Alpha-Ketoglutarate
Alpha-ketoglutarate is an intermediate of the citric acid cycle, the pathway cells use to produce energy. The body makes it itself.
Did a study really reverse aging?
A retrospective study followed 42 people taking an AKG-based product with vitamins for an average of seven months. A DNA methylation test, which estimates age from chemical marks on DNA, showed an average decrease of eight years in its age estimate. 1
There was no randomized control group, and the product contained more than AKG. The result is a hypothesis-generating biomarker finding, not evidence that participants lived longer, became eight years younger or benefited because of AKG alone. The authors disclosed commercial relationships. 1
What happened in the bone trial?
In a six-month randomized trial, 76 postmenopausal women with osteopenia, meaning reduced bone density, received calcium-AKG or calcium alone. The AKG group had a greater reduction in CTX, a blood marker of bone breakdown. The between-group difference in lumbar-spine bone density was not statistically significant. 2
The marker result is worth investigating, but this trial does not establish protection against fractures or a reliable increase in bone density. 2
Effects by health goal
Open an effect to see the studies behind its rating. Bars show the size of the effect; the letter grades the evidence.
Gut Health1 effect
No study is linked to this rating.
Longevity1 effect
No study is linked to this rating.
Weight Management1 effect
No study is linked to this rating.
Bone & Joint1 effect
No study is linked to this rating.
Energy1 effect
No study is linked to this rating.
Fitness1 effect
No study is linked to this rating.
Other effects1 effect
No study is linked to this rating.