Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 8/31/11.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

Heavy chocolate consumption may be linked to heart health, study suggests - Science Daily, 8/30/11 - "High levels of chocolate consumption might be associated with a one third reduction in the risk of developing heart disease ... the authors stress that further studies are needed to test whether chocolate actually causes this reduction or if it can be explained by some other unmeasured (confounding) factor ... A number of recent studies have shown that eating chocolate has a positive influence on human health due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This includes reducing blood pressure and improving insulin sensitivity (a stage in the development of diabetes) ... They analysed the results of seven studies, involving over 100,000 participants with and without existing heart disease. For each study, they compared the group with the highest chocolate consumption against the group with the lowest consumption ... highest levels of chocolate consumption were associated with a 37% reduction in cardiovascular disease and a 29% reduction in stroke compared with lowest levels"

Natural therapies: Cardiologists examine alternatives to halt high blood pressure - Science Daily, 8/30/11 - "The shining star among supplements is coenzyme Q10, an enzyme involved in energy production that also acts as an antioxidant. Patients with hypertension tend to have lower levels of the enzyme, and a meta-analysis -- an overarching analysis of past studies -- found that treatment with coenzyme Q10 supplements significantly reduced blood pressure ... Coenzyme Q10 has a pretty profound effect on blood pressure, but whenever research is based on a collection of other data you have to have some skepticism ... potassium helps lower blood pressure, and there is evidence that increasing the amount of potassium we get through the foods we eat could carry some of the same mild benefits as taking supplements" - See ubiquinol products at Amazon.com and potassium citrate at Amazon.com.

‘Most’ American children not getting enough vitamin D - Nutra USA, 8/30/11 - "The majority of American children are not getting sufficient vitamin D from sun exposure, even in summer months ... The researchers calculated average vitamin D production from sun exposure according to gender, age, skin type, clothing and the season for children living in the northern (45°N) and southern (35°N) US ... The results challenge conclusions by the American Academy of Dermatology, which states that people will still make “ample” vitamin D3 (at least 1,000 IU/day) because they get plenty of “casual” (everyday) exposure to UV out side" - [Abstract] - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Mind-altering microbes: Probiotic bacteria may lessen anxiety and depression - Science Daily, 8/29/11 - "Probiotic bacteria have the potential to alter brain neurochemistry and treat anxiety and depression-related disorders ... mice fed with Lactobacillus rhamnosus JB-1 showed significantly fewer stress, anxiety and depression-related behaviours than those fed with just broth. Moreover, ingestion of the bacteria resulted in significantly lower levels of the stress-induced hormone, corticosterone ... regular feeding with the Lactobacillus strain caused changes in the expression of receptors for the neurotransmitter GABA in the mouse brain, which is the first time that it has been demonstrated that potential probiotics have a direct effect on brain chemistry in normal situations" - See probiotics at Amazon.com

Poor sleep quality increases risk of high blood pressure - Science Daily, 8/29/11 - "SWS, one of the deeper stages of sleep, is characterized by non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) from which it's difficult to awaken ... people with the lowest level of SWS had an 80 percent increased risk of developing high blood pressure ... Good quality sleep is the third pillar of health ... People should recognize that sleep, diet and physical activity are critical to health, including heart health and optimal blood pressure control"

Foods rich in protein, dairy products help dieters preserve muscle and lose belly fat - Science Daily, 8/29/11 - "a higher-protein, lower-carbohydrate energy-restricted diet has a major positive impact on body composition, trimming belly fat and increasing lean muscle, particularly when the proteins come from dairy products ... compared three groups of overweight and obese, but otherwise healthy, premenopausal women. Each consumed either low, medium or high amounts of dairy foods coupled with higher or lower amounts of protein and carbohydrates ... there were identical total weight losses among the groups, but the higher-protein, high-dairy group experienced greater whole-body fat and abdomen fat losses, greater lean mass gains and greater increases in strength ... One hundred per cent of the weight lost in the higher-protein, high-dairy group was fat. And the participants gained muscle mass, which is a major change in body composition ... the lower-protein, low-dairy group lost about a pound and half of muscle whereas the lower-protein, medium dairy group lost almost no muscle. In marked contrast, the higher-protein, high-dairy group actually gained a pound and half of muscle, representing a three-pound difference between the low- and high-dairy groups ... On top of the muscle mass differences, the higher-protein, high-dairy group lost twice as much belly fat than the lower-protein, low-dairy group ... These women also got fitter and stronger" - See my yogurt recipe on my yogurt page.

Systematic review: Chocolate can reduce heart disease risk by a third - Nutra USA, 8/29/11 - "A Cambridge University-led systematic review published today in the British Medical Journal has concluded that polyphenol-rich consumption can reduce the risk of heart disease by a third ... The highest levels of chocolate consumption were associated with a 37% reduction in cardiovascular disease (relative risk 0.63 (95% confidence interval 0.44 to 0.90)) and a 29% reduction in stroke compared with the lowest levels ... These favourable effects seem mainly mediated by the high content of polyphenols present in cocoa products and probably accrued through increasing the bioavailability of nitric oxide, which subsequently might lead to improvements in endothelial function, reductions in platelet function, and additional beneficial effects on blood pressure, insulin resistance, and blood lipids ... But they noted none of the selected trials were controlled, randomised studies with six cohort studies and a cross sectional study, and therefore offered the caveat: "We expect further studies will be done to confirm or refute the results of our analyses""

Research from Everest: Can leucine help burn fat and spare muscle tissue during exercise? - Science Daily, 8/28/11 - "Research on Mt. Everest climbers is adding to the evidence that an amino acid called leucine -- found in foods, dietary supplements, energy bars and other products -- may help people burn fat during periods of food restriction, such as climbing at high altitude, while keeping their muscle tissue ... We knew that leucine has been shown to help people on very low-calorie, or so-called 'calorie-restricted diets', stay healthy at sea level ... the findings also could help people at lower altitudes who want to lose weight while preserving their lean body mass, or who are elderly and don't eat or exercise enough to maintain their strength" - See leucine products at Amazon.com.  Also see my BCAA page.  Related leucine article:

• Amino acid supplement makes mice live longer - Science Daily, 10/5/10 - "leucine, isoleucine, and valine extend the life span of single-celled yeast ... Animals that were given the extra amino acids over a period of months lived longer, with a median life span of 869 days compared to 774 days for untreated control animals, the researchers report. That's an increase of 12 percent ... The findings in older mice suggest that the supplementary mixture may be specifically beneficial for those who are elderly or ill" - See BCAA products at Amazon.com.

Statins reduce deaths from infection and respiratory illness, data eight years on from trial suggests - Science Daily, 8/28/11 - "In the lipid-lowering arm of the trial, over 10,000 patients in the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia with high blood pressure were randomly allocated either atorvastatin or placebo between 1998 and 2000. In 2003, the trial was stopped early because the statin proved to be highly beneficial in preventing heart attacks and strokes. Since then, most participants from both groups have been taking statins ... The new analysis looked at the number and cause of deaths among the 4,605 participants in the ASCOT trial who are based in the UK. After 11 years' follow-up, overall mortality is 14 per cent lower in the group originally assigned atorvastatin, due largely to fewer deaths from infection and respiratory illness"

Natural Alzheimer's-fighting compound created inexpensively in lab - Science Daily, 8/25/11 - "Until now, researchers have only been able to derive small amounts of the compound directly from the Huperzia serrata plant, or had to resort to lengthy and cumbersome methods to synthesize it in the lab ... Now researchers at Yale have developed a practical and cost-effective method to synthesize huperzine A in the lab. The process requires just eight steps and produces a yield of 40 percent. Previously, the best synthetic techniques had required twice as many steps and achieved yields of only two percent ... In addition, the Herzon lab and the firm are working with the U.S. Army, which is interested in huperzine A's potential in blocking the effects of chemical warfare agents ... Other Alzheimer's treatments based on enzyme inhibitors are currently prescribed in the U.S., but huperzine A binds better, is more easily absorbed by the body and last longer in the body than other treatments ... We believe huperzine A has the potential to treat a range of neurologic disorders more effectively than the current options available" - See huperzine at Amazon.com.

