic neuropathy symptoms (TSS +24.1%, n=1,258).",
      "source": "Ziegler D, et al. 2004, Diabet Med",
      "pmid": "14984445"
    },
    {
      "claim": "Over >=6 months, oral ALA probably has little or no effect on neuropathy symptoms.",
      "source": "Baicus C, et al. 2024, Cochrane Database Syst Rev",
      "pmid": "38205823"
    },
    {
      "claim": "Insulin autoimmune syndrome (Hirata) reported with 600 mg/day ALA, associated with HLA-DRB1*04:03.",
      "source": "Gullo D, et al. 2014, Clin Endocrinol",
      "pmid": "24111525"
    }
  ],
  "products": [
    {
      "brand": "BulkSupplements",
      "product": "Alpha Lipoic Acid 600 mg (240 Capsules)",
      "slug": "bulksupplements-ala",
      "form": "Racemic ALA",
      "totalMgPerServing": 600,
      "rAlaMgPerServing": 300,
      "servings": 240,
      "price": 22.97,
      "costPerServing": 0.1,
      "costPer100mgRAla": 0.03,
      "verdict": "racemic",
      "thirdParty": "None (third-party tested)"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Nutricost",
      "product": "Alpha Lipoic Acid 600 mg (240 Capsules)",
      "slug": "nutricost-ala-600",
      "form": "Racemic ALA",
      "totalMgPerServing": 600,
      "rAlaMgPerServing": 300,
      "servings": 240,
      "price": 24.89,
      "costPerServing": 0.1,
      "costPer100mgRAla": 0.03,
      "verdict": "racemic",
      "thirdParty": "None (in-house third-party tested)"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Horbaach",
      "product": "Alpha Lipoic Acid 600 mg with Biotin (240 Capsules)",
      "slug": "horbaach-ala-600",
      "form": "Racemic ALA",
      "totalMgPerServing": 600,
      "rAlaMgPerServing": 300,
      "servings": 120,
      "price": 18.99,
      "costPerServing": 0.16,
      "costPer100mgRAla": 0.05,
      "verdict": "racemic",
      "thirdParty": "None"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Doctor's Best",
      "product": "Alpha-Lipoic Acid 600 mg (60 Veg Caps)",
      "slug": "doctors-best-ala-600",
      "form": "Racemic ALA",
      "totalMgPerServing": 600,
      "rAlaMgPerServing": 300,
      "servings": 60,
      "price": 16.99,
      "costPerServing": 0.28,
      "costPer100mgRAla": 0.09,
      "verdict": "racemic",
      "thirdParty": "None (Non-GMO)"
    },
    {
      "brand": "NOW Foods",
      "product": "NOW Alpha Lipoic Acid 600 mg, Extra Strength (60 Veg Caps)",
      "slug": "now-ala-600",
      "form": "Racemic ALA",
      "totalMgPerServing": 600,
      "rAlaMgPerServing": 300,
      "servings": 60,
      "price": 16.93,
      "costPerServing": 0.28,
      "costPer100mgRAla": 0.09,
      "verdict": "racemic",
      "thirdParty": "None (NOW GMP)"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Nutricost",
      "product": "R-Alpha Lipoic Acid 100 mg (120 Capsules)",
      "slug": "nutricost-r-ala-100",
      "form": "R-ALA",
      "totalMgPerServing": 100,
      "rAlaMgPerServing": 100,
      "servings": 120,
      "price": 21.95,
      "costPerServing": 0.18,
      "costPer100mgRAla": 0.18,
      "verdict": "r-form",
      "thirdParty": "None"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Jarrow Formulas",
      "product": "Alpha Lipoic Sustain 300 mg with Biotin, Sustained-Release (60 Tablets)",
      "slug": "jarrow-ala-sustain-300",
      "form": "Racemic ALA",
      "totalMgPerServing": 300,
      "rAlaMgPerServing": 150,
      "servings": 60,
      "price": 18.74,
      "costPerServing": 0.31,
      "costPer100mgRAla": 0.21,
      "verdict": "racemic",
      "thirdParty": "None"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Life Extension",
      "product": "Super R-Lipoic Acid 240 mg active (Sodium R-Lipoate) (60 Veg Caps)",
      "slug": "life-extension-super-r-240",
      "form": "Na-R-ALA (stabilized)",
      "totalMgPerServing": 240,
      "rAlaMgPerServing": 240,
      "servings": 60,
      "price": 33.94,
      "costPerServing": 0.57,
      "costPer100mgRAla": 0.24,
      "verdict": "r-form",
      "thirdParty": "None"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Country Life",
      "product": "R-Alpha Lipoic Acid Complex 300 mg (60 Tablets)",
      "slug": "country-life-r-ala-complex",
      "form": "Hybrid (270 racemic + 30 R)",
      "totalMgPerServing": 300,
      "rAlaMgPerServing": 165,
      "servings": 60,
      "price": 27.49,
      "costPerServing": 0.46,
      "costPer100mgRAla": 0.28,
      "verdict": "hybrid",
      "thirdParty": "None"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Doctor's Best",
      "product": "Stabilized R-Lipoic Acid with BioEnhanced Na-RALA 100 mg (60 Veg Caps)",
      "slug": "doctors-best-r-ala-100",
      "form": "Na-R-ALA (stabilized)",
      "totalMgPerServing": 100,
      "rAlaMgPerServing": 100,
      "servings": 60,
      "price": 19.99,
      "costPerServing": 0.33,
      "costPer100mgRAla": 0.33,
      "verdict": "r-form",
      "thirdParty": "None"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Pure Encapsulations",
      "product": "Alpha Lipoic Acid 600 mg (60 Caps)",
      "slug": "pure-encapsulations-ala-600",
      "form": "Racemic ALA",
      "totalMgPerServing": 600,
      "rAlaMgPerServing": 300,
      "servings": 60,
      "price": 67.5,
      "costPerServing": 1.13,
      "costPer100mgRAla": 0.38,
      "verdict": "racemic",
      "thirdParty": "None (practitioner brand)"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Thorne",
      "product": "Alpha-Lipoic Acid 300 mg (60 Caps)",
      "slug": "thorne-ala-300",
      "form": "Racemic ALA",
      "totalMgPerServing": 300,
      "rAlaMgPerServing": 150,
      "servings": 60,
      "price": 41,
      "costPerServing": 0.68,
      "costPer100mgRAla": 0.45,
      "verdict": "racemic",
      "thirdParty": "NSF Certified for Sport"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Pure Encapsulations",
      "product": "R-Lipoic Acid, Stabilized (100 mg) (60 Caps)",
      "slug": "pure-encapsulations-r-ala-100",
      "form": "Na-R-ALA (stabilized)",
      "totalMgPerServing": 100,
      "rAlaMgPerServing": 100,
      "servings": 60,
      "price": 57,
      "costPerServing": 0.95,
      "costPer100mgRAla": 0.95,
      "verdict": "r-form",
      "thirdParty": "None (practitioner brand)"
    }
  ]
}