Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 6/8/11.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

‘Sleep on it’ is sound, science-based advice, study suggests - Science Daily, 6/7/11 - "Subjects who got to sleep between the game's brief introduction and the longer play session showed both superior behavioral outcome, that is, more advantageous draws, and superior rule understanding when asked to explain them at the end, than those who did not sleep between sessions"

Magnesium supplements may ease hot flashes for breast cancer patients - Nutra USA, 6/6/11 - "400 mg per day of magnesium oxide for 4 weeks was associated with a 41.4 percent reduction in the frequency of hot flashes ... The intensity of the hot flashes was also reduced as a result of magnesium supplementation by about 50 percent" - [Abstract] - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.

High levels of vitamin D needed for bone density drugs to work, study shows - Science Daily, 6/6/11 - "To fully optimize a drug therapy for osteoporosis and low bone mineral density (BMD), patients should maintain vitamin D levels above the limits recently recommended by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) ... maintaining a circulating vitamin D level above 33 ng/ml is associated with a seven-fold greater likelihood of having a more favorable outcome with bisphosphonate therapy" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Supplement found to improve quality of life for female cancer survivors - Science Daily, 6/6/11 - "Interested in quality of life issues for female cancer survivors, Kathryn M. Greven, M.D., a radiation oncologist at Wake Forest Baptist, first learned of the supplement, called ArginMax for WomenTM, from a small study conducted at Stanford University that found that it improved sexual function. Sexual dysfunction is prevalent in female cancer survivors, so Greven set out to see if the supplement could produce the same benefit in this population. She found that, while taking the supplement did not result in any improvement in sexual function for female cancer survivors, the supplement did improve their overall quality of life ... The FACT-G questionnaire measures overall quality of life and has been used in research of all cancer types. It evaluates physical, emotional, social and functional well-being ... the study findings did reveal an across-the-board boost in measures of overall quality of life for the patients who were randomized to take ArginMaxTM. The FACT-G questionnaires showed improvements in both physical and functional well being among the participants taking the supplement ... Bothersome symptoms such as lack of energy, pain, nausea, and sleeplessness were all improved, as were measures of functional well-being, for example the ability to perform normal activities at home or work. Simply, they reported a greater enjoyment of life, without any additional side effects from the supplement ... ArginMaxTM is made from a patented formula containing a proprietary blend of L-arginine, ginseng, ginkgo, and 14 vitamins and minerals noted for boosting energy and circulation and optimizing hormonal balance. A separate Men's formula also is available" - See ArginMax products at Amazon.com.

Bisphenol A (BPA) accumulates more rapidly within the body than previously thought - Science Daily, 6/6/11 - "In previous studies examining the effects of BPA, mice were exposed to BPA only through a one-time administration. Following the exposure through the diet, a significantly greater increase in the active form of BPA, which is the greatest threat as it is the form that can bind to sex steroid receptors and exert adverse effects, was absorbed and accumulated in the animals ... People are primarily and unknowingly exposed to BPA through the diet because of the various plastic and paper containers used to store our food are formulated with BPA ... We know that the active form of BPA binds to our steroid receptors, meaning it can affect estrogen, thyroid and testosterone function. It might also cause genetic mutations. Thus, this chemical can hinder our ability to reproduce and possibly cause behavioral abnormalities that we are just beginning to understand ... We believe that these mouse model studies where the BPA exposure is through the diet is a more accurate representation of what happens to BPA as the human body attempts to processes this toxic substance"

Chronic marijuana smoking affects brain chemistry, molecular imaging shows - Science Daily, 6/6/11 - "With this study, we were able to show for the first time that people who abuse cannabis have abnormalities of the cannabinoid receptors in the brain ... Results of the study show that receptor number was decreased about 20 percent in brains of cannabis smokers when compared to healthy control subjects with limited exposure to cannabis during their lifetime. These changes were found to have a correlation with the number of years subjects had smoked. Of the original 30 cannabis smokers, 14 of the subjects underwent a second PET scan after about a month of abstinence. There was a marked increase in receptor activity in those areas that had been decreased at the outset of the study, an indication that while chronic cannabis smoking causes downregulation of CB1 receptors, the damage is reversible with abstinence"