Omega-3s reduce stroke severity, study suggests - Science Daily, 8/24/11 - "the extent of brain damage following a stroke was reduced by 25% in mice that consumed DHA type omega-3s daily ... the effects of stroke were less severe in mice that had been fed a diet rich in DHA for three months than in mice fed a control diet. In mice from the DHA group, they saw a reduction in the concentrations of molecules that stimulate tissue inflammation and, conversely, a larger quantity of molecules that prevent the activation of cell death ... This is the first convincing demonstration of the powerful anti-inflammatory effect of DHA in the brain ... This protective effect results from the substitution of molecules in the neuronal membrane: DHA partially replaces arachidonic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid known for its inflammatory properties ... this anti-inflammatory effect is likely transferable to humans" - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Young brains lack the wisdom of their elders, clinical study shows - Science Daily, 8/25/11 - "We now have neurobiological evidence showing that with age comes wisdom and that as the brain gets older, it learns to better allocate its resources. Overall, our study shows that Aesop's fable about the tortoise and the hare was on the money: being able to run fast does not always win the race -- you have to know how to best use your abilities. This adage is a defining characteristic of aging. ... the young brain is more reactive to negative reinforcement than the older one. When the young participants made a mistake and had to plan and execute a new strategy to get the right answer, various parts of their brains were recruited even before the next task began. However, when the older participants learned that they had made a mistake, these regions were only recruited at the beginning of the next trial, indicating that with age, we decide to make adjustments only when absolutely necessary. It is as though the older brain is more impervious to criticism and more confident than the young brain"

• Emotional effects of heavy combat can be lifelong for veterans - Science Daily, 10/6/10 - "heavy combat exposure at a young age had a detrimental effect on physical health and psychological well-being for about half of the men well into their 80s ... about half of the veterans who experienced a high level of combat showed signs of stress-related growth at mid-life, leading to greater wisdom and well-being in old age than among veterans who witnessed no combat"

Aerobic exercise bests resistance training at burning belly fat - Science Daily, 8/25/11 - "Belly or abdominal fat -- known in scientific communities as visceral fat and liver fat -- is located deep within the abdominal cavity and fills the spaces between internal organs. It's been associated with increased risk for heart disease, diabetes, and certain kinds of cancer ... The Duke study showed aerobic training significantly reduced visceral fat and liver fat, the culprit in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Aerobic exercise also did a better job than resistance training at improving fasting insulin resistance, and reducing liver enzymes and fasting triglyceride levels. All are known risk factors for diabetes and heart disease ... Resistance training achieved no significant reductions in visceral fat, liver fat, liver enzyme levels or improvements in insulin resistance. The combination of aerobic with resistance ... What really counts is how much exercise you do, how many miles you walk and how many calories you burn ... If you choose to work at a lower aerobic intensity, it will simply take longer to burn the same amount of unhealthy fat"

US military: Low omega-3 levels may boost suicide risk - Nutra USA, 8/25/11 - "Low DHA status can be readily reversed using low-cost dietary interventions that are likely to have multiple beneficial health effects ... We were surprised to find just how low the levels of omega-3 fatty acids were in the entire sample ... for every incremental decrease in DHA levels, the risk of suicide death increased by 14% .. the risk was significant amongst men, with the lowest DHA levels associated with a 62% increase in suicide risk ... suicide is linked to a combination of factors, included social, psychological, and environmental factors. Indeed, the risk of suicide was 52% higher in service personnel who reported having seen wounded, dead, or killed coalition personnel ... a previous placebo-controlled trial demonstrated that 2 grams of omega-3 fatty acids per day reduced suicidal thinking by 45 percent, along with depression and anxiety scores among individuals with recurrent self-harm" - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com. - Related articles:

• Army Suicide Rate Hits New High in July: 32 Suspected Acts - TIME.com, 8/12/11 - "Commanders are immensely frustrated by their inability to drive down the rate, which is demoralizing and depressing to the troops, their families and the nation"
•  More troops lost to suicide - Congress.org, 1/24/11 - "For the second year in a row, the U.S. military has lost more troops to suicide than it has to combat in Iraq and Afghanistan"

Hydroxytyrosol is key anti-inflammatory compound in olive: DSM study - Nutra USA, 8/25/11 - "Hydroxytyrosol, an ingredient to watch, has been identified as the main anti-inflammatory compound in olives ... hydroxytyrosol was found to inhibit both nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), both are pro-inflammatory compounds ... The effects of hydroxytyrosol on NO and chemokine production point to their impact on chronic inflammatory processes in endothelium or arthritis ... Hydroxytyrosol is thought to be the main antioxidant compound in olives, and believed to play a significant role in the many health benefits attributed to olive oil ... Data has also suggested the compound may boost eye health and reduce the risk of against macular degeneration ... Several companies already offer the compound for nutraceutical applications ... Results showed that hydroxytyrosol inhibited the production of both NO and PGE2 in mouse cells, "reflecting strong anti-inflammatory activity"" - [Abstract] - Note:  Trouble is, you usually don't want to inhibit nitric oxide.

Antibiotic Overuse May Be Bad for Body's Good Bacteria - WebMD, 8/24/11 - "Antibiotic overuse doesn’t just lead to drug-resistant superbugs, it may also permanently wipe out the body’s good bacteria ... in a developed country like the U.S., the average child gets 10 to 20 courses of antibiotics by age 18 ... doctors often prescribe antibiotics before they know whether an infection is viral or bacterial. If the problem is a virus, antibiotics don't help ... a 2003 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that doctors prescribed antibiotics for more than 60% of adults with upper respiratory tract infections, which are usually caused by viruses ... Antibiotics, he thinks, may also be contributing to obesity in humans, though Blaser says no one yet understands how ... a child’s risk for inflammatory bowel disease increases with the number of courses of antibiotics taken ... antibiotics may be a factor behind the unexplained rises in allergies, asthma, and type 1 diabetes in children ... There’s really only a limited number of studies that have been done on this so far, but I think we’re going to see more because I think it’s going to be a big deal for us to understand this ... effective probiotics are needed to replace lost good bacteria" - See probiotics at Amazon.com.

Periconceptional Vitamins Linked to Better Pregnancy Outcome - Medscape, 8/24/11 - "Periconceptional intake of multivitamins is linked with a lower risk for small-for-gestational age (SGA) infants and preterm births (PTBs) ... the relationship of multivitamin supplementation with SGA and PTB might be linked to the timing of supplementation (preconception and/or postconception) and also weight status ... In nonoverweight women (body mass index [BMI] < 25 kg/m2), regular preconception and postconception multivitamin use was associated with a decreased risk for PTB (hazard ratio [HR], 0.84; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.73 - 0.95) and preterm labor (HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.69 - 0.94). However, these associations were not present in overweight women ... The adjusted risk for an SGA birth was reduced in multivitamin users regardless of their prepregnancy BMI (HR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.73 - 0.95; P for interaction = .49), with the strongest association in regular multivitamin users in the postconception period"

Scented laundry products emit hazardous chemicals through dryer vents - Science Daily, 8/24/11 - "air vented from machines using the top-selling scented liquid laundry detergent and scented dryer sheet contains hazardous chemicals, including two that are classified as carcinogens ... This is an interesting source of pollution because emissions from dryer vents are essentially unregulated and unmonitored ... Analysis of the captured gases found more than 25 volatile organic compounds, including seven hazardous air pollutants, coming out of the vents. Of those, two chemicals -- acetaldehyde and benzene -- are classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as carcinogens, for which the agency has established no safe exposure level" - Note:  All scented products have been one of my pet peeves. It’s been shown that they enter the bloodstream. I keep thinking of an old CNN segment where they tested a CNN reporter and found numerous chemicals in his blood.  Why go out of your way to add to that plus have that cheap smell.  I don’t get it.  As far as fabric softeners, I’d like to see a placebo test because I doubt if anyone could tell a difference.  I see it as a gimmick.

