Oxaloacetate

Oxaloacetate (OAA)is a molecule that occurs naturally in a mitochondrion’s production of ATP and in other cellular functions.

Background: For many years supplementation was not possible because the compound quickly decomposes unless it is stored at a very low temperature. Then, in 2006, an engineer struck by oxaloacetate’s potential anti-aging benefits produced a variant that is stable at room temperature, which opened the door for supplementation. A patent on the process of stabilizing oxaloacetate was granted in 2015. The product—named benaGene—is available through a private company, Terra Biological LLC.

From there, the story falls apart. Avoid Oxaloacetate. The science doesn’t hold up.

Intended Purpose?

Oxaloacetate , is a metabolic intermediate in many processes that occur in animals. It takes part in the gluconeogenesis, urea cycle, glyoxylate cycle, amino acid synthesis, fatty acid synthesis and citric acid cycle.

Six essential amino acids and three nonessential are synthesized from oxaloacetate and pyruvate.[5] Aspartate and alanine are formed from oxaloacetate and pyruvate, respectively, by transamination from glutamate. Asparagine, methionine, lysine and threonine are synthesized by aspartate.  Without it, no aspartate would be formed and the other four amino acids would not be synthesized. Oxaloacetate is an intermediate of the Kreb’s cycle and the stage prior to the formation of pyruvate (via pyruvate carboxylase) and after the NAD+-consuming conversion from L-malate (via malate dehydrogenase). Benagene provides this diagram to show the impact on the Kreb’s energy production cycle.

Why Supplement?

• Oxaloacetate is a relatively understudied compound with a high potential. Studies have shown that Oxaloacetate supplements can help reduce aging, help with brain injuries and neurodegenerative diseases, and help with treatment of Cancers 15 benefits (SelfHacked)
• There has been a lot of research on oxaloacetate, but a research study done on mice, oddly published in the Journal of Human Molecular Genetics, stands out. It reports that oxaloacetate increases energy production in the brain, improves processing of insulin for greater energy and resistance to type-2 diabetes, reduces inflammation in the body, and stimulates neuron growth. (Patrick Cox)
• Adding oxaloacetate to the diets of animals extends their lives. Oxaloacetate increases the availability of NAD+ through an entirely different mechanism than NR. This suggests that the two compounds may be complementary, (Patrick Cox)

Dosage?

• Benagene recommends (100mg / day) combined with 150mg of Vitamin C
• Parkinson’s trial dosage was 100mg twice per day
• The Trial of Oxaloacetate in Alzheimer’s Disease (TOAD) Clinical trial is testing doses of 1 to 2 grams per day for 4 weeks.

Clinical Trials?

• The University of Kansas Medical Center Research Institute has completed preliminary trials for using the substance to treat Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Parkinson’s trial results  (5/18 reported minor adverse events (digestive tract (4/18), Insomnia (3/18). 7/18 reported worsening Parkinson’s symptoms. Placebo users did not have similar results.). No statistically significant benefits were achieved vs Placebo for Parkinson’s.
  • Trial of Oxaloacetate in Alzheimer’s Disease (TOAD) Clinical trial concluded on 7/31/18. Results: Both doses were safe and tolerated. Compared to the lower dose, the higher dose benefited FDG PET glucose uptake across multiple brain regions (P < .05), and the higher dose increased parietal and frontoparietal glutathione (P < .05). The trial did not demonstrate consistent blood level changes and cognitive scores did not improve. Conclusions: 1000 mg OAA, taken twice daily for 1 month, is safe in AD patients and engages brain energy metabolism.

Data Sources

• Wikipedia
• Mauldin Economics / Patrick Cox Supplements That Could Turn Back the Clock by a Decade
• Journal of Human Molecular Genetics
• Benagene
• Self-Hacked
• iHerb
• Examine