If anyone places an order through Amazon.com via my website, I was wondering if you could let me know.  I'm starting to wonder if it is working as I didn't get one sale over the holidays.

Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 12/19/07.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

Meta-analysis supports fibre for uterus cancer protection - Nutra USA, 12/18/07 - "For every five grams of dietary fibre per 1000 calories, women may reduce their risk of endometrial cancer by over 20 per cent" - [Abstract]

Isoflavones may stop benign breast lumps: study - Nutra USA, 12/18/07 - "the highest plasma levels of genistein (more than 76.95 nanograms per millilitre) were 74 per cent less likely to have breast cancer, and 60 per cent less likely to have benign conditions, relative to women with the lowest average levels (less than 9.42 ng/mL)" - See soy isoflavones at Amazon.com.

Lung cancer 'link to lack of sun' - BBC News, 12/18/07 - "Cancer results when cells start to divide in an uncontrolled fashion ... vitamin D stimulated the release of chemicals which, in combination with calcium, formed a glue-like substance which bind these cells tightly together, and put a brake on their division" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Moderate beer intake may cut Alzheimer's risk: study - Nutra USA, 12/17/07 - "After three months the researchers report that animals receiving the supplementary silicon, whether from beer or the silicic acid, had significantly lower blood aluminium levels, and higher faecal excretion of aluminium ... The lower blood levels resulted in slower accumulation of aluminium in the tissue, including the brain, which could have benefits for the prevention of Alzheimer's" - See Jarrow BioSil at Amazon.com.  I've been taking about 9 drops of this per day for years.  I stir it with my orange juice every morning.

Blood Pressure Drug Telmisartan Shows Powerful Activity Against Stroke, Study Suggests - Science Daily, 12/17/07 - "83 percent of rats given no medication showed signs of stroke, as did 56 percent of rats given ramipril alone. However, no strokes were noted in the telmisartan-only or the telmisartan/ramipril combo groups ... Telmisartan's ability to easily pass through the blood-brain barrier (something ramipril cannot do) is likely behind the neuroprotective effect noted in the study" - Note:  See my First Line Suggestions for Hypertension where telmisartan and ramipril are my suggestions.

Vitamin D Supplementation Reduces Fatigue and Muscle Pain in Women With Early-Stage Breast Cancer - Doctor's Guide, 12/17/07 - "Treatment of low levels of vitamin D in women with early stage breast cancer appears to reduce fatigue and muscle pain associated with aromatase inhibitor therapy" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Most Adults With Conditions That Increase Cardiovascular Disease Risk Have High Blood Pressure - Science Daily, 12/17/07 - "High blood pressure was found in most persons with cardiovascular diseases and related problems ... 75 percent or more were being treated for hypertension, but only one-third to one-half of those in treatment reached goal levels for blood pressure (140/90 milligrams of mercury for most patients, or 130/80 milligrams of mercury for patients with diabetes or chronic kidney disease)"

Marijuana Smoke Contains Higher Levels Of Certain Toxins Than Tobacco Smoke - Science Daily, 12/17/07 - "ammonia levels were 20 times higher in the marijuana smoke than in the tobacco smoke, while hydrogen cyanide, nitric oxide and certain aromatic amines occurred at levels 3-5 times higher in the marijuana smoke"

Agent Reduces Breast Cancer Risk in Two Groups of Women - Physician's Weekly Article, 12/17/07 - "raloxifene hydrochloride reduced the risk of invasive breast cancer by 44% to 71% by blocking estrogen receptors in the breast"

Human Papillomavirus in Cervical and Head-and-Neck Cancer - Medscape, 12/17/07 - "mounting epidemiological, molecular and clinical evidence indicates that high-risk HPVs (especially HPV.16) account for the development of head and-neck carcinoma in some individuals who do not have the classical risk factors for this disease (i.e. a history of tobacco use and/or alcohol consumption)" - See my story on this.