Protean Manifestations of Vitamin D Deficiency, Part 3 - Medscape, 6/6/11 - "Nutritionally, vitamin D can be derived from dairy foods and fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, and tuna. However, 20 minutes of sunshine or five to seven minutes in a tanning bed generate five times more vitamin D3 than that obtained from eating 3 ½ ounces of salmon.[50] Exposure to sunlight also increases the risk of skin malignancies, so that various recommendations for the prudent use of sunscreen such as leaving the arms and legs free of sunscreen or delaying use of sunscreen for 20 minutes after exposure have been advocated. However, oral supplementation with either vitamin D2 or vitamin D3 is probably a safer but less physiological way to normalize vitamin D levels. Proponents of cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) claim that D3 is 3- to 10-fold more effective in raising 25-OH vitamin D levels, has a higher affinity for the vitamin D binding protein, results in more 25-OH vitamin D generation, and has a greater affinity for the vitamin D receptor. Proponents of D3 also claim that vitamin D3 but not vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol, a synthetic vitamin D product) has been shown to prevent bone fractures. However, most clinicians believe that there is little if any difference between supplementation with D3 and D2 and because D2 is more readily available, it is the most prescribed vitamin D replacement therapy ... When vitamin D deficiency is diagnosed, doses of 50,000 to 100,000 U weekly dependent upon the 25-OH vitamin D level are recommended. After three months if the 25-OH vitamin D level is in the sufficiency range, the weekly dose that resulted in the correction of the 25-OH vitamin D level should be administered on a monthly basis or more frequently depending on monitoring of 25-OH vitamin D levels.[1,51] In severe cases of vitamin D deficiency such as those that occur after gastric bypass surgery, higher and more frequently administered doses may be necessary" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Cut down on 'carbs' to reduce body fat, study authors say - Science Daily, 6/5/11 - "Subjects received either a standard lower-fat diet or a diet with a modest reduction in carbohydrates, or "carbs," but slightly higher in fat than the standard diet. The moderately carb-restricted diet contained foods that had a relatively low glycemic index, a measure of the extent to which the food raises blood glucose levels. This diet consisted of 43 percent calories from carbohydrates and 39 percent calories from fat, whereas the standard diet contained 55 percent of calories from carbohydrates and 27 percent from fat. Protein made up the other 18 percent of each diet ... After the weight maintenance phase, subjects who consumed the moderately carb-restricted diet had 11 percent less deep abdominal fat than those who ate the standard diet. However, when the researchers analyzed results by race, they found it was exclusive to whites. Whites have more deep abdominal fat than Blacks even when matched for body weight or percent body fat, and may benefit from loss of this metabolically harmful depot" - Note the phrase “slightly higher in fat” which gave them 11% less belly fat. If that's valid it's a good plug for my olive oil mayonnaise recipe last week.

BPA lowers male fertility, mouse study finds - Science Daily, 6/4/11 - "Mice that received daily BPA injections for two months had lower sperm counts and testosterone levels than those of mice that received saline injections without BPA ... Compared with untreated controls, mice exposed to BPA produced litters that were 50 percent smaller ... We are being exposed to BPA in our daily lives at a level much higher than the safe recommended exposure ... this study, we are trying to explore what the outcome can be if we are continuously exposed to BPA in our routine life ... BPA-exposed mice received a dose that was twice the daily upper limit of safe exposure recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency ... At a BPA dosage of 100 micrograms per kilogram of body weight daily, the mice also had structural defects in their testicles and were considered subfertile. If the same dose had been given longer than two months, Singh speculated that it might lead to infertility"

Hormone deprivation therapy for prostate cancer may raise diabetes risk - Science Daily, 6/4/11 - "androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) ... Men in the ADT group had a twofold increased probability of having diabetes after ADT, compared with the non-ADT group, Rivera-Arkoncel reported. According to the data, the prevalence of diabetes was 42 percent in the ADT group and 19 percent in the other group. In addition, the group receiving ADT had a higher prevalence of the metabolic syndrome than the non-ADT group did: 37 percent versus 28 percent, respectively"

Exemestane reduces breast cancer in high-risk women, researchers show - Science Daily, 6/4/11 - "The study showed that in postmenopausal women at increased risk of breast cancer, but who have not previously been diagnosed with breast cancer, the aromatase inhibitor called Aromasin, made by Pfizer, reduces this risk by 65 percent compared with placebo" - Note: If you go the the abstract is says "Funded by Pfizer and others" and like it says, Aromasin (exemestane) is made by Pfizer.  I've always thought of Aromasin (exemestane) as being cheaper and less effective than Femara (letrozole) which is made by Novartis.  A good study would have included Femara.  See Femara (letrozole) at OffshoreRX.

Low Vitamin D: A Contributor to Mental Disorders in Children? - Medscape, 6/2/11 - "Children with severe mental health disorders, including psychosis, have twice the rate of vitamin D insufficiency as mentally healthy children ... 21% of children with severe psychiatric symptoms requiring residential care had serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels lower than 20 ng/mL (the American Academy of Pediatrics [AAP] minimum recommended level) compared with 14% of children who were participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III (NHANES III), a population-based study designed to assess the health and nutritional status of children and adults in the United States" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

FDA Review Concludes: No Cancer Risk With ARBs - Medscape, 6/2/11 - "An FDA review launched in the wake of a controversial 2010 meta-analysis by DrIlkeSipahi (University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH) et al [1] suggesting an increased risk of cancer among patients taking angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) has concluded that the drugs do not pose a cancer risk to patients" - Note:  I made the comment some time ago that I felt stopping ARBs because one study showed a 15% increased risk of cancer was over reacting when you have processed meat with an increased risk of 500%.

Mechanism discovered for health benefit of green tea, new approach to autoimmune disease - Science Daily, 6/2/11 - "Pharmaceutical drugs are available that perform similar roles and have been the subject of much research, scientists say, but they have problems with toxicity. A natural food product might provide a long-term, sustainable way to accomplish this same goal without toxicity ... OSU scientists did experiments with a compound in green tea, a polyphenol called EGCG, which is believed to be responsible for much of its health benefits and has both anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer characteristics. They found it could cause a higher production of regulatory T cells. Its effects were not as potent as some of those produced by prescription drugs, but it also had few concerns about long-term use or toxicity ... Laboratory studies done with mice, Ho said, showed that treatment with EGCG significantly increased the numbers and frequencies of regulatory T cells found in spleen and lymph notes, and in the process helped to control the immune response" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.

