By Jimmy DownsSaturday March 9, 2013 (foodconsumer.org) -- Antipsychotics induce weight gain and alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) counteracts this effect resulting in weight loss in patients using the medications, according to a new study in Clinical Schizophrenia and Related Psychoses.J. C. Ratliff from Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, CT, USA and colleagues found patients on antipsychotics who took ALA for ten weeks lost an average of 2.2 kg of body weight during the supplementation.The weight loss was more significant among those taking antihistaminic antipsychotics who lost an average 2.9 kg of body weight.The effect of alpha lipoic acid on weight loss was tested in the open label study in which 12 non-diabetic schizophrenia patients took 1200 mg of ALA for more than 10 weeks.Previous studies have suggested that taking alpha lipoic acid supplements may help lose weight obese individuals.