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Metabolic

Ca-AKG · Calcium Alpha-Ketoglutarate

Krebs-cycle intermediate sold as a longevity supplement. Lifespan results exist in mice; human evidence is a single retrospective, company-funded analysis.

D
Evidence grade
Mostly animal

Short answer

A genuinely interesting animal result with human evidence that is still weak. If you take it, understand you are early, not proven.

Product and dose overview

Ca-AKG (Calcium Alpha-Ketoglutarate) is a metabolic with evidence grade D, meaning it is primarily supported by animal studies. We track 7 products containing Ca-AKG. Typical doses range from 500 to 2000 mg per serving. The top-ranked product scores 6.7 out of 10 on our composite scale (dose, evidence, price, testing, transparency). Prices range up to $159.00 per month.

Evidence grade: D Products in database: 7 Category: Metabolic

Top Ca-AKG products

ProductBrandDosePrice/mo3rd-party testedScore
Longevity Mix - Blood OrangeBlueprint2000 mg$49.00Yes6.7
Collagen ActivatorAvea Life1000 mg$92.00No6.5
NOVOS CoreNOVOS Labs500 mg$89.00Yes6.3
Calcium AKG 1500Toniiq1500 mg$24.97Yes5.7
Longevity BundleTmrw1000 mg$159.00Yes5.4

Scores are editorial judgments, not a scientific standard. See how we score.

What it is

Alpha-ketoglutarate is a molecule your cells make inside the mitochondria as part of normal energy production. The calcium salt (Ca-AKG) is the form used in most supplements and in the key animal studies.

Why people take it

Mice given Ca-AKG late in life lived longer and, more convincingly, stayed healthier for longer. For humans there is one published analysis where people who had taken a Ca-AKG product for 4 to 10 months showed lower biological-age test results than before. It had no control group, was retrospective, and was funded by the company selling the product.

Our verdict

A genuinely interesting animal result with human evidence that is still weak. If you take it, understand you are early, not proven.

Structure & class

Calcium salt of α-ketoglutarate, a TCA-cycle intermediate and cofactor for αKG-dependent dioxygenases (including TET demethylases).

Mechanism & clinical data

Asadi Shahmirzadi et al. 2020 (Cell Metabolism) reported lifespan extension in female mice and compressed morbidity in both sexes. Human data is limited to a retrospective analysis of Rejuvant users (Demidenko et al. 2021) reporting reduced TruAge epigenetic age; uncontrolled, self-selected, industry-funded. No prospective human RCT with clinical endpoints exists.

Pharmacokinetics

AKG plasma half-life is short (minutes); effects presumed to work through sustained daily exposure.

Dose & forms

Trial dose
1000 mg
/ day
Range in trials
300 to 2000 mg
/ day
Common forms
Ca-AKG capsule/powder, AKG (free acid)

What to watch out for

Long-term human safety data is essentially absent. Biological-age tests used in marketing are proxies, not proof of slowed aging.

Where this dose comes from

The trial dose above is our editorial pick from the published human trials for this ingredient. We choose the dose that the best-available studies used on the endpoint most relevant to longevity. The range shows the lowest and highest doses tested in published trials. The landmark studies below are the papers we read to set it. You can click through and check our work.

When new trials publish, our automated sweeps flag them. If a new study materially changes the dose, we update it through editorial review and record the old dose, new dose, and the triggering study in every affected product's recommendation history. The dose is never changed automatically.

Regulatory status

EUPermitted as food supplement
USDietary ingredient
UKPermitted
CANHP permitted

Timeline

Regulatory events, evidence grade changes, and key research milestones for Ca-AKG, most recent first. Studies link to the paper; regulatory entries name and link the responsible authority.