C-reactive protein levels predict breast cancer survival rates, study finds - Science Daily, 6/1/11 - "The five-year survival decreased from 90% for low CRP to 74% for high levels of CRP, disease-free survival reduced from 87% to 74%, and deaths from breast cancer increased from 11% to 20% ... The five-year survival decreased from 90% for low CRP to 74% for high levels of CRP, disease-free survival reduced from 87% to 74%, and deaths from breast cancer increased from 11% to 20% ... While measuring CRP levels gives a general indication of health and longevity, measuring CRP levels for breast cancer patients seems to be an easy way to predict the severity of the patient's disease. This may allow clinicians to alter their treatment tactics and improve cancer survival rates"

Frying Your Brain - The Daily, 6/1/11 - "Experts are especially concerned that cellphone radiation contributes to glioma, a rare and deadly form of brain cancer ... those who's spent 30 minutes on a cellphone every day for 10 years - had a 40 percent increased risk of developing glioma"

Blueberry's effects on cholesterol examined in lab animal study - Science Daily, 6/1/11 - "all the hamsters that were fed blueberry-enhanced rations had from 22 to 27 percent lower total plasma cholesterol than hamsters fed rations that didn't contain blueberry juice byproducts ... Levels of VLDL (very low density lipoprotein-a form of "bad" cholesterol) were about 44 percent lower in the blueberry-fed hamsters" - See blueberry extract at Amazon.com.

How the brain processes faces: Neural system responsible for face recognition discovered - Science Daily, 6/1/11 - "For the study, participants were shown images of faces while in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. Their task was to recognize different facial identities with varying facial expressions. Using dynamic multivariate mapping, the research team examined the functional MRI (fMRI) data and found a network of fusiform and anterior temporal regions that respond with distinct patterns to different identities. Furthermore, they found that the information is evenly distributed among the anterior regions and that the right fusiform region plays a central role within the network" - I just thought it was interesting and explains why I have trouble with unfamiliar faces.  I'm good on logic tests and that's the left side.

• Brain Glossary  - Neuroscience and Brain Terminology - "In most people, the left brain handles words and logic, and the right brain is better at art, music, and intuition"

How vitamins and minerals may prevent age-related diseases - Science Daily, 5/31/11 - "Severe deficiency of the vitamins and minerals required for life is relatively uncommon in developed nations, but modest deficiency is very common and often not taken seriously. A new research published online in the FASEB Journal, however, may change this thinking as it examines moderate selenium and vitamin K deficiency to show how damage accumulates over time as a result of vitamin and mineral loss, leading to age-related diseases ... If the principles of the theory, as demonstrated for vitamin K and selenium, can be generalized to other vitamins and minerals, this may provide the foundation needed ... They discovered a highly sophisticated array of mechanisms at cellular and tissue levels that, when selenium is limited, protect essential selenium-dependent proteins at the expense of those that are nonessential. They also found that mutations in selenium-dependent proteins that are lost on modest selenium deficiency result in characteristics shared by age-related diseases including cancer, heart disease, and loss of immune or brain function"

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):

Effect of essential amino acid supplementation on quality of life, Amino acid profile and strength in institutionalized elderly patients - Clin Nutr. 2011 May 31 - "Oral supplementation with essential amino acids improved several determinants of quality of life in institutionalized elderly patients, including depressive symptoms, nutrition, muscle function and daily life activity" - See BCAA products at Amazon.com.  Another amino acid study:

• Amino acid supplement makes mice live longer - Science Daily, 10/5/10 - "leucine, isoleucine, and valine extend the life span of single-celled yeast ... Animals that were given the extra amino acids over a period of months lived longer, with a median life span of 869 days compared to 774 days for untreated control animals, the researchers report. That's an increase of 12 percent ... The findings in older mice suggest that the supplementary mixture may be specifically beneficial for those who are elderly or ill"

Effect of a traditional Mediterranean diet on apolipoproteins B, A-I, and their ratio: A randomized, controlled trial - Atherosclerosis. 2011 May 6 - "Apolipoprotein (Apo)B, ApoA-I, and their ratio could predict coronary heart disease (CHD) risk more accurately than conventional lipid measurements. Our aim was to assess the effect of a traditional Mediterranean diet (TMD) on apolipoproteins ... Participants assigned to a low-fat diet (control) (n=177), or TMDs (TMD+virgin olive oil (VOO), n=181 or TMD+nuts, n=193) received nutritional education and either free VOO (ad libitum) or nuts (dose: 30g/day). A 3-month evaluation was performed ... Both TMDs promoted beneficial changes on classical cardiovascular risk factors. ApoA-I increased, and ApoB and ApoB/ApoA-I ratio decreased after TMD+VOO, the changes promoting a lower cardiometabolic risk. Changes in TMD+VOO versus low-fat diet were -2.9mg/dL (95% CI, -5.6 to -0.08), 3.3mg/dL (95% CI, 0.84 to 5.8), and -0.03mg/dL (-0.05 to -0.01) for ApoB, ApoA-I, and ApoB/ApoA-I ratio, respectively ... Individuals at high-cardiovascular risk who improved their diet toward a TMD pattern rich in virgin olive oil, reduced their Apo B and ApoB/ApoA-I ratio and improved ApoA-I concentrations" - The question is; is it the polyphenols or the omega-9 or both in the virgin olive oil responsible for the benefit? See olive leaf extract at Amazon.com.