Complaints Soar on Hip Implants as Dangers Are Studied - NYTimes.com, 8/23/11 - "the Food and Drug Administration has received more than 5,000 reports since January about several widely used devices known as metal-on-metal hips, more than the agency had received about those devices in the previous four years combined ... Though immediate problems with the hip implants are not life-threatening, some patients have suffered crippling injuries caused by tiny particles of cobalt and chromium that the metal devices shed as they wear ... As problems and questions grow, most surgeons are abandoning the all-metal hips, saying they are unwilling to expose new patients to potential dangers when safer alternatives — mainly replacements that combine metal and plastic components — are available"

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):

High serum level of lutein may be protective against early atherosclerosis: The Beijing atherosclerosis study - Atherosclerosis. 2011 Aug 10 - "The case-control study comprised 125 subjects with early atherosclerosis and 107 controls aged 45-68 years. We simultaneously measured common carotid IMT and arterial stiffness by carotid ultrasonography, and serum carotenoids were determined by high-pressure liquid chromatograph (HPLC) ... In cases of early atherosclerosis, serum level of lutein was significantly lower than that in controls. Serum lutein was inversely associated with carotid IMT. Zeaxanthin and β-carotene were both negatively correlated with right common carotid artery stiffness β, elastic modulus (E(p)), and pulse wave velocity (PWV). After adjusting for age and gender, the associations remain significantly (P<0.05). However, there is no significant difference for zeaxanthin and β-carotene between the cases and controls" - see lutein at Amazon.com and Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL at Amazon.com.

Inhibition of advanced glycation end-product formation on eye lens protein by rutin - Br J Nutr. 2011 Aug 25:1-9 - "Formation of advanced glycation end products (AGE) plays a key role in the several pathophysiologies associated with ageing and diabetes, such as arthritis, atherosclerosis, chronic renal insufficiency, Alzheimer's disease, nephropathy, neuropathy and cataract. This raises the possibility of inhibition of AGE formation as one of the approaches to prevent or arrest the progression of diabetic complications. Previously, we have reported that some common dietary sources such as fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices have the potential to inhibit AGE formation. Flavonoids are abundantly found in fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices, and rutin is one of the commonly found dietary flavonols. In the present study, we have demonstrated the antiglycating potential and mechanism of action of rutin using goat eye lens proteins as model proteins. Under in vitro conditions, rutin inhibited glycation as assessed by SDS-PAGE, AGE-fluorescence, boronate affinity chromatography and immunodetection of specific AGE. Further, we provided insight into the mechanism of inhibition of protein glycation that rutin not only scavenges free-radicals directly but also chelates the metal ions by forming complexes with them and thereby partly inhibiting post-Amadori formation. These findings indicate the potential of rutin to prevent and/or inhibit protein glycation and the prospects for controlling AGE-mediated diabetic pathological conditions in vivo" - See rutin products at iHerb.  AGE's are a major cause of aging.  See my AGE page.

Magnesium Intake and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies - Diabetes Care. 2011 Sep;34(9):2116-2122 - "Meta-analysis of 13 prospective cohort studies involving 536,318 participants and 24,516 cases detected a significant inverse association between magnesium intake and risk of type 2 diabetes (relative risk [RR] 0.78 [95% CI 0.73-0.84]). This association was not substantially modified by geographic region, follow-up length, sex, or family history of type 2 diabetes. A significant inverse association was observed in overweight (BMI ≥25 kg/m(2)) but not in normal-weight individuals (BMI <25 kg/m(2)), although test for interaction was not statistically significant (P(interaction) = 0.13). In the dose-response analysis, the summary RR of type 2 diabetes for every 100 mg/day increment in magnesium intake was 0.86 (95% CI 0.82-0.89)" - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.

Breakfast cereals and risk of hypertension in the Physicians' Health Study I - Clin Nutr. 2011 Aug 23 - "The average age of study participants was 52.4 +/- 8.9 years (range 39.7-85.9) during the initial assessment of cereal intake (1981-1983). During a mean follow up of 16.3 years, 7267 cases of hypertension occurred. The crude incidence rates of hypertension were 36.7, 34.0, 31.7, and 29.6 cases/1000 person-years for people reporting breakfast cereal intake of 0, ≤1, 2-6, and ≥7 servings/week, respectively. In a Cox regression model adjusting for age, smoking, body mass index, alcohol consumption, fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity, and history of diabetes mellitus, hazard ratios (95% CI) for hypertension were 1.0 (reference), 0.93 (0.88-0.99), 0.88 (0.83-0.94), and 0.81 (0.75-0.86) from the lowest to the highest category of cereal consumption, respectively (p for trend <0.0001). This association was strongest for whole grain cereals and was observed in lean as well as overweight or obese participants"

Dietary {alpha}-linolenic acid, linoleic acid, and n-3 long-chain PUFA and risk of ischemic heart disease - Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Aug 24 - "α-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n-3)  ... Four hundred seventy-one cases of IHD were observed during a median follow-up period of 23.3 y. Higher intake of ALA was not significantly associated with decreased risk of IHD among women or men. Although the HR of IHD was stepwise decreased with increasing ALA intake in men [0.84 (95% CI: 0.62, 1.14) in the medium compared with the lowest tertile (reference) and 0.83 (95% CI: 0.56, 1.24) in the highest compared with the lowest tertile], this change was far from significant (P-trend: 0.39). No evidence of effect modification by n-3 LC-PUFA or LA was observed. High n-3 LC-PUFA intake, in comparison with low intake, was inversely associated with risk of IHD; this trend was significant in women (P = 0.04; HR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.40, 0.97) but not in men (P = 0.15; HR: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.51, 1.06). No associations were observed between intake of LA and risk of IHD" - Note:  α-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n-3) is the form of omega-3 found in things like vegetable and flax seeds, linoleic acid (LA, 18:2 n-6) is what's in most vegetable oils like corn and soy. - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

** The omega-3 in vegetable oils is in the form of alpha linolenic acid (no EPA, DHA or DPA).  See "General Information" below for why alpha linolenic acid might not be as effective.

Vitamin D intake from foods and supplements and depressive symptoms in a diverse population of older women - Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Aug 24 - "After age, physical activity, and other factors were controlled for, women who reported a total intake of ≥800 IU vitamin D/d had a prevalence OR for depressive symptoms of 0.79 (95% CI: 0.71, 0.89; P-trend < 0.001) compared with women who reported a total intake of <100 IU vitamin D/d. In analyses limited to women without evidence of depression at baseline, an intake of ≥400 compared with <100 IU vitamin D/d from food sources was associated with 20% lower risk of depressive symptoms at year 3 (OR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.67, 0.95; P-trend = 0.001). The results for supplemental vitamin D were less consistent, as were the results from secondary analyses that included as cases women who were currently using antidepressant medications ... Overall, our findings support a potential inverse association of vitamin D, primarily from food sources, and depressive symptoms in postmenopausal women" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Pioglitazone enhances cholesterol efflux from macrophages by increasing ABCA1/ABCG1 expressions via PPARγ/LXRα pathway: Findings from in vitro and ex vivo studies - Atherosclerosis. 2011 Aug 4 - "Pioglitazone, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) agonist, reportedly reduces cardiovascular events in diabetic patients ... Pioglitazone enhanced ChE from macrophages by increasing ABCA1/G1 in LXR-dependent and -independent manners. Our comparable in vitro and ex vivo results shed new light on pioglitazone's novel anti-atherogenic property" - See pioglitazone at OffshoreRx1.com.

