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Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 7/20/11.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

Note:  There hasn't been many abstracts for about five days.  When that happens it seems like about 900 per day show up for about three days straight.  I'm trying to figure out whether that's caused by some government worker taking a few days off then putting them through all at once or whether something causes a hang-up in their RSS feeds.

Another danger of secondhand smoke -- hearing loss - 7/18/11 - "teenagers exposed to smoke performed worse across every sound frequency tested, especially mid-to-high frequencies important for understanding speech. In addition, teenagers with higher cotinine levels, indicating greater exposure, were more likely to have one-sided-or unilateral-low-frequency hearing loss. Overall, the researchers conclude that their findings indicate that "tobacco smoke is independently associated with an almost 2-fold increase in the risk of hearing loss among adolescents.""

Telomere length linked to emphysema risk - Science Daily, 7/15/11 - "in mice that have short telomeres, there was a significant increased risk of developing emphysema after exposure to cigarette smoke" - That's something I guessed before I read the article. Short telomeres seems to leave you more susceptible to most diseases.

Whey Protein May Be Helpful for Weight Loss - WebMD, 7/15/11 - "Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Human Nutrition Research Center randomly assigned 90 overweight and obese middle-aged adults to one of three groups. The first group was asked to add protein drinks made with whey to their normal diets, the second group drank protein drinks made with soy protein, and the third group drank carbohydrate drinks ... the drinks, which were drunk twice daily, at breakfast and dinner, had the same number of calories: 200. They also all had had 52 grams per packet, for a daily total of 104 grams of added protein or carbs ... After six months, people drinking the carbohydrate shakes had gained a little bit of weight, about 2 pounds, which appeared to be mainly added fat ... People drinking the soy shakes had stayed about the same weight as where they started ... But people drinking the whey protein had lost a little bit of weight and body fat, about 2 pounds. Additionally, while the other groups saw little change in the size of their waists, the whey protein group lost about an inch around the middle ... a couple of things may help to explain the weight and fat loss seen with whey protein ... People in the whey protein group had significantly lower blood levels of the hormone ghrelin than people eating the soy protein or carbohydrate ... And though researchers really can't explain why this happened or what it means, they found that people drinking the whey protein had cut back on their carbohydrate intake by the end of the study, even though they weren't eating fewer total calories and didn't know what kind of supplement they were getting ... researchers advise picking a whey product that is also low in calories and fat" - See whey protein at Amazon.com.

High Folate Intake Linked to Better Grades in Swedish Teens - Medscape, 7/15/11 - "Sweden is a country that does not allow foods to be fortified ... We have a poor intake of folate compared to people in the US, our intake is below what is recommended daily. We do not achieve the recommended daily intake in Sweden ... Blood samples were obtained and assayed for total homocysteine, a biomarker for folate intake, and mutations in the methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene, which is known to raise levels of homocysteine ... teens in the lowest tertile of dietary folate intake had the poorest academic performance" - Note:  I believe that tumor claim he's talking about was colon cancer.  That goes back and forth but the latest study says it prevents it:

  • High folate intake may reduce risk of colorectal cancer - Science Daily, 7/5/11 - "We found that all forms and sources of folate were associated with lower risk of colorectal cancer ... A research team investigated the association between folate intake and colorectal cancer among 99,523 participants in the Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort; a total of 1,023 participants were diagnosed with colorectal cancer between 1999 and 2007 ... The study also addressed concerns that the intake of high levels of folate frequently consumed in the U.S. -- as a result of the recent increase in the use of folate-containing supplements and mandatory folate fortification of food -- may actually increase risk of cancer. No increased risk of colorectal cancer was found for the highest intake levels, suggesting that the high levels of this vitamin Consumed by significant numbers of Americans should not lead to increased incidence rates of this cancer in the population"

Scientists discover new role for vitamin C in the eye and the brain - Science Daily, 7/15/11 - "cells in the retina need to be 'bathed' in relatively high doses of vitamin C, inside and out, to function properly ... Because the retina is part of the central nervous system, this suggests there's likely an important role for vitamin C throughout our brains, to a degree we had not realized before ... The findings could have implications for other diseases, like glaucoma and epilepsy. Both conditions are caused by the dysfunction of nerve cells in the retina and brain that become over excited in part because GABA receptors may not be functioning properly" - See vitamin C products at Amazon.com.

