Does alpha-ketoglutarate work against ageing?

In animal research, AKG (alpha-ketoglutarate) demonstrably extends lifespan. In roundworms this works by inhibiting an energy-producing organelle in the cell and a growth switch that also influences ageing. In fruit flies lifespan extension was likewise observed, but reproductive output declined in the process. These are real effects in living organisms, but roundworms and fruit flies are far removed from the human situation.

At the cellular level, more recent laboratory research from 2025 shows that AKG inhibits cellular ageing of stem cells from bone marrow, partly by reducing the production of damaged proteins. In old mice, a substance that stimulates AKG production improved cognition, bone density and skin quality. These are interesting indications, but this type of mouse study rarely predicts directly what happens in humans.

In humans the evidence is still very thin. A study in 42 participants without a placebo group reported that the AKG supplement Rejuvant reduced biological age on a DNA methylation clock by an average of 8 years. That sounds impressive, but without a control group you cannot attribute that effect to the supplement. Moreover, the manufacturer was involved in the research. A review article concluded that, up to that point, there were no recent human studies that genuinely demonstrate an anti-ageing effect of AKG.

The study that should settle this question is still ongoing. The ABLE study is a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 120 healthy people aged 40 to 60 examining calcium-AKG (1 gram, six months). Recruitment has been completed, but results are not yet available. Only once those results are available can you say anything meaningful about whether AKG does in humans what it does in animals.