Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 1/12/11.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

Drugs for hair loss and benign prostatic hyperplasia may result in loss of libido, erectile dysfunction in men - Science Daily, 1/11/11 - "5a-reductase inhibitors (5a-RIs), while improving urinary symptoms in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and possible hair loss prevention, produces significant adverse effects in some individuals including loss of libido, erectile dysfunction (ED), ejaculatory dysfunction and potential depression" - Note:  That goes back and forth.  One study claimed that finasteride improved sex after after six months of taking it.  Regarding gynaecomastia, if you're taking low dose letrozole to increase testosterone and to prevent aromatization it many also help prevent gynaecomastia.

• Prostate Drug May Not Dim Sex - WebMD, 6/26/07 - "Six months after the men started taking their assigned drugs, the survey scores were about three points higher for the men taking Proscar. By the end of the study, that gap narrowed to about two points"
• Prostate Drug Doesn't Limit Sexual Function In Most Men - Science Daily, 7/19/07 - "The study suggests that finasteride will cause little or no sexual dysfunction for most men who decide to take it"
• Ask a Medical Question - Can letrozole cure gynecomastia - JustAnswer - "Letrozole may be effective in preventing and reversing the gynaecomastia provided it is used early enough in steroid induced gynaecomastia" - See letrozole at OffshoreRx1.com.  I believe the recommended dose is something like a quarter tablet every three days but don't quote me on it.  That's what I take.

Adults over 60 should get shingles vaccine, CDC recommends - USA Today, 1/11/11 - "Nearly one out of three people in the U.S. will develop shingles, a painful and potentially serious condition also known as herpes zoster, the CDC says. Yet only 10% of those 60 and older — the group most affected by the virus — got the vaccine"

Early Antibiotic Use Linked to Asthma and Allergy at Age 6 Years - Medscape, 1/11/11 - "Children with early antibiotic exposure had an increased risk for asthma, with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 1.52 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07 - 2.16). In children in whom asthma was first diagnosed after age 3 years, the adjusted OR was 1.66 (95% CI, 0.99 - 2.79). In children who had no history of lower respiratory tract infection before age 1 year, the adjusted OR was 1.66 ... Children with no family history of asthma had an even stronger association of early antibiotic use with subsequent development of asthma (adjusted OR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.00 - 3.58; P for interaction = .03). Adjusted OR for a positive blood or skin test result for allergy was 1.59"

Lights in the Bedroom Increase Breast Cancer Risk - Medscape, 1/11/11 - "This is the third study to suggest that women who have lights on in the bedroom are at greater risk for breast cancer than those who sleep in total darkness ... light at night in the sleeping habitat significantly increased the risk for breast cancer (odds ratio, 1.22"

Eating vegetables gives skin a more healthy glow than the sun, study shows - Science Daily, 1/11/11 - "people who eat more portions of fruit and vegetables per day have a more golden skin colour, thanks to substances called carotenoids. Carotenoids are antioxidants that help soak up damaging compounds produced by the stresses and strains of everyday living, especially when the body is combating disease. Responsible for the red colouring in fruit and vegetables such as carrots and tomatoes, carotenoids are important for our immune and reproductive systems ... given the choice between skin colour caused by suntan and skin colour caused by carotenoids, people preferred the carotenoid skin colour" - See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL, Mixed Carotenoid Complex at Amazon.com.

Resveratrol’s health benefits linked to fat hormone control - Nutra USA, 1/11/11 - "adiponectin has a wide range of beneficial effects on obesity-related medical complications, and noted that both adiponectin and resveratrol display anti-obesity, anti-insulin resistance and anti-aging properties" - [Abstract] - See my adiponectin page for why increasing it may have many benefits and for other ways to increase it.  See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.

Vitamin D3 ’87 percent more potent’ than D2: Study - Nutra USA, 1/11/11 - "By the various measures employed, D3 was from 56 to 87 percent more potent than D2 in raising serum 25(OH)D, and more than three times as potent in increasing fat calciferol content" - [Abstract] - I had that abstract in a pervious newsletter but this Nutra USA article might be an easier read.

