Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 3/20/13.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

Vitamin D replacement improves muscle efficiency - Science Daily, 3/18/13 - "Researchers from Newcastle University ... investigated phosphocreatine recovery times in patients with vitamin D deficiency. They employed a non-invasive magnetic resonance scan to measure phosphocreatine dynamics in response to exercise in the calf muscles of 12 patients with severe vitamin D deficiency before and after treatment with vitamin D ... phosphocreatine recovery significantly improved after the patients took a fixed dose of oral vitamin D for 10-12 weeks (average phosphocreatine recovery half time decreased from 34.4sec to 27.8sec, p<0.001). All patients reported an improvement in symptoms of fatigue following supplementation. In a parallel study, the group demonstrated that low Vitamin D levels were associated with reduced mitochondrial function" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

New study on UTIs suggests flagellin is key in stimulating body's natural defenses - Science Daily, 3/17/13 - "There is rapidly growing resistance exhibited by organisms, especially E. coli, to conventional antimicrobials which makes infections potentially more and more difficult to treat ... This is confounded by the fact that there have been no new classes of antibiotics to treat Gram-negative bacilli like E. coli for more than 40 years. It is amazing that the fluoroquinolones were the last new class of antibiotics to treat Gram-negative bacilli! Our ultimate aim is to develop agents that enhance the immune response and help the body defend itself better as an alternative to conventional antibiotics which work against the pathogen alone"

How vitamin E can help prevent cancer - Science Daily, 3/16/13 - "In this new work, researchers showed in prostate cancer cells that one form of vitamin E inhibits the activation of an enzyme that is essential for cancer cell survival. The loss of the enzyme, called Akt, led to tumor cell death. The vitamin had no negative effect on normal cells ... Vitamin E occurs in numerous forms based on their chemical structure, and the most commonly known form belongs to a variety called tocopherols. In this study, researchers showed that, of the tocopherols tested, the gamma form of tocopherol was the most potent anti-cancer form of the vitamin ... The researchers began the work with both alpha and gamma forms of the vitamin E molecule. Both inhibited the enzyme called Akt in very targeted ways, but the gamma structure emerged as the more powerful form of the vitamin" - See Jarrow FamilE (contains all eight members of the vitamin E family, includes Tocomin) at Amazon.com.

No clear evidence that decline in hormone replacement therapy use linked to fall in breast cancer - Science Daily, 3/14/13 - "In the SEER study, the declines in breast cancer were similar for both early stage and advanced cancers. This suggests that advanced cancers would have rapidly shrunk very soon after HRT discontinuation, which is "unlikely," say the authors ... DNA damage to breast tissue takes at least a decade before cancer becomes detectable, say the authors, and if there was a causal link, HRT discontinuation would be expected to have conferred a reduction in new cases of cancer over a period of several years. But this is not what the data show, say the authors ... In the meantime, he says, many women who could benefit from HRT are not using it. "If there is a risk, the risk is small, and the benefits of HRT can be life altering; it is vital that we keep this in perspective," he concludes" - Note:  I suspected something like this.  I take a lot of hits because I think for myself and don't believe media hype which comes with accusations that I'm brain washed when I feel it's the other way around.

Vitamin D Supplements Tied to Lower Blood Pressure in Blacks - WebMD, 3/15/13 -"vitamin D may lower blood pressure by causing blood vessels to relax, allowing for more and easier blood flow ... Forman's team randomly assigned 250 black participants to one of three doses of vitamin D supplements or an inactive placebo ... those taking 1,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D a day saw their systolic blood pressure drop by 0.7 mm Hg. For those taking 2,000 IU, the drop was 3.4 mm Hg, and for those taking 4,000 IU, systolic pressure dropped by 4 mm Hg ... those receiving the placebo saw their systolic blood pressure rise by 1.7 mm Hg, the researchers noted ... Endocrine Society committee guidelines recommend that adults take 1,500 to 2,000 units of vitamin D daily" - [Abstract] - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Coffee and Green Tea May Help Lower Stroke Risk - WebMD, 3/15/13 - "The study looked at the green tea and coffee drinking habits of more than 82,000 Japanese adults, ages 45 to 74, for an average of 13 years ... People who drank at least 1 cup of coffee daily had about a 20% lower risk of stroke compared to those who rarely drank it ... People who drank 2 to 3 cups of green tea daily had a 14% lower risk of stroke, and those who had at least 4 cups had a 20% lower risk, compared to those who rarely drank it ... People who drank at least 1 cup of coffee or 2 cups of green tea daily had a 32% lower risk of intracerebral hemorrhage, compared to those who rarely drank either beverage. Intracerebral hemorrhage happens when a blood vessel bursts and bleeds inside the brain. About 13% of strokes are due to this condition ... Some chemicals in coffee include chlorogenic acid, which is thought to cut stroke risks by lowering the chances of developing type 2 diabetes" - [Abstract] - Note:  Chlorogenic acid is in fruit extracts such as blueberry extract.  See Garden of Life, Radical Fruits Antioxidant Complex at Amazon.com.

