Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 4/10/02:

Common Foods Help Prevent Cancer - WebMD, 4/10/02 - "found that regular green tea drinking cut cancer risk in half ... men who ate more than two servings of tomato sauce per week had a 23% lower risk of prostate cancer than men who ate less than one serving a week"

Should You Be Taking Fish Oil? - ABC News, 4/10/02 - "Omega-3 fatty acids have since been intensively investigated, and all of the accumulating evidence suggests that they have a potent effect to reduce death rates from coronary heart disease, and in particular, to prevent sudden death ... This week three articles appear in the medical literature that add substantially to this evidence ... a single fish oil capsule (the equivalent of two to three American capsules)" - That last statement is why I stay with TwinEPA.  People don't realize that the lower priced fish oil supplements only have about a third the EPA and DHA.

Testosterone boosts mood in men with heart disease - Reuters, 4/10/02 - "Giving testosterone to men with chronic heart failure makes them feel less depressed and improves mobility ... The testosterone treatment improved ability to exercise by 30%, which compared with other treatments is pretty effective"

Statin Drugs May Fight Alzheimer's, Too - WebMD, 4/9/02 - "Statins block the vasoconstrictive [blood-vessel narrowing] effect of the A-beta protein -- a critical protein involved in Alzheimer's disease ... These drugs appear to have anti-inflammatory properties, independent of their benefit in lowering cholesterol, that may help protect against dementia" - Note:  Red yeast rice is a non-prescription statin.  VitaminShoppe is finally selling the 90 count size.

'New' Pesticides Affect Immune System, Study Finds - ABC News, 4/9/02 - "Pesticides developed in the hope that they may be safer than older chemicals known to cause cancer may be only slightly better ... the compounds, used to protect crops such as pecans, potatoes and sugar beets, as well as protect boats and wood, can damage cells that seek out and destroy microbes and cancer cells"

Curry Spice May Help Tackle Cancer - ABC News, 4/8/02 - "the active ingredient in turmeric, called curcumin, can enhance the cancer-fighting power of treatment with TRAIL, a naturally occurring molecule that helps kill cancer cells. TRAIL stands for tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand ... Using these two agents--curcumin and TRAIL--we killed up to 80% of cells in culture ... there is some laboratory evidence that it has both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Other studies in the laboratory and in animals suggest the spice can help wounds heal and could also be protective against Alzheimer's"

FDA Approves New Indication, Strength of Alora (Estradiol Transdermal System) for Prevention of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis - Doctor's Guide, 4/9/02 - "These approvals add a new indication, prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis, and a new strength, 0.025mg/day, to the Alora label"

Diabetes Dangers for Women - ABC News, 4/9/02 - "for the youngsters who believe diabetes is a concern of older age, consider this: cases among 30-somethings jumped by 76 percent over the last 10 years"

Hypercortisolemia Cited in Link Between Depression and Cardiovascular Disorders - Doctor's Guide, 4/9/02 - "Depressed patients who are also hypercortisolemic appear to have resistance to insulin and increased visceral fat, possibly accounting for a link between major depression and cardiovascular disorders"

Herb found ineffective for moderate depression - Reuters, 4/9/02 - "St. John's wort proved no more effective than inactive treatment with a placebo in alleviating symptoms. Active treatment with the antidepressant drug sertraline (Zoloft) [Pfizer] worked somewhat better than placebo ... Davidson holds stock in Pfizer"

Effect of Hypericum perforatum (St John's Wort) in Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial - JAMA, 4/10/02 - "extract (LI-160) ... neither sertraline nor H perforatum was significantly different from placebo ... Dr Davidson holds stock in Pfizer" - That's the first time I've seen Reuter's and JAMA mention the stock holding of the head of the study.  A definite conflict of interest.  I think it's amazing how these studies come out the way the head of the study would want them to come out.  The last study that showed no effect for SJW was sponsored by Pfizer (maker of Zoloft (sertraline)).

