Authors are from the University of Heidelberg, part of the medical faculty.
Fifteen studies published between 1984 and 2024 met inclusion criteria, including clinical, animal, and mechanistic work, most conducted in France. Across studies, OKG supplementation replenished glutamine and arginine pools, improved nitrogen balance, preserved muscle mass, and promoted wound healing through enhanced collagen synthesis and immune modulation. Clinical data confirmed improved nitrogen retention, reduced muscle breakdown, and faster wound closure. Preclinical studies further showed that α-KG preconditioning enhances stem cell–driven regeneration and vascularization. Additional effects, such as improved glucose tolerance and hepatic enzyme preservation, suggest some benefits occur independently of glutamine pathways.
This review highlights α-KG and OKG as promising adjuncts to enhance metabolic recovery, wound repair, and immune competence after burns. Evidence supports improved nitrogen balance and healing, but findings remain limited by heterogeneity and small cohorts, warranting renewed and well-powered studies.
I take it and I do think it helps me feel better - I did some functional genomics and NAD blood tests with Bob Miller at Tree of life and from those results it came up as beneficial for me. It theoretically replenishes α-ketoglutarate that gets drained during ammonia buffering, keeping my TCA cycle/mitochondria running so I can clear nitrogen better and “use” NADH for energy instead of feeling backed up and inflamed. I have abnormally high levels of NAD so NAD/NADH supplements make me feel awful.
Ericross2, I believe you are correct. From my reading the ITP results do not show lifespan extension. Here is a link to ITP Testing for anyone who is interested. Items are listed alphabetically on this report. When you find a-Ketoglutarate (AKG) click on View Survival Analysis to see results. The graphs don’t show a-Ketoglutarate (AKG) being better than placebo, but maybe slightly worse.
That was the most surprising result from the ITP in my opinion. It looked so promising until that. I still take it but I have less confidence in it that I used to.
I’m assuming you take everything in powder form, right? If so, I’m just here to ask how bad does that mix taste (I’m a baby)
And more so, do you believe the $$Rejuvant slow release CA AKG is just marketing, or is there something to it? I don’t take theirs due to the cost, but I keep wondering about this.
I’m seriously considering ditching my Blueprint multi and taking things individually to get ideal dosing… but I keep hesitating because doing so would add many more pills.
At the risk of going off topic, I see your formulation has a strong NAD+ precursor element. Could you please share what’s behind that thinking? This recent paper doesn’t really provide me with a convincing case with phrases like: A clear trend emerges from this Review: a consistent age-related
decline in NAD+ levels is observed in muscle but not in whole blood.However, NAD+ boosting does not seem to change muscle NAD+ levels while easily increasing whole-blood NAD+ concentration.
Using TruDiagnostice epigenetic testing, 5 tests over 4 years, my telos increased in length with every test. The only thing I’m aware of taking that would have done that is NMN and NR.
My main interest in having NAD precursors present in my formula is multi-fold and speculative based on the mechanistic of those compounds. It’s still early days with respect to studies and as these are commonly available and now at commodity level pricing, I’d guess there will be fewer studies going forward. But who knows.