Marine n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Adipose Tissue and the Risk of Acute Coronary Syndrome - Circulation. 2011 Aug 22 - "Comparing men in the highest and lowest quintiles gave a hazard ratio of 0.65 (95% confidence interval, 0.45 to 0.95) for total n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and 0.51 (95% confidence interval, 0.36 to 0.73) for docosahexaenoic acid. Nonfatal cases constituted >86% of cases, and the association was driven primarily by a reduction in the risk of nonfatal acute coronary syndrome. No consistent associations were found among women. Conclusion- Intake of marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may protect against acute coronary syndrome in men" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Endothelial Dysfunction and Low-Grade Inflammation Are Associated With Greater Arterial Stiffness Over a 6-Year Period - Hypertension. 2011 Aug 22 - "Biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction and low-grade inflammation are associated with greater arterial stiffness. This provides evidence that arterial stiffening may be a mechanism through which endothelial dysfunction and low-grade inflammation lead to cardiovascular disease"

Incorporation of EPA and DHA into plasma phospholipids in response to different omega-3 fatty acid formulations - a comparative bioavailability study of fish oil vs. krill oil - Lipids Health Dis. 2011 Aug 22;10(1):145 - "In a double-blinded crossover trial, we compared the uptake of three EPA+DHA formulations derived from fish oil (re-esterified triacylglycerides [rTAG], ethyl-esters [EE]) and krill oil (mainly PL). Changes of the FA compositions in plasma PL were used as a proxy for bioavailability. Twelve healthy young men (mean age 31 y) were randomized to 1680 mg EPA+DHA given either as rTAG, EE or krill oil. FA levels in plasma PL were analyzed pre-dose and 2, 4, 6, 8, 24, 48, and 72 h after capsule ingestion. Additionally, the proportion of free EPA and DHA in the applied supplements was analyzed ... The highest incorporation of EPA+DHA into plasma PL was provoked by krill oil (mean AUC 0-72h: 80.03 +/- 34.71 %*h), followed by fish oil rTAG (mean AUC 0-72h: 59.78 +/- 36.75 %*h) and EE (mean AUC 0-72h: 47.53 +/- 38.42 %*h). Due to high standard deviation values, there were no significant differences for DHA and the sum of EPA+DHA levels between the three treatments. However, a trend (p = 0.057) was observed for the differences in EPA bioavailability. Statistical pair-wise group comparison's revealed a trend (p = 0.086) between rTAG and krill oil. FA analysis of the supplements showed that the krill oil sample contained 22% of the total EPA amount as free EPA and 21% of the total DHA amount as free DHA, while the two fish oil samples did not contain any free FA" - See krill oil products at iHerb, Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com. - Note: Eyeballing the math, it krill oil doesn't seem cost effective to me.

Inverse association between fruit, legume, and cereal fiber and the risk of metabolic syndrome: Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study - Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2011 Aug 17 - "Multivariate-adjusted odds ratio of MetS between highest and lowest quartiles was 0.53 (95% CI: 0.39-0.74; P for trend <0.05) for total dietary fiber, 0.60 (0.43-0.84; P for trend <0.05) for soluble fiber, and 0.51 (0.35-0.72; P for trend <0.05) for insoluble fiber. Among sources of dietary fiber, fruit fiber (OR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.37-0.72), cereal fiber (0.74; 0.57-0.97), and legume fiber (0.73; 0.53-0.99) were inversely associated with the risk of MetS, after adjustment for confounding factors. Intake of vegetable fiber and nut fiber were unrelated to the risk of MetS ... Total dietary fiber, soluble- and insoluble fiber, fruit fiber, cereal fiber and legume fiber were associated with a protective effect for the presence of MetS among this Tehranian population"

Health Focus (Curcumin/Turmeric):

Specific Recommendations:

• curcumin products at Amazon.com

News & Research:

• Curry spice could offer treatment hope for tendinitis - Science Daily, 8/9/11 - "Tendons, the tough cords of fibrous connective tissue that join muscles to bones, are essential for movement because they transfer the force of muscle contraction to bones. However, they are prone to injury, particularly in athletes who may overstretch themselves and overuse their joints. Tendinitis (or tendonitis) is a form of tendon inflammation, which causes pain and tenderness near to joints and is particularly common in shoulders, elbows, knees, hips, heels or wrists. Other examples of common tendon disease include tennis and golfer's elbow and Achilles tendinitis ... introducing curcumin in the culture system inhibits NF-kB and prevents it from switching on and promoting further inflammation ... The results follow on from another study by the Nottingham-Munich collaboration, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry earlier this year, demonstrating that a compound found in red wine could have therapeutic potential for osteoporosis related bone loss in elderly patients, post-menopausal women and patients with rheumatoid arthritis ... The research found that resveratrol, a naturally occurring phytoestrogen found in the skin of red grapes, vines and various other fruits and nuts, inhibits inflammation in bone cells. Its effects extended to inhibiting the formation of osteoclasts, giant congregations of blood-derived cells responsible for bone degeneration, especially in osteoporosis in later life. Resveratrol prevented NF-kB from switching on to trigger inflammation" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com and curcumin products at Amazon.com.
• Curcumin compound improves effectiveness of head and neck cancer treatment, study finds - Science Daily, 5/19/11 - "A primary reason that head and neck cancer treatments fail is the tumor cells become resistant to chemotherapy drugs. Now, researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have found that a compound derived from the Indian spice curcumin can help cells overcome that resistance ... When researchers added a curcumin-based compound, called FLLL32, to head and neck cancer cell lines, they were able to cut the dose of the chemotherapy drug cisplatin by four while still killing tumor cells equally as well as the higher dose of cisplatin without FLLL32 ... Typically, when cells become resistant to cisplatin, we have to give increasingly higher doses. But this drug is so toxic that patients who survive treatment often experience long-term side effects from the treatment"
• Academic rejects ‘fuzzy math’ claim in spat over curcumin bioavailability - Nutra USA, 4/29/11
• Spice in curry could prevent liver damage - Science Daily, 10/29/10 - "Curcumin, a chemical that gives curry its zing, holds promise in preventing or treating liver damage from an advanced form of a condition known as fatty liver disease ... non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Linked to obesity and weight gain, NASH affects 3 to 4 percent of U.S. adults and can lead to a type of liver damage called liver fibrosis and possibly cirrhosis, liver cancer and death ... High levels of leptin activate hepatic stellate cells, which are the cells that cause overproduction of the collagen protein, a major feature of liver fibrosis. The researchers found that among other activities, curcumin eliminated the effects of leptin on activating hepatic stellate cells, which short-circuited the development of liver damage"
• Indian spice may delay liver damage and cirrhosis, study suggests - Science Daily, 3/24/10 - "The findings showed that the curcumin diet significantly reduced bile duct blockage and curbed liver cell (hepatocyte) damage and scarring (fibrosis) by interfering with several chemical signalling pathways involved in the inflammatory process"
• Turmeric Cream Decreases Signs of Aging - Medscape, 3/16/10 - "A new moisturizing cream containing turmeric extract, an ingredient found in curry, significantly improves the appearance of facial spots, fine lines, and wrinkles, according to results from 2 split-face studies (1 with an all-white and 1 with an all-Asian patient population) presented here at the American Academy of Dermatology 68th Annual Meeting"
• Spices may boost breast health: Study - Nutra USA, 12/9/09 - "curcumin, found in turmeric, and piperine, found in black peppers, decreased the number of stem cells while having no effect on normal differentiated cells ... If we can limit the number of stem cells, we can limit the number of cells with potential to form tumours ... normal, non-cancerous stem cells were unaffected by the compounds, which appeared to selectively target the cancer stem cells" - [Abstract]
• Targeting breast stem cells with the cancer preventive compounds curcumin and piperine - Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2009 Nov 7 - "Both curcumin and piperine inhibited mammosphere formation, serial passaging, and percent of ALDH+ cells by 50% at 5 muM and completely at 10 muM concentration in normal and malignant breast cells. There was no effect on cellular differentiation. Wnt signaling was inhibited by both curcumin and piperine by 50% at 5 muM and completely at 10 muM. Curcumin and piperine separately, and in combination, inhibit breast stem cell self-renewal but do not cause toxicity to differentiated cells. These compounds could be potential cancer preventive agents. Mammosphere formation assays may be a quantifiable biomarker to assess cancer preventive agent efficacy and Wnt signaling assessment can be a mechanistic biomarker for use in human clinical trials"
• Curry compound kills cancer cells, study shows - MSNBC, 10/28/09 - "Researchers at the Cork Cancer Research Center in Ireland treated esophageal cancer cells with curcumin — a chemical found in the spice turmeric, which gives curries a distinctive yellow color — and found it started to kill cancer cells within 24 hours ... But these cells showed no evidence of suicide, and the addition of a molecule that inhibits caspases and stops this "switch being flicked' made no difference to the number of cells that died, suggesting curcumin attacked the cancer cells using an alternative cell signaling system"
• Curcumin May Inhibit Nicotine-induced Activation Of Head And Neck Cancers - Science Daily, 10/4/09 - "HNSCC cells were pre-treated with curcumin and then nicotine was introduced. The results of the studies showed that the curcumin was able to block the nicotine from activating cancer ... Although nicotine itself has not been shown to be carcinogenic, it has been shown to encourage the cancer-forming process"
• Vit D-curcumin combo offers brain health potential - Nutra USA, 7/27/09 - "The curcuminoids were found to enhance binding of beta-amyloid to macrophages, and that vitamin D could strongly stimulate the uptake and absorption of beta-amyloid in macrophages in most of the patients ... Since vitamin D and curcumin work differently with the immune system, we may find that a combination of the two or each used alone may be more effective — depending on the individual patient" - [Abstract] - See vitamin D at Amazon.comand curcumin products at Amazon.com.
• Curcumin delays development of medroxyprogesterone acetate-accelerated 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced mammary tumors - Menopause. 2009 Jul 22 - "Combined hormone therapy (HT) containing estrogen and progestin (medroxyprogesterone acetate [MPA]) leads to increased risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women, compared with HT regimens containing estrogen alone or placebo ... Treatment with curcumin delayed the first appearance of MPA-accelerated tumors by 7 days, decreased tumor incidence by the end of the experiment, and reduced tumor multiplicity in DMBA-induced MPA-accelerated tumors. Curcumin also prevented many of the gross histological changes seen in the MPA-treated mammary gland. Immunohistochemical analyses of mammary tumors showed that curcumin decreased MPA-induced VEGF induction in hyperplastic lesions, although it did not affect the levels of estrogen and progesterone receptors"
• Curcumin May Prevent Clogged Arteries - WebMD, 7/20/09 - "The current study suggests curcumin may thwart the development of atherosclerosis, or clogged arteries, a key risk factor for heart attacks and strokes ... Researchers in France fed 20 mice a diet supplemented with curcumin or a comparison diet not supplemented with curcumin. After 16 weeks, mice fed on the curcumin-based diet had a 26% reduction in fatty deposits in their arteries compared to mice on the comparison diet ... In addition, curcumin appeared to alter the genetic signaling involved in plaque buildup at the molecular level"