Tinnitus is Associated With Increase in the Intima-Media Thickness of Carotid Arteries in Japanese Undergoing a Brain Screening Program - Am J Med Sci. 2011 Jun 2 - "Increased intima-media thickness was observed in 53.1% overall (in 57.6% of men and in 46.2% of women), with significant associations with tinnitus (odds ratio, 1.62; 95% confidence interval, 1.19-2.22), age, male gender and hypertension. The tinnitus link persisted after adjustment for the confounding factors"

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Caused by Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in Rats: Effects of Telmisartan - Am J Med Sci. 2011 Jun 2 - "Studies have revealed that excessive endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress leads to apoptosis. Although cardiomyocytes apoptosis contributes to the transition from left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) to heart failure, it is unknown whether ER stress participates in the pathologic process. The authors first induced coarctation of the abdominal aorta in rats to induce LVH and then investigated the effect of telmisartan on the resulting ER stress ... Telmisartan significantly reduced LVH and interstitial fibrosis and improved left ventricular function compared with AAC alone. Cardiac markers of ER stress such as GRP78, C/EBP homologous protein, caspase-12 and phospho c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase were significantly increased in rats with AAC, and telmisartan significantly blunted these changes. Rats that received both telmisartan and AAC had less apoptosis due to ER stress" - See telmisartan at OffshoreRx1.com.

Beta-Blocker Use Is Associated With Improved Relapse-Free Survival in Patients With Triple-Negative Breast Cancer - J Clin Oncol. 2011 May 31 - "pathologic complete response (pCR) rates ... relapse-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS) ... Patients who used BBs (n = 102) were compared with patients (n = 1,311) who did not. Patients receiving BBs tended to be older and obese (P < .001). The proportion of pCR was not significantly different between the groups (P = .48). After adjustment for age, race, stage, grade, receptor status, lymphovascular invasion, body mass index, diabetes, hypertension, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor use, BB intake was associated with a significantly better RFS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.52; 95% CI, 0.31 to 0.88) but not OS (P = .09). Among patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC; n = 377), BB intake was associated with improved RFS (HR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.10 to 0.87; P = .027) but not OS (HR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.12 to 1.00; P = .05). CONCLUSION In this study, BB intake was associated with improved RFS in all patients with breast cancer and in patients with TNBC"

Beta Blockers and Breast Cancer Mortality: A Population-Based Study - J Clin Oncol. 2011 May 31 - "Propranolol users were significantly less likely to present with a T4 (odds ratio [OR], 0.24, 95% CI, 0.07 to 0.85) or N2/N3/M1 (OR, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.04 to 0.88) tumor compared with matched nonusers. The cumulative probability of breast cancer-specific mortality was significantly lower for propranolol users compared with matched nonusers (hazard ratio, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.06 to 0.60). There was no difference in T4 or N2/N3/M1 tumor incidence or breast cancer-specific mortality between atenolol users and matched nonusers. CONCLUSION The results provide evidence in humans to support preclinical observations suggesting that inhibiting the β(2)-adrenergic signaling pathway can reduce breast cancer progression and mortality"

Effects of canola and corn oil mimetic on Jurkat cells - Lipids Health Dis. 2011 Jun 1;10(1):90 - "The Western diet is high in omega-6 fatty acids and low in omega-3 fatty acids. Canola oil contains a healthier omega-3 to omega-6 ratio than corn oil ... There was a significant difference in the lipid profiles of the cells after treatment. Differential action of the oils on inflammatory molecules, following treatment at non-cytotoxic levels, indicated that canola oil mimetic was anti-inflammatory whereas corn oil mimetic was pro-inflammatory. Significance: These results indicate that use of canola oil in the diet instead of corn oil might be beneficial for diseases promoted by inflammation"

Anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenic effect of long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in intestinal microvascular endothelium - Clin Nutr. 2011 May 30 - "DHA led to a decreased VCAM-1, TLR4, cyclooxygenase-2 and VEGFR2 expression and a decreased production of IL-6, IL-8 and GM-CSF and a reduced production of PGE(2) and LTB(4) (p < 0.001) in IL-1β-induced HIMEC. Similarly, dietary intervention with fish oil rich in EPA and DHA significantly decreased colon production of PGE(2) and LTB(4,) endothelial VCAM-1 and VEGFR2 in rats with colitis ... Data obtained from in vitro and in vivo studies reveal a potential anti-angiogenic role of long chain n-3 PUFA in intestinal endothelial cells. This protective effect of long chain n-3 PUFA may partly explain the observed benefit of dietary intake of long chain n-3 PUFA in IBD development" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Neat Tech Stuff / "How To's":

• The Original Cooking Thermometer/Timer by ThermoWorks - I got it to pasteurize eggs before making mayonnaise.  Unlike the ones that transmit to the receiver on your belt, this one works.
• Fogless Shower Mirror with Squeegee by ToiletTree Products. Guaranteed Not to Fog, Designed Not to Fall - Number one in the shower mirror category at Amazon.com plus a 5 star rating with 403 reviews is impressive.