Hypothyroidism Tied to Excess Small Intestinal Bacteria - Medscape, 12/17/07 - "small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) ... A hydrogen glucose breath test indicated SIBO in 27 of the patients (54%) versus 2 (5%) of the controls. Symptoms such as abdominal discomfort, flatulence and bloating were significantly more prevalent in the SIBO Group. After treating these patients with 1200 mg rifaximin for a week, there was a significant improvement in the symptoms"

Aging May Tinker With Thirst - WebMD, 12/17/07 - "healthy men in their 20s or 60s get equally thirsty when injected with salt water. But older men drank half as much water as younger men to slake their thirst"

Researchers Nix Low-carb Diet - Science Daily, 12/17/07 - "The term used to describe diets that produce this biological effect is ketogenic; hence, Atkins is a ketogenic, low-carbohydrate (KLC) diet, and the Zone diet is considered a nonketogenic, low-carbohydrate (NLC) diet ... the ketogenic diet may increase bone loss because of an increase in acid in the body and not enough intake of alkalizing minerals, such as potassium, to neutralize this effect. In addition, a higher percentage of calcium was found in the urine of those on the KLC diet, leading the researchers to believe that the bones are “leaching” calcium ... the reduction in fat loss and weight loss was about the same for both diets over a six-week trial. In addition, body mass index was significantly lower after six weeks in both diet groups. However, those following the KLC diet experienced a greater increase in LDL cholesterol than those following the NLC diet"

Moderate Exercise Cuts Rate Of Metabolic Syndrome - Science Daily, 12/17/07 - "a person can lower risk of MetS by walking just 30 minutes a day, six days per week ... Before exercising regularly, 41 percent of the participants met the criteria for MetS. At the end of the 8-month exercise program, only 27 percent did"

Progesterone in Dairy Products Poses Risks - Doctor's Guide, 12/14/07 - "People absorb significant amounts of bovine progesterone (identical to human progesterone) from dairy products, thanks to the practice among dairy farmers of keeping dairy cattle pregnant most of the time"

Strong Link Between Obesity And Colorectal Cancer - Science Daily, 12/14/07 - "obese individuals (Body Mass Index* (BMI) >30 kg/m2) have a 20% greater risk of developing colorectal cancer compared with those of normal weight (BMI < 25 kg/m2) ... carrying even a few excess kilos substantially increases the risk of colorectal cancer; for every 5 kg weight gain the risk of developing the cancer increases by 7%"

L-carnitine linked to better mental function in the very old - Nutra USA, 12/13/07 - "either the daily L-carnitine supplement (two grams, from Sigma Tau) or placebo for six months ... the supplementation with L-carnitine was associated with significant reductions in fat mass, compared to placebo. Indeed, the active supplement group lost 1.6 kg of fat mass, while the placebo group gained 0.6 kg ... Total muscle mass in the L-carnitine-supplemented group increased by three kilograms more than the placebo group ... Cognitive performance, measured using the 30-point Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), showed increases of 4.1 points for the L-carnitine group, compared to only 0.6 points on average for the placebo group" - [Abstract] - See l-carnitine at Amazon.com.

Green Tea May Protect Brain Cells Against Parkinson's Disease - Science Daily, 12/13/07 - "green tea polyphenols protect dopamine neurons that increases with the amount consumed. They also show that this protective effect is mediated by inhibition of the ROS-NO pathway, a pathway that may contribute to cell death in Parkinson's" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.

Omega-3 shows benefits for fat loss in diabetics - Nutra USA, 12/13/07 - "either daily supplements of fish oil (three grams, providing 1.8 grams of omega-3) or placebo (paraffin oil) for two months ... At the end of the study, Kabir and co-workers report significant reductions in total fat mass and the diameter of fat cells beneath the surface of the skin (subcutaneous adipocytes) in the omega-3, but not the placebo, group ... risk factors for plaque formation in the arteries (atherogenic markers), such as triacylglycerol levels and the ration of triacylglycerol to HDL ('good') cholesterol, were significantly lower as a result of omega-3 supplementation" - [Abstract] - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com.

Blood Pressure Drugs: Is Timing Key? - WebMD, 12/13/07 - "The study was small, involving just 32 patients with chronic kidney disease taking more than one blood pressure medication ... When the patients switched just one of their blood pressure drugs from morning to bedtime, 28 experienced normalization of nighttime blood pressure patterns within eight weeks ... Most patients also showed decreases in protein levels in their urine indicative of better kidney function"

Too Much Fructose Could Leave Dieters Sugar Shocked - Science Daily, 12/13/07 - "Eating too much fructose causes uric acid levels to spike, which can block the ability of insulin to regulate how body cells use and store sugar and other nutrients for energy, leading to obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes"