• Vitamin D, Curcumin May Help Clear Amyloid Plaques Found In Alzheimer's Disease - Science Daily, 7/15/09 - "The team discovered that curcuminoids enhanced the surface binding of amyloid beta to macrophages and that vitamin D strongly stimulated the uptake and absorption of amyloid beta in macrophages in a majority of patients ... Since vitamin D and curcumin work differently with the immune system, we may find that a combination of the two or each used alone may be more effective — depending on the individual patient" - See curcumin products at Amazon.com and vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Asian Spice Could Reduce Breast Cancer Risk In Women Exposed To Hormone Replacement Therapy - Science Daily, 7/13/09 - "curcumin, a popular Indian spice derived from the turmeric root, could reduce the cancer risk for women after exposure to hormone replacement therapy ... curcumin delayed the first appearance, decreased incidence and reduced multiplicity of progestin-accelerated tumors in an animal model. Curcumin also prevented the appearance of gross morphological abnormalities in the mammary glands"
• Compound In Turmeric Spice May Stall Spread Of Fat Tissue - Science Daily, 5/22/09 - "supplementing the animals’ high-fat diet with curcumin reduced body-weight gain and total body fat, even though food-intake was not affected, when compared to the nonsupplemented high-fat-diet group ... The curcumin-treated group also had less blood vessel growth in fat tissue. Blood glucose, triglyceride, fatty acid, cholesterol and liver fat levels also were lower"
• Turmeric Extract Suppresses Fat Tissue Growth In Rodent Models - Science Daily, 5/18/09 - "Curcumin, the major polyphenol found in turmeric, appears to reduce weight gain in mice and suppress the growth of fat tissue in mice and cell models"
• Curcumin may cut body fat and weight gain: Mouse study - Nutra USA, 4/27/09 - "The curcumin suppression of angiogenesis in adipose tissue together with its effect on lipid metabolism in adipocytes may contribute to lower body fat and body weight gain ... Curcumin was also associated with significantly lower cholesterol levels and a reduction in the expression of peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-gamma), a protein that plays a role in metabolic functions" - [Abstract]
• Turmeric: India's 'Holy Powder' Finally Reveals Its Centuries-old Secret - Science Daily, 4/20/09 - "Using a high-tech instrument termed solid-state NMR spectroscopy, the scientists discovered that molecules of curcumin act like a biochemical disciplinarian. They insert themselves into cell membranes and make the membranes more stable and orderly in a way that increases cells' resistance to infection by disease-causing microbes"
• Turmeric Ingredient Makes Membranes Behave For Better Health - Science Daily, 3/6/09 - "curcumin acts as a disciplinarian, inserting itself into cell membranes and making them more orderly, a move that improves cells' resistance to infection and malignancy ... The membrane goes from being crazy and floppy to being more disciplined and ordered, so that information flow through it can be controlled"
• Curry Spice May Thwart Heart Failure - WebMD, 2/26/08
• Indian Spice In Turmeric Reduces Size Of Hemorrhagic Stroke - Science Daily, 9/22/08 - "This active ingredient of the Indian curry spice, turmeric, not only lowers your chances of getting cancer and Alzheimer's disease, but may reduce the size of a hemorrhagic stroke ... significantly decreases the size of a blood clot"
• Curcumin Suppresses IgE-Mediated Allergic Response and Mast Cell Activation - Medscape, 6/3/08 - "Two cytokines, TNF-alpha and IL-4, are among those that are critical to allergic inflammation. In studies using the RBL-2H3 tumor mast cell line, the researchers found that curcumin significantly inhibited the antigen-stimulated expression of mRNA for both cytokines, and the secretion of both cytokines in the mast cells, in a dose-dependent manner"
• Ingredient In Yellow Curry Can Reduce Heart Enlargement And May Prevent Heart Failure - Science Daily, 2/21/08 - "Eating curcumin, a natural ingredient in the spice turmeric, may dramatically reduce the chance of developing heart failure"
• Turmeric (Curcumin) review - ConsumerLab.com, 2/6/08 - "ConsumerLab.com found a popular brand to contain 18.7 mcg of lead in a daily serving ��� the highest amount it has ever reported. Another brand was contaminated with 8.3 mcg of lead. These amounts are well above those to which people are normally exposed and should be avoided ... two other products provided only 11.5% and 49.5%, respectively, of expected curcumin compounds. A fifth product did not specify the part of the plant used — a FDA labeling requirement" - Note:  I get the paid version and it was NSI® Nutraceutical® Sciences Institute Superior™ Turmeric Curcuma Longa that contained the 18.7 mcg of lead and Solgar® Standardize Full Potency™ Turmeric Root Extract that contained the 8.3 mcg. There wasn't any that failed that I call "brand name".
• Curcumin enhances the effects of 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin in mediating growth inhibition of colon cancer cells by modulating EGFR and IGF-1R - Int J Cancer. 2007 Oct 4 - "inclusion of curcumin to the conventional chemotherapeutic agent(s)/regimen could be an effective therapeutic strategy for colorectal cancer"
• Colon Cancer on curcumin and Vectibix - Johns Hopkins, 8/14/07 - "University of Texas researchers treated some human colorectal cancer cells with neurotensin, with and without curcumin. They confirmed that neurotensin started a chain reaction of chemicals that can increase the growth of cancer and also the migration of cancer cells and that curcumin blocked the process ... Curcumin appears to do this by blocking the biochemical signals sent by neurotensin that contribute to colon cancer cell growth and migration (the spread of cancer to other body sites)"
• Curry Spice May Counter Alzheimer's - WebMD, 7/16/07 - "In preliminary lab tests, the chemical helped rid the blood of a key ingredient in Alzheimer's brain plaque"
• Curcumin's anti-cancer mechanism proposed - Nutra USA, 4/13/07
• A Curry A Day Keeps The Doctor Away? - Science Daily, 1/11/07 - "the chemical compound capsaicin -- which is responsible for the burning sensation when we eat chillies -- can kill cells by directly targeting their energy source ... It could mean that patients could control or prevent the onset of cancer by eating a diet rich in capsaicin"
• Tasty curry might have a fringe benefit - USA Today, 1/7/07 - "turmeric, one component of curry spice, almost completely prevented joint swelling in rats with arthritis. Other studies have suggested that the spice could protect against diseases such as heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's ... many people with arthritis take over-the-counter supplements that contain curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric ... The curcumin in curry seems to shut down genes that trigger the development and the spread of breast cancer"
• Turmeric Supplements Show Promise in Treating Arthritis - Medscape, 11/17/06 - "This version was used in subsequent experiments and was shown to prevent acute and chronic arthritis ... In addition, turmeric significantly inhibited joint destruction due to arthritis, and inhibited NF-κB, a protein that controls the gene expression of substances that produce an inflammatory response. Turmeric also altered the expression of hundreds of genes involved in joint swelling and destruction and prevented an increase in osteoclasts (cells that break down bone) in joints"
• Curry spice extract may have anti-arthritis potential - Nutra USA, 10/30/06 - "Cartilage destruction in the tibia of the rats was reduced by 66 per cent, and thigh bone mineral density (BMD) destruction was also reduced by 57 per cent, compared to the control solution"
• Curry spice 'help for arthritis' - BBC News, 10/30/06 - "The extract appears to work by prevent a protein that controls when genes are switched on or off from being activated in the joint"
• Spicy Spin on Easing Arthritis - WebMD, 10/30/06 - "Over the next 28 days, the mice in the turmeric group showed less joint inflammation and less joint damage than those in the comparison group ... The turmeric extract apparently curbed certain genes involved in joint inflammation ... The mice in the turmeric group also showed better bone mineral density than those in the comparison group"