Health Focus (l-arginine):

Specific Recommendations:

• L-arginine products at Amazon.com
• L-arginine products at Amazon.com
• L-arginine products at Vitacost

News & Research:

• Dietary Supplement May Help Prevent Preeclampsia - WebMD, 5/19/11 - "women who ate daily food bars containing the amino acid L-arginine and antioxidant vitamins during pregnancy had a much lower incidence of preeclampsia than women who ate bars containing the antioxidant vitamins alone or bars containing neither supplement ... far fewer of the women in the L-arginine plus vitamin group developed preeclampsia (12.7%) than women in the vitamin-alone (22.5%) group and no-supplement (30.2%) group"
• The Effects of L-Arginine and Yohimbine on Sexual Arousal in Postmenopausal Women with FSAD - University of Texas at Austin Dept. of Psychiatry
• Research identifies the herbal supplements that are effective in treating anxiety - Science Daily, 10/6/10 - "A systematic review of research into the use of nutritional supplements for the treatment of anxiety disorders has found strong evidence for the use of extracts of passionflower or kava and combinations of L-lysine and L-arginine ... We found mixed results -- while passionflower or kava and L-lysine and L-arginine appeared to be effective, St John's Wort and magnesium supplements were not"
• Nutritional and herbal supplements for anxiety and anxiety-related disorders: systematic review - Nutr J. 2010 Oct 7;9(1):42 - "based on this systematic review, strong evidence exists for the use of herbal supplements containing extracts of passionflower or kava and combinations of L-lysine and L-arginine as treatments for anxiety symptoms and disorders. Magnesium-containing supplements and other herbal combinations may hold promise, but more research is needed before these products can be recommended to patients. St. John's wort monotherapy has insufficient evidence for use as an effective anxiolytic treatment"
• Arginine Discovery Could Help Fight Human Obesity - Science Daily, 2/12/09 - "arginine, an amino acid, reduces fat mass in diet-induced obese rats and could help fight human obesity ... dietary arginine supplementation shifts nutrient partitioning to promote skeletal-muscle gain ... The findings were published recently in the Journal of Nutrition ... arginine supplementation for a 12-week period decreased the body fat gains of low-fat and high-fat fed rats by 65 percent and 63 percent, respectively. The long-term arginine treatment did not have any adverse effects on either group ... funded by the American Heart Association"
• Pine bark extract boost for blood flow and heart health - Nutra USA, 10/18/07 - "Acetylcholine stimulates the cells of arteries to produce NO from L-arginine faster ... In turn, the NO causes the muscle surrounding arteries to relax, which results in an increase of blood vessel diameters. When subjects had taken Pycnogenol the relaxation of arteries was increased by 42 per cent as compared to the group taking placebo tablets" - See Pycnogenol at Amazon.com and citicholine at Amazon.com.
• Statins' Effect on Endothelial Function Enhanced by L-arginine in Some Patients - Doctor's Guide, 6/11/07 - "endothelium-dependent dilation (EDD) ... simvastatin had no appreciable effect on EDD (6.2+/-1.2% vs. 6.1+/-0.9%) in subjects with elevated ADMA. However, the addition of L-arginine to simvastatin significantly improved EDD (9.8+/-1.5% vs. 5.3+/-0.8%; P <.01). There were also significant improvements in EDD in response to L-arginine alone"
• Restoring Sexual Potency? - Dr. Weil, 5/4/06 - "Arginine ... Ginkgo biloba ... Ashwaganda"
• Don't Take L-Arginine for Heart Attack - WebMD, 1/3/06 - "All six deaths were among the 78 heart attack patients who added L-arginine to their normal medical treatment regimen. There were no deaths among the 75 heart attack patients who did not receive L-arginine"
• The high five for hypertension - Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals, 12/04 - "Co-enzyme Q10 ... Omega-3 fatty acids ... Garlic ... L-arginine ... Calcium"
• OTC Cream Improves Blood Flow in Feet - WebMD, 1/8/04 - "arginine does increase blood flow, but it is not yet clear if this translates into fewer foot ulcers or better healing of ulcers"
• Nitric Oxide Now -- Ask Me How -  WashingtonPost.com, 10/6/03 - "In the arteries, the innermost layer of cells releases nitric oxide to signal smooth muscle cells to dilate (increase the diameter of) the arteries. This allows blood to flow more freely, particularly during exercise ... By the 1990s, many scientists saw nitric oxide as the next great weapon for treating heart disease, impotence and even bacterial infections ... Niteworks has L-arginine and also L-citrulline, which recycles spent L-arginine by resupplying it with atoms it lost producing nitric oxide ... "Ninety dollars a month? That's obscene," Murad said. "You can probably get [vitamin] C and E for pennies a day. You can probably get arginine for about a dollar a day"" - See L-citrulline at Amazon.com.
• Arginine Supplements May Help Treat Pulmonary Hypertension in Sickle Cell - Medscape, 6/30/03
• Protecting Blood Vessels From Stress - WebMD, 1/15/03 - "vitamins can improve blood flow and prevent the long-term development of atherosclerosis -- or hardening of the arteries -- when given in combination with an amino acid known as L-arginine ... antioxidants might work together with L-arginine to prevent inflammation in the branch areas of blood vessels ... although antioxidants may not reverse or repair pre-existing damage within blood vessels, they may slow the long-term progression of atherosclerosis"
• L-Arginine Minimises Stroke Damage in Mitochondrial Encephalomyopathy with Lactic Acidosis and Stroke-like Episodes - Doctor's Guide, 10/16/02
• Natural Remedy for Erectile Dysfunction - New Hope Natural Media, 9/5/02 - "received three separate treatments for two weeks each, in random order: (1) 3.25 grams of arginine plus 6 mg of yohimbine, (2) yohimbine alone and (3) placebo ... Combination treatment was considered successful by 40% of the participants, compared with 28.9% with yohimbine alone and 17.8% with placebo ... Arginine is available in health food stores without a prescription, but yohimbine can be obtained only with a doctor's prescription. Although the herb yohimbe is sold in health food stores, it contains much less yohimbine than the amount used in the new study" - See iHerb and Vitacost arginine products.