Natural chemical found in grapes may protect against Alzheimer's disease - Science Daily, 7/16/11 - "grape seed polyphenols -- a natural antioxidant -- may help prevent the development or delay the progression of Alzheimer's disease ... This is the first study to evaluate the ability of grape-derived polyphenols to prevent the generation of a specific form of β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide, a substance in the brain long known to cause the neurotoxicity associated with Alzheimer disease ... administered grape seed polyphenolic extracts to mice genetically determined to develop memory deficits and Aβ neurotoxins similar to those found in Alzheimer's disease. They found that the brain content of the Aβ*56, a specific form of Aβ previously implicated in the promotion of Alzheimer's disease memory loss, was substantially reduced after treatment" - See grape seed extract at Amazon.com.

Going Swimming? Guard Your Teeth - ABC News, 7/15/11 - "39 percent of competitive swimmers suffered from dental enamel erosion. In this recent paper, dentists from the New York University College of Dentistry analyzed the case of a 52-year-old man who complained of sensitive teeth, dark tooth staining, and enamel loss that came on quickly and had lasted for just five months. The only logical explanation for these sudden changes the researchers could pinpoint was his newly adopted, 90-minutes-per-day swimming routine ... Damage to tooth enamel occurs when the pH balance of swimming pool water drops too low, or becomes too acidic"

Which Foods Can Help Your Skin Look Better - CBS Chicago, 7/14/11 - "Experts say that what you eat has a big effect on how you look ... people who switched to a hypoglycemic – or low sugar – diet for three months reduced their pimples by 20 percent ... So what should we eat to prevent or even get rid of wrinkles? ... What you want to do is build up the collagen and there’s certain collagen builders, such as Vitamin C and Vitamin E ... To avoid dry, flaky skin or eczema, increase your omega 3s ... There’s less scientific proof about cellulite, but many nutritionists also feel you can reduce the appearance of those unsightly bulges by eating dark red and purple foods, which help rid the body of toxins – things like cranberry juice, blueberries, cherries and radicchio lettuce ... If you’re looking for a cure-all for nearly any skin problem, it’s extra virgin olive oil. It helps reduce inflammation, and can help everything from psoriasis to eczema to acne .. dairy, even skim-milk, seems to make nearly every skin problem worse"

Unsolved mystery of kava toxicity - Science Daily, 7/14/11 - "A major new review of scientific knowledge on kava -- a plant used to make dietary supplements and a trendy drink with calming effects -- has left unsolved the mystery of why Pacific Island people can consume it safely, while people in the United States, Europe, and other Western cultures sometimes experience toxic effects ... Their review of 85 scientific studies on kava toxicity found no consensus on kava toxicity, despite several theories that have emerged over the years. Culprits include methods for preparing kava, the particular species of kava used, the possible toxicity of substances produced by the body when kava is digested and genetic differences among consumers. "To date, there remains no indisputable reason for the increased prevalence of kava-induced hepatotoxicity in Western countries," the researchers say"

Omega-3 reduces anxiety and inflammation in healthy students, study suggests - Science Daily, 7/13/11 - "A new study gauging the impact of consuming more fish oil showed a marked reduction both in inflammation and, surprisingly, in anxiety among a cohort of healthy young people ... The supplement was probably about four or five times the amount of fish oil you'd get from a daily serving of salmon ... But the psychological surveys clearly showed an important change in anxiety among the students: Those receiving the omega-3 showed a 20 percent reduction in anxiety compared to the placebo group ... We saw a 14 percent reduction in the amounts of IL-6 among the students receiving the omega-3." Since the cytokines foster inflammation, "anything we can do to reduce cytokines is a big plus in dealing with the overall health of people at risk for many diseases,"" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Some Aluminum Water Bottles Leach BPA - WebMD, 7/12/11 - "In a carefully controlled test, where researchers stored ultra-pure water in several different kinds of containers for five days, they found that some aluminum bottles released up to five times the amount of BPA that was shed by the older, polycarbonate bottles ... If you pick up an aluminum bottle from your super-cheap discount retailer, you can’t be so sure what’s in it ... Especially aluminum, because they do require a lining of some sort ... Sometimes, that sprayed-on liner is made with an epoxy resin that contains BPA"

Popular TV shows teach children fame is most important value, psychologists report; Being kind to others fell dramatically in importance over 10 years - Science Daily, 7/12/11 - "If you believe that television reflects the culture, as I do, then American culture has changed drastically .. The rise of fame in preteen television may be one influence in the documented rise of narcissism in our culture ... Popular television shows are part of the environment that causes the increased narcissism, but they also reflect the culture. They both reflect it and serve as a powerful socialization force for the next generation ... The study is published in the July issue of Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, a peer-reviewed journal featuring psychosocial research on the impact of the Internet on people and society ... If you have 400 or more Facebook friends, which many high school and college students do, you are on stage ... It's intrinsically narcissistic" - Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke and Zoro, who were always fighting evil has been replaced by narcissism.  Great, just great!!!  I’m being facetious for anyone that doesn’t know me.

