The GIST
The Blog
Oxaloacetate was quite the ticket for some people.
The GIST
- Oxaloacetate became a thing in ME/CFS after Dr. David Kaufman saw it was low in a metabolomic study and began trying the supplement on his patients.
- Because oxaloacetate starts the Krebs cycle – which makes up the first part of the aerobic energy production process – energy production gets hit very early in the energy production process.
- An earlier proof of concept, open-label trial reported that 33% of the patients with ME/CFS, and up to 46.8% of long-COVID patients, received more than 25% reduction in fatigue. This trial, though, was the first placebo-controlled, randomized oxaloacetate trial.
- Eight-two people (ME/CFS-42; HC-40) took 1,000 mg/2xs a day dose in a 3-month trial at the Bateman Horne Center. Fatigue was reduced in the oxaloacetate group by 32% (Chalder Fatigue Score) and 35% (RAND 36). The placebo group improved somewhat (but not significantly).
- Concerning functionality, the group that received oxaloacetate went from 9.1 (moderate to severe fatigue) to 6.6 (moderate fatigue) on the Chalder fatigue scale. Regarding their ability to carry out daily activities, they went from having “significant fatigue that may affect their daily activities and overall well-being” to “noticeable fatigue that could impact their daily life”.
- About 40% of the oxaloacetate group, however, were considered “enhanced responders” (>25% improvement). The paper did not provide their Chalder Fatigue data, but a doubling of their fatigue scores would have left them, if my numbers are right, with an average Chalder Fatigue score of 3.7 or “mild to moderate” fatigue – a big jump from the severe fatigue the entire group started with.
- The Harvard dataverse data showed that the response to the supplement was very heterogeneous. Half the participants (21/42) either had no or very moderate (0 to +2 point) improvements in their fatigue or got a bit worse (-1 to -4). Approximately 40% of the group (n=16) received a score of +3 or higher received at least a 25% improvement in fatigue. Twenty percent of the group with scores of +6 or higher surely received major benefits. Finally, 7% of the group (n=3) with scores of +9 to +11 must have hit the ball out of the park.
- When oxaloacetate helped, it really helped – which brings up the question why and how it helped those it did. The authors outlined several ways oxaloacetate may be helping (lactate reduction, antioxidant protection, reduced inflammation, restoring NAD+/NADH levels, and increased glucose uptake).
- Happily, this is not a one-and-done study that simply tells us whether a substance helps or not. The authors reported that metabolic analyses “underway at several facilities” are attempting to learn how oxaloacetate helped the ME/CFS patients it did. Those data should then help us understand what’s going on in ME/CFS, and identify which patients it might help.
- In the end, given oxaloacetate’s cost ($4-500/month), these analyses could be the most significant thing to come out of this study, as they’re looking at what is potentially a sizeable subset of ME/CFS patients.
- With one other oxaloacetate study and two Rapamycin studies – all of which will be digging into the biology of the participants – we should be learning much more about the role the mitochondria are playing in ME/CFS/FM and long COVID.
Looking at what oxaloacetate does, it’s easy to see why Kaufman did that. Without oxaloacetate, the whole energy production process stops. More accurately, it never really gets started.
Dr. Kaufman zeroed in on one of dozens of dysregulated metabolites.
There are two parts to aerobic energy (oxygen-derived) metabolism: the first – called the Krebs, citric acid, or TCA cycle (take your pick of names) – produces the two electron carriers (NADH, FADH2) which transport electrons in the second part of the cycle – the OXPHOS cycle – where the bulk of the ATP is produced. Oxaloacetate begins the Krebs cycle and at the end of it, is regenerated. Low oxaloacetate levels inevitably result in low levels of the two-electron transporters – NADH and FADH2 – an inhibited electron transport chain and low ATP production.
That process, the authors proposed, triggered ME/CFS patients’ cells to compensate by using the “Warburg Effect”, a means by which cells create energy using glycolysis instead of aerobic energy production. Glycolysis occurs outside the mitochondria, produces a toxic substance called lactate, and produces much, (much), less energy. Oxaloacetate, it turns out, regulates the Warburg Effect. While we don’t know if the Warburg Effect is alive and well in ME/CFS, some studies suggest it is.
