Alpha-Ketoglutarate (AKG)

Supplements · Antioxidants · Supplement, Typed Supps

A natural molecule your own cells already make and use for energy, now sold as a longevity supplement — though the exciting results are still mostly in animals.

Stage by stage

Intake (Capsule (calcium-AKG)): Absorbed through the small intestine.
Small intestine (Absorbed): Taken up alongside normal digestion.
Bloodstream (Circulates): Carried through the blood to cells throughout the body.
Cellular metabolism (Energy cycle & signalling): Feeds into the citric acid cycle and is studied for effects on aging-related signalling pathways, mostly shown in animals so far.

What the evidence supports

Extending lifespan or slowing biological aging in people — insufficient evidence. AKG extends lifespan in worms, flies, and mice, and improved a biological-age clock score in one small human study. But that trial was short, used a composite biomarker score rather than a hard outcome, and human longevity effects are unproven — this is an active early-stage research area, not an established benefit.
Improving bone density or bone turnover markers in postmenopausal women — limited evidence. A study of calcium-AKG in postmenopausal women found reduced bone breakdown markers and improved lumbar bone mineral density over 24 weeks, a genuinely promising early signal, but it needs replication in larger, longer trials before being considered established.
Evidence on Short-term tolerability in healthy adults — moderate evidence. Calcium-AKG has GRAS status and has been well tolerated in the small trials conducted so far, generally at doses up to 6g/day, though supplement-specific long-term safety data remain limited.

Typical dose

1–6 g/day, most often as calcium-AKG (Ca-AKG), taken once daily

Upper limit: No established UL

Timing

Often taken once daily, commonly in the morning, with or without food.

Time to effect

Unclear: No established human time-to-effect exists for aging or longevity outcomes; small trials have measured biomarker changes over months.

Common myth

"AKG is a proven human longevity supplement." In reality: The lifespan-extension evidence is strong in worms, flies, and mice, but human trials are still small, short, and focused on biomarkers rather than proven longevity outcomes.