Mediterranean diet: Alarmingly high cardiovascular risk factors found in Mediterranean people - Science Daily, 1/10/11 - "The myth that the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle is so healthy is based on 40-year old data from rural areas and so much has changed during those four decades"

PERISCOPE Analysis Highlights TZD Lipid Effects - Medscape, 1/10/11 - "In that randomized comparison of the thiazolidinedione (TZD) vs glimepiride(Amaryl, Sanofi-Aventis) in patients with diabetes [2], those taking the TZD saw significantly less coronary disease progression as assessed with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) over 18 months compared with those taking the other drug, a sulfonylurea. They also benefited with steeper declines in fasting insulin and blood glucose levels, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C), C-reactive protein (CRP), and triglycerides as well as improved HDL-cholesterol levels ... the post hoc analysis "ties nicely" with the 2006 CHICAGOstudy, in which elevations in HDL were the most important predictor of reduced progression of carotid intima-media thickness"

Tomatoes found to contain nutrient which prevents vascular diseases - Science Daily, 1/6/11 - "Tomatoes are already known to contain many compounds beneficial to health. In this study the team analyzed 9-oxo-octadecadienoic acid, to test its potential anti-dyslipidemia properties ... The compound was found to enhance fatty acid oxidation and contributed to the regulation of hepatic lipid metabolism. These findings suggest that 9-oxo-octadecadienoic acid has anti-dyslipidemia affects and can therefore help prevent vascular diseases" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com.

High dietary fat, cholesterol linked to increased risk of breast cancer - Science Daily, 1/6/11 - "This mouse model is believed to closely parallel the pathogenesis of human breast cancer. PyMT mice were placed on a diet that contained 21.2 percent fat and 0.2 percent cholesterol, reflective of a typical Western diet. A control group of PyMT mice was fed a normal chow that had only 4.5 percent fat and negligible amounts of cholesterol ... tumors began to develop quickly in mice fed the fat/cholesterol-enriched chow. In this group, the number of tumors was almost doubled, and they were 50 percent larger than those observed in mice that ate a normal diet. "The consumption of a Western diet resulted in accelerated tumor onset and increased tumor incidences, multiplicity, and burden, suggesting an important role for dietary cholesterol in tumor formation," ... There was also a trend towards an increased number of lung metastasis in mice fed the fatty diet"

From dusty punch cards, new insights into link between cholesterol and heart disease - Science Daily, 1/5/11 - "He also found an old punch card machine to extract their data. Then, with the help of students and research assistants, he located and contacted 97 percent of the people in Gofman's study over the next nine years ... Their 29-year follow-up uncovered 363 cases of coronary heart disease. They found that both HDL2 and HDL3 lowered heart disease risk, and that a one-milligram per milliliter increase in HDL2 produced a significantly larger reduction in coronary heart disease risk than a one-milligram per milliliter increase in HDL3" - I doubt if many people besides me even remember what punch cards were.

Mother’s milk improves physical condition of future adolescents, study finds - Science Daily, 1/5/11 - "the adolescents who were breastfed as babies ha stronger leg muscles than those who were not breastfed. Moreover, muscular leg strength was greater in those who had been breastfed for a longer period of time ... Adolescents who were breastfed from three to five months, or for more than six months had half the risk of low performance in the jump exercise when compared with those who had never been breastfed ... the advantages in the first years of life include immunological protection against allergies, skin diseases, obesity and diabetes, as well as a guarantee of the growth, development and intelligence of the baby ... The benefits also substantially involve the woman: reduction of post-birth haemorrhage, anaemia, maternity mortality, and the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, and it strengthens the affective link between mother and child"

Exercise may lower risk of death for men with prostate cancer - Science Daily, 1/5/11 - "Compared with men who walked less than 90 minutes per week at an easy pace, those who walked 90 or more minutes per week at a normal to very brisk pace had a 46% lower risk of dying from any cause ... Only vigorous activity -- defined as more than three hours per week -- was associated with reduced prostate cancer mortality. Men who did vigorous activity had a 61% lower risk of prostate cancer-specific death compared with men who did less than one hour per week of vigorous activity"