  • 2025-04 Regulatory single source
    EU Court sharpens the bar for botanical health claims
    A Court of Justice of the European Union ruling in April 2025 further tightened the requirements for how botanical ingredients (herbs, plant extracts) can be marketed with health claims in the EU, effectively removing much of the flexibility of the on-hold list.
  • 2024-06 Regulatory confirmed
    EU report identifies 117 supplement substances as potential health risks
    The HoA Working Group on Food Supplements (26 European countries) published its first report evaluating 117 substances used in food supplements. Of these, 65 were assessed as likely novel foods, 6 were already regulated, 34 had insufficient data, and 12 were prioritized for Article 8 restriction under Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006. The 12 priority substances include ashwagandha, curcumin, melatonin, piperine, St. John's wort, coumarin, p-synephrine, maca, holy basil, Melaleuca, black cohosh, and L-tryptophan. The report drew on 1,500 RASFF alerts reviewed between 2017 and mid-2022.
    Source →
  • 2021 Research milestone
    Demidenko et al. 2021 (Aging, ABLE analysis)
    Retrospective analysis of Rejuvant users (n=42) reported reduced DNA-methylation age after 4-10 months; no control group, company-funded.
    Source →
  • 2020 Research milestone
    Asadi Shahmirzadi et al. 2020 (Cell Metabolism)
    Ca-AKG extended lifespan in female mice and compressed morbidity in both sexes when started late in life.
    Source →
  • 2006-12 Regulatory confirmed
    EU Health Claims Regulation adopted
    Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 laid down harmonised rules for nutrition and health claims made on foods, including supplements. Only claims listed in the EU Register of authorised claims can be used. Rejected botanical claims are held in a separate on-hold list.
    Source →
  • 1997 Regulatory confirmed
    EU introduces the Novel Food Regulation
    Regulation (EC) No 258/97 required any food or food ingredient without a history of consumption in the EU before 15 May 1997 to be authorised before being placed on the market. This is the framework that captures NMN, spermidine as a supplement ingredient, urolithin A, and many other longevity actives.
    Source →

Landmark studies

Found in these products (7)

All products in our catalog that contain Ca-AKG, ranked by our overall score. Ranking is editorial, never paid.

Longevity stack
Ingredients listed
6 ingredients listedlargest listed: Creatine 2,500 mg
Price per serving
$1.63$49.00 · 30 servings
Testing
3rd-party listed · no public lab certificate

Multi-ingredient bundle

Status as recorded in the catalog from brand materials; not independently verified by NO1GEVITY.

Score & research context 6.7/10

Editorial score, not proof that this product works. Research-dose calculations are not dosing advice.

83%
of trial dose
$3.27
per research-dose day, not label serving
0Trial dose2×
Catalog price · Confirm current price with blueprint.bryanjohnson.com
Avea Life
Collagen Activator
Connective tissue
Ingredients listed
4 ingredients listedlargest listed: Glycine 5 g
Price per serving
$3.07$92.00 · 30 servings
Testing
None listed

Multi-ingredient bundle

Status as recorded in the catalog from brand materials; not independently verified by NO1GEVITY.

Score & research context 6.5/10

Editorial score, not proof that this product works. Research-dose calculations are not dosing advice.

100%
of trial dose
$1.84
per research-dose day, not label serving
0Trial dose2×
Catalog price · Confirm current price with avea-life.com
NOVOS Labs
NOVOS Core
Longevity stack
Ingredients listed
12 ingredients listedlargest listed: Glycine 1,000 mg
Price per serving
$2.97$89.00 · 30 servings
Testing
3rd-party listed · no public lab certificate

Multi-ingredient bundle

Status as recorded in the catalog from brand materials; not independently verified by NO1GEVITY.

Score & research context 6.3/10

Editorial score, not proof that this product works. Research-dose calculations are not dosing advice.

50%
of trial dose
$14.83
per research-dose day, not label serving
0Trial dose2×
Catalog price · Confirm current price with novoslabs.com
Metabolic
Active per serving
Ca-AKG 1,500 mg+ Calcium 200 mg
Price per serving
$0.62$24.97 · 40 servings
Testing
3rd-party listed · no public lab certificate

Elemental vs compound: check label

Status as recorded in the catalog from brand materials; not independently verified by NO1GEVITY.

Score & research context 5.7/10

Editorial score, not proof that this product works. Research-dose calculations are not dosing advice.