• Chemical Found In Curry May Help Immune System Clear Amyloid Plaques Found In Alzheimer's Disease - Science Daily, 10/3/06 - "curcumin -- a chemical found in curry and turmeric -- may help the immune system clear the brain of amyloid beta, which form the plaques found in Alzheimer's disease"
• Chemical in Curry May Cut Colon Cancer - WebMD, 8/2/06 - "Each of the patients then received 480 milligrams of curcumin and 20 milligrams of quercetin three times a day for six months ... The results showed that treatment with the curry and onion compounds reduced the average number of polyps by 60%, and decreased their size by 50%" - See iHerb or Vitacost curcumin products and iHerb or Vitacost quercetin products.
• Curry And Cauliflower Could Halt Prostate Cancer - Science Daily, 1/15/06 - "The bottom line is that PEITC and curcumin, alone or in combination, demonstrate significant cancer-preventive qualities in laboratory mice, and the combination of PEITC and curcumin could be effective in treating established prostate cancers"
• Turmeric for Breast Cancer Prevention? - Dr. Weil, 12/2/05
• Spice Ingredient May Cut Breast Cancer Spread - WebMD, 10/17/05
• Early Study Shows Spice Stunts Deadly Spread To Lungs - Science Daily, 10/16/05 - "Curcumin ... inhibits metastasis to the lungs of mice with breast cancer ... Treatment using Taxol alone only "modestly reduced" the incidence of metastases, while the group using curcumin alone and curcumin plus Taxol "significantly reduced" both the incidence and numbers of visible lung metastases"
• Potent Spice Works To Block Growth Of Melanoma In Lab Test - Science Daily, 7/14/05
• Curry Spice May Fight Skin Cancer - WebMD, 7/11/05 - "curcumin, the yellow pigment found in the spice turmeric, kills and stops the growth of melanoma skin cancer cells in laboratory tests"
• Curry Spice May Curb Breast Cancer's Spread - WebMD, 6/9/05 - "Less than a quarter of the mice in the curcumin-plus-Taxol group had cancer that spread to the lungs. So did half of the curcumin group. In comparison, cancer spread to the lungs in three-fourths of the Taxol group and almost all (95%) mice that got no treatment"
• Does a New Pill Contain the Fountain of Youth? - ABC News, 6/2/05 - "It is a combination of five plant ingredients. Two of them are pretty commonplace — green tea and turmeric, a spice used in Indian cooking"
• Curry Spice May Fight Alzheimer's Disease - WebMD, 1/5/05 - "the curry pigment curcumin slows the formation of, and even destroys, accumulated plaque deposits in mouse brains"
• Food for thought: Can diet protect memory? - MSNBC, 12/6/04 - "research increasingly suggests that diet may be important in preventing Alzheimer's ... older dogs fed a diet rich in antioxidants over several years were able to perform tasks �� and learn new tricks — far better than fellow canines fed a normal diet ... scientists believe that curcumin, a spice used in India and known for its anti-inflammatory effects, may prevent memory loss"
• Can Curcumin Prevent Alzheimer's Disease? - Life Extension Magazine, 12/04
• The Case for Curry: Turmeric as Medical Treatment - Natural Foods Merchandiser, 6/04
• Curry May Protect Aging Brain - WebMD, 4/19/04 - "Small doses of curry could help protect the brain against Alzheimer's disease -- at least that's the effect in rats"
• Asian spice shows strong antioxidant powers - Nutra USA, 4/19/04
• Curcumin Update - Life Extension Magazine, 2/04
• Preventing Breast Cancer Recurrence? - Dr. Weil, 10/13/03
• Try Turmeric for MS? - Dr. Weil, 8/12/03
• Curcumin helpful in multiple sclerosis model - Dr. Murray, 1/1/03
• Herb Mix Nixes Prostate Cancer in Lab - WebMD, 12/13/02 - "A number of recent studies point to COX-2 as an important factor in cancer-cell growth. In the Columbia studies, Zyflamend decreased COX-2 activity about as well as a potent COX-2-inhibiting drug ... The herbal mix is called Zyflamend, from New Chapter Inc., and has 10 herbs: holy basil, turmeric, ginger, green tea, rosemary, hu zhang, Chinese goldthread, barberry, oregano, and Scutellaria biacalensis"
• Can Herbs Combat Inflammation? - Dr. Weil, 12/3/02 - "Take 400 to 600 milligrams of turmeric extracts (available in tablets or capsules) three times per day or as directed on the product label. Whole turmeric is more effective than isolated curcumin, its major constituent. Look for products standardized for 95% curcuminoids. Be patient: the full benefit takes two months to develop. Don’t use turmeric if you have gallstones or bile duct dysfunction" - See iHerb and Vitacost turmeric products.
• Curry Spice Takes Burn Out of Radiation - WebMD, 10/10/02 - "The study showed that curcumin, the substance in turmeric that gives it and the dishes it flavors a characteristic yellow color, is a natural anti-inflammatory compound. It works in ways similar to the popular Cox-2 inhibiting drugs, including aspirin and Celebrex"
• A Report on Curcumin's Anti-cancer Effects - Life Extension Magazine, 7/02 - "Imagine a natural substance so smart it can tell the difference between a cancer cell and a normal cell; so powerful it can stop chemicals in their tracks; and so strong it can enable DNA to walk away from lethal doses of radiation virtually unscathed. Curcumin has powers against cancer so beneficial that drug companies are rushing to make drug versions. Curcumin is all this and more"
• An Indian Spice for Alzheimer’s? - Dr. Weil, 6/12/02 - "Curcumin blocked the accumulation of beta-amaloid plaque and also appeared to reduce inflammation related to Alzheimer’s disease in neurologic tissue. The rats fed curcumin also performed better on memory tests than rats on normal diets ... Researchers at the University of Illinois have also found that it helps prevent plaque formation. And preliminary studies at Vanderbilt University suggest that curcumin may block the progression of multiple sclerosis ... only low dose curcumin reduced plaque in the Alzheimer’s disease studies ... Turmeric appears to have significant anti-inflammatory and cancer-protective effects as well"
• I would like to know if curcumin is safe for long-term use - Life Extension Magazine, 3/02
• Are you aware of any studies relating to oral curcumin and serum cholesterol levels? - Life Extension Magazine, 1/02
• question regarding your new cholesterol-lowering supplement, Policosanol - Life Extension Magazine, 11/01 - "In the Journal of Molecular Cell Biochemistry, curcumin has been demonstrated, in vivo, to decrease triglycerides and increase HDL."
• Unlocking the power of curcumin - Life Extension Magazine, 9/01 - "research is discovering that curcumin is a powerful carcinogenic inhibitor, slowing cancerous cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis, a pre-programmed set of processes within a cell that results in its death"
• Curcumin protects against mammary tumors in rats - Life Extension Magazine, 8/01
• Cholesterol Reduction - Life Extension Magazine - "human volunteers taking curcumin showed a 29% increase in beneficial HDL cholesterol in only 7 days. Total cholesterol also fell 11.6% and lipid peroxidation was reduced by 33% ..." & other studies
• Natural COX-2 Inhibitors The Future of Pain Relief - Nutrition Science News, 8/00 - "dose-dependent treatment of the cells with curcumin suppressed both BA- and PMA-mediated induction of COX-2 protein, genetic COX-2 expression (as measured by mRNA), and the synthesis of prostaglandin E2. Most impressive, however, was the discovery that curcumin directly inhibited the enzymatic activity of COX-2"
• Cancer Prevention Diet - Nutrition Science News, 8/99 - "Research suggests that curcumin, the bright yellow flavonoid present in turmeric (Curcuma longa) roots, selectively inhibits thromboxane production while sparing prostacyclin. Thromboxane is a potent inflammatory compound produced by the body in response to injury or irritation. It causes blood vessels to constrict and the blood to clot, while prostacyclin is an inflammatory mediator that can respond to tissue injury without leading to further inflammation. Inhibiting thromboxane prevents excessive inflammatory response and reduces damage to vascular endothelia. Curcumin has also been shown to inhibit tobacco smoke mutagenicity, suggesting it may help protect the vascular endothelia from damage caused by smoking"
• Chemopreventive effects of carotenoids and curcumin on mouse colon carcinogenesis - Life Extension Magazine, 6/99
• Turmeric and in-vitro NOS Levels in Acute and Chronic Wounds - Medscape, 3/99