I've always felt they should try 2700 - 3600 mg of the LI 160 extract or 750 mg of the Ze 117 extract of SJW for major depression.  I find it hard to believe that every other anti-depressant is dose dependent except SJW.  For example, the dosage range for Effexor is 75 mg to 375 mg.  That's a factor of five (375/75).  If you were to apply that to the LI 160 extract of SJW, 5 x 900mg is 4500 mg.  I've only seen one reference to the LI 160 extract of SJW being tested at 3600.  See the last paragraph of http://www.nhir.com/tests/St._Johns_Wort_Module.pdf.

The above study contradicts the following SJW/Zoloft study:

• Comparison of an extract of hypericum (LI 160) and sertraline in the treatment of depression: a double-blind, randomized pilot study - Medline/Clin Ther 2000 Apr;22(4):411-9, 4/00 - "Clinical response (defined as a > or =50% reduction in HAM-D scores) was noted in 47% of patients receiving hypericum and 40% of those receiving sertraline ... The [LI 160] hypericum extract was at least as effective as sertraline in the treatment of mild to moderate depression in a small group of outpatients"
• St. John's Wort: Effective, with Caveats - Nutrition Science News, Spring '02 - "Using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, 47 percent of those taking St. John's wort improved compared with 40 percent of those taking the sertraline ... Hyperforin increases the effectiveness of norepinephrine, dopamine, L-glutamate, and gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA), as well as serotonin. Researchers in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Frankfurt in Germany concluded, "no other antidepressant compound exhibits a similar broad uptake-inhibiting profile.""
• See my St. John's wort page for several other studies against other antidepressants besides Zoloft (sertraline).

St. John's Wort May Impede Chemotherapy - ABC News, 4/8/02 - "St. John's wort stimulates an enzyme known as CYP3A4, which is involved in the metabolism of many drugs, including the cancer agent irinotecan" - The way I understand it, the enzyme that SJW increases helps protect the liver.  To me, that is a good thing in most people.  See:

• Hypericum, Drug Interactions, and Liver Effects - Medical Herbalism (2000)11(2):16) - "The specific enzyme system whose activity was increased in the test subjects is the CYP3A, part of the p450 microsomal enzyme system, responsible for Phase I detoxification in the liver"

I was updating my St. John's wort page and separated the LI 160 and Ze 117 extract studies.  To me it appears that the Ze 117 did a lot better. 

Some people wonder why most SJW studies have been done with imipramine instead of the more popular SSRI's.  The way I understand it, imipramine is the gold standard for anti-depressants but the reason it is not popular is because of the side effects.  I know of at least one study were imipramine was compared with reboxetine (not yet available in the US) and Prozac.  Both reboxetine and imipramine tied but they both beat Prozac.  In another study of post stroke depression, imipramine beat Prozac.  I haven't seen any other studies comparing tricyclics to SSRIs.  Yet the Ze 117 extract matched imipramine (1) (2).

People who think it's the placebo effect might want to read the study with rats where they measured the increase in serotonin and norepinephrine in the brains of rats after given the Ze 117 extract, imipramine, desipramine or fluvoxamine.

The LI 160 extract is available in the US under the Kira brand.  The Ze 117 extract is sold in other countries under the brand name Remotiv.  I don't believe the Ze 117 extract is available in the US, however I found a place in Australia that sells it for about $41 US including shipping for two boxes of 60 each.  I don't have an affiliation with the Australian pharmacy and my sales are already pathetic but if you mention my email address (ben@qualitycounts.com) when it says "Referred by" on checkout, it might get me a $10 AUD (about $5.20 US) discount on my future orders.