Kaufman called oxaloacetate’s effects in some of his patients “extraordinary” and said he’d rarely seen such dramatic effects on fatigue. In 2021, he reported that at 1,000 mg/2x a day, fatigue dropped about 35% on average in 52 patients he had been tracking.
In 2022, a proof of concept, open-label trial in 76 people with ME/CFS and 43 people with long COVID reported that 33% of the patients with ME/CFS, and up to 46.8% of long-COVID fatigue patients, received more than 25% reduction in fatigue.
The Study
What we really needed was a randomized, placebo-controlled trial – and now we have it in “RESTORE ME: an RCT of oxaloacetate for improving fatigue in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome“.
This trial dispensed with the lower doses explored in the earlier study and went straight to the 1,000 mg/2xs a day dose. Eight-two people (ME/CFS-42; HC-40) participated in the 3-month trial which took place at the Bateman Horne Center. The participants were described as having mild-moderate ME/CFS. Thirty-five percent were still working.
The Chalder Fatigue Scale was the primary endpoint – the endpoint by which studies are judged a failure or success. Fatigue was reduced in the oxaloacetate group by 32% (Chalder Fatigue Score) and 35% (RAND 36). The placebo group improved somewhat (but not significantly).
Concerning functionality, the group that received oxaloacetate went from 9.1 (moderate to severe fatigue) to 6.6 (moderate fatigue) on the Chalder fatigue scale. Regarding their ability to carry out daily activities, they went from having “significant fatigue that may affect their daily activities and overall well-being” to “noticeable fatigue that could impact their daily life”.
The dataset shelved at a Harvard dataverse shows that the fatigue reductions held firm over time; that is, similar fatigue reductions were found at the end of month 3 as were found in months 1 and 2.
Who You Are Matters
About 40% of the oxaloacetate group, however, were considered “enhanced responders” (>25% improvement). The paper did not provide their Chalder Fatigue data, but a doubling of their fatigue scores would have left them, if my numbers are right, with an average Chalder Fatigue score of 3.7 or “mild to moderate” fatigue – a big jump from the severe fatigue the entire group started off with.
Oxaloacetate hit the mark in one group of patients.
The Harvard dataverse data showed that the response to the supplement was very heterogeneous. Half the participants (21/42) either had no or very moderate (0 to +2 point) improvements in their fatigue or got a bit worse (-1 to -4). Approximately 40% of the group (n=16) which received a score of +3 or higher reported at least a 25% improvement in fatigue. Twenty percent of the group with scores of +6 or higher surely received major benefits. Finally, 7% of the group (n=3) with scores of +9 to +11 must have hit the ball out of the park.
ME/CFS, then, is as tricky as ever, and heterogeneous responses to treatments remain the norm. Researchers are catching on, though, and are now more often looking to pluck out subsets of patients who respond well. Oxaloacetate is so expensive (@$400-$500/month) that, depending on how much money you have, it might only be worth it if you were in the enhanced response group.
The oxaloacetate was well tolerated. The only two side effects noted were headaches (in only 3/42 participants) and nausea (3/42 participants) (which disappeared when they took the supplement with meals).
But Why?
When oxaloacetate helped, it really helped – which brings up the question why and how it helped those it did.The authors outlined several ways oxaloacetate may be helping (lactate reduction, antioxidant protection, reduced inflammation, restoring NAD+/NADH levels, and increased glucose uptake).
Happily, this is not a one-and-done study that simply tells us whether a substance helps or not. The authors reported that metabolic analyses “underway at several facilities” are attempting to learn how oxaloacetate helped the ME/CFS patients it did. Those data should then help us understand what’s going on in ME/CFS, and identify which patients it might help.
The researchers are digging into what happened in the enhanced response group.
In the end, given oxaloacetate’s cost, these analyses could be the most significant thing to come out of this study, as they’re looking at what is potentially a sizeable subset of ME/CFS patients.
Asking AI ChatGPT what might have caused the low oxaloacetate levels brought up (unfortunately) a wide variety of possibilities. They included:
- low carbohydrate availability (a possibility given the increased breakdown of amino acids in ME/CFS?),
- low biotin/B3-niacin (a group focused on niacin supplementation in ME/CFS has emerged),
- mitochondrial dysfunction,
- low acetyl-CoA levels,
- hypoxia (low oxygen conditions),
- starvation (interesting, given findings suggesting that, metabolically, ME/CFS resembles a state of starvation).