Abstracts:

• Innovative preparation of curcumin for improved oral bioavailability - Biol Pharm Bull. 2011;34(5):660-5
• Curcumin-soy formulation may boost absorption 60-fold: Indena study - Nutra USA, 4/6/11 - "Curcumin has been a sort of ‘forbidden fruit’ for biomedical research, since its poor oral bioavailability has substantially hampered clinical development, despite the very promising indications of the preclinical research ... The volunteers received five (low-dose - 209 mg total curcuminoids) or nine (high-dose - 376 mg total curcuminoids) hard-shell capsules of either the soybean-based phospholipid-curcumin formulation (Meriva) or five capsules of a non-formulated curcuminoid mixture containing 1799 mg of curcuminoids ... Total curcuminoid absorption was about 29-fold higher for Meriva than for its corresponding unformulated curcuminoid mixture, but only phase-2 metabolites could be detected, and plasma concentrations were still significantly lower than those required for the inhibition of most anti-inflammatory targets of curcumin ... the major plasma curcuminoid after administration of Meriva was not curcumin, but demethoxycurcumin, a more potent analogue in many in vitro anti-inflammatory assays" - [Abstract]
• Curcumin attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced renal inflammation - Biol Pharm Bull. 2011;34(2):226-32 - "Renal inflammation is the main pathological change in many acute and chronic kidney diseases. Curcumin, a yellow pigment present in the rhizome of turmeric (Curcuma longa L. Zingiberaceae), was found to be a potential anti-inflammatory agent ... The results demonstrated that curcumin could inhibit LPS-induced renal MCP-1 mRNA expression. Curcumin also significantly inhibited the expression of MCP-1 and IL-2 mRNA in HK-2 cells, and partially inhibited the secretion of MCP-1 and IL-8. Furthermore, curcumin was found to inhibit the DNA-binding activity of NF-κB. The present study demonstrated that curcumin has a protective effect on LPS-induced experimental renal inflammation, and this effect might be attributed to its inhibitory effects on MCP-1 mRNA expression and DNA-binding activity of NF-κB. Hence, curcumin might be potentially useful in some kidney diseases by preventing renal inflammation"
• Curcuminoids Suppress the Growth and Induce Apoptosis through Caspase-3-Dependent Pathways in Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) 8401 Cells - J Agric Food Chem. 2010 Sep 7 - "The results observed with proliferation inhibition (y = 94.694e(-0.025x), R(2) = 0.9901, and n = 6) and apoptosis (y = 0.9789e(-0.0102x), R(2) = 0.99854, and n = 3) depend upon the amount of curcuminoid treatment in the cancer cells"
• Curcumin decreases cholangiocarcinogenesis in hamsters by suppressing inflammation-mediated molecular events related to multistep carcinogenesis - Int J Cancer. 2010 Sep 7 - "Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a highly metastatic tumor linked to liver fluke infection and consumption of nitrosamine-contaminated foods, and is a major health problem especially in South-Eastern Asia ... Our results suggest that curcumin exhibits an anticarcinogenic potential via suppression of various events involved in multiple steps of carcinogenesis, which is accounted for by its ability to suppress proinflammatory pathways"
• Curcumin promotes apoptosis in A549/DDP multidrug-resistant human lung adenocarcinoma cells through an miRNA signaling pathway - Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2010 Jul 10 - "Curcumin extracted from the rhizomes of C. longa L has been shown to have inhibitory effects on cancers through its anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activities. Emerging evidence demonstrates that curcumin can overcome drug resistance to classical chemotherapies. Thus, the mechanisms underlying the antitumor activities of curcumin require further study. In our study, we first demonstrated that curcumin had anti-cancer effects on A549/DDP multidrug-resistant human lung adenocarcinoma cells. Further studies showed that curcumin altered miRNA expression; in particular, significantly downregulated the expression of miR-186 * in A549/DDP. In addition, transfection of cells with a miR-186 * inhibitor promoted A549/DDP apoptosis, and overexpression of miR-186 * significantly inhibited curcumin-induced apoptosis in A549/DDP cells. These observations suggest that miR-186 * may serve as a potential gene therapy target for refractory lung cancer that is sensitive to curcumin"
• Curcumin inhibits cholesterol uptake in Caco-2 cells by down-regulation of NPC1L1 expression - Lipids Health Dis. 2010 Apr 19;9(1):40 - "Curcumin inhibits cholesterol uptake through suppression of NPC1L1 expression in the intestinal cells"
• Curcumin improves insulin resistance in skeletal muscle of rats - Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2010 Mar 12 - "Curcumin improves muscular insulin resistance by increasing oxidation of fatty acid and glucose, which is, at least in part, mediated through LKB1-AMPK pathway"
• Synergistic role of curcumin with current therapeutics in colorectal cancer: minireview - Nutr Cancer. 2009 Nov;61(6):842-6 - "Despite the use of surgical resection and aggressive chemotherapy, nearly 50% of patients with colorectal carcinoma develop recurrent disease, highlighting the need for improved therapies. Curcumin (diferuloylmethane), the major active ingredient of turmeric (curcuma longa) with no discernable toxicity, has been shown to inhibit the growth of transformed cells and colon carcinogenesis at the initiation, promotion, and progression stages in carcinogen-induced rodent models. In a Phase I clinical trial, curcumin has been found to be extremely well tolerated and effective ... Existing data suggest that curcumin in combination with chemotherapy is a superior strategy for treatment of gastrointestinal cancer"
• Curcumin suppresses p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase activation, reduces IL-1beta and matrix metalloproteinase-3 and enhances IL-10 in the mucosa of children and adults with inflammatory bowel disease - Br J Nutr. 2009 Nov 2:1-9 - "We conclude that curcumin, a naturally occurring food substance with no known human toxicity, holds promise as a novel therapy in IBD"
• Curcumin synergizes with resveratrol to inhibit colon cancer - Nutr Cancer. 2009;61(4):544-53 - "the combination of curcumin and resveratrol was found to be more effective in inhibiting growth of p53-positive (wt) and p53-negative colon cancer HCT-116 cells in vitro and in vivo in SCID xenografts of colon cancer HCT-116 (wt) cells than either agent alone. Analysis by Calcusyn software showed synergism between curcumin and resveratrol. The inhibition of tumors in response to curcumin and/or resveratrol was associated with the reduction in proliferation and stimulation of apoptosis accompanied by attenuation of NF-kappaB activity. In vitro studies have further demonstrated that the combinatorial treatment caused a greater inhibition of constitutive activation of EGFR and its family members as well as IGF-1R. Our current data suggest that the combination of curcumin and resveratrol could be an effective preventive/therapeutic strategy for colon cancer"
• 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D_{3} Interacts with Curcuminoids to Stimulate Amyloid-β Clearance by Macrophages of Alzheimer's Disease Patient - J Alzheimers Dis. 2009 May 11 - "1,25D3 strongly stimulated Abeta phagocytosis and clearance while protecting against apoptosis. Certain synthetic curcuminoids in combination with 1,25D3 had additive effects on phagocytosis in Type I but not Type II macrophages. In addition, we investigated the mechanisms of 1,25D3 and curcuminoids in macrophages. The 1,25D3 genomic antagonist analog MK inhibited 1,25D3 but not curcuminoid effects, suggesting that 1,25D3 acts through the genomic pathway. In silico, 1,25D3 showed preferential binding to the genomic pocket of the vitamin D receptor, whereas bisdemethoxycurcumin showed preference for the non-genomic pocket. 1,25D3 is a promising hormone for AD immunoprophylaxis because in Type I macrophages combined treatment with 1,25D3 and curcuminoids has additive effects, and in Type II macrophages 1,25D3 treatment is effective alone. Human macrophages are a new paradigm for testing immune therapies for AD" - See vitamin D at Amazon.comand curcumin products at Amazon.com.
• Curcumin sensitizes human colorectal cancer to capecitabine by modulation of cyclin D1, COX-2, MMP-9, VEGF and CXCR4 expression in an orthotopic mouse model - Int J Cancer. 2009 May 26 - "Because of the poor prognosis and the development of resistance against chemotherapeutic drugs, the current treatment for advanced metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) is ineffective. Whether curcumin (a component of turmeric) can potentiate the effect of capecitabine against growth and metastasis of CRC was investigated ... In nude mice, the combination of curcumin and capecitabine was found to be more effective than either agent alone in reducing tumor volume (p = 0.001 vs. control; p = 0.031 vs. capecitabine alone), Ki-67 proliferation index (p = 0.001 vs. control) and microvessel density marker CD31. The combination treatment was also highly effective in suppressing ascites and distant metastasis to the liver, intestines, lungs, rectum and spleen. This effect was accompanied by suppressed expression of activated NF-kappaB and NF-kappaB-regulated gene products (cyclin D1,c-myc, bcl-2, bcl-xL, cIAP-1, COX-2, ICAM-1, MMP-9, CXCR4 and VEGF). Overall, our results suggest that curcumin sensitizes CRC to the antitumor and antimetastatic effects of capecitabine by suppressing NF-kappaB cell signaling pathway"
• Curcumin suppresses expression of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor, leading to the inhibition of LDL-induced activation of hepatic stellate cells - Br J Pharmacol. 2009 Jul 7 - "This curcumin, a constituent of turmeric, may be useful in preventing hypercholesterolemia-associated hepatic fibrogenesis" - See curcumin products at Amazon.com.
• Curcumin inhibits adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and angiogenesis and obesity in C57/BL mice - J Nutr. 2009 May;139(5):919-25 - "Supplementing the high-fat diet of mice with curcumin did not affect food intake but reduced body weight gain, adiposity, and microvessel density in adipose tissue, which coincided with reduced expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor VEGFR-2. Curcumin increased 5'AMP-activated protein kinase phosphorylation, reduced glycerol-3-phosphate acyl transferase-1, and increased carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 expression, which led to increased oxidation and decreased fatty acid esterification ... Our findings suggest that dietary curcumin may have a potential benefit in preventing obesity"
• Curcumin and cancer: An "old-age" disease with an "age-old" solution - Cancer Lett. 2008 May 5 - "The activity of curcumin reported against leukemia and lymphoma, gastrointestinal cancers, genitourinary cancers, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, lung cancer, melanoma, neurological cancers, and sarcoma reflects its ability to affect multiple targets. Thus an "old-age" disease such as cancer requires an "age-old" treatment"
• Curcumin induces cell-arrest and apoptosis in association with the inhibition of constitutively active NF-kappaB and STAT3 pathways in Hodgkin's lymphoma cells - Int J Cancer. 2008 Apr 3 - "Interestingly, curcumin caused cell cycle arrest in G2-M and a significant reduction (80-97%) in H-RS cell viability. Furthermore, curcumin triggered cell death by apoptosis, as evidenced by the activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9, changes in nuclear morphology and phosphatidylserine translocation. The above findings provide a mechanistic rationale for the potential use of curcumin as a therapeutic agent for patients with HL"
• Curcumin stimulates proliferation of embryonic neural progenitor cells and neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus - J Biol Chem. 2008 Mar 24 - "Administration of curcumin to adult mice resulted in a significant increase in the number of newly-generated cells in the dentate gyrus of hippocampus, indicating that curcumin enhances adult hippocampal neurogenesis"
• Effects of curcumin on bladder cancer cells and development of urothelial tumors in a rat bladder carcinogenesis model - Cancer Lett. 2008 Mar 12 - "Exposure of human bladder cancer cells to curcumin resulted in the induction of apoptotic cell death and caused cells to arrest in the G2/M phase. The anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and Survivin protein was downregulated by the curcumin treatment together with enhancement of the Bax and p53 expression. The inhibitory activities of curcumin were stronger than those of cisplatin and could not be prevented by catalase pretreatment in T24 cells. Clonal assay indicated large-dose and short-term curcumin was lethal to bladder cancer cells. Moreover, the in vivo study revealed curcumin did induce apoptosis in situ, inhibit and slow the development of bladder cancer. These observations suggest that curcumin could prove an effective chemopreventive and chemotherapy agent for bladder cancer"
• The combination of epigallocatechin gallate and curcumin suppresses ERalpha-breast cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo - Int J Cancer. 2007 Dec 20 - "Tumor volume in the EGCG + curcumin treated mice decreased 49% compared to vehicle control mice (p < 0.05), which correlated with a 78 +/- 6% decrease in levels of VEGFR-1 protein expression in the tumors. Curcumin treatment significantly decreased tumor protein levels of EGFR and Akt, however the expression of these proteins was not further decreased following combination treatment. Therefore, these results demonstrate that the combination of EGCG and curcumin is efficacious in both in vitro and in vivo models of ERalpha- breast cancer and that regulation of VEGFR-1 may play a key role in this effect"
• Effect of Curcumin on Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Cisplatin-Induced Experimental Nephrotoxicity - J Agric Food Chem. 2007 Nov 15 - "curcumin has a protective effect on cisplatin-induced experimental nephrotoxicity, and this effect is attributed to its direct anti-inflammatory and strong antioxidant profile. Hence, curcumin has a strong potential to be used as a therapeutic adjuvant in cisplatin nephrotoxicity" - See curcumin products at Amazon.com.
• Curcumin for chemoprevention of colon cancer - Cancer Lett. 2007 Apr 18 - "Overwhelming in vitro evidence and completed clinical trials suggests that curcumin may prove to be useful for the chemoprevention of colon cancer in humans"