The actual paper is here [1]. And it’s not quite as conclusive in mammals yet. But it sounds like there is a clinical trial to actually study the supplement, which is a welcome thing in the anti-aging world. I’m happy to read that this work came out of the Buck Institute in Novato, which is a solid research institution. It’s also a beautiful campus.
Disclaimer: I was there for a short stint as a postdoc a while back and not connected to this paper at all.
That articles says "Alpha-ketoglutarate is a key metabolite in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and its levels change upon fasting, exercise, and aging."
But there is no citation for this statement. Any idea where to read about how these levels change naturally?
I went down this rabbit hole a little. It does seem like the specific formulation of AKG may matter. The commonly available supplements are L-Orthinine Alpha-Ketogluterate (OKG) and Arginine-Alpha-Ketoglutarate (AAKG).
The study in question used Calcium Alpha-Ketoglutarate (CAAKG).
There are a few sellers of CAAKG, but it is an order of magnitude more expensive than the others. (~$1.50/gram for CAAKG vs ~$.08/gram for OKG and ~$.05/gram for AAKG)
There have been studies in the past (for non-aging conditions) that have demonstrated a difference between OKG and AAKG, so it's reasonable to assume there may be a difference between CAAKG and the others as well. Without a study, who knows.
Also as other commenters have mentioned, the only evidence so far for aging related benefits is in mice. Of the human trial studies I could find for OKG use, it does seem like there were no reported side effects, so it might not hurt you, but it also might not do anything for you.
Epigenetics is fascinating. I just came back from a project meeting, where i work with people who discovered that HRT (hormone replacement therapy) slows down epithelial cell aging. Epithelial cells are the cells that cover all your vital organs, so they are important for aging.
Now, there are even commercial companies that measure Epigenetic age of cells with a technique called DNA methylation.
DNA methylation is not a technique that can be applied. It is a biological system present in your cells silencing expression of genes that are not useful for a cells current behavior. Differently differentiated cells have different "genes methylated" and thus inactivated which govern their behavior and potential for further sub-differentiation.
Indiscriminately "reversing methylation" would probably lead to a lot of "cancering".
You don't apply DNA methylation - it is the basis for measuring epigenetic age. I mentioned HRT as one way of reducing epigenetic age for epithelial cells.
Not sure riding high on dirty test (dosing TRT levels off toilet test going around gyms will be next to impossible) will slow down ageing - but it will probably make you juicy. Make sure to hit the gym to double the gainz.
I'm getting somewhat interested in this topic. How did you know about this trial? I'm curious what good news sources are to follow so I can see when the results are out.
For anyone interested in the topic, I'd encourage reading "Lifespan" by David A. Sinclair. As someone with little to no-knowledge about aging (other than feeling the effects of aging on myself) I found it very instructive on how our aging clock works and what are some of the ongoing studies to slow down or revert aging.
Sorry, but he oversells his work. He has not contributed so much on epigenetics, but rather nad as a supplement. He oversells nad as a longevity aid.
However, he advocates intermittent fasting, and i heard from a epogenetics research leader that there is an ongoing trial for intermittent fasting reducing your epigenetic age. So sinclair is not wrong on that, probably.
You can do this at home, except for the little inconvenience that growth hormone is a scheduled drug. I wonder what the results would be with just growth hormone. Let's ask Sylvester Stallone[1] who looks great for 75 and got caught trying to get into Australia with illicit Growth Hormone a while ago[2].
According to that paper it doesn't have a significant effect on the performance during exercise but it has a large effect on the serum level of GH. However it should be noted that this experiment was conducted on young healthy men and I have no idea if Niacin have the same effect in women or older men.
Growth hormone can be injected subcutaneously. They now come in convenient pens with adjustable dosage that are so fine you can't feel the prick. But yes, they must remain refrigerated.
90 is still an exceptional lifespan even if you take care of yourself. Human system breaks down randomly after the age of 70, and the complete breakdown depends on luck.
I’m no fan of death, but death (by natural causes - age, sickness , accident) has been how different generations have gotten rid some of the worst despots.
“The hate of men will pass and dictators die. And the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish."
Readit News
I think there's newer news that AKG, an easy to get and cheap supplement, has anti-aging effects with no known issues.
https://www.science.org/content/article/bodybuilding-supplem...
Disclaimer: I was there for a short stint as a postdoc a while back and not connected to this paper at all.
[1] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2020.08.004
But there is no citation for this statement. Any idea where to read about how these levels change naturally?
Deleted Comment
The study in question used Calcium Alpha-Ketoglutarate (CAAKG).
There are a few sellers of CAAKG, but it is an order of magnitude more expensive than the others. (~$1.50/gram for CAAKG vs ~$.08/gram for OKG and ~$.05/gram for AAKG)
There have been studies in the past (for non-aging conditions) that have demonstrated a difference between OKG and AAKG, so it's reasonable to assume there may be a difference between CAAKG and the others as well. Without a study, who knows.
Also as other commenters have mentioned, the only evidence so far for aging related benefits is in mice. Of the human trial studies I could find for OKG use, it does seem like there were no reported side effects, so it might not hurt you, but it also might not do anything for you.
Deleted Comment
Now, there are even commercial companies that measure Epigenetic age of cells with a technique called DNA methylation.
References: https://investinaustria.at/en/news/2022/03/epigenetic-clock-...
https://www.mydnage.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwheyUBhD-ARIsAHJNM-Mrk...
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04375657
[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvester_Stallone
[2]https://abcnews.go.com/Health/ActiveAging/story?id=3176015
According to that paper it doesn't have a significant effect on the performance during exercise but it has a large effect on the serum level of GH. However it should be noted that this experiment was conducted on young healthy men and I have no idea if Niacin have the same effect in women or older men.
1. I can have "better years" in the same lifespan. Lots of energy at 90 for instance.
2. I can increase the lifespan of my dog by 50 years :)
"Science progresses one funeral at a time".
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planck%27s_principle
I'd prefer to solve the despot problem in a way that doesn't involve me getting dead.
Several countries have managed to not have despots for long periods.
I reckon people will start caring about their despots if they expect to live a millennium under the despots' boot
If you were expecting to live a much longer life, people might grow more fearful about the consequences of speaking up against a dictator.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31591777
Exceptional athletes in general may not have the same lifespan as age-matched healthy counterparts so not a good population to look at.
Also hgh at a young age won't increase life span later in life anyways