Is ALA powder okay?

[CerealKiller]

I will be purchasing some ALA soon alfter reading fonz posts, but I´m not sure if I should go with the powder og caps. I will be purchasing aroung 500 grams so the price difference is notisable. Would the powder stay fresh as long as the bag or whatever it comes in hasn't been opened, or do I need to use all 500 gram quickly.
I plan on capping the powder myself if I decide on the powder.

So my Q is....is the powder just as good at the caps as long as I don't expose it to air or sun for a longer period?

 

[riskybizz007]

The caps are better preserved

 

[BackDoc]

Agree with Risky 100%.

You will need to have some sort of apparatus set up so that you can make the capsules quickly. I have noticed that cap'm kwik is too slow...in this case exposing the ALA to air for too long. However, whether or not it's enough time to cause it to degrade is a good question. However, exposure to air could at least start the process. 500 grams...will probably last a very very long time. Don't know if it will stay good for half a year after the exposure process began.

Considering what you likely paid for 500 grams...it might be worth it to buy a vacuum food sealer on ebay (some go for about 15 bucks) and just compress the powder into several bags. Then stuff them back into the plastic container. This way, you can break open one bag at a time and use the capsule filler for each baggie of ALA. It also might minimize air exposure as well.

Someone recommended kilosports for the capsules. That looks like an awesome deal.

 

[Bozzo]

Can someone please show me where they are getting their info saying ALA will go bad after being exposed to air. And if I'm not mistaken I don't think that caps are air tight. I just don't see how it would degrade so fast being exposed.

 

[BackDoc]

It's an oxygen-reactive substance...never mind.

Paul Delia has some good info on it over on the AST website in the Q and A section. If you want any more specific than that I would recommend checking out the CRC manual in any chemistry section of a university library (look under thioctic acid). If you can't find that then let me know and I'll go dig mine out and look it up for you.

 

[CerealKiller]

Thank you for your help BackDoc, that was the kind of answer i was looking for. The powder will be from byond-a-century (sp?) so I expect it to be in bags of 50 grams.

But maybe I should just wait until nutriteam get some more and pay a little ekstra for the caps.

 

[BackDoc]

Regarding the capsules not being airtight, this is true. However, a measure of airtightness is going to depend on a few things:

1) method of encapsulation--certain substances are used to help the machines fill the capsules properly and evenly such as talc, stearates, etc. Too much of one or the other can affect how the capsules fit together.

2) Temperature fluctuation--a cool dry place is the best. However if the temp varies widely (such as direct sunlight even in a stable ambient temp) can cause the pressure inside the caps to change. Since moisture is going to get to the caps, they can become "tempered" with excesive change--so as to not contract or expand with variation. This is seen in containers where there is obvious powder residue but no opened capsules. Of course, this can also be due to faulty QC.

3) moisture--the more times you open a container, the more moisture may get in.

Etc, etc.

With ALA, reducing air exposure time is probably a good idea.

Try one of the cheaper brands available in tablet form. One such brand that I will not mention is available in UNCOATED tablet form and you can get it at most any thrift store. Compare the results you get with an encapsulated brand and you'll probably see a big difference.

 

[MonStar1023]

I have been taking ALA powder lately and I love it, not problems except a little throat irritation but thats quickly cured with a lot of water. Not too big of a deal. I keep my ALA powder stored in the bottle it came it tightly sealed, with the bottle in an airtight ziplock bag. Works fine for me!

 

[omanaman]

I bought the 50g of powder from beyond a century and it is working out great. It is also cheaper than the pills. I just mix it in with my protein shake. Monster is right, it does irritate the throat a little, but who fukin cares. . . .

 

[MonStar1023]

Throat irritation can be cured with some water, anyway took 500 mg. preworkout today, MAD FUCKIN PUMPS!!