The low oxaloacetate levels, then, could be due to general problems (mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, low oxygen levels) or to something more specialized (genetic mutation pyruvate carboxylase, problems with malate and/or citrate synthase).
Mitochondrial Enhancers Getting Attention
Another oxaloacetate trial appears to be underway at Dr. Natelson’s center. Instead of metabolomics, it will use brain imaging to determine if oxaloacetate improves antioxidant levels in the brain.
Pair the two oxaloacetate studies with the two Rapamycin trials underway – each will also investigate different biological aspects – and we suddenly have a nice set of ME/CFS/long-COVID mitochondria trials.
Plus let’s not forget David Systrom’s mitochondrial enhancer trial – which ultimately failed – but provided potentially valuable biological data. We stand to learn much more about the mitochondria’s role in these diseases.
Digging into the data is fun! If that’s what you want to see please support us!
Health Rising Donation Drive Update
Thanks to the over 220 who have contributed to Health Rising’s End of the Year donation drive!
This blog demonstrates what we love to do in Health RIsing – dig into the data. For instance, the paper did not report on the day-to-day impacts of oxaloacetate – we had to dive into the meaning of the Chalder Fatigue scores to get that. Likewise, it took checking out a separate dataset to uncover the range of oxaloacetate’s effects.
Digging into that stuff is what makes blogs fun. If that supports you – please support us!
We need cheaper alternatives. The one from Benagene is prohibitive for a lot of us.
My thoughts exactly. How much does it cost to manufacture vs markup. I need it but can’t afford it.
Drs Kaufman and Ruhoy covered this paper and pathway in detail and were excited like kids with a new toy.. Recent research is also showing that stress response through sympathetic tone affects T-cell exhaustion through beta1 adrenergic receptors on T-cells. Drs Kaufman and Ruhoy and other mast cell doctors are very excited as they think it explains a lot of what they see. They say that it is an alternative to the HPA axis. The mito respiration switch from oxphos to glycolysis affects oxaloacetate production and also makes other epigenetic changes to immune cells. This is my favourite explanation of why oxaloacetate is low in so many ME/CFS patients. We have seen huge response in all neuropsychiatric symptoms at just 100mg oxaloacetate. Oxaloacetate in low doses is also used for PMS. In PMS it is thought to increase glucose levels in the brain through gluconeogenesis
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06568-6
This pathway can potentially explain how mast cells or other immune triggers can affect glucose metabolism and neuropsychiatric symptoms through exhausted T cells.
does anyone know where to get this supplement at a reasonable price… less than $100
Scott H
Scott, I think we all need a less expensive oxaloacetate! Anyone know where or how to get it?
thank you.
This is the cheapest I could find online: https://www.amazon.com/oxaloacetate/s?k=oxaloacetate
This is $50 for 30 capsules, each capsule has 250 mg. So it is 1/8 of the 2,000 mg daily dose used in the study. So basically it would cost $400 a month to replicate the dose in this study. Or you could try a lower dose and see if it helps you.
Maybe it could be cheaper in a powder form
Unfortunately there isn’t. Amazon has 100mg for $50 or $500, $500mg 90 pills from the company.
You can ask for the first bottle refund if it doesn’t work or a discount first bottle $350 like I did. Amazon $50 bottles about the same in the end but you can sample some and a lower amount. I thought they were drastically helping me but like everything with this illness it was a coincidence and came roaring back. The ebb and flow of the disease.
I’m so sorry to see how slowly your fundraiser is going. I am guessing that we are a very hard group to get money from since most of us don’t have jobs. I would love to give you a lot more than what I gave, if it were only possible. I don’t have my own income or any government income. But my family does help me pay for any doctors’ expenses, food, supplements, and other necessities.
Anyway, maybe if all of us gave $5 to $15, that would help? This is my encouragement to all of us to give the little bit that we can give.