How studded winter tires may damage public health, as well as pavement - Science Daily, 1/5/11 - "studded tires grind away at the road surface, generating the kind of dust particles believed to contribute to heart and respiratory disease when inhaled into the lungs ... In the new research, the scientists pinpointed specific changes in proteins in cells related to the road dust exposure. Dust exposure resulted in significant increases in three proteins associated with increased inflammation and decreased levels of seven proteins, including some involved in fighting inflammation and maintaining normal metabolism"

Bacteria eyed for possible role in atherosclerosis - Science Daily, 1/5/11 - "a chronic infection may underlie the process of atherosclerosis, an infection that can be initiated by the systemic dissemination of bacteria though different "gates" in the vascular wall -- as in the case of a septic patient, through intestinal infection. The data support Dr. Kozarov's previous studies, where his team identified periodontal bacteria in carotid artery, thus pointing to tissue-destructing periodontal infections as one possible gate to the circulation"

Vitamin D accelerates recovery from tuberculosis - Science Daily, 1/5/11 - "The average time to clearance of TB from the lungs among all study participants was 6 weeks for patients taking standard therapy alone and 5 weeks for those taking additional vitamin D, although this difference was not large enough to sustain statistical significance. However, patients who had a particular genetic type of vitamin D receptor were much more vitamin D responsive than others and cleared TB bacteria much more quickly if they received vitamin D in addition to standard antibiotic treatment" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Protective properties of green tea uncovered - Science Daily, 1/5/11 - "Regularly drinking green tea could protect the brain against developing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia ... The study, published in the academic journal Phytomedicine, also suggests this ancient Chinese remedy could play a vital role in protecting the body against cancer" - See green tea extract 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 PubMed ones at the top):

Inverse association of serum carotenoids with prevalence of metabolic syndrome among Japanese - Clin Nutr. 2011 Jan 6 - "A significantly lower odds ratio (OR) for metabolic syndrome was observed in the highest tertile of serum β-cryptoxanthin (OR:0.45; 95% CI:0.22-0.93 in men and 0.41; 0.17-0.93 in women) and β-carotene (OR:0.45; 95% CI:0.21-0.95 in men and 0.37; 0.15-0.83 in women) compared to the lowest tertiles, in both sexes, but no significant association was found in male smokers. In women, moreover, OR for metabolic syndrome in the highest tertile of serum zeaxanthin/lutein (OR:0.37; 95% CI:0.16-0.84) was significantly lower than in the lowest tertile. Serum levels of β-cryptoxanthin, α-carotene, and β-carotene were significantly decreased with an increasing number of metabolic syndrome components in both sexes" - See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL, Mixed Carotenoid Complex at Amazon.com.

Association Between Periodontitis and Impaired Fasting Glucose and Diabetes - Diabetes Care. 2011 Jan 7 - "clinical attachment loss (CAL) ... Participants in the top quintile category of CAL had higher prevalence odds of IFG (odds ratio [OR] 1.55 [95% CI 1.16-2.07]) and diabetes (4.77 [2.69-8.46]) after adjustment for related confounders, compared with those in the bottom quintile. The highest quintile of pocket depth was positively associated with IFG (1.39 [1.00-1.92]) and diabetes (1.63 [1.10-2.42]) compared with the lowest quintile. ORs for CAL increased from the lowest to the highest quintile (P value test for trend <0.01) for all outcomes. The ORs for pocket depth also tended to rise across quintiles. CONCLUSIONS Chronic periodontitis measured by CAL and pocket depth was positively associated in a linear relation with IFG and diabetes in U.S. adults"

Nut consumption, weight gain and obesity: Epidemiological evidence - Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2011 Jan 7 - "Consumption of nuts was not associated with a higher risk of weight gain in long-term epidemiologic studies and clinical trials"

