It was a slow week for news.  Plus my RSS feeds for Medline abstracts didn't work for a couple days and I lost some news.  For some reason, all the feed links broke.  I kept getting abstracts from 1949 and 1966 for some reason.  I had to go through all the journals at http://qualitycounts.com/fpjournals.html and reenter them in newsgator.com.

Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 1/2/08.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

Lack Of Deep Sleep May Increase Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes - Science Daily, 1/1/08 - "They found that when slow-wave sleep was suppressed for only three nights, young healthy subjects became about 25 percent less sensitive to insulin"

Fish Oil Prevents Alzheimer's Plaques - WebMD, 12/26/07 - "the fish-oil compound DHA causes brain cells to make lots more LR11 ... Because reduced LR11 is known to increase beta amyloid production and may be a significant genetic cause of late-onset Alzheimer's disease, our results indicate that DHA increases in LR11 levels may play an important role in preventing late-onset Alzheimer's disease" - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

New Ingredients In Drug-like Anti-aging Products Improve Skin - Science Daily, 12/28/07 - "skin surface irregularity can be improved through the topical application of niacin, while the appearance of fine lines can be diminished through the application of moisturizers containing engineered peptides and over-the-counter retinoids. Skin pigmentation can become more regular with the use of photoprotective ingredients. Furthermore, combining cosmeceutical ingredients in a moisturizing agent can magnify benefits and improve skin appearance"

Dark chocolate 'not so healthy' - BBC News, 12/24/07 - "Plain chocolate is naturally rich in flavanols, plant chemicals that are believed to protect the heart ... many manufacturers remove flavanols because of their bitter taste"

Niacin - A New Look at an Old Drug - U.S. Pharmacist, 10/15/03 - "In one study, up to 53% of patients treated with IR niacin reported flushing, compared with 22% in the SR niacin group; four of the 23 IR-treated patients (17%) withdrew because of flushing. However, 67% of patients discontinued SR niacin therapy because of liver enzyme elevations (three times the upper limit of normal), and 52% of patients developed hepatotoxic symptoms; however, no patients treated with IR niacin developed significant changes in liver enzymes ... Because the incidence and severity of flushing often decreases with continued use—sometimes dissipating altogether—stress that any interruptions in therapy may lead to losing any tolerance" - Note:  I've been taking two grams of the Twinlab immediate release niacin for years and I don't get any flush from it if I take it with a little food. - Ben (See niacin 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):

Broccoli: A Unique Vegetable That Protects Mammalian Hearts through the Redox Cycling of the Thioredoxin Superfamily - J Agric Food Chem. 2007 Dec 29 - "the results of the present study indicate that the consumption of broccoli triggers cardioprotection by generating a survival signal through the activation of several survival proteins and by redox cycling of thioredoxins"

J Nutr. 2008 Jan;138(1):49-53Lycopene Inhibits Disease Progression in Patients with Benign Prostate Hyperplasia - J Nutr. 2008 Jan;138(1):49-53 - "Symptoms of the disease, as assessed via the International Prostate Symptom Score questionnaire, were improved in both groups with a significantly greater effect in men taking lycopene supplements. In conclusion, lycopene inhibited progression of BPH" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com.

Docosahexaenoic Acid Supplementation Decreases Remnant-Like Particle-Cholesterol and Increases the (n-3) Index in Hypertriglyceridemic Men - J Nutr. 2008 Jan;138(1):30-35 - "Plasma remnant-like particle-cholesterol (RLP-C) and the RBC (n-3) index are novel risk factors for cardiovascular disease ... DHA supplementation for 45 d decreased (P < 0.05) fasting RLP-C (36%) and increased plasma eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA):arachidonic acid (AA) (100%) and the RBC (n-3) index (109%). Continued supplementation with DHA between d 45 and 91 further increased the RBC (n-3) index (162%) and plasma EPA:AA (137%) compared with baseline values. RLP-C concentration was positively associated (P < 0.01) with the plasma concentrations of triacylglycerols (Kendall's correlation coefficient or r = 0.46), triacylglycerol:HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) (r = 0.44), total cholesterol:HDL-C (r = 0.26), Apo B (r = 0.22), C III (r = 0.41), and E (r = 0.17), and 18:1(n-9) (r = 0.32); it was negatively associated (P < 0.05) with plasma concentrations of DHA (r = -0.32), EPA (r = -0.25), HDL-C (r = -0.21), LDL cholesterol:Apo B (r = -0.30), and HDL-C:Apo A"

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"

Renoprotective action of l-carnitine in fructose-induced metabolic syndrome - Diabetes Obes Metab. 2007 Dec 17 - "l-carnitine (CA) administration ... The benefits of CA in this model suggest the therapeutic use of CA to counter the kidney changes associated with metabolic syndrome" - See l-carnitine at Amazon.com.