I really apologize. I’ve been traveling and haven’t take the time to update it – which is actually quite time consuming. Over the next couple of days I will catch up. I don’t know where we are but the donations are definitely coming in. I’ll get it updated and keep it updated 🙂
Titania, agree, I think many don’t have the funds but a good portion can do $5-10 and it’s frustrating when we see so little donated. When know the govt is not going to fund appropriately. You inspired me and I donated $20 here and another org. I can afford that and will $100 every year to ME/CFS org & research & treatment solutions.
I hope everyone can do even a small amount to this. It’s an amazing resource. Cort is the man!
Yay! Good for you. I would hate for these articles to stop coming due to lack of funding.
I have guestimated it and posted where I think we are. 🙂
Recently I mentioned to the group some nutrition/supplementation options which could be started now, and
I mentioned that if there is dysbiosis, the gut may be failing to make enough
Butyrate for its own energy needs
Acetate– for the body’s acetate needs.
OXALOACETATE… is a form of acetate.
Acetylcholine is made of choline and Acetic acid in the motor neuron synapse to get that ionotropic channel opened and kept open to allow Na+, K+ and Ca2+ flow. Acetyl Coa is required in the Krebs cycle to donate carboxly groups to make Citrate.
“Acetyl-CoA … derived from pyruvate oxidation, or from the beta-oxidation of fatty acids, is the only fuel to enter the citric acid cycle. With each turn of the cycle one molecule of acetyl-CoA is consumed for every molecule of oxaloacetate present in the mitochondrial matrix,
and is never regenerated.”
That seems crucial. one molecule is consumed and never regenerated. So where is all of this Acetyl CoA supposed to come from?
It seems to me that not only is Oxaloacetate going to possibly provide Acetate that may be lacking from dybiosis, but also many functional medicine doctors have recommended Oxaloacetate as a main supplement for fatigue. I believe I have even read that here.
Another main supplement is N-Acetylcysteine.
Now, I am not saying that it provides Acetate. What I read is that l-cysteine is the precursor to glutathione. NAC is the “acetylated” version of l-cysteine. So… if it gets deacetylated… does that make acetate available also?
I did not think it was the best time for me to go into the subject of mitochondrial heavy-hitters, but if I had I would have cited:
Oxaloacetate — a supplement
NAC-seems to be a drug or “pro-drug” for the creation of Glutathione, the mother of all antioxidants.
(NAC. for 8% of people CAN TRIGGER ANAPHYLAXIA)
D-Ribose– a supplement
“D-ribose is a naturally occurring monosaccharide found in the cells and particularly in the mitochondria is essential in energy production. Without sufficient energy, cells cannot maintain integrity and function. Supplemental D-ribose has been shown to improve cellular processes when there is mitochondrial dysfunction.”
Furthermore,
“D-ribose is a naturally occurring monosaccharide within the pentose pathway that assists with ATP production. It is a 5-carbon chain (also called aldopentose) and is a key component of DNA, ribonucleic acid (RNA), acetyl coenzyme A, and ATP (9). Cells produce D-ribose through the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) that is essential for ATP production. In many diseases or conditions, ATP synthesis is reduced, thus supplementation with D-ribose may provide a solution to impaired cellular bioenergetics”
It has been touted by Dr. Amy Myers of Texas for an itermediate to later recovery step in recovery from Adrenal Fatigue. She spoke of it with regard to the Ribosomes. They make new viruses, unwittingly, when supplied with the viral messenger-RNA, but normally they would be workshops of the cell for DNA/RNA repair.
So my point, above is to definitely cheer on the use of Oxaloacetate, but also to mention two also-very-powerful substances for mitochondrial recovery,
and to maybe eludcidate somewhat *why* they are
important.
I hope this is helpful, but talk to a Doc about NAC, and maybe avoid if you have anaphylactic reactions to other things. !
Recently I mentioned to the group some nutrition/supplementation options which could be started now, and
I mentioned that if there is dysbiosis, the gut may be failing to make enough
Butyrate for its own energy needs
Acetate– for the body’s acetate needs.
OXALOACETATE… is a form of acetate.
Acetylcholine is made of choline and Acetic acid in the motor neuron synapse to get that ionotropic channel opened and kept open to allow Na+, K+ and Ca2+ flow. Acetyl Coa is required in the Krebs cycle to donate carboxly groups to make Citrate.