Abstracts from this week's Doctor's Guide Nutrition/Dietetics plus abstracts from my RSS feeds (Click here for the journals, the PubMed ones at the top):

Differential Association of Docosahexaenoic and Eicosapentaenoic Acids With Carotid Intima-Media Thickness - Stroke. 2011 Jul 14 - "Japanese compared to U.S. whites had significantly lower IMT (mean+/-SD, 618+/-81 and 672+/-94 μm for Japanese and whites, respectively; P<0.001) and had >2-fold higher levels of DHA and EPA. DHA, but not EPA, had an inverse association with IMT in both Japanese and U.S. whites. The inverse association remained only in Japanese men after adjusting for risk and other factors. The significant difference in multivariable-adjusted IMT became nonsignificant after further adjusting for DHA (mean difference, 17 μm; 95% CI, -8 to 43; P=0.177) but not EPA. In this multivariable-adjusted model, DHA but not EPA was a significant predictor of IMT (P=-0.032 versus 0.863, respectively) ... These data suggest that DHA may have a more potent antiatherogenic effect than EPA, especially in levels observed in the Japanese, independent of risk factors" - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Risk of endometrial cancer in relation to individual nutrients from diet and supplements - Public Health Nutr. 2011 Jul 14:1-13 - "endometrial cancer (EC) ... There existed little evidence of an association with EC for the majority of macronutrients and micronutrients examined. We observed a statistically significant increased risk associated with the highest, compared with the lowest, quartile of intake of dietary cholesterol (multivariable-adjusted OR = 1.51, 95 % CI 1.08, 2.11; P for trend = 0.02). Age-adjusted risk at the highest level of intake was significantly reduced for Ca from food sources (OR = 0.73, 95 % CI 0.54, 0.99) but was attenuated in the multivariable model (OR = 0.82, 95 % CI 0.59, 1.13). When intake from supplements was included in Ca intake, risk was significantly reduced by 28 % with higher Ca (multivariable-adjusted OR = 0.72, 95 % CI 0.51, 0.99, P for trend = 0.04). We also observed unexpected increased risks at limited levels of intakes of dietary soluble fibre, vitamin C, thiamin, vitamin B6 and lutein/zeaxanthin, with no evidence for linear trend"

Fish Consumption in Healthy Adults Is Associated with Decreased Circulating Biomarkers of Endothelial Dysfunction and Inflammation during a 6-Year Follow-Up - J Nutr. 2011 Jul 13 - "endothelial dysfunction (ED) and low-grade inflammation (LGI) ... consumption of fish (per 100 g/wk), but none of the other food groups, was inversely associated with changes in ED [β (95%CI) = -0.06 (-0.10; -0.02); P = 0.003] and LGI [-0.05 (-0.09; -0.003); P = 0.036]. Additionally, EPA+DHA intake was inversely associated with changes in ED [β (95%CI) = -0.13 (-0.19; -0.07); P ≤ 0.001] and LGI [-0.09 (-0.16; -0.02); P = 0.013] and explained 83 and 40% of the association between fish and changes in ED and LGI. In conclusion, fish consumption, but not fruit, vegetable, alcoholic beverage, or dairy product consumption, was associated with decreased ED and LGI in healthy adults" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Low 25(OH)D3 levels are associated with total adiposity, metabolic syndrome, and hypertension in Caucasian children and adolescents - Eur J Endocrinol. 2011 Jul 13 - "Higher 25(OH)D3 was significantly associated with a reduced presence of MetS. Obesity, central obesity, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, low HDL cholesterol, IR, and MetS were all associated with an increased odds of having low 25(OH)D3 levels, after adjustment for age, sex, and Tanner stage. After additional adjustment for SD score (SDS)-BMI, elevated blood pressure and MetS remained significantly associated with low vitamin D status. The adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for those in the lowest (< 17 ng/mL) compared with the highest tertile (> 27 ng/mL) of 25(OH)D3 for hypertension was 1.72 (1.02-2.92), and for MetS it was 2.30 (1.20-4.40). A similar pattern of association among 25(OH)D3, high blood pressure and MetS was observed when models were adjusted for waist circumference. No correlation was found between 25(OH)D3 concentrations and either FMD or cIMT. Conclusions: Low 25(OH)D3 levels in Caucasian children are inversely related to total adiposity, MetS and hypertension" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Adolescent dairy product consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes in middle-aged women - Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Jul 13 - "Compared with women in the lowest quintile of high school dairy product intake, those in the highest quintile (2 servings/d) had a 38% lower risk of T2D (RR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.47, 0.83; P-trend = 0.0006), after adjustment for high school risk factors. After adjustment for adult risk factors, the association persisted (RR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.54, 0.97; P-trend = 0.02) but was attenuated after adjustment for adult dairy product consumption. In a multivariate joint comparison of dairy product consumption by adults and high school adolescents, compared with women with consistently low intakes, those with consistently high intakes had the lowest risk of T2D (RR: 0.57; 95% CI: 0.39, 0.82) ... Our data suggest that higher dairy product intake during adolescence is associated with a lower risk of T2D. Some of the benefit of dairy product intake during high school may be due to the persistence of the consumption pattern during adulthood"