100%
of trial dose
$0.42
per research-dose day, not label serving
0Trial dose2×
Catalog price · Confirm current price with www.toniiq.com
Longevity stack
Ingredients listed
7 ingredients listedlargest listed: Taurine 1,200 mg
Price per serving
$5.30$159.00 · 30 servings
Testing
3rd-party listed · no public lab certificate

Multi-ingredient bundle

Status as recorded in the catalog from brand materials; not independently verified by NO1GEVITY.

Score & research context 5.4/10

Editorial score, not proof that this product works. Research-dose calculations are not dosing advice.

100%
of trial dose
$5.30
per research-dose day, not label serving
0Trial dose2×
Catalog price · Confirm current price with drinktmrw.com
Metabolic
Active per serving
Ca-AKG 1,000 mgTablet · 30 servings
Price per serving
$3.67$109.95 · 30 servings
Testing
3rd-party listed · no public lab certificate

Status as recorded in the catalog from brand materials; not independently verified by NO1GEVITY.

Score & research context 5.0/10

Editorial score, not proof that this product works. Research-dose calculations are not dosing advice.

100%
of trial dose
$3.67
per research-dose day, not label serving
0Trial dose2×
Catalog price · Confirm current price with rejuvant.com
Supersmart
Calcium AKG
Metabolic
Active per serving
Ca-AKG 1,000 mgCapsule · 30 servings
Price per serving
$3.30$99.00 · 30 servings
Testing
None listed

Status as recorded in the catalog from brand materials; not independently verified by NO1GEVITY.

Score & research context 4.6/10

Editorial score, not proof that this product works. Research-dose calculations are not dosing advice.

100%
of trial dose
$3.30
per research-dose day, not label serving
0Trial dose2×
Catalog price · Confirm current price with www.supersmart.com
Editorial guides

Buying guides and comparisons

Neighbouring molecules

Related ingredients

See all in Metabolic →

Molecules in the same class, plus the actives most often formulated alongside Ca-AKG in our catalogue.

BerberineAsame categoryAlpha-Lipoic AcidAsame categoryPterocarpus (Kino)Dsame categoryC15:0Dsame categoryGlycineBstacked together in 3 productsTaurineDstacked together in 2 productsL-TheanineBstacked together in 2 productsHyaluronic AcidBstacked together in 2 products
Product shelves
See all in Longevity stack (3)See all in Metabolic (3)See all in Connective tissue (1)

See Ca-AKG in context: the mechanism it acts through, the biomarker it moves, the products that dose it, and the trials that tested it.

View Ca-AKG on the Longevity Map →

Frequently asked questions

What is Ca-AKG?

Alpha-ketoglutarate is a molecule your cells make inside the mitochondria as part of normal energy production. The calcium salt (Ca-AKG) is the form used in most supplements and in the key animal studies.

What dose of Ca-AKG should I take?

The trial dose in published human studies is 1000 mg per day, with a range of 300 to 2000 mg per day. Always consult a qualified clinician before starting any supplement.

Is Ca-AKG safe?

Long-term human safety data is essentially absent. Biological-age tests used in marketing are proxies, not proof of slowed aging.

What is the best Ca-AKG supplement?

We track 7 products containing Ca-AKG. The top-ranked product scores 6.7 out of 10 on our composite scale, which evaluates dose, evidence, price, third-party testing, and transparency. See the comparison table above. Scores are editorial judgments, not a scientific standard.

What is the evidence grade for Ca-AKG?

Ca-AKG has evidence grade D, meaning it is primarily supported by animal studies. Grade A means replicated human RCTs with hard endpoints. Grade B means human RCTs with biomarker outcomes. Grade C means mixed or small human trials. See our evidence grading methodology.

Independently checked

Data verification

Evidence grade
D
Mostly animal
Research dose
1000 mg
Products tracked
7
Updated continuously
Safety signal
Long-term human safety data is essentially absent. Biolog...

Evidence grades are reviewed when new human RCTs are published. Product counts update automatically as new products are added. Dose ranges reflect published trial data, not brand recommendations. Read how we verify.