Calcium alpha-ketoglutarate

What does the “eight years younger” finding mean?

A 2021 retrospective study examined 42 customers who used a sustained-release Ca-AKG and vitamin formulation. After an average seven months, their saliva DNA-methylation age estimate fell by about eight years. There was no placebo group, and the study did not collect clinical disease or aging outcomes. 1

The formulation contained vitamin A for men or vitamin D for women, so the result cannot be attributed to Ca-AKG alone. The investigators also noted that changing methylation could affect the clock more than other measures of aging. Authors had ties to the supplement and testing companies. The finding is a reason for controlled research, not evidence that people gained eight years of life. 1

How is the question being tested more carefully?

The ABLE protocol specifies 1 g sustained-release Ca-AKG daily versus placebo for six months in adults aged 40–60, with DNA-methylation age as the primary outcome and physical and metabolic measurements as secondary outcomes. A 2025 paper reported recruitment of 120 participants; it evaluated recruitment, not treatment efficacy. 2 3

Why are bone markers also discussed?

The ABLE protocol reviews an earlier six-month study in postmenopausal women with osteopenia that found changes in a marker of bone breakdown with Ca-AKG. That is a preliminary bone-health signal, not evidence from this protocol that the supplement prevents fractures. 2