Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 10/8/08.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

Unpopular veggies vital for cancer protection: Study - Nutra USA, 10/7/08 - "Significant inhibition of all the cancer cell lines tested – stomach, lung, breast, kidney, skin, pancreas, prostate, and brain – was observed for all the extracts from cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, and curly cabbage, and vegetables of the genus Allium, such as garlic ... These chemopreventive effects are likely related to the formation of organosulfur compounds following mechanical disruption of these vegetables, namely isothiocyanates from cruciferous and a series of allyl sulfur molecules from Allium vegetables"

Patients With IBD, Chronic Liver Disease at Increased Risk of Vitamin D Deficiencies - Doctor's Guide, 10/7/08 - "conducted analysed vitamin D levels of 504 patients with IBD ... researchers found almost 50% of the patients were vitamin D deficient at some point, with 11% being severely deficient ... with hepatitis C virus (HCV) ... 92.4% of the patients had some degree of vitamin D deficiency and at least one-third was severely deficient" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Meat 'ups prostate cancer risk' - BBC News, 10/7/08 - "Such a diet raises levels of a hormone called Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) which promotes cell growth ... men with high blood levels of IGF-1 were up to 40% more likely to develop prostate cancer than those with low levels ... levels could be up to 15% higher in people who ate a lot of meat and dairy products" - Note:  That might be something to think about for people taking growth hormone because that increases IGF-1 much more than meat.

Red Wine May Lower Lung Cancer Risk - Science Daily, 10/7/08 - "there was on average a two percent lower lung cancer risk associated with each glass of red wine consumed per month ... Red wine is known to contain high levels of antioxidants. There is a compound called resveratrol that is very rich in red wine because it is derived from the grape skin. This compound has shown significant health benefits in preclinical studies" - [WebMD] - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.

Oral Vitamin D May Help Prevent Some Skin Infections - Science Daily, 10/6/08 - "use of oral Vitamin D supplements bolsters production of a protective chemical normally found in the skin, and may help prevent skin infections that are a common result of atopic dermatitis, the most common form of eczema" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Metabolic Syndrome Ups Colorectal Cancer Risk - Science Daily, 10/6/08 - "metabolic syndrome patients had a 75 percent higher risk of colorectal cancer compared to those without metabolic syndrome"

Flax and borage oil may boost skin health from within - 10/3/08 - "the researchers noted a significant decrease in reddening of the skin in the flaxseed and borage oil groups of 45 and 35 per cent, respectively, compared to baseline values. No differences were recorded in the placebo group ... blood flow to the in skin also decreased in the oil groups ... Measurements of water loss from the skin showed that the oil supplements were associated with decreases of about 10 per cent after six weeks, with only the flaxseed oil group showing further decreases at the end of 12 weeks (25 per cent) ... The roughness and scaling – dry peeling skin – was also decreased significantly after 12 weeks of flaxseed and borage oil supplementation, with no differences in the placebo group" - [Abstract]

Vitamin C, Chemotherapy: Bad Combo? - WebMD, 10/1/08 - "What vitamin C does is protect the cancer cells from the chemotherapy mainly by protecting their mitochondria [the cell's power sources]"

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):

Raised homocysteine and low folate and vitamin B-12 concentrations predict cognitive decline in community-dwelling older Japanese adults - Clin Nutr. 2008 Oct 1 - "Reduced folate and vitamin B-12 concentrations were independently associated with cognitive decline"

Coffee consumption and the risk of cancer: An overview - Cancer Lett. 2008 Sep 30 - "Habitual coffee drinking has been associated with a reduced risk of mortality and chronic diseases, including cancer. The favourable influence of coffee is supported by several plausible mechanisms due to the presence of a variety of biological compounds such as caffeine, diterpenes, caffeic acid, polyphenols as well as volatile aroma and heterocyclic substances. Current evidence suggests that coffee consumption is associated with a reduced risk of liver, kidney, and to a lesser extent, premenopausal breast and colorectal cancers, while it is unrelated to prostate, pancreas and ovary cancers. Coffee drinking may still help reduce death due to liver cancer"

Chemotherapy is linked to severe vitamin D deficiency in patients with colorectal cancer - Int J Colorectal Dis. 2008 Oct 2 - "Chemotherapy is associated with a significant increase in the risk of severe vitamin D deficiency. Patients with colorectal cancer, especially those receiving chemotherapy, should be considered for aggressive vitamin D replacement strategies" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Green tea and cardiovascular disease: from molecular targets towards human health - Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2008 Nov;11(6):758-65 - "Consumption of green tea has been inversely associated with the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases and cardiovascular risk factors. Mechanisms that have been suggested as being involved in the antiatherosclerotic effects of green tea consumption primarily entail antioxidative, antiinflammatory, antiproliferative, and antithrombotic properties, as well as beneficial effects on endothelial function. Moreover, evidence exists for myocardial effects of tea constituents, including positive inotropic and antihypertrophic effects, and beneficial impact in myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.