Probiotics reduce stress-induced intestinal flare-ups, study finds - Science Daily, 3/14/13 - "while stress does not cause IBS, it does alter brain-gut interactions and induces the intestinal inflammation that often leads to severe or chronic belly pain, loss of appetite and diarrhea ... Stress has a way of suppressing an important component called an inflammasome which is needed to maintain normal gut microbiota, but probiotics reversed the effect in animal models ... The effect of stress could be protected with probiotics which reversed the inhibition of the inflammasome" - See probiotic products at Amazon.com.

Olive Oil Makes You Feel Full - Science Daily, 3/14/13 - "While it is true that they contain fewer calories, people tend to overcompensate by eating more if they do not feel full. Now a study has shown how "natural" oils and fats regulate the sensation of feeling full after eating, with olive oil leading the way ...Over a period of three months, the study participants ate 500 grams of low-fat yoghurt enriched with one of the four fats or oils every day -- as a supplement to their normal diet ... The olive oil group showed a higher concentration of the satiety hormone serotonin in their blood. Subjectively speaking, these participants also reported that they found the olive oil yoghurt very filling ... During the study period, no member of this group recorded an increase in their body fat percentage or their weight ... How long the feeling of satiety lasts after eating depends on a number of factors, but blood sugar level is particularly significant. The faster it falls, that is to say, the faster the somatic cells absorb glucose from the blood, the sooner the person will start to feel hungry again"

Neuron loss in schizophrenia and depression could be prevented, study suggests - Science Daily, 3/13/13 - "It now appears that parvalbumin neurons are particularly vulnerable to oxidative stress, a factor that may emerge commonly in development, particularly in the context of psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, where compromised mitochondrial function plays a role. Parvalbumin neurons may be protected from this effect by N-acetylcysteine, also known as Mucomyst, a medication commonly prescribed to protect the liver against the toxic effects of acetaminophen (Tylenol) overdose ... This study raises the possibility that GABA neuronal deficits in psychiatric disorder may be preventable using a drug, N-acetylcysteine, which is quite safe to administer to humans" - See n-acetyl cysteine at Amazon.com.

Fungus-infested bagpipes sicken lifelong player, 78 - Vitals, 3/13/13 - "He got so sick and weak he couldn’t walk and lost more than a stone in weight -- or about 14 pounds ... When they learned he was a bagpiper, the medical crew asked to test the instrument – and found the culprit ... Apparently the synthetic bags favored by modern pipers are an ideal environment for bacteria, mold and fungus that can grow in saliva that gets into the bags during playing. Old-time pipers used hide bags that required regular maintenance, procedures that probably kept them clean and safe ... A 35-year-old man suffered from so-called “trombone player’s lung,” or hypersensitivity pneumonia triggered by bugs including the same Fusarium fungi that affected Shone. The trombone player had a bad cough that lasted for 15 years, according to a 2010 article in the journal Chest. His cough stopped once he started disinfecting it with rubbing alcohol. Another musician, a 48-year-old saxophone player, also suffered from lung problems triggered by molds until he started washing his mouthpiece" - Note:  I'm betting swimming snorkels are the same way.

Using hansfree kit or sending texts behind the wheel is as dangerous as being twice over legal alcohol limit, study suggests - Science Daily, 3/13/13 - "When the conversation using the handsfree was simple, the effects were comparable to a BAC level of 0.04 g/l, which is below the legal limit of 0.5 g/l in countries like Spain and Australia. However, when more attention was required, their alcohol level analogue shot up to 0.7 g/l, which is above the legal limit in both countries yet below in other countries, like the USA or the UK where up to 0.8 g/l is allowed. When answering text messages, the rate stood at 1 g/l, which is illegal in any of all of these countries"

Bitter melon juice prevents pancreatic cancer in mouse models - Science Daily, 3/12/13 - "Three years ago researchers showed the effect of bitter melon extract on breast cancer cells only in a Petri dish. This study goes much, much farther. We used the juice -- people especially in Asian countries are already consuming it in quantity. We show that it affects the glucose metabolism pathway to restrict energy and kill pancreatic cancer cells" - See bitter melon extracts at iHerb.