High Testosterone Enanthate Dose May Impair Memory in Older Men - Medscape, 12/13/07 - "supraphysiological testosterone levels may have detrimental effects on memory and brain function in elderly men ... the testosterone treatment was associated with declines of "medium effect size" in short-term verbal memory score (p < .05) and a nonsignificant decrease in composite verbal memory score (p = .09), as measured with the California Verbal Learning Test"

A Drink To Healthy Aging - Science Daily, 12/13/07 - "survival rates were lower in women who did not consume alcohol"

Cannabis Smoking Contributes to Pulmonary Disease - Medscape, 12/13/07 - "Cannabis smoking was associated with an increased risk of wheeze, chest tightness, and cough ... Cannabis smokers had twice the risk of chronic bronchitis and a 70% increased risk of asthma diagnosed after age 16 years ... Cannabis and tobacco smoking were both associated with a reduction in the FEV1/FVC ratio ... An increased percentage of low density lung tissue was associated with cannabis smoking ... one joint was pathologically equivalent to 2.5 to 5 tobacco cigarettes"

Vitamin D dose study adds weight to intake increases - Nutra USA, 12/12/07 - "Doses of vitamin D3 of 2,000 International Units (IU) - the current tolerable upper intake level (UL) in Europe and the US - are needed to ensure blood levels of the vitamin amongst post-menopausal African-American women ... A recent review of the science reported that the tolerable upper intake level for oral vitamin D3 should be increased five-fold, from the current tolerable upper intake level (UL) in Europe and the US of 2000 International Units (IU), equivalent to 50 micrograms per day, to 10,000 IU" - [Abstract] - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Med diet linked to longer life - study - Nutra USA, 12/12/07 - "greater adherence to a Med-style diet reduced the risk of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer by 22 and 17 per cent in men, and 12 per cent for women ... so-called all-cause mortality (death from all causes) was reduced by 21 per cent among men and 20 per cent among women with the greatest adherence ... The Mediterranean diet also includes other important dietary constituents such as fiber and a low omega-6:omega-3 fatty acid ratio, both of which potentially prevent cancer initiation and progression" - [Abstract]

High Blood Pressure Associated With Risk For Mild Cognitive Impairment - Science Daily, 12/12/07 - "Hypertension (high blood pressure) was associated with an increased risk of all types of mild cognitive impairment that was mostly driven by an increased risk of non-amnestic mild cognitive impairment ... Preventing and treating hypertension may have an important impact in lowering the risk of cognitive impairment"

DHEA Restores Oxidative Balance in Type 2 Diabetes - Medscape, 12/11/07 - "DHEA significantly reduced oxidative stress parameters in both plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells, the report indicates, and its administration was followed by a 50% decrease in levels of pentosidine (a marker of AGE formation)" - See DHEA at Amazon.com.

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

Association between dietary fiber and endometrial cancer: a dose-response meta-analysis - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Dec;86(6):1730-7 - "the random-effects summary risk estimate was 0.82 (95% CI: 0.75, 0.90) per 5 g/1000 kcal dietary fiber"

Dietary intake adequacy and cognitive function in free-living active elderly: A cross-sectional and short-term prospective study - Clin Nutr. 2007 Dec 12 - "mini-mental state examination (MMSE) ... subjects whose consumption of calcium was above the dietary reference intake had a significantly higher odds ratio (OR) of improving their MMSE (OR=5.41; 95% CI: 1.44-20.29)" - See calcium products at Amazon.com.

Long-Term Effect of Magnesium Consumption on the Risk of Symptomatic Gallstone Disease Among Men - Am J Gastroenterol. 2007 Dec 12 - "Our findings suggest a protective role of magnesium consumption in the prevention of symptomatic gallstone disease among men" - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.

