Does calcium-AKG lower your biological age?
Reliable evidence that calcium-AKG lowers biological age in humans is still lacking. The widely cited claim of 8 years younger comes from a small study without a placebo group, conducted by researchers with a stake in the outcome. Wait for the results of the ongoing placebo-controlled study before drawing any conclusions from this.
Animal and cell research shows that AKG (alpha-ketoglutarate, the active compound in calcium-AKG) influences ageing processes. In roundworms it extends lifespan. In old mice it slows stem-cell ageing, improves cognitive function, and reduces bone loss and skin ageing. In mouse models of fatty liver disease it also has anti-inflammatory effects. These are, however, results from animals and cells, not humans.
The claim that calcium-AKG lowers biological age by an average of 8 years comes from a single small study of 42 people who took a commercial supplement. The study had no placebo group, was designed retrospectively, and the lead authors had financial ties to the manufacturer. The researchers themselves acknowledge that placebo-controlled research is needed. That figure of 8 years is therefore not a reliable number to rely on.
A placebo-controlled study is currently under way with 120 participants receiving either 1 gram of calcium-AKG or a placebo for six months. The outcome measure is a reduction in DNA-methylation age. Results are not yet available. This means that we simply do not know at this point whether calcium-AKG lowers biological age in healthy people.
A review study concluded that up to 2022 no published clinical studies existed demonstrating an effect of AKG on ageing or age-related diseases in humans. The widely discussed '8-year' claim has therefore not been independently confirmed. Until robust results from the ongoing study are available, there is no solid basis for labelling calcium-AKG as an agent against biological ageing.
Evidence derived from animal and cell studies (PMID 24828042, 40570373, 39266660, 38642501, 31173576), one small non-placebo-controlled human study with a commercial interest (PMID 34847066), one review article (PMID 34952764), and one published RCT protocol without results (PMID 37119488).