Improvement of aggressive behavior and quality of life impairment following S-Adenosyl-Methionine (SAM-e) augmentation in schizophrenia - Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2008 Sep 26 - "Eighteen patients with chronic schizophrenia were randomly assigned to receive either SAM-e (800 mg) or placebo for 8 weeks in double-blind fashion. Results indicated some reduction in aggressive behavior and improved quality of life following SAM-e administration. Female patients showed improvement of depressive symptoms" - See SAM-e at Amazon.com.

Supplement Focus (SAM-e (S-adenosylmethionine)):

SAM-e News & Research:

• SAM-e at Amazon.com
• SAMe review - ConsumerLab.com, 4/26/07
• Report: Same - Life Extension Magazine, 4/07
• Improvement of aggressive behavior and quality of life impairment following S-Adenosyl-Methionine (SAM-e) augmentation in schizophrenia - Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2008 Sep 26 - "Eighteen patients with chronic schizophrenia were randomly assigned to receive either SAM-e (800 mg) or placebo for 8 weeks in double-blind fashion. Results indicated some reduction in aggressive behavior and improved quality of life following SAM-e administration. Female patients showed improvement of depressive symptoms"
• 8 natural pain relievers - MSNBC, 9/14/08 - "Capsaicin: For arthritis, shingles, or neuropathy ... InflaThera or Zyflamend: For arthritis ... Aquamin: For osteoarthritis ... SAM-e (S adenosylmethionine): For osteoarthritis ... Fish oil: For joint pain from arthritis or autoimmune disorders ... Methylsulfonyl-methane (MSM): For osteoarthritis"
• Patients Seek Natural Alternatives to NSAIDs - Clinical Psychiatry News, 7/05 - "SAMe appeared to be as effective as NSAIDs in reducing pain and improving functionality with fewer adverse effects than NSAIDS"
• SAMe - A Natural Compound that Offers Safe, Effective Relief from Depression, Osteoarthritis, and Liver Disease - Life Extension Magazine, 1/05 - "SAMe offers arthritis relief without the side effects associated with NSAIDs. Given its safety and tolerability record, SAMe supplementation is recommended for anyone interested in maintaining optimal liver function. Finally, SAMe is a valuable and effective tool for managing depression, offering a safe, effective alternative to prescription medications"
• SAMe Bioavailability and Lack of Toxicity in Humans - Medscape, 12/16/04
• Small Study Shows SAMe May Improve Treatment Of Depression - Science Daily, 12/9/04
• Dietary Supplement Ups Antidepressant Effect - WebMD, 12/2/04 - "Half the patients in the study reported significant improvement in symptoms when they took SAMe along with their prescription antidepressant for six weeks. Forty-three percent reported having no depression symptoms at all six weeks after adding the dietary supplement to their treatment"
• S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe) - A Very Important Natural Product - Dr. Murray's Natural Facts, 6/2/04 - "SAMe is perhaps the most effective natural antidepressant (although a strong argument could be made for the extract of St. John's wort standardized to contain 0.3% hypericin)" - See iHerb or Vitacost SAMe products.
• Supplement SAM-e Helps Beat Depression - WebMD, 5/5/04 - "When SAM-e was added to their usual medication, half of the patients improved and 43% went into remission, Alpert reports. "These are quite strong responses and remission rates for a population that failed traditional therapy.""
• S-Adenosyl Methionine May Be As Efficacious As Celecoxib in Management of Knee Osteoarthritis, But Onset of Action Is Slower - Doctor's Guide, 5/4/04 - "During the first month of phase 1, celecoxib was significantly more effective in reducing pain than was SAMe (P= .024); however, by the second month of phase 1, patients in both groups had significant pain improvement from baseline (PS</i>] < .01), and no significant difference in pain was observed between groups"
• A New Era for SAMe - Life Extension Magazine, 6/03
• Cirque choreographer promotes new twist on joint health - USA Today, 9/9/03
• S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine Results Similar to Imipramine in Major Depression - Doctor's Guide, 12/30/02 - "A total of 146 patients received 400 milligrams per day of intramuscular SAMe and 147 received 150 mg/d of oral imipramine ... SAMe and imipramine did not differ significantly on any efficacy measure, either main or secondary ... Adverse events were significantly less in patients treated with SAMe compared to those treated with imipramine" - Note:  There seems to be conflicting studies on whether oral SAMe is poorly absorbed.  I've added absorption studies near the bottom of my SAMe page.  Maybe the difference is "Enteric coating" tablets.
• SAMe Beneficial in Treating Osteoarthritis, Depression, and Liver Disease - New Hope Natural Media, 12/12/02 - "More than 100 human studies have been published in medical journals showing that SAMe is a safe, effective treatment and, in the cases of depression and osteoarthritis, works as well as conventional medications"
• SAM-e Same As Drugs - Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals, 12/02
• Supplement [SAM-e] Found Effective As Antidepressant - Intelihealth, 11/6/02 - "The dietary supplement SAMe is about as effective as older, conventional antidepressants in treating depression, a preliminary, government-funded study says. It also finds SAMe to be comparable to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications in treating the pain of osteoarthritis. Such drugs include aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen"