Hemoglobin level in older persons and incident Alzheimer disease: Prospective cohort analysis - Neurology. 2011 Jul 13 - "When compared to participants with clinically normal hemoglobin (n = 717), participants with anemia (n = 154) had a 60% increased hazard for developing AD (95% CI 1.02-2.52), as did participants with clinically high hemoglobin (n = 10, HR 3.39, 95% CI 1.25-9.20). Linear mixed-effects models showed that lower and higher hemoglobin levels were associated with a greater rate of global cognitive decline (parameter estimate for quadratic of hemoglobin = -0.008, SE -0.002, p < 0.001). Compared to participants with clinically normal hemoglobin, participants with anemia had a -0.061 z score unit annual decline in global cognitive function (SE 0.012, p < 0.001), as did participants with clinically high hemoglobin (-0.090 unit/year, SE 0.038, p = 0.018) ... In older persons without dementia, both lower and higher hemoglobin levels are associated with an increased hazard for developing AD and more rapid cognitive decline"

Antiobesity and lipid-lowering effects of Bifidobacterium spp. in high fat diet-induced obese rats - Lipids Health Dis. 2011 Jul 12;10(1):116 - "Recent studies have reported the preventive effects of probiotics on obesity. Among commensal bacteria, bifidobacteria is one of the most numerous probiotics in the mammalian gut and are a type of lactic acid bacteria. The aim of this study was to assess the antiobesity and lipid-lowering effects of Bifidobacterium spp. isolated from healthy Korean on high fat diet-induced obese rats. Methods: Thirty-six male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups as follows: (1) SD group, fed standard diet; (2) HFD group, fed high fat diet; and (3) HFD-LAB group, fed high fat diet supplemented with LAB supplement (B. pseudocatenulatum SPM 1204, B. longum SPM 1205, and B. longum SPM 1207; 108 ~ 109 CFU). After 7 weeks, the body, organ, and fat weights, food intake, blood serum levels, fecal LAB counts, and harmful enzyme activities were measured. Results: Administration of LAB reduced body and fat weights, blood serum levels (TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, triglyceride, glucose, leptin, AST, ALT, and lipase levels), and harmful enzyme activities (beta-glucosidase, beta-glucuronidase, and tryptophanase), and significantly increased fecal LAB counts. Conclusion: These data suggest that Bifidobacterium spp. used in this study may have beneficial antiobesity effects" - See probiotics at Amazon.com.

Zyflamend Mediates Therapeutic Induction of Autophagy to Apoptosis in Melanoma Cells - Nutr Cancer. 2011 Jul 11 - "Zyflamend, a unique multiherbal extract preparation, is a promising antiinflammatory agent that has also been suggested to regulate multiple pathways in cancer progression. As Zyflamend contains ingredients that can suppress tumor cell proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis through regulation of inflammatory pathway products, we hypothesized that this preparation might inhibit melanoma proliferation. To test this hypothesis, we studied the effect of Zyflamend on melanoma proliferation. Here, we present that Zyflamend inhibits melanoma growth by regulating the autophagy-apoptosis switch. Based on the responsible molecular mechanisms of Zyflamend, our study highlights the importance of the use of herbal preparations for the prevention and treatment of cancer" - See Zyflamend at Amazon.com.

Influence of telmisartan on insulin response after glucose loading in obese patients with hypertension: ARB Trial of hypertension in obese patients with hyperinsulinemia assessed by oral glucose tolerance test (ATHLETE) - Adv Ther. 2011 Jul 6 - "In patients with hypertension and obesity showing insulin resistance, treatment with telmisartan significantly improved the hyperinsulin response to glucose loading. Telmisartan may therefore be beneficial in these patients" - See telmisartan at OffshoreRx1.com.