Health Focus (Mediterranean Diet):

• 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]
• Mediterranean Diet May Help Alzheimer's Patients Live Longer - Science Daily, 9/10/07 - "Alzheimer's patients who adhered to the diet to a moderate degree lived an average 1.3 years longer than those people who least adhered to the diet. And those Alzheimer's patients who followed the diet very religiously lived an average four years longer"
• Mediterranean Diet Halves Risk Of Progressive Lung Disease - Science Daily, 5/15/07
• Diet May Influence Alzheimer's Risk - WebMD, 10/9/06 - "Long suspected of lowering the risk of heart disease and diabetes, the Mediterranean diet consists of large amounts of fruits, vegetables, beans, grains, and nuts. Red meats are eaten only rarely and poultry, eggs, and dairy products are eaten in moderation. Olive oil and fatty fish are the main sources of fat in the diet ... People who most closely adhered to the diet had an Alzheimer's risk that was 40% to 65% lower than people who were least likely to follow the diet"
• Erectile Function in Subjects With the Metabolic Syndrome - Medscape, 7/19/06 - "consumption of a Mediterranean-style diet in men with the metabolic syndrome and ED at baseline produced significant improvement of erectile and endothelial functions, together with a significant reduction of systemic vascular inflammation, as indicated by the reduced levels of CRP"
• Mediterranean Beats Low-Fat Diet - WebMD, 6/5/06 - "Compared with the low-fat group, the two Mediterranean diet groups had bigger improvements in blood pressure, insulin resistance (a problem which accompanies or precedes type 2 diabetes), markers of inflammation, and levels of cholesterol and other lipids (blood fats)"
• Mediterranean Diet May Cut Alzheimer's - WebMD, 4/18/06 - "Scores ranged from 0-9, with higher scores showing greater adherence to a Mediterranean diet ... those with middle scores were 15% less likely to have been found to have developed Alzheimer's disease, and those with the highest scores were 40% less likely to have been found to have Alzheimer's disease"
• Olive oil—key to Mediterranean diet's benefits - MSNBC, 3/10/06
• Tufts Expert Examines The Cardiovascular Benefits Of A Mediterranean-style Diet - Science Daily, 2/7/06
• The Disease-Preventive Power of the Mediterranean Diet - Life Extension Magazine, 7/05
• Mediterranean Diet Linked to Longer Life - WebMD, 4/7/05 - "a healthy man of 60 who follows the diet, which is rich in fruits and vegetables and low in meat and dairy, can expect to live a year longer than a man of the same age who doesn't follow the diet ... The Mediterranean diet was nearly vegetarian, with fish and very little meat, and was rich in green vegetables"
• Mediterranean Diet Helps Lower Death Rates - WebMD, 12/9/04 - "those seniors adhering to the Mediterranean diet had a 23% lower risk of death from all causes ... seniors who exercised at least 30 minutes every day lowered their risk of death by 37%. Nonsmoking seniors reduced their risk by 35%. Seniors who drank alcohol moderately reduced their risk by 22% ... a senior who adhered to all of these lifestyle changes reduced his risk of death by 65%"
• More good news about the Mediterranean diet - MSNBC, 10/29/04 - "people who ate a mostly Mediterranean diet, exercised moderately, drank little to moderate amounts of alcohol, and didn’t smoke had 65 percent fewer deaths than those who followed none or only one of these healthy habits"
• Is the Mediterranean Diet Really Healthier? - Dr. Weil, 10/8/04
• Mediterranean Diet May Be Effective in Reducing Metabolic Syndrome and Associated Symptoms - Doctor's Guide, 9/22/04 - "after 2 years, patients in the Mediterranean diet intervention group had significant decreases in body weight, blood pressure, levels of glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, and triglycerides and a significant increase in levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ... Serum concentrations of interleukins 6 (IL-6), 7 (IL-7), and 18 (IL-18) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were significantly reduced in patients in the intervention group"
• Mediterranean Diet Improves Survival in Elderly - Medscape, 9/21/04 - "Among 70- to 90-year-olds, adherence to a Mediterranean diet and healthful lifestyle is associated with a more than 50% lower rate of all-cause and cause-specific mortality"
• A Lifestyle Blueprint for Long Life - WebMD, 9/21/04
• Is It Better to Eat Like the French? - Dr. Weil, 8/3/04
• Mediterranean Diet Fights Heart Disease - WebMD, 11/11/03
• Mediterranean Diet Lowers C-reactive Protein Levels - Medscape, 11/11/03 - "For each 10-point increase in diet score, there was a corresponding 0.22 mg/dL reduction in C-reactive protein levels, a 0.21 pg/ml reduction in interleukin-6, a 12.5 mg/dL decrease in fibrinogen, and a 0.87 mmol/L decrease in homocysteine levels (P < .05), he said. Also, white blood cell count decreased significantly"
• Mediterranean Diet Independently Lowers Cardiovascular Disease Risk - Doctor's Guide, 11/10/03
• Mediterranean diet evidence - jr2.ox.ac.uk. 8/03
• Mediterranean diet 'extends life' - bbc.co.uk. 8/24/03 - "The[y] found that quercetin, which is abundant in olive oil, has a similar effect"
• Mastering the Mediterranean Diet? - Dr. Weil, 8/14/03
• Add 1 lb. of veggies, olive oil - USA Today, 6/25/03 - "participants were rated on a scale of 0 to 9, based on how closely they stuck to the traditional Mediterranean diet. The higher the score, the better the adherence ... A two-point increase in the adherence score was associated with a 25% reduced risk of death from all causes, a 33% reduced risk of death from heart disease and a 24% reduced risk of death from cancer ... People in Greece eat about a pound of vegetables a day, mostly cooked ... Salads are served with fish, and vegetables like zucchini and spinach are boiled and seasoned with lemon and olive oil"
• Mediterranean Diet: More Than Olive Oil - WebMD, 6/25/03 - "In addition to having olive oil with most meals, the typical Mediterranean diet is very high in vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and cereals; moderate in fish intake; and has lower amounts of meat and dairy than the typical American diet. Drinking alcohol is also a frequently practiced dining ritual"
• Mediterranean Diet Cuts Risk Of Cancer In Half - Doctor's Guide, 6/16/98