• Yohimbine Plus L-Arginine Potential Therapy For Mild To Moderate Erectile Dysfunction - Doctor's Guide, 7/31/02 - "randomly assigned 45 men with erectile dysfunction to treatment with 6 mg of L-arginine glutamate combined with 6 mg of yohimbine hydrochloride, to 6 mg of yohimbine hydrochloride alone, or to placebo ... They took the drugs orally one to two hours before intended sexual intercourse ... Changes in this score [Index of Erectile Function (IIEF)] were significantly greater among patients taking yohimbine plus L-arginine compared to those taking placebo" - Note: That "6 mg of L-arginine glutamate" has to be a misprint.  It probably should have been 6 grams as in a U. of Texas study on postmenopausal women.
• Arginine and Fish Oil May Help Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy - Life Extension Magazine, 7/02
• L-Arginine Application Speeds Healing of Anal Fissure - Doctor's Guide, 6/10/02
• Concepts and Controversies in Nutrition, Immune-Enhancing Formulas - Medscape, 3/21/02 - "Immune-enhancing formulas (IEFs), also known as immune-modulating formulas, include arginine, glutamine, nucleic acids, and omega-3 fatty acids"
• 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"
• Nutritional Supplement Boosts Immune Function In Surgery Patients - Intelihealth, 9/13/01 - "A new study published in the journal Lancet suggests that people who are at high risk of infection after heart surgery may benefit from taking a nutritional supplement containing L-arginine and omega-3 fatty acids"
• Quinopril and L-Arginine Improves Endothelial Function In Hypertensive Patients - Doctor's Guide, 6/21/01
• Study: Supplement Can Help Take the 'Dys' Out of Female Sexual Dysfunction, Researchers Promote Idea of 'Sexual Wellness' - WebMD, 6/5/01 - "ArginMax -- a dietary cocktail consisting of ginseng, ginkgo, B vitamins, calcium, folic acid, and other vitamins and minerals -- is being heralded as one component of a lifestyle that improves sexual performance and helps prevent problems associated with intimacy"
• Want a love potion? What to know before you try - CNN, 6/15/00 - "a study of 21 men with "mild to moderate" impotence taking a supplement called ArginMax (3,000 milligrams per day) found big improvements in erection and sexual satisfaction."
• Two Amino Acids Boost Immune System During Illness - WebMD, 8/1/00
• Exercise-Supplement Combo May Help a Failing Heart - WebMD, 3/1/00
• Growth Hormone Enhancer - Nutrition Science News, 1/00
• Immune-Enhancing Therapy Shortens Hospital Stays By Three Days - Doctor's Guide, 12/23/99 - "The trials, conducted at medical centers in the U.S. and Europe, compared patients receiving standard enteral nutrition with patients who received commercially available immune-enhancing therapies containing arginine and glutamine (naturally occurring amino acids), nucleotides (found in yeast), and omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish oil) ... Our study shows that immunonutrition can make a significant contribution to reducing the number of infections and length of hospital stay in critically ill patients"
• Women and Sex Drive -  Life Enhancement Magazine, 12/99 - "Because the amino acid arginine is the precursor to nitric oxide, its ingestion and concomitant elevation in the serum accomplish much the same goal as Viagra, as several studies have borne out"
• Arginine for Muscles, Memory, Sex and More - Life Enhancement Magazine, 12/99 - "Arginine is the primary source of the nitrogen that results in production of the important biomolecule nitric oxide (NO) ... NO helps defend the body against invading bacteria2 and parasites. In the brain, where it is formed in nerve cells, it diffuses in all directions, activating all cells in the vicinity, thus modulating many functions, including behavior and gastrointestinal transit flow. The release of NO is absolutely essential for motor learning in the cerebellum (coordination), and it also appears to be necessary for long-term potentiation in the brain, which is the mechanism involved in long-term memory. NO is now also thought to be important in our olfactory (smelling) sensations and our capacity to identify different scents ... Free arginine has been shown to help prevent a destructive process known as cross-linking, which is associated with accelerated aging. Excessive cross-linking reactions inevitably damage the kidneys, necessitating dialysis in advanced age"
• Study finds new therapy for impotence - CNN, 10/27/99 - "Nitric oxide is the messenger, if you will, the signaling molecule, and without that signal you can't get that signal from the brain to the penis for the erectile process ... An amino acid call L-argenine produces nitric oxide in the body"
• Be All That You Can Be - Life Enhancement Magazine, 7/99 - "the erections were harder and longer-lasting and so forth when they were using L-arginine. The two studies I have in mind used 2,800 mg and 2,500 mg of arginine, respectively"
• Viagra anniversary sees herbal competitors by the dozens - CNN, 3/26/99 - "Since the main problem in impotence is actually a problem with circulation of the blood vessels in the penis, l-arginine holds great promise for men with physical impotence"
• Prosexual Enhancement - Life Enhancement Magazine, 3/97 - "According to numerous anecdotal reports from highly satisfied arginine users since the early 1980s, dietary L-arginine can give men erections that are bigger, harder, more frequent, and longer lasting. Some men also report that L-arginine gives them greater endurance. In women, L-arginine has been reported to increase the intensity of sensation during sex. One highly athletic 30-something woman tells about the time she told her doctor about her L-arginine use. "My doctor almost fell off his chair when I told him how many times a night I do it - six-times," she said. "He's definitely taking arginine now, too.""