• Expert Panel Finds SAMe Promising - WebMD, 10/10/02 - "As a treatment for depression, SAMe was shown to be as effective as antidepressants, and more effective than placebo. SAMe also had fewer side effects when compared with standard antidepressants ... As a treatment for osteoarthritis, SAMe had fewer digestive side effects than anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, yet was effective in relieving pain ... SAMe is a natural substance for the body, it's not a designer drug, and therefore can be carried in, absorbed into pathways," ... The L-dopa medication that patients take for Parkinson's makes them unusually SAMe-deficient "because L-dopa consumes vast quantities of SAMe, like a sponge, it mops up all the SAMe in the body." - See iHerb or Vitacost SAMe products.
• Government Report Concludes: Dietary Supplement SAM-e Equally Effective as Prescription Drugs for Depression, Osteoarthritis - Vitacost/Business Wire, 10/3/02
• SAMe aids arthritis without side effects - Life Extension Magazine, 10/02
• The Wizard is Oz - Life Extension Magazine, 11/01 - "Best-selling author and nutritional guru to the rich and famous, Oz Garcia is singing the praises of the Life Extension Foundation and its products in his newest book, The Healthy High Tech Body, published in September 2001 ... Supplements at the top of Garcia's list of recommendations ... DHA ... NADH ... Alpah Lipoic Acid ... Acetyl-L-Carnitine ... An expanded list of his recommendations includes lycopene, gamma tocopherol, vinpocetine, SAMe, folic acid, carnosine, glutathione, DMAE, Huperzine A, probiotics, MSM, secretagogues, arginine pyroglutamate, IP-6, bioflavonoid formulas and grape skin/seed extracts"
• Some SAMe Supplements Found Lacking, About Half Had Less of the Active Ingredient Than Labels Implied - WebMD. 5/29/01 - "ConsumerLab.com found that about half the 13 products it tested were accurately labeled as to their SAMe content. Some brands alleged to contain 200 mg actually had about half that, because manufacturers factored in not just the weight of "free" SAMe -- the "therapeutic" portion -- but also an inactive SAMe ingredient"
• Caution in Treating PD Depression - Nutrition Science News, 5/01 - "SAMe depletes dopamine and can produce PD-like changes in animals, causing cell degeneration in the nigra and striatum areas of the brain"
• Diet, Supplements, Exercise and Sauna - Life Extension Magazine, 9/99 - "TMG, on the other hand, is very effective at raising the levels of SAMe and lowering homocysteine."
• SAMe Needs The B's - Nutrition Science News, 7/00 - "users of this wonder pill should be aware that through the natural metabolism of SAMe, the amino acid homocysteine is created--a situation that can lead to artery damage and even heart disease. . . . .others have demonstrated that by simply upping one's intake of the vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid, this potential hazard can be avoided." - Note:  TMG is a precursor to SAM-e and lowers homocysteine instead of raising it.
• Depression Protocol - Life Extension Foundation
• Newsweek magazine, 3/22/99
  "...SAM-e appears comparable to state-of-the-art treatments for both conditions [arthritis and depression]. And unlike the leading drug therapies, it lacks significant side effects. Dr. Richard Brown [co-author of "Stop Depression Now"] a Columbia University Psychiatrist describes it as the 'best anti-depressant I've ever prescribed." "...it's cheaper than many prescription remedies. And if it lives up to its promise, it may be more valuable."
• The link between homocysteine levels and SAMe, plus... - Life Extension Magazine, 1/01
• S-adenosyl-L-methionine as an Antidepressant, Results of a MEDLINE Search - Ivan Goldberg, MD
• SAMe - IAS
• SAM-e: The antidepressant celebrity - CNN, 10/14/99
• SAMe Part 4: Treatment for Arthritis - Life Extension Magazine, 9/97
• SAMe - Part 3: The Liver Super- Nutrient - Life Extension Magazine, 6/97
• S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe) - Part 2: Fast-Acting Natural Antidepressant - Life Extension Magazine, 4/97
• S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe) An Exciting New Antiaging Therapy - Life Extension Magazine, 3/97

SAM-e Abstracts:

• S-adenosylmethionine blood levels in major depression: changes with drug treatment - Acta Neurol Scand Suppl. 1994;154:15-8
• S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAMe) as antidepressant: meta-analysis of clinical studies - Acta Neurol Scand Suppl. 1994;154:7-14
• Oral S-adenosylmethionine in depression: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial - Am J Psychiatry. 1990 May;147(5):591-5
• The antidepressant potential of oral S-adenosyl-l-methionine - Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1990 May;81(5):432-6

SAM-e Absorption Information:

• Intestinal absorption of S-adenosyl-L-methionine - J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1979 Jun;209(3):323-6
• SAM-e (S-Adenosylmethionine) - James South - "Because SAMe tablets are enterically coated, they should NOT be cut in half to achieve a lower dose- the SAMe may then break down before absorption"

Note:  There seems to be conflicting studies on whether oral SAMe is poorly absorbed.  Maybe the difference is "Enteric coating" tablets.