“Acetyl-CoA … derived from pyruvate oxidation, or from the beta-oxidation of fatty acids, is the only fuel to enter the citric acid cycle. With each turn of the cycle one molecule of acetyl-CoA is consumed for every molecule of oxaloacetate present in the mitochondrial matrix,
and is never regenerated.”
That seems crucial. one molecule is consumed and never regenerated. So where is all of this Acetyl CoA supposed to come from?
It seems to me that not only is Oxaloacetate going to possibly provide Acetate that may be lacking from dybiosis, but also many functional medicine doctors have recommended Oxaloacetate as a main supplement for fatigue. I believe I have even read that here.
Another main supplement is N-Acetylcysteine.
Now, I am not saying that it provides Acetate. What I read is that l-cysteine is the precursor to glutathione. NAC is the “acetylated” version of l-cysteine. So… if it gets deacetylated… does that make acetate available also?
I did not think it was the best time for me to go into the subject of mitochondrial heavy-hitters, but if I had I would have cited:
Oxaloacetate — a supplement
NAC-seems to be a drug or “pro-drug” for the creation of Glutathione, the mother of all antioxidants.
(NAC. for 8% of people CAN TRIGGER ANAPHYLAXIA)
D-Ribose– a supplement
“D-ribose is a naturally occurring monosaccharide found in the cells and particularly in the mitochondria is essential in energy production. Without sufficient energy, cells cannot maintain integrity and function. Supplemental D-ribose has been shown to improve cellular processes when there is mitochondrial dysfunction.”
Furthermore,
“D-ribose is found within the pentose pathway that assists with ATP production. It is a 5-carbon chain (also called aldopentose) and is a key component of DNA, ribonucleic acid (RNA), acetyl coenzyme A, and ATP (9). Cells produce D-ribose through the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) that is essential for ATP production. In many diseases or conditions, ATP synthesis is reduced, thus supplementation with D-ribose may provide a solution to impaired cellular bioenergetics”
It has been touted by Dr. Amy Myers of Texas for an itermediate to later recovery step in recovery from Adrenal Fatigue. She spoke of it with regard to the Ribosomes. They make new viruses, unwittingly, when supplied with the viral messenger-RNA, but normally they would be workshops of the cell for DNA/RNA repair.
So my point, above is to definitely cheer on the use of Oxaloacetate, but also to mention two also-very-powerful substances for mitochondrial recovery,
and to maybe eludcidate somewhat *why* they are
important.
I hope this is helpful, but talk to a Doc about NAC, and maybe avoid if you have anaphylactic reactions to other things. !
The first miracle I hope for is that effective treatments will be found. The second, and probably bigger, miracle I hope for is that when treatments are found, insurance will actually cover them. My hide is so chapped when I find out a supplement like oxaloacetate could improve my life drastically, but I can’t access it due to cost and insurance denial. Same goes for other supportive treatments which, added together might make a real functional difference; if we could identify all the little things that can help and then bundle them into a insurance-covered customized ‘recovery package’! (drugs + supplements + therapies + devices + nutrition + an informed doctor’s guidance +++ whatever works!), we might see some real progress! Maybe some of us could even go back to work. Heck I cant even get Ivabadrine covered for my POTS after two different cardiologists tried, so frustrating! It seems every promising option costs a minimum of hundreds of dollars.
I am still hopeful.
I noticed that Christopher D. sent his comment twice. The last time I tried to post, it didn’t show up, however, you, Cort, commented on it. I think something is up with your website…
Now, for my report on oxaloacetate; I tried it maybe a year ago and did not notice much of a change in my function, however I did not take the higher dose. It was too expensive. I also have tried D-Ribose, NADH, and many of the other suggested supplements. Same super subtle results. It may be that a combination of many things will be enough to move the needle–not one ‘magic bullet.”
I noticed that Christopher D. sent his comment twice. The last time I tried to post, it didn’t show up, however, you, Cort, commented on it. I think something is up with your website…
Now, for my report on oxaloacetate; I tried it maybe a year ago and did not notice much of a change in my function, however I did not take the higher dose. It was too expensive. I also have tried D-Ribose, NADH, and many of the other suggested supplements. Same super subtle results. It may be that a combination of many things will be enough to move the needle–not one ‘magic bullet.”