Diagnosis and treatment of vitamin D deficiency - Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2008 Jan;9(1):107-118 - "The recent discovery - in a randomised, controlled trial - that daily ingestion of 1100 IU of colecalciferol (vitamin D) over a 4-year period dramatically reduced the incidence of non-skin cancers makes it difficult to overstate the potential medical, social and economic implications of treating vitamin D deficiency. Not only are such deficiencies common, probably the rule, vitamin D deficiency stands implicated in a host of diseases other than cancer. The metabolic product of vitamin D is a potent, pleiotropic, repair and maintenance, secosteroid hormone that targets > 200 human genes in a wide variety of tissues, meaning it has as many mechanisms of action as genes it targets. A common misconception is that government agencies designed present intake recommendations to prevent or treat vitamin D deficiency. They did not. Instead, they are guidelines to prevent particular metabolic bone diseases ... As a prolonged 'vitamin D winter', centred on the winter solstice, occurs at many temperate latitudes, </= 5000 IU (125 mug) of vitamin D/day may be required in obese, aged and/or dark-skinned patients to maintain adequate levels during the winter, a dose that makes many physicians uncomfortable" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Predictors of cognitive impairment and dementia in older people with diabetes - Diabetologia. 2007 Dec 5 - "Peripheral arterial disease is a strong independent risk factor for dementia in diabetes"

Dietary patterns and surgically treated benign prostatic hyperplasia: a case control study in Western Australia - BJU Int. 2007 Dec 5 - "BPH risk was not associated with the 'Health Conscious' or 'Western' patterns, but there was a lower risk with an increasing score for the 'Vegetable' pattern (odds ratio 0.78, 95% confidence interval 0.63-0.98). BPH risk was significantly and inversely related to the intake of total vegetables, dark yellow vegetables, other vegetables, tofu and red meat. There was a higher risk of BPH with increasing intake of high-fat dairy products"

Body iron stores in relation to the metabolic syndrome, glycemic control and complications in female patients with type 2 diabetes - Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2007 Dec 4 - "Ferritin, soluble Transferrin Receptor (sTfR), sTfR/Log ferritin ratio (sTfR-F index) ... Patients within the lowest tertile of the sTfR-F index had significantly higher fasting insulin, percent B, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and Apolipoprotein B than those in the highest tertile. Ferritin showed significant correlations with insulin, percent B and inverse correlations with adiponectin and percent S. The sTfR-F index was significantly correlated with insulin, percent B and lipid parameters"

• Ferritin definition - medterms.com - "The blood level of ferritin serves as an indicator of the amount of iron stored in the body"

DHEA sulfate levels are associated with more favorable cognitive function in women - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Dec 11 - "In the multiple linear regression analysis the DHEAS term made a significant independent positive contribution to the Controlled Oral Word Association Test score, a measure of executive function. In addition, women with a DHEAS level in the highest tertile who also had more than 12 years of education performed better on both Digit Span Forward and Digit Span Backward tests which are tests of simple concentration and working memory respectively" - See DHEA at Amazon.com.

Mediterranean Dietary Pattern and Prediction of All-Cause Mortality in a US Population: Results From the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study - Arch Intern Med. 2007 Dec 10;167(22):2461-8 - "The Mediterranean diet was associated with reduced all-cause and cause-specific mortality. In men, the multivariate HRs comparing high to low conformity for all-cause, CVD, and cancer mortality were 0.79 (95% CI, 0.76-0.83), 0.78 (95% CI, 0.69-0.87), and 0.83 (95% CI, 0.76-0.91), respectively. In women, an inverse association was seen with high conformity with this pattern: decreased risks that ranged from 12% for cancer mortality to 20% for all-cause mortality (P = .04 and P < .001, respectively, for the trend)"

Physical activity recommendations and decreased risk of mortality - Arch Intern Med. 2007 Dec 10;167(22):2453-60 - "During 1 265 347 person-years of follow-up, 7900 participants died. Compared with being inactive, achievement of activity levels that approximate the recommendations for moderate activity (at least 30 minutes on most days of the week) or vigorous exercise (at least 20 minutes 3 times per week) was associated with a 27% (relative risk [RR], 0.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.68-0.78) and 32% (RR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.64-0.73) decreased mortality risk, respectively. Physical activity reflective of meeting both recommendations was related to substantially decreased mortality risk overall (RR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.46-0.54) and in subgroups, including smokers (RR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.44-0.53) and nonsmokers (RR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.45-0.64), normal weight (RR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.39-0.52) and overweight or obese individuals (RR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.44-0.54), and those with 2 h/d (RR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.44-0.63) and more than 2 h/d of television or video watching (RR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.45-0.55). Engaging in physical activity at less than recommended levels was also related to reduced mortality risk (RR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.76-0.86)"