Serum omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and cutaneous p53 expression in an Australian population - Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2011 Jan 7 - "There was an inverse association, showing a dose-response relationship, between total n-3 fatty acid serum concentrations and p53 immunoreactivity in the whole epidermis as well as basal layer. This was due particularly to eicosapentanoic acid and docosahexanoic acid concentrations. There was no evidence for increased p53 immunoreactivity in participants with relatively high serum n-6 fatty acid concentrations. The ratio of n-3 to n-6 fatty acid concentrations was not associated with p53 immunoreactivity ... The prospect that increased intake of n-3 fatty acids could help prevent skin cancer is attractive" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Up-regulation of Adiponectin by Resveratrol: THE ESSENTIAL ROLES OF THE Akt/FOXO1 AND AMP-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASE SIGNALING PATHWAYS AND DsbA-L - J Biol Chem. 2011 Jan 7 - "RSV promotes adiponectin multimerization in 3T3-L1 adipocytes via a Sirt1-independent mechanism. In addition, we show that the stimulatory effect of RSV is regulated by both the Akt/FOXO1 and the AMPK signaling pathways. Last, we show that DsbA-L plays a critical role in the promoting effect of RSV on adiponectin multimerization and cellular levels" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.

Patients' preference in the treatment of erectile dysfunction: a critical review of the literature - Int J Impot Res. 2010 Dec 30 - "the majority of the patients preferred tadalafil versus either vardenafil or sildenafil" - See tadalafil at OffshoreRx1.com.

Combination of niacin extended-release and simvastatin results in a less atherogenic lipid profile than atorvastatin monotherapy - Vasc Health Risk Manag. 2010 Nov 24;6:1065-75 - "niacin extended-release + simvastatin (NER/S) ... NER/S treatment significantly improved apo A-I levels and the apo B:A-I ratio, significantly lowered the number of atherogenic LDL particles and VLDL and chylomicron particles, and increased the mean size of LDL and VLDL particles, compared with atorvastatin" - See niacin at Amazon.com.

Effects of sildenafil and vardenafil treatments on sleep quality and depression in hemodialysis patients with erectile dysfunction - Int J Impot Res. 2011 Jan 6 - "Sleep quality and depression were evaluated via post-sleep inventory (PSI) and Beck's depression inventory (BDI), respectively, at baseline and at the end of the treatment. Sildenafil and vardenafil both improved PSI and BDI scores significantly compared with pretreatment values. However, there was no difference between sildenafil and vardenafil with respect to these parameters"

Pomegranate Juice Protects Macrophages from Triglyceride Accumulation: Inhibitory Effect on DGAT1 Activity and on Triglyceride Biosynthesis - Ann Nutr Metab. 2011 Jan 6;58(1):1-9 - "pomegranate juice (PJ) ... PJ (0-50 μM) significantly and dose-dependently decreased the triglyceride content and triglyceride biosynthesis rate in J774A.1 macrophages or in C57BL/6 MPM by about 30%. Similarly, punicalagin, the major PJ polyphenol, inhibited the MPM triglyceride biosynthesis rate by 40%. The triglyceride hydrolytic rate, however, was not significantly affected by PJ or punicalagin. The activity of diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1; the rate-limiting enzyme in triglyceride biosynthesis) was significantly inhibited, by 54%, in C57BL/6 MPM that were treated with 50 μM PJ or punicalagin, with no significant effect on DGAT1 mRNA or protein expression. Both PJ and punicalagin increased (1.7-fold) MPM PON2 mRNA expression, and PON2 was previously shown to inhibit DGAT1 activity. However, the addition of PJ or punicalagin (50 μM) to microsomes from PON2-deficient MPM still resulted in a significant reduction (50-58%) in DGAT1 activity" - See pomegranate at Amazon.com.