Look at that! I know I only hit post once, but I see my comment twice?!
Maybe this explains why I feel better when I am fasting?
So how can one get the oxaloacetate??And might insurance companies pay for this? It’s the first one that I haven’t had the fear of trying out, since it seems like more of a supplement than a drug. I’m in Central Maine, having ME for 28 years. Is there any place relatively nearby that I could have the medical expertise to monitor my use of this supplement?
Hi Carole, I’m also a Mainiac, southern ME. There is no one in the state that is really an “expert” on this but you really don’t need a DR to try this, yet. There is a product called Benegene, you can find it on Amazon. It is low dose, 100mg/ capsule. It’s pretty expensive, $50/ 30 caps but it’s an inexpensive way to see where you fit on the benefits of taking it. First, Google Oxaloacetate online and read the recommendations and warnings if any, relating to any of your other health issues, if any. If it seems ok then get a bottle and take one with food. Wait 24 hours and write down any effects. Continue with one a day for a few days and then take second one on one day and see how you feel. If that’s ok then take two a day for a week and if you think it’s helping add a third a day, This study was done using the equivalent of 10 capsules a day but I’m sure you’ll know if it’s helping well before that! And if it does nothing or you feel worse stop taking it. If it helps than maybe we can get a Dr to prescribe it. Benegene also has a 100mg of vitamin C per capsule, which will probably stop most people from taking 10 capsules, due to the loose stools it will cause. Hopefully it’ll work for you at a low dose and if we are really lucky taking it infrequently! I did try it once a few years ago at the recommended one a day and did feel a little better but stopped due to the expense. I’m starting to feel fatigued again so I think I’ll try it again and see what happens. Good luck!
Thanks for the info, T Allen!
When I first read about it (Kaufman), I found Benegene was OTC, bought it, and trialed 500 mg twice a day for a week. I have benefited from NADH+, cannot take NAC, but also have some small improvement from D-Ribose. With Benegene I felt like Superman. I had so much energy it scared me — I was worried the “rest” of my body would crash and burn. And, the cost was insane. So I’ve backed off to 100 mg (one pill) per day. I get some boost in functioning and wish I could afford more and also wish I could predict if “doing more” would require payback down the road. Looking forward to more data.
Hi Anita
Your post is super interesting for me as I have found NADH is the one product that has by far the biggest benefit for me so perhaps oxaloacetate will also help. I was wondering if it increased your energy levels without negative side effects such as muscle pain and post exertion fatigue. Thanks.
I did not use it long enough to have good data, although I did not experience increased muscle pain during the week when I was clearly doing more physically. I have recently begun using L-Ornithine-L-Aspartate (also being studied for ME/CFS) and find that it is really, really good at ameliorating muscle fatigue and giving me more stamina without negative effects.
What dose of l ornithine l aspartate you take?
Thanks Anita
I am going to give both a try.
3 grams per day (1 heaping teaspoon of powder). You can buy it with a brand name or in bulk (massive difference in cost).
You take all 3 gram at once or in divided doses?
I take the Benegene in the morning and the LOLA in mid-afternoon in one dose.
LOLA with food or away from food?
I know oxaloacetate with food but confused about LOLA
I haven’t seen anything about when to take LOLA. I take it in early afternoon in water with a little pomegranate juice. If anyone else has info, I hope they put it here.
How many days it took to show results.?? And also by how much point upir fatigue improved. (Scaale 1-10)
Muscl
The cooker has been delivered thank you. However there is no user manual with it. Can one be provided to Mr White please?
Thanking you in anticipation,
Sally Rose
A promising trial that provides some hope! Interesting to read the footnote around the commercialization of the medicine for fatigue, hopefully this could make it more affordable and accessible (assuming it really is helpful)
See my reply to Carole above. One bottle should be all you need to see if it will help or not.
It would be interesting to hear of some experiences of people with this supplement. The study is promising, but I personally would like to hear a bit more about positive experiences with it before I dig deep into my pockets and get my daughter to try it.