Mediterranean Diet Abstracts:

• Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet Is Inversely Associated With Circulating Interleukin-6 Among Middle-Aged Men. A Twin Study - Circulation. 2007 Dec 17 - "A 1-unit within-pair absolute difference in the diet score was associated with a 9% (95% CI, 4.5 to 13.6) lower interleukin-6 level"
• 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)"
• Mediterranean Diet, Alzheimer Disease, and Vascular Mediation - Arch Neurol, 10/9/06 - "Higher adherence to the MeDi was associated with lower risk for AD (odds ratio, 0.76; 95% confidence interval, 0.67-0.87; P<.001). Compared with subjects in the lowest MeDi tertile, subjects in the middle MeDi tertile had an odds ratio of 0.47 (95% confidence interval, 0.29-0.76) and those at the highest tertile an odds ratio of 0.32 (95% confidence interval, 0.17-0.59) for AD"
• Mediterranean diet improves erectile function in subjects with the metabolic syndrome - Int J Impot Res. 2006 Jan 5 - "Mediterranean-style diet rich in whole grain, fruits, vegetables, legumes, walnut, and olive oil might be effective per se in reducing the prevalence of ED in men with the metabolic syndrome"
• Effect of a mediterranean-style diet on endothelial dysfunction and markers of vascular inflammation in the metabolic syndrome: a randomized trial - JAMA. 2004 Sep 22;292(12):1440-6 - "A Mediterranean-style diet might be effective in reducing the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its associated cardiovascular risk"
• Metabolic syndrome: dietary interventions - Curr Opin Cardiol. 2004 Sep;19(5):473-9 - "Although there is no "all-inclusive" diet yet, it seems plausible that a Mediterranean-style diet exhibits most of the desired attributes"
• Mediterranean diet improves lipid profiles over three months - Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2004;13(Suppl):S138 - "A Mediterranean diet is effective for weight loss over three months and has early favourable effect on HDL and Triglyceride levels and a neutral effect on TC and LDL levels"

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