Effect of vitamins C and E on antioxidant status of breast-cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy - J Clin Pharm Ther. 2011 Jan 4 - "VCE (vitamin C 500 mg tablet and vitamin E 400 mg gelatin capsule ... The untreated group showed significantly lower levels of antioxidant enzymes (P<0.001) and reduced glutathione (P<0.001), and more extensive lipid peroxidation (P<0.001) and DNA damage than healthy controls. Similar but less pronounced patterns were observed in the patients receiving chemotherapy alone. The group of patients receiving VCE supplementation had all the marker levels moving towards normal values. Activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione-S-transferase and glutathione reductase, and the levels of reduced glutathione were significantly increased (P<0.01) while, the levels of malondialdehyde and DNA damage were significantly (P<0.01) reduced in the VCE supplemented group relative to those of patients receiving chemotherapy alone as well as relative to the pretreatment levels"

Oral magnesium supplementation reduces insulin resistance in non-diabetic subjects - a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial - Diabetes Obes Metab. 2010 Nov 18 - "Mg supplementation resulted in a significant improvement of fasting plasma glucose and some ISI compared to placebo. Blood pressure and lipid profile didn't show significant changes. The results provide significant evidence that oral Mg supplementation improves insulin sensitivity even in normomagnesemic, overweight, non-diabetic subjects emphasizing the need for an early optimisation of Mg status to prevent insulin resistance and subsequently type 2 diabetes" - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.

Thiazolidinediones and congestive heart failure in veterans with type 2 diabetes - Diabetes Obes Metab. 2010 Dec 6 - "The incidence of CHF was higher in patients who were not treated with TZDs than in those who received TZDs. After adjustment for multiple cardiac risk factors, the hazard ratio for development of CHF for TZD versus non-TZD treated patients was 0.69 with a 95% confidence interval of 0.60 to 0.79"

Lycopene and Apo-12'-Lycopenal Reduce Cell Proliferation and Alter Cell Cycle Progression in Human Prostate Cancer Cells - Nutr Cancer. 2011 Jan 3:1 - "Apo-lycopenals or other lycopene metabolites, whether produced by cleavage enzymes within the body or consumed with tomato products, can be found in tissues at concentrations equivalent to physiological retinoid concentrations ... The present data indicate that lycopene and apo-12'-lycopenal reduce the proliferation of prostate cancer cells, in part, by inhibiting normal cell cycle progression" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com.

Endocrine Disruptors and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): Elevated Serum Levels of Bisphenol A in Women with PCOS - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010 Dec 30 - "In experimental animals, neonatal exposure to BPA results in a polycystic ovary-like syndrome (PCOS) in adulthood. A bidirectional interaction between androgens and BPA levels has been disclosed ... BPA levels were significantly higher in the total PCOS group compared with the controls (1.05+/-0.56 vs. 0.72+/-0.37ng/ml, P < 0.001). PCOS women, lean (PCOS-L) and overweight (PCOS-OW), had higher BPA levels compared to the corresponding control group lean (C-L) and overweight (C-OW): (PCOS-L = 1.13+/-0.63 vs. C-L = 0.70+/-0.36, P < 0.001) (PCOS-OW = 0.96 +/- 0.46 vs. C-OW = 0.72 +/- 0.39, P < 0.05). A significant association of testosterone (r = 0.192, P < 0.05) and androstenedione (r = 0.257, P < 0.05) with BPA was observed. Multiple regression analysis for BPA showed significant correlation with the existence of PCOS (r = 0.497, P < 0.05). BPA was also positively correlated with insulin resistance (Matsuda index) in the PCOS group"

Effects of lycopene supplementation on oxidative stress and markers of endothelial function in healthy men - Atherosclerosis. 2010 Dec 9 - "An increase in serum lycopene after supplementation can reduce oxidative stress which may play a role in endothelial function" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com.

γ-Tocotrienol is a novel inhibitor of constitutive and inducible STAT3 signalling pathway in human hepatocellular carcinoma: potential role as an anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic and chemosensitizing agent - Br J Pharmacol. 2010 Dec 30 - "Overall, these results suggest that γ-tocotrienol is a novel blocker of the STAT3 activation pathway, with a potential role in future therapies for HCC and other cancers" - Note: The γ symbol stands for gamma.  See Jarrow FamilE (contains all eight members of the vitamin E family, includes Tocomin) at Amazon.com.

Inhibition of intestinal cholesterol absorption might explain cholesterol-lowering effect of telmisartan - J Clin Pharm Ther. 2011 Feb;36(1):103-10 - "Recently, it has been demonstrated that telmisartan also lowers the levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels ... Our results suggest that the cholesterol-lowering effect of telmisartan might be caused by inhibition of cholesterol absorption, whereas that of statins is by inhibition of cholesterol synthesis. If confirmed, co-treatment with the two agents may be useful for synergistically lowering cholesterol in hypertensive patients" - See telmisartan at OffshoreRx1.com.

