Research
Energy balance
2-Deoxy-D-glucose (2DG) acts as a CR mimetic by inducing physiological effects similar to CR (reduced body temperature, fasting insulin) without significant caloric restriction, though it has a narrow therapeutic window and potential toxicity.
2DG mimics some metabolic benefits of CR (like lower insulin) but has a narrow safety margin and no proven lifespan benefit yet. It is not currently recommended for human use but serves as a research tool.
ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
2DG feeding produced certain physiological effects that were similar to those reported in animals on CR... Specifically, 2DG induced a slight reduction in body weight and body temperature and a marked (30%) reduction in fasting insulin levels in the blood.
Why this rating
Preliminary rodent data; no human lifespan data; toxicity concerns.
Source
Caloric restriction and aging in primates: Relevance to humans and possible CR mimetics
Mark A. Lane et al. · Microscopy Research and Technique · 2002
DOI 10.1002/jemt.10214
narrative_reviewCited 81×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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