I would be more than happy to stretch my finances to pay for it if it was able to improve my daughter’s fatigue by even 20-25%%
It would also be interesting to learn what specific product each person used. I don’t know how to vet the reliability of a supplement. (That is to say, is the product what it says it is?)
Benegene was the first over the counter Oxaloacetate. You can look at the reviews on Amazon. It hasn’t been covered by Consumer Labs which is the only organization out there reviewing supplements. I used Benegene at a low dose and did feel better but stopped due to the expense. I plan to try it again at a higher dose and see if I get better results. But, and see my answer to Carole above, it has Vit C in it which will limit how much you can take.
Hi Cort,
I think I read somewhere, maybe in a previous blog you did on oxaloacetate that if it works for you will know within 2 weeks of taking the supplement. is this still the case?
I haven’t the energy to read the whole blog at the moment,
Many thanks
If I remember correctly, I believe so. The study showed that the results remained stable from 1-3 months if I remember correctly. By one month, then, it was clear who was going to benefit and I imagine that it doesn’t take that long.
If I remember correctly, I believe so. The study showed that the results remained stable from 1-3 months if I remember correctly. By one month, then, it was clear who was going to benefit and I imagine that it doesn’t take that long.
So why is it so bloody expensive? Patent? If so……..disgusting.
Just watched a very interesting video which doesn’t have anything to do with this blog except in a distant way–but has huge implications just the same. It’s about how our mitochondria control us;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzqXeAtDnTA
This research is all very recent, but it demonstrates the profound interdependence, communication and influence between ‘self’ and ‘not exactly self’ in an amazing symbolic way.
Do hope you watch. It’s not all that long.
Another drug that would help with ME/CFS. Yet another ‘miracle cure’. If you look at all the remedies that could help or partly work, they always work in a small group of patients from mindfullness to Oxaloacete. How can you still think that ME/CFS/FM/POTS has 1 cause.
Be aware that the Terra Biological benaGene “oxaloacetate 250 mg capsules” bottles sold on Amazon are ACTUALLY oxaloacetate 100mg and vit C 150mg. If you go to the tiny “supplement facts” label it does disclose this but the actual pic of the bottle says oxaloacetate 250mg and does not say they have added together the mg of all the ingredients to get that 250mg. For me this is very expensive and to find that the actual amt was deceptively advertised was extremely annoying.
I found it super confusing too. But if you see this link, and scroll down to Steven Zimmerman’s comment, he was part of the trial and clarified the doses used in the trial: https://www.healthrising.org/blog/2021/10/06/oxaloacetate-mitochondrial-supplement-chronic-fatigue-long-covid/#comment-1109726
Interesting, but not enough evidence for me. Interestingly, 40% of people (‘high responders’) got very good benefits, but 60% got basically none. For me, it’s too much of a lucky dip right now, especially given the cost. Would be interesting to see some biomarkers in terms of those who did respond.
So, I decided to splash out on some oxaloacetate from oxaloacetatecfs.com (I live in the UK and it came to about 500 pounds in total (product plus postage plus import tax)). I tried a little bit yesterday and today and unfortunately it seems to be stimulating my immune system (I feel like I’ve got a slight cold/flu) – I remember I had a somewhat similar reaction when I took coq10. I’ll probably have a break tomorrow and then resume the day after.
There is a slightly cheaper source of oxaloacetate through Jubilance, which I believe was referred to in the 2021 article here on Health Rising, about Dr Kaufman’s earlier trial. Here is a link to the Jubilance site https://jubilance.com/clinical-trials/
But the shipping is wicked to NZ lol, so I will stick to iHerb’s AOR
“Part of comment deleted because it promotes an unfounded conspiracy theory and casts aspersion on ME/CFS doctors and Health Rising to boot!”
Read the Editors Note on the NIH pages containing the study.
‘Editors’ Note: Readers are advised that concerns have been raised regarding the methodology and reporting of this clinical trial and an incomplete declaration of competing interests, which are currently being investigated by the Editor-in-Chief.”
I am severe and have tried it at the maximum dose (AOR brand) for over a month. There was 0% benefit, so I stopped.
Ron David said 50% of ME/CFS have MS they respond to new medicine he also mentioned BH4 Deficiencies.