Immunomodulatory effect of Hawthorn extract in an experimental stroke model - J Neuroinflammation. 2010 Dec 30;7(1):97 - "middle cerebral artery occlusion-(MCAO) induced stroke ... In summary, Hawthorn extract helped alleviate pro-inflammatory immune responses associated with I/R-induced injury, boosted IL-10 levels, and increased Foxp3-positive Tregs in the brain, which may have aided in suppression of activated inflammatory cells. Such treatment also minimizes apoptotic cell death by influencing STAT-3 phosphorylation and Bcl-xL expression in the brain. Taken together, the immunomodulatory effect of Hawthorn extract may play a critical role in the neuroprotection observed in this MCAO-induced stroke model" - See hawthorn products at Amazon.com.

Oral L-citrulline supplementation improves erection hardness in men with mild erectile dysfunction - Urology. 2011 Jan;77(1):119-22 - "L-arginine supplementation improves nitric oxide-mediated vasodilation and endothelial function; however, oral administration has been hampered by extensive presystemic metabolism. In contrast, L-citrulline escapes presystemic metabolism and is converted to L-arginine, thus setting the rationale for oral L-citrulline supplementation as a donor for the L-arginine/nitric oxide pathway of penile erection ... A total of 24 patients, mean age 56.5 +/- 9.8 years, were entered and concluded the study without adverse events. The improvement in the erection hardness score from 3 (mild ED) to 4 (normal erectile function) occurred in 2 (8.3%) of the 24 men when taking placebo and 12 (50%) of the 24 men when taking L-citrulline (P < .01). The mean number of intercourses per month increased from 1.37 +/- 0.93 at baseline to 1.53 +/- 1.00 at the end of the placebo phase (P = .57) and 2.3 +/- 1.37 at the end of the treatment phase (P < .01). All patients reporting an erection hardness score improvement from 3 to 4 reported being very satisfied" - See citrulline malate at Amazon.com.

Neat Tech Stuff / "How To's":

• Porter-Cable 7800 4.7 Amp Drywall Sander with 13-Foot Hose - The part I hate most about drywalling repairs on my house is the dust of sanding it. It’s unhealthy even when wearing a mask and goes throughout the house so you have to dust everywhere. I was thinking about hiring someone with one of those dustless models to do the closet. While trying to find someone is ran across a blog that recommended one dustless brand of sanders. Their website had a very good video but when I looked it up on Amazon it got bad ratings. This one got 5 stars. I don’t need the vacuum. I can open the windows and put the one from the garage outside. It lists for $840. The street prices is around $550 but Amazon has it for $399. It will cost me that to hire someone plus I can use it for several other repairs. It’s got like a built in vacuum that feeds to the regular vacuum. Even some of the Amazon reviews said that you don’t need the fancy vacuum to go with it.
• Carhartt Men's Heavyweight Hooded Zip-Front Sweatshirt - My favorite for both running and casual.
• Women's Carhartt® Heavyweight Zip - front Hooded Sweatshirt
• Carhartt Men's Relaxed Fit Jean - These seem to be the same cut as the Levis 550 relaxed fit however several years ago Levis went with a less beefy denim which really irritated me at the time.  The Carhartts are 15 ounce 100% cotton denim, the Levis are 13.75 ounce.  The Carhartts got 5 starts vs the Levis 4 stars on Amazon plus the Carhartts are a better price.
  • Carhartts for women

Health Focus (Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA)):

News & Research:

