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The science

The science, in plain English.

What AKG is, why we release it slowly, and what else is in the formula. Nothing here is a promise.

What is AKG

Alpha-ketoglutarate, AKG for short, is a small molecule your body makes every day. It sits in the middle of the energy cycle inside your cells, the same cycle that turns food into usable energy. It is not exotic and it is not a drug. Your body has been making it since before you were born.1

SDAI BioAge™ Core uses calcium alpha-ketoglutarate, or Ca-AKG. It is the calcium salt of alpha-ketoglutaric acid. Forming the salt makes it less acidic than the free acid.2

Why controlled release

Not all at once. By design. Our patented controlled-release tablet is designed to release Ca-AKG gradually. In laboratory dissolution testing, release continues for more than six hours, so one two-tablet serving each morning is spread out over time.4 That is a statement about how the tablet is made, not about what it does for you.

The rest of the formula

Folate comes as L-5-MTHF, an active form of folate (vitamin B9). Your body can use it without converting it first. B1 and B2 support normal energy metabolism. B6 (as P5P) supports normal amino acid metabolism. B12 and folate support normal red blood cell formation.3

Where aging starts

Aging begins at the cellular level.

Researchers describe aging as a set of connected processes inside our cells. In 2023, a review in Cell grouped them into twelve "hallmarks of aging".8

Genomic instability

Your DNA picks up small errors every day from sunlight, pollution and normal wear. Your cells repair most of them, but over the years some damage builds up and cells can work less well.

Telomere attrition

Telomeres are protective caps on the ends of your chromosomes, a bit like the plastic tips on shoelaces. They get a little shorter each time a cell divides, and very short caps can stop a cell from renewing.

Epigenetic alterations

Epigenetic marks act like switches that tell each gene when to turn on or off. With age these switches can drift, so cells may not read their instructions as clearly as they used to.

Loss of proteostasis

Proteins do most of the work in your cells and need to keep the right shape. As we age, cells get less efficient at folding, fixing and clearing proteins, and damaged ones can pile up.

Disabled macroautophagy

Autophagy is your cells' own recycling system, breaking down worn-out parts for reuse. When it slows with age, cellular clutter builds up and cells renew themselves less well.

Deregulated nutrient sensing

Your cells constantly sense how much fuel is available and adjust how they grow and repair. With age these signals can become less finely tuned, which affects how your body uses energy.

Mitochondrial dysfunction

Mitochondria are the power stations inside your cells. Over time they can produce energy less efficiently, which may show up as feeling you have less energy to spare.

Cellular senescence

Some cells stop dividing but don't clear away. These "retired" cells can linger and send out signals that disturb the healthy cells around them.

Stem cell exhaustion

Stem cells refill and repair your tissues, from skin to blood. Their numbers and activity tend to fall with age, so tissues may recover more slowly.

Altered intercellular communication

Cells talk to each other through hormones and other chemical messages. With age these messages can get mixed up, and tissues may not coordinate as well.

Chronic inflammation

Short bursts of inflammation help you heal. With age, a low level of inflammation can hang around all the time, sometimes called "inflammaging", and add wear across the body.

Dysbiosis

Your gut is home to trillions of microbes that help with digestion and more. Their balance can shift as we age, and a less diverse mix is linked with poorer gut health.

Research framework from López-Otín et al., 2023. Tap a hallmark for a plain-English explanation. General education only, not a claim about any product.

Why scientists study AKG

A molecule at the center of cellular metabolism.

Nutrition science has moved from preventing deficiency toward understanding how nutrients interact with our biology over a lifetime.9 AKG is one of the molecules researchers are looking at closely.

  • Energy cycle. AKG is a key intermediate in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, the pathway cells use to make energy from food.1
  • Epigenetic co-substrate. AKG is a co-substrate for enzymes involved in DNA and histone demethylation, which is why it appears in epigenetics research.1
  • Natural decline. Researchers have reported that circulating AKG levels are lower in older adults than in younger people.1

What the research is exploring

AKG has been studied in laboratory and animal models, including roundworms and mice.10,11 These are early research findings in non-human models. They are general AKG research context, not results for SDAI BioAge™ Core, and they do not show what any supplement does in people. Human trials, such as the ABLE trial, are ongoing.1

Quality

Made with care, batch by batch.

High-purity Ca-AKG

Made with our patented synthesis method and purity tested by HPLC.6

Calcium-bound

The calcium salt is more stable and less acidic than the free acid.2

Made in the USA

Manufactured in a cGMP facility in the USA.

Tested and traceable

Every batch is tested and traceable from raw material to finished tablet.

Who it's for

Built for adults who plan ahead.

Men and women have different priorities as they age, so Core comes in two formulas.

Men's Formula

Ca-AKG with vitamin A and B vitamins. For men who care about energy, an active lifestyle and healthy aging.

See the Men's Formula

Women's Formula

Ca-AKG with vitamin D3 and B vitamins. For women who care about energy, bone health through life stages and healthy aging.

See the Women's Formula
Safety

What we say, and what we don't

SDAI BioAge™ Core is a health supplement. It is not a medicine and not a substitute for medical treatment. We make no disease, weight or anti-aging claims. If you see those words anywhere, they are not ours.

  • Speak to your doctor before use if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, under 18, on medication or have an underlying medical condition.
  • Two tablets, once per day, in the morning, with or without food. Do not exceed the recommended dose.
  • Ca-AKG, made in a GMP-certified facility in the USA.
Science questions

Asked often

What is Ca-AKG?

Calcium alpha-ketoglutarate, the calcium salt of alpha-ketoglutaric acid. AKG is a compound naturally involved in cellular metabolism. Forming the calcium salt makes it less acidic than the free acid.

Why controlled release?

Our patented formulation is designed to release Ca-AKG gradually, not all at once. In laboratory dissolution testing it keeps releasing for more than six hours. That describes the tablet, not an outcome.

What is biological age?

An estimate of how the body is aging, based on markers such as DNA methylation patterns, rather than your birth date.

References

Sources for the science on this page.

  1. Sandalova et al. GeroScience, 2023. ABLE trial protocol: background on aging and AKG metabolism. No efficacy results. doi:10.1007/s11357-023-00813-6
  2. Tomaszewska-Hetman et al. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2021;22:7577. Ca-AKG production and salt formation. doi:10.3390/ijms22147577
  3. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Fact Sheets for Health Professionals: folate, thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), vitamin B6, vitamin B12. Active folate and normal nutrient functions. ods.od.nih.gov
  4. Patent CN114126601B, 2025. Sustained release composition of alpha-ketoglutaric acid compounds. Formulation and laboratory dissolution profiles. Not a clinical efficacy trial.
  5. Patent CN112955139B, 2025. Method for preparing calcium alpha-ketoglutarate. Manufacturing process for Ca-AKG.
  6. Filip et al. Int J Vitam Nutr Res, 2007. 24-week controlled Ca-AKG trial. Bone-turnover marker (CTX) difference significant. Bone-density difference not significant. doi:10.1024/0300-9831.77.2.89
  7. López-Otín et al. Cell, 2023;186:243-278. Hallmarks of aging: an expanding universe. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2022.11.016
  8. Zeisel. Annual Review of Food Science and Technology, 2020. Precision (personalized) nutrition. doi:10.1146/annurev-food-032519-051736
  9. Chin et al. Nature, 2014;510:397-401. AKG research in C. elegans (roundworms). Animal model only. doi:10.1038/nature13264
  10. Asadi Shahmirzadi et al. Cell Metabolism, 2020;32:447-456. Ca-AKG research in mice. Animal model only. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2020.08.004

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