Abstracts:

• Clinical Assessment of a Supplement of Pycnogenol® and l-arginine in Japanese Patients with Mild to Moderate Erectile Dysfunction - Phytother Res. 2011 May 27 - "Subjects were instructed to take a supplement (Pycnogenol® 60 mg/day, l-arginine 690 mg/day and aspartic acid 552 mg/day) or an identical placebo for 8 weeks, and the results were assessed using the five-item erectile domain (IIEF-5) of the International Index of Erectile Function. Additionally, blood biochemistry, urinalysis and salivary testosterone were measured. Eight weeks of supplement intake improved the total score of the IIEF-5. In particular, a marked improvement was observed in 'hardness of erection' and 'satisfaction with sexual intercourse'. A decrease in blood pressure, aspartate transaminase and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GTP), and a slight increase in salivary testosterone were observed in the supplement group. No adverse reactions were observed during the study period. In conclusion, Pycnogenol® in combination with l-arginine as a dietary supplement is effective and safe in Japanese patients with mild to moderate erectile dysfunction" - See Pycnogenol at Amazon.com, L-arginine products at Amazon.com and l-aspartic acid 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.
• Perioperative arginine-supplemented nutrition in malnourished patients with head and neck cancer improves long-term survival - Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Sep 29 - "Plasma arginine concentrations are lower in patients with cancer, which indicates that arginine metabolism may be disturbed in these patients. Arginine supplementation has been associated with positive effects on antitumor mechanisms and has been shown to reduce tumor growth and to prolong survival. Furthermore, the prognosis of patients with head and neck cancer remains disappointing. Insufficient intake frequently leads to malnutrition, which contributes to high morbidity and mortality rates ... The group receiving arginine-enriched nutrition had a significantly better overall survival (P = 0.019) and better disease-specific survival (P = 0.022). Furthermore, the arginine-supplemented group had a significantly better locoregional recurrence-free survival (P = 0.027). No significant difference in the occurrence of distant metastases or occurrence of a second primary tumor was observed between the groups"
• Effect of Long-Term L-Arginine Supplementation on Arterial Compliance and Metabolic Parameters in Patients with Multiple Cardiovascular risk Factors: Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study - J Cardiovasc Pharmacol. 2010 Jun 7 - "large artery elasticity index (LAEI) ... Although large artery elasticity index (LAEI) did not differ significantly between the groups at baseline (10.64.3 vs.11.64.5 ml/mm HgX100, p=0.346), at the end of the study LAEI was significantly greater in patients treated with L-arginine than in the placebo group (12.73.4 vs. 8.02.8 ml/mm HgX10, p<0.0001). Systemic vascular resistance was significantly lower in patients treated with L-arginine than in the placebo group after 6 months. Small artery elasticity index (SAEI) did not differ significantly between the groups at baseline or at the end of the study. Serum aldosterone decreased significantly in Group 1 from 10.76.3 to 8.45.0 ng/ml (p=0.008), but did not change in the placebo group. CONCLUSION:: L-arginine supplementation improves LAEI in patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors. This improvement was associated with a decrease in systolic blood pressure, peripheral vascular resistance as well as a decrease in aldosterone levels. The results suggest that long term L-arginine supplementation has beneficial vascular effects in pathologic disease states associated with endothelial dysfunction"
• Pro-ulcer effects of resveratrol in mice with indomethacin-induced gastric ulcers are reversed by l-arginine - Br J Pharmacol. 2010 Jan 8 - "Although resveratrol is currently being evaluated in pre-clinical studies as a potential cancer chemopreventive agent and cardiovascular stress-releasing compound, treatment with resveratrol severely delays healing of pre-existing gastric ulcers. Resveratrol treatment can also induce endothelial NOS (eNOS) expression ... Resveratrol significantly aggravated damage from indomethacin-induced gastric ulcers, and delayed healing, as shown by increased DS and MPO activity. The mRNA for cyclooxygenase (COX)-1, but not that for COX-2, was inhibited by resveratrol treatment, with reduced synthesis of PGE(2) by gastric tissue. However, resveratrol treatment induced eNOS gene expression and shifted the eNOS/iNOS balance. l-Arginine given before resveratrol in mice with indomethacin-induced ulcers significantly increased tissue NO synthesis and improved ulcer healing" - See L-arginine products at Amazon.com.