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):

Uric Acid Measurement Improves Prediction of Cardiovascular Mortality in Later Life - J Am Geriatr Soc. 2013 Mar 15 - "In individuals aged 70 and older without overt CVD, renal dysfunction, or diuretic use, serum uric acid greater than 7.0 mg/dL was associated with greater CVD mortality independent of classic CVD risk factors"

Effect of different dietary omega-3/omega-6 fatty acid ratios on reproduction in male rats - Lipids Health Dis. 2013 Mar 13;12(1):33 - "These findings demonstrated that a balanced n-3/n-6 ratio was important in male rat reproduction. Therefore there is a necessity to determine an appropriate n-3/n-6 PUFA ratio in man and different male animals in the future" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Betaine supplement alleviates hepatic triglyceride accumulation of apolipoprotein E deficient mice via reducing methylation of peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor alpha promoter - Lipids Health Dis. 2013 Mar 13;12(1):34 - "Our findings indicate that betaine supplement could alleviate hepatic triglyceride accumulation and improve antioxidant capacity by decreasing PPAR alpha promoter methylation and upregulating PPAR alpha and its target genes mRNA expression" - See TMG at Amazon.com.

Omega 3 fatty acids increase the chemo-sensitivity of B-CLL-derived cell lines EHEB and MEC-2 and of B-PLL-derived cell line JVM-2 to anti-cancer drugs doxorubicin, vincristine and fludarabine - Lipids Health Dis. 2013 Mar 16;12(1):36 - "N-3's are promising chemo-sensitizing agents for the treatment of CLL. Selective enhancement of chemo-sensitivity of EHEB, JVM-2 and MEC-2 to drugs by n-3 that is not dependent on increased lipid peroxidation and ROS generation indicates alternative mechanisms by which n-3 enhances chemo-sensitivity" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Chromium supplementation in overweight and obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials - Obes Rev. 2013 Mar 18 - "Electronic searches were conducted in Medline, Embase, Amed and The Cochrane Library ... A meta-analysis of 11 studies showed a statistically significant difference in weight loss favouring chromium over placebo (mean difference (MD): -0.50 kg; 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.97, -0.03). There was a high statistical heterogeneity. Adverse events included watery stools, vertigo, headaches and urticaria. The evidence from available RCTs shows that chromium supplementation generates statistically significant reductions in body weight" - See chromium supplements at Amazon.com.

Urinary and plasma magnesium and risk of ischemic heart disease - Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 Mar 13 - "Urinary excretion of magnesium, an indicator of dietary magnesium uptake, might provide more consistent results ... examined 7664 adult participants free of known cardiovascular disease in the Prevention of Renal and Vascular End-Stage Disease (PREVEND) study-a prospective population-based cohort study ... median follow-up of 10.5 y ... urinary magnesium excretion had a nonlinear relation with IHD risk (P-curvature = 0.01). The lowest sex-specific quintile (men: <2.93 mmol/24 h; women: <2.45 mmol/24 h) had an increased risk of fatal and nonfatal IHD (multivariable HR: 1.60; 95% CI: 1.28, 2.00) compared with the upper 4 quintiles of urinary magnesium excretion. A similar increase in risk of the lowest quintile was observed for mortality related to IHD (HR: 1.70; 95% CI: 1.10, 2.61) ... Low urinary magnesium excretion was independently associated with a higher risk of IHD incidence. An increased dietary intake of magnesium, particularly in those with the lowest urinary magnesium, could reduce the risk of IHD" - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.

trans Fatty Acid Intake Is Associated with Increased Risk and n3 Fatty Acid Intake with Reduced Risk of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma - J Nutr. 2013 Mar 13 - "diets high in TFAs, processed meats, and higher fat dairy products were positively associated with NHL risk, whereas diets high in n3 fatty acids and total seafood were inversely associated with risk"