• borage oil at Amazon.com
• 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]
• Affecting the Balance Between Omega-3 and Omega-6? - Dr. Weil, 5/16/08 - "Borage oil, black currant oil (and evening primrose oil) are natural sources of a fatty acid called GLA (gammalinolenic acid), an omega-6 fat that is very hard to come by in the diet. However, the omega-6 provided by these supplements is insignificant compared to the amounts we obtain from dietary sources, and shouldn't affect your omega-6/omega-3 balance. GLA is an effective anti-inflammatory agent that I recommend for arthritis, autoimmune disorders, premenstrual syndrome and for healthy growth of skin, hair, and nails. (By the way, I usually do not recommend borage oil, because it might contain pyrroldizidine alkaloids, compounds that can damage the liver.) The dose of evening primrose oil or black currant oil is 500 mg twice a day"
• Black Currant, Borage, Evening Primrose, and Flaxseed Oils: Sources of ALA and GLA (Omega-3 and -6 Fatty Acids) review - ConsumerLab.com, 12/11/07
• A diet enriched in eicosapentanoic acid, gamma-linolenic acid and antioxidants in the prevention of new pressure ulcer formation in critically ill patients with acute lung injury: A randomized, prospective, controlled study - Clin Nutr. 2007 Oct 12 - "A diet enriched with EPA, GLA and vitamins A, C and E is associated with a significantly lower occurrence of new pressure ulcers in critically ill patients with acute lung injury"
• Primrose Oil Component Cuts Levels Of Cancer-causing Gene Her-2/neu - Science Daily, 11/4/05 - "Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), a substance in evening primrose oil and several other plant oils used in herbal medicine, inhibits action of Her-2/neu, a cancer gene that is responsible for almost 30 percent of all breast cancers"
• Plant oil 'acts like cancer drug' - BBC News, 11/2/05 - "It is down to a substance in the oil called gamma-linolenic acid that acts on the same receptor in tumours as the powerful breast cancer drug Herceptin"
• Inflammation Syndrome a Red-Hot Topic - Natural Foods Merchandiser, 9/03 - "What are some of the key anti-inflammatory supplements? ... At the top of the list are omega-3 fish oils, gamma-linolenic acid (GLA, an omega-6 fat that behaves more like an omega-3) and vitamin E"
• GLA: One Nutrient - Multiple Benefits - Vitacost, 1/16/03
• GLA: The Right Remedy for Eczema? - Dr. Weil, 11/21/02 - "It has specific nourishing effects on skin, hair, and nails that are not duplicated by omega–3 fatty acids ... It is true that a high ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in the diet promotes inflammation by favoring synthesis of pro-inflammatory hormones (prostaglandins). But the amount of GLA needed to treat eczema and other skin conditions (500 milligrams twice a day) is too small to affect that ratio significantly"
• Can I Stop My Hair from Thinning? - Dr. Weil, 9/13/02 - "Make sure you’re getting enough omega-3 fatty acids ... supplement your diet with GLA (gamma-linolenic acid) in the form of black currant oil or evening primrose oil"
• Essential Fatty Acids Improve Thought Process and Behavior in Children with ADHD - New Hope Natural Media Online, 6/13/02 - "ADHD is characterized by impulsive behavior, lack of concentration, restlessness and, in some cases, learning disabilities ... The children were given either a supplement containing 186 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), 480 mg of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), 96 mg of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), 864 mg of linoleic acid, and 60 IU of vitamin E per day, or a placebo ... the children who took the essential fatty acid supplement had significant improvement in symptom scores related to learning and behavior"
• Antiaging Products for Skin, Hair and Nails - Nutrition Science News, 10/00
• GLA (Gamma Linolenic Acid): The Good Omega-6 Essential Fatty Acid - Total Health for Longevity Magazine, 9/00
• Polyunsaturated Fats and Neurological Disorders - Nutrition Science News, 9/00

Abstracts:

• Gamma-linolenic acid inhibits both tumour cell cycle progression and angiogenesis in the orthotopic C6 glioma model through changes in VEGF, Flt1, ERK1/2, MMP2, cyclin D1, pRb, p53 and p27 protein expression - Lipids Health Dis. 2009 Mar 17;8(1):8 - "Gamma-linolenic acid is a known inhibitor of tumour cell proliferation and migration in both in vitro and in vivo conditions ... Combination therapy using drugs with other, complementary targets and GLA could lead to gains in treatment efficacy in this notoriously difficult to treat tumour"

No pathinfo