• Regulation of nitric oxide production in health and disease Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2009 Oct 16 - "The role of the cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin in nitric oxide production and its relation with arginine availability is indicated as an important explanation for the arginine paradox. This offers potential for nitric oxide regulation by dietary factors such as arginine or its precursors and vitamin C. Because diets with a high saturated fat content induce high plasma fatty acid levels, endothelial nitric oxide production is often impaired due to a reduction in nitric oxide synthase 3 phosphorylation. Increasing the arginine availability by arginine therapy or arginase inhibition was, therefore, proposed as a potential therapy to treat hypertension. Recent studies in septic patients and transgenic mice models found that inadequate de-novo arginine production from citrulline reduces nitric oxide production. Citrulline supplementation may, therefore, be a novel therapeutic approach in conditions of arginine deficiency" - See L-arginine products at Amazon.com and l-citrulline at Amazon.com.
• Dietary Supplementation of L-Arginine and Conjugated Linoleic Acid Reduces Retroperitoneal Fat Mass and Increases Lean Body Mass in Rats - J Nutr. 2009 May 13 - "We conclude that CLA and arginine modulated adipose tissue metabolism by separate, but not additive, effects. Also, CLA and arginine may have depressed muscle protein turnover" - See conjugated linoleic acid at Amazon.com and L-arginine products at Amazon.com.
• Dietary L-Arginine Supplementation Reduces White Fat Gain and Enhances Skeletal Muscle and Brown Fat Masses in Diet-Induced Obese Rats - J Nutr. 2008 Dec 23 - "l-arginine-HCl ... Despite similar energy intake, absolute weights of white fat pads increased by 98% in control rats over a 12-wk period but only by 35% in arginine-supplemented rats. The arginine treatment reduced the relative weights of white fat pads by 30% and enhanced those of soleus muscle by 13%, extensor digitorum longus muscle by 11%, and brown fat by 34% compared with control rats ... arginine treatment resulted in lower serum concentrations of leptin, glucose, triglycerides, urea, glutamine, and branched-chain amino acids, higher serum concentrations of nitric-oxide metabolites, and improvement in glucose tolerance. Thus, dietary arginine supplementation shifts nutrient partitioning to promote muscle over fat gain and may provide a useful treatment for improving the metabolic profile and reducing body white fat in diet-induced obese rats" - See arginine products at Amazon.com.
• Addition of 2.5g l-arginine in a fatty meal prevents the lipemia-induced endothelial dysfunction in healthy volunteers - Atherosclerosis. 2008 Nov 6 - "2.5g l-arginine, but not phenyalanine or leucine, is able to prevent the lipemic dysfunction of the endothelium"
• Kidney damage after renal ablation is worsened in endothelial nitric oxide synthase (-/-) mice and improved by combined administration of L-arginine and antioxidants - Nephrology (Carlton). 2008 Jun;13(3):218-27 - "A combination of L-arginine and antioxidant treatment ameliorated renal damage"
• Long Term N-Acetylcysteine and L-Arginine Administration Reduces Endothelial Activation and Systolic Blood Pressure in Hypertensive Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus - Diabetes Care. 2008 Feb 11 - "The NAC+ARG administration seems to be a potential well-tolerated antiatherogenic therapy since it improves the endothelial function in hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes by improving NO bioavailability via reduction of the oxidative stress and increase of NO production. Our study's results give prominence to its potential use in the primary and secondary cardiovascular prevention in these patients"
• Pharmacokinetics of arginine and related amino acids - J Nutr. 2007 Jun;137(6):1646S-9S
• Biomarkers of arginine and lysine excess - J Nutr. 2007 Jun;137(6):1662S-8S - "Arginine supplementation is used in several disease states. In arginine-deficient states, supplementation is a logical choice of therapy. However, the definition of an arginine-deficient state is complex. For example, plasma arginine levels could be within normal range but intracellular arginine levels could be reduced because of membrane transport problems. Lysine competes with arginine for transport into the cell. In these situations, arginine supplementation of higher than required levels is proposed. Arginine has several important functions in metabolism as it is a precursor of metabolically active components such as nitric oxide (NO), ornithine, creatine, and polyamines"
• Oral treatment with L-lysine and L-arginine reduces anxiety and basal cortisol levels in healthy humans - Biomed Res. 2007 Apr;28(2):85-90 - "the treatment with L-lysine and L-arginine decreased the basal levels of salivary cortisol and chromogranin-A (a salivary marker of the sympatho-adrenal system) in male subjects"
• l-Arginine, the substrate for NO synthesis: An alternative treatment for premature atherosclerosis? - Int J Cardiol. 2006 Jul 20 - "l-arginine administration may be useful in patients with premature atherosclerosis"
• Treatment with supplementary arginine, vitamin C and zinc in patients with pressure ulcers: A randomised controlled trial - Clin Nutr. 2005 Nov 14;24(6):979-987 - "In this small set of patients, supplementary arginine, vitamin C and zinc significantly improved the rate of pressure ulcer healing"
• Effects of vitamin C on intracoronary L-arginine dependent coronary vasodilatation in patients with stable angina - Heart. 2005 Oct;91(10):1319-23 - "L-arginine dependent coronary segment vasodilatation was augmented by the antioxidant vitamin C in patients with coronary artery disease. Thus, vitamin C may have beneficial effects on nitric oxide bioavailability induced by L-arginine"

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