Omega-3 fatty acids lower blood pressure by directly activating large-conductance Ca2+-dependent K+ channels - Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Mar 4 - "This finding has practical implications for the use of omega-3 fatty acids as nutraceuticals for the general public and also for the critically ill receiving omega-3-enriched formulas" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Lactobacilli versus antibiotics to prevent urinary tract infections: a randomized, double-blind, noninferiority trial in postmenopausal women - Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2013;157(7):A5674 - "In postmenopausal women with recurrent UTIs, L. rhamnosus GR-1 and L. reuteri RC-14 do not meet the noninferiority criteria in the prevention of UTIs when compared with CTX. However, unlike CTX, lactobacilli do not increase antibiotic resistance" - See lactobacillus products at iHerb.

Neat Tech Stuff / "How To's":

• Google Reader to shut down with other services in another 'spring cleaning' - engadget.com, 3/13/13
• The outrage and sadness of Google Reader's demise - emgadget.com, 3/14/12 -"Google Reader is the ultimate personalized and customizable walled garden of content, and that is why I, and other devoted users, are inflamed by Google's announcement. Removing Google Reader rips a hole in the center of an active user's online life. I spend my share of time on Facebook and Twitter, and receive important content tips every day on those platforms. But Google Reader is where I start my day, even before email" -  I agree. I think the main problem is that people don't know about RSS feeds.  The following site recommends the free version of netvibes which is what I switched to.
  • Google Reader Is Shutting Down; Here Are the Best Alternatives - lifehacker.com, 3/14/13 - "NetVibes (pictured above) is one of the most popular web reader, offering a Google Reader-like interface as well as a snazzy iGoogle-like homepage"
• The URL for the RSS feed for the QualityCounts.com Newsletter is: http://www.qualitycounts.com/rss.xml

Health Focus (Gout):

Related Topics:

• hypertension / weight control

Popular Supplements:

• quercetin / folic acid / vitamin C

Alternative News:

• Eating cherries lowers risk of gout attacks by 35%, study suggests - Science Daily, 9/28/12 - "Our findings indicate that consuming cherries or cherry extract lowers the risk of gout attack ... The gout flare risk continued to decrease with increasing cherry consumption, up to three servings over two days.” The authors found that further cherry intake did not provide any additional benefit" - See cherry extracts at Amazon.com.
• Foods to Avoid if You Want to Avoid Gout Attacks - WebMD, 5/30/12 - "People who had the highest amounts of compounds called purines in their diets increased their risk of having a gout flare-up by almost five times compared to those eating the least purine-rich foods, a new study shows ... Foods with the highest purine content include liver, organ, and game meats, sardines, mussels, anchovies, herring, and beer ... Foods with moderate levels of purine include red meats, chicken, fish, asparagus, mushrooms, peas, beans, lentils, cauliflower, and spinach"
• Polyphenols may reduce risk of gout: Study - Nutra USA, 12/13/10 - "Gout is a painful form of arthritis caused by disturbances in uric acid metabolism, when an overload of uric acid leads to the formation of urate crystals in bodily tissues, especially the joints – leading to recurring attacks of joint inflammation ... Hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance can lead to increased uric acid re-absorption in the kidneys, which in turn can lead to a rise in serum uric acid concentration ... these results suggest that Oligonol lowers serum uric acid through inhibition of xanthine oxidase, and may be effective for prevention and treatment of hyperuricemia and/or gout" - See oligonol at Amazon.com.
• Fructose-rich beverages associated with increased risk of gout in women - Science Daily, 11/10/10 - "Compared with consumption of less than 1 serving per month, women who consumed one serving per day had a 74 percent increased risk of gout; and those with 2 or more servings per day had a 2.4 times higher risk ... Orange juice intake was also associated with risk of gout. Compared with women who consumed less than a glass (6 oz.) of orange juice per month, women who consumed 1 serving per day had a 41 percent higher risk of gout, and there was a 2.4 times higher risk with 2 or more servings per day"
• Coffee consumption and risk of incident gout in women: the Nurses' Health Study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Aug 25 - "There was an inverse association between higher coffee intake and the risk of gout. The multivariate relative risks (RRs) for incident gout according to coffee-consumption categories [ie, 0, 1-237, 238-947, and >/=948 mL coffee/d (237 mL = one 8-ounce cup)] were 1.00, 0.97, 0.78 (95% CI: 0.64, 0.95), and 0.43 (95% CI: 0.30, 0.61; P for trend < 0.0001), respectively. For decaffeinated coffee, the multivariate RRs according to consumption categories (0, 1-237, and >/=237 mL decaffeinated coffee/d) were 1.00, 1.02, and 0.77 (95% CI: 0.63, 0.95; P for trend = 0.02), respectively. There was an inverse association between total caffeine from all sources and the risk of gout; the multivariate RR of the highest quintile compared with the lowest quintile was 0.52 (95% CI: 0.41, 0.68; P for trend <0.0001)"
• Vitamin C May Help Prevent Gout - WebMD, 3/9/09 - "men who had the highest vitamin C intake from supplements and food were up to 45% less likely to develop the painful condition than those who had the lowest ... the results suggest that taking vitamin C supplements at the levels in the study (less than 2,000 milligrams per day) may be a safe and effective way to prevent gout" - See vitamin C products at Amazon.com.
• Vitamin C May Prevent Hyperuricemia, Gout - Medscape, 9/26/08 - "Hyperuricemia is considered a precursor of gout, which is the most common inflammatory arthritis in adult men ... An association was observed between greater vitamin C intake and lower prevalence of hyperuricemia defined as > 6 mg/dL. The multivariable odds ratio for hyperuricemia for the highest intake of vitamin C (>1000 mg/d) compared to the lowest (<90 mg/d) was 0.34 ... These findings support a potential role of vitamin C in the prevention of hyperuricemia and gout" - See vitamin C products at Amazon.com.
• Increased Coffee Consumption May Reduce Risk for Gout in Men - Medscape, 5/25/08 - "During the 12-year study, there were 757 confirmed incident cases of gout. Increasing coffee intake was inversely associated with the risk for gout, with multivariate relative risks (RRs) for incident gout of 1.00, 0.97, 0.92, 0.60 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.41 - 0.87), and 0.41 (95% CI, 0.19 - 0.88) for coffee consumption categories of 0, less than 1, 1 to 3, 4 to 5, and 6 or more cups per day, respectively ... For decaffeinated coffee, the multivariate RRs for 0, less than 1, 1 to 3, and 4 or more cups per day were 1.00, 0.83, 0.67 (95% CI, 0.54 - 0.82), and 0.73 (95% CI, 0.46 - 1.17), respectively"
• Vitamin C Intake and Serum Uric Acid Concentration in Men - J Rheumatol. 2008 May 1 - "An inverse dose-response association was observed through vitamin C intake of 400-500 mg/day, and then reached a plateau ... Greater vitamin C intake was associated with lower prevalence of hyperuricemia (serum uric acid > 6 mg/dl). Multivariate odds ratios for hyperuricemia across total vitamin C intake categories were 1 (reference), 0.58, 0.57, 0.38, and 0.34 (95% CI 0.20-0.58; P for trend < 0.001). When we used dietary data, which were assessed 4-8 years before blood collection, as predictors, we observed similar inverse associations between vitamin C intake and uric acid ... These population-based data indicate that vitamin C intake in men is inversely associated with serum uric acid concentrations. These findings support a potential role of vitamin C in the prevention of hyperuricemia and gout" - See vitamin C products at Amazon.com.
• Drinking 4 or More Cups of Coffee a Day May Help Prevent Gout - Medscape, 8/23/07 - "the risk for developing gout decreased with increasing coffee consumption. The risk of gout was 40 percent lower for men who drank 4 to 5 cups a day and 59 percent lower for men who drank 6 or more cups a day than for men who never drank coffee"
• Coffee Consumption May Lower Uric Acid Levels - The Precursor of Gout - Medscape, 8/23/07 - "levels of uric acid in the blood significantly decreased with increasing coffee intake, but not with tea intake"
• Drinking Four Or More Cups Of Coffee A Day May Help Prevent Gout - Science Daily, 5/25/07 - "the data revealed that the risk for developing gout decreased with increasing coffee consumption. The risk of gout was 40 percent lower for men who drank 4 to 5 cups a day and 59 percent lower for men who drank 6 or more cups a day than for men who never drank coffee"

Other News:

• New drug aids gout patients not helped by standard treatments - Science Daily, 8/16/11 - "Injections of pegloticase, a modified porcine enzyme, can produce significant and sustained clinical improvements in 2 out of 5 patients with chronic gout that is resistant to conventional therapies"
• Gout prevalