Lipoic acid and vitamin D3 and their use in preventing brain aging

This chapter explores the effects of lipoic acid and vitamin D3 alone to improve brain aging, since they act to counteract the main negative effects reported by aging theory. Indeed, lipoic acid and vitamin D3 are able to acts like antioxidant molecules preventing the mitochondrial imbalance and oxidative conditions. In addition, they are able to modulate the inflammation under oxidative condition preventing neuronal cell loss and activating the survival mechanisms. When they are added together, these effects were amplified and for the first time they may be used to modulate the marker of brain aging and to restore the physiological condition of astrocytes, which is the first cell loss during aging. Finally, since brain aging is a worldwide condition and the use of food supplement is increased, lipoic acid and vitamin D3 are also prepared in a full combination with other molecules in order to obtain a new food supplement able to act in a complete manner on the brain. However this combination will be tested also in humans.