Neat Tech Stuff / "How To's":

Health Focus (Too much phosphorus?):

News & Research:

  • Link between phosphate intake and heart disease demonstrated in new study - Science Daily, 6/7/11 - "cholesterol deposits in the wall of arteries are increased following a higher phosphate diet. This leads to narrowing of the arteries, which is the cause of most heart attacks and strokes ... Food high in phosphate includes biscuits, cakes, sweets, dairy products and meats such as offal and veal" - Note:  They left out soda which is high in phosphate.
  • Phosphorous in sodas and processed foods accelerates signs of aging, study suggests - Science Daily, 4/26/10 - "high levels of phosphates may add more "pop" to sodas and processed foods than once thought. That's because researchers found that the high levels of phosphates accelerate signs of aging. High phosphate levels may also increase the prevalence and severity of age-related complications, such as chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular calcification, and can also induce severe muscle and skin atrophy"
  • Small Increases In Phosphorus Mean Higher Risk Of Heart Disease - Science Daily, 115/09 - "Higher levels of phosphorus in the blood are linked to increased calcification of the coronary arteries -- a key marker of heart disease risk ... Even small increases in the blood level of phosphorus predicted an increased risk of progressive CAC in these apparently healthy adults ... The phosphorus-related increase in CAC was comparable to that seen with traditional heart disease risk factors like high blood pressure and high cholesterol"
  • Chewing Chitosan-Loaded Gum Reduces Phosphate Levels in ESRD Patients - Medscape, 2/16/09 - "Chewing chitosan-loaded gum twice daily can significantly decrease salivary phosphate and serum phosphate levels in hemodialysis patients and may help improve treatment for hyperphosphatemia ... At week 1, the patients’ salivary phosphate levels had decreased from 73.21 to 52.02 mg/dL (P < .01), and serum levels decreased from 7.60 to 5.38 mg/dL (P < .00001). After 2 weeks, salivary phosphate levels were reduced to 33.19 mg/dL (P < .00001) and serum levels decreased to 5.25 mg/dL" - See chitosan products at iHerb.
  • Phosphorus additives pose ‘hidden’ danger to kidney patients - Nutra USA, 2/11/09
  • Common Food Additive Found To Increase Risk And Speed Spread Of Lung Cancer - Science Daily, 12/29/08 - "a diet high in inorganic phosphates, which are found in a variety of processed foods including meats, cheeses, beverages, and bakery products, might speed growth of lung cancer tumors and may even contribute to the development of those tumors in individuals predisposed to the disease" - [WebMD]
  • Phosphorus-lowering Drugs Linked To Lower Mortality In Dialysis Patients - Science Daily, 12/17/08
  • Higher Blood Phosphorus and Calcium Levels in Coronary Arteries - Science Daily, 11/26/08 - "Higher serum phosphorus levels, even within the normal range, may be a risk factor for coronary artery atherosclerosis in healthy young adults"
  • Boning Up - Better Health, 12/04 - "Don't overdo your phosphorus intake. Calcium is excreted when phosphorus levels are excessive"
  • Regular Cola Consumption Linked to Lower Bone Density in Women - Medscape, 9/22/03 - "Among the female subjects, regular cola drinkers had decreased BMD compared with the infrequent drinkers. BMD was 2.3% lower in the trochanter, 3.3% lower in the femoral neck, and 5.1% lower in Ward's area ... When phosphoric acid comes packaged with other nutrients, it's absorbed normally and everything is in balance. We think the problem with cola is that you're getting those doses of phosphoric acid without any calcium. It's not balanced, and that extra phosphorus binds with calcium and prevents it from being absorbed"
  • Phosphorus Important for Bone Health in Elderly - New Hope Natural Media, 8/30/02 - "Although most Americans consume 100% or more of the Recommended Dietary Allowance for phosphorus, older individuals often reduce their total food intake and consume less of the high-phosphorus foods. While these dietary changes may not by themselves be enough to cause phosphorus deficiency, supplementing with large amounts of calcium could lead to a phosphorus deficiency in people who are consuming marginal amounts of the mineral ... Taking extra phosphorus is not appropriate for individuals who already consume large amounts in their diets. In fact, much of the research on phosphorus intake has focused on the problem of excessive phosphorus intake leading to a calcium deficiency"
  • Bones Need Both Calcium and Phosphorus - WebMD, 3/20/02

Abstracts:

No pathinfo