Dose response to vitamin D supplementation among postmenopausal African American women - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Dec;86(6):1657-62 - "Supplementation with 50 mug/d (2000 IU/d) oral vitamin D(3) is sufficient to raise serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations to >50 nmol/L in almost all postmenopausal African American women. However, higher doses were needed to achieve concentrations >75 nmol/L in many women in this population" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Coffee consumption is associated with higher plasma adiponectin concentrations in women with and without type 2 diabetes: a prospective cohort study - Diabetes Care. 2007 Dec 10 - "High consumption of caffeine-containing coffee is associated with higher adiponectin and lower inflammatory marker concentrations"

• Adiponectin definition - Medterms.com - "Low levels of adiponectin are found in people who are obese (and who are at increased risk of a heart attack)"

Treatment for 2 mo with n 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids reduces adiposity and some atherogenic factors but does not improve insulin sensitivity in women with type 2 diabetes: a randomized controlled study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Dec;86(6):1670-9 - "A moderate dose of n-3 PUFAs for 2 mo reduced adiposity and atherogenic markers without deterioration of insulin sensitivity in subjects with type 2 diabetes. Some adipose tissue inflammation-related genes were also reduced. These beneficial effects could be linked to morphologic and inflammatory changes in adipose tissue" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com.

Testosterone, diabetes mellitus, and the metabolic syndrome - Curr Urol Rep. 2007 Nov;8(6):467-71 - "One third of men with type 2 diabetes mellitus are now recognized as testosterone deficient. Emerging evidence suggests that testosterone therapy may be able to reverse some aspects of metabolic syndrome"

Supplement Focus (Rhodiola rosea):

• Rhodiola rosea products at iHerb
• Rhodiola - Vitacost Health Library
• Herbal Extract Found To Increase Lifespan - Science Daily, 12/5/07 - "Flies that ate a diet rich with Rhodiola rosea, an herbal supplement long used for its purported stress-relief effects, lived on an average of 10 percent longer than fly groups that didn’t eat the herb ... Although this study does not present clinical evidence that Rhodiola can extend human life, the finding that it does extend the lifespan of a model organism, combined with its known health benefits in humans, make this herb a promising candidate for further anti-aging research ... Rhodiola rosea ... has been used by Scandinavians and Russians for centuries for its anti-stress qualities ... patients taking a Rhodiola extract called SHR-5 reported fewer symptoms of depression than did those who took a placebo"
• Warming to a Cold War Herb - Science News, 9/22/07 - "Government scientists had noted that rhodiola boosted the body's response to stress ... Almost immediately, my mind seemed clearer ... After a few days, I noticed I recovered from exercise more quickly"
• Rhodiola - The Cellular Energy-Boosting Herb - Life Extension Magazine, 2/06 - "With its ability to increase mental energy and physical endurance, rhodiola has tremendous potential to counteract many negative effects of the aging process. Studies show that rhodiola can favorably support the body’s stress reaction, both mentally and physically. In research trials, rhodiola has been shown to boost brain function and have anti-cancer effects"
• Cortisol, Stress, and Health - Life Extension Magazine, 12/05 - "Supplements to reduce high cortisol levels secondary to stress ... Vitamin C: 1000-3000 mg/day ... Fish oil (omega-3 fatty acids):1-4 gm/day ... Phosphatidylserine: 300-800 mg/day ... Rhodiola rosea: 100-200 mg/day, standardized extract ... Ginseng: 100-300 mg/day, standardized extract ... Ginkgo biloba: 100-200 mg/day, standardized extract ... DHEA: 25-50 mg/day (any hormone supplementation should be monitored by your physician)"
• Research puts rhodiola to the stress test - Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals, 7/04
• Natural Sex Boosters Gaining Ground - WebMD, 5/5/04
• I have heard that the herb Rhodiola rosea is helpful for breast cancer patients. Can you give me some information about it? - Dr. Weil, 6/25/03
• Stress: The Hidden Factor For Weight Gain - Nutrition Science News, 4/01

Abstract:

• Evaluation of Rhodiola crenulata and Rhodiola rosea for management of Type II diabetes and hypertension - Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2006;15(3):425-32 - "The ability of the above Rhodiola extracts to inhibit rabbit lung angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) was investigated. The ethanol extracts of R.rosea had the highest ACE inhibitory activity (38.5 %) followed by water extract of R.rosea (36.2 %) and R.crenulata (15.4 %)"

Affiliates (I could sure use some sales.  You can drag the links onto your desktop and use them so that I get credit for the sale.  Click here for more stores):