For a comparison of German St. John's wort extracts, see http://www.aphanet.org/JAPhA/julyaug01pdfs/wurglics%20p560_566.pdf.  It's interesting that the Ze 117 extract (Remotiv) contains an insignificant amount of hyperforin, which some consider one of the active ingredients of St. John's wort, yet the Ze 117 extract seems to be the most effective.  It just goes to show you that there is more to St. John's wort than selecting some brand X unproven extract from the local drugstore.  Even with the proven German brands there is a large difference between the different brands.  Seems like iHerb is sells out of the Kira brand about every three weeks and the X brands are always available.  I see that as proof that the good extracts have a lot of satisfied customers.  Here's another good reason to consider anti-depressants such as SJW:

• Antidepressant Can Change Personality Traits In Healthy People - Doctor's Guide, 3/2/98 - "Twenty-three mentally-healthy men and women, average age 27, who took the antidepressant paroxetine for four weeks as part of the study scored lower on survey questionnaires used to measure hostility and exhibited more engaging and co-operative behaviour in puzzle-solving tasks with a partner than they did at the beginning of the study"

Ginseng Helps Regulate Blood Glucose - Nutrition Science News, Spring '02 - "Three new studies, performed jointly by researchers at the University of Toronto, St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, and the University of Ottawa, show that American ginseng can lower blood-sugar levels in diabetic and nondiabetic patients ... They found no significant differences between the three doses—each lowered postprandial glucose levels an average of 11.4 percent"

Fat in Fish May Fight Postpartum Depression - WebMD, 4/8/02 - "Loading up on fatty fish like tuna and salmon while you're pregnant may help ward off postpartum depression as well as give your unborn child a mental boost. New research suggests there's a link between an essential fatty acid known as DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) found in these fish and mental health ... high DHA intake among pregnant women can also reduce pregnancy and birth-related risks like low birth weight, premature birth, and pregnancy-induced high blood pressure" - See Twinlab TwinEPA.

Veggies cut smokers’ cancer risk - MSNBC, 4/8/02 - "consumption of cruciferous veggies — the family that includes broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and dark greens such as collards — appears to lower the rate of smoking-related cancers among cigarette smokers ... In a separate study at the meeting, Japanese researchers found beer and some of its ingredients appear to prevent some colon cancers — at least in rats ... Among the rats that just got water, nearly 90 percent developed tumors. In contrast, about 60 percent of the rats that had beer or malt in their diet did"

Aspirin Lowers Colon Cancer Risk - Intelihealth, 4/8/02 - "A daily baby aspirin modestly reduces the risk of colon cancer by preventing the growth of ominous polyps ... the 80-milligram baby aspirin size taken daily reduces this risk by 19 percent ... the researchers found that 38 percent of those getting baby aspirin had new polyps, compared with 47 percent of people getting placeboes. However, little benefit was seen among those getting full-size aspirin. Their recurrence rate was 45 percent"

Government Study: 7 in 10 Not Exercising - Intelihealth, 4/8/02 - "A new government report says seven in 10 adults don't regularly exercise and nearly four in 10 aren't physically active at all ... About 300,000 people a year in the United States die from diseases related to inactivity. In addition to diabetes, lack of exercise can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke"

It's National Workplace Napping Day - ABC News, 4/8/02 - "Napping improves your productivity and your mood ... 63 percent of Americans do not get enough sleep ... In a lot of ways, having a nap is lot better than a cup of coffee"

Most Americans miss opportunities to ward off cancer - MSNBC, 4/5/02 - "almost half of Americans believe it is impossible or almost impossible to prevent cancer. Yet a landmark report by the American Institute for Cancer Research concludes that 30 percent to 40 percent of cancer cases are related to choices about eating and exercising, things over which we have direct control ... only 5 percent to 10 percent of cancers are related to a genetic predisposition ... Researchers say that while some environmental factors may play a small or negligible role in cancer risk, they are all far overshadowed by the impact of lifestyle"

Combining Statin With Estrogen May Maximise Post-Menopausal Cardiovascular Benefits - Doctor's Guide, 4/5/02 - "Oral estrogen alone increased the median level of C-reactive protein from 0.27 to 0.46 mg/dL, equivalent to a 70 percent rise. On the other hand, simvastatin decreased C-reactive protein levels from 0.29 to 0.28 mg/dL. Oral estrogen combined with simvastatin increased C-reactive protein levels by 29 percent from 0.28 to 0.36 mg/dL" - Note:  Red yeast rice is a non-prescription statin.  VitaminShoppe is finally selling the 90 count size.

News - Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein Predicts Mortality In Heart Failure Patients - Doctor's Guide, 4/5/02 - "oxidized LDL was found to be an independent predictor of mortality" - Related article:

• Antioxidants and Aging - LEF, 8/99 - "Oxidation of Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad" cholesterol, causes it to stick more easily to blood vessel walls, facilitating the formation of plaques in arteries, leading to atherosclerosis ... Of the eight forms of vitamin E found in nature as tocopherols and tocotrienols, alpha tocopherol is the major free radical scavenger in fatty tissues and the main defense against the oxidation of lipids"

Exposure To Sunlight Lowers Risks Of Four Cancers - Doctor's Guide, 4/4/02 - "exposure to sunlight contributes to non-melanoma skin cancer. "By contrast, several ecological studies suggest that sunlight may protect against female breast, ovarian, prostate, and colon cancer, all diseases that contribute to a substantially higher proportion of cancer mortality in the western industrialized world." ... Some studies have suggested an association between circulating vitamin D in blood, which is largely derived from sunlight, or dietary vitamin D and colorectal, prostate and female breast cancers"

Breast Scans Show Hormone Therapy May Help Heart - ABC News, 4/4/02 - "Calcification, the build-up of tiny calcium deposits on arteries, has been linked to a person's risk of having a stroke or heart disease ... 14% of those not taking HRT showed evidence of calcification, while it was only seen in 8% of those who were taking the hormones"

Green Tea Slows Mouse Muscular-Dystrophy Condition - ABC News, 4/4/02 - "green tea might help slow some muscle degeneration seen in muscular dystrophy, possibly through the antioxidant powers of the beverage ... Several studies have suggested green tea might help ward off heart disease and certain cancers, possibly due to potent antioxidant substances called polyphenols. Antioxidants help neutralize cell-damaging forms of oxygen that occur naturally in the body and are believed to contribute to a range of diseases"

Get Active to Stay Healthy, WHO Urges - ABC News, 4/4/02 - "WHO is urging people to cycle, walk, clean the house or otherwise exercise for half an hour each day. Doing this could cut the risks of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity by 50%"

Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug Prolongs Life - WebMD, 4/4/02 - "Overall, people with rheumatoid arthritis typically live shorter lives than the general population and are at greater risk of dying from heart disease, infection, and cancer ... Although methotrexate was originally designed to treat cancer, it has also become a popular RA treatment. The drug works by interfering with the replication of cells in the body ... Those that took methotrexate were 60% less likely to have died during the six-year period compared with those on other common RA drugs"

Muscle, Bone Mass Linked in Rheumatoid Arthritis - ABC News, 4/3/02 - "Women with rheumatoid arthritis whose thigh muscles were strongest also had thigh bones that were more dense, and hence stronger ... patients with rheumatoid arthritis suffer a twofold increased risk of osteoporotic fractures due to low bone mass ... The strength of the women's thigh muscles, or quadriceps, was linked to several measures of bone strength, independent of age, disease duration and cumulative steroid dosage"

Pycnogenol Helps Hypertension - Nutrition Science News, Spring '02 - "A new study conducted at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center in Tucson shows that pycnogenol, an extract of French maritime pine bark (Pinus maritima) may lower blood pressure in mildly hypertensive patients"

Inflammation May Be A Disease Warning - Nutrition Science News, Spring '02 - "statin-lowering drugs may reduce CRP levels, independent of their effects on cholesterol.⁷ Aspirin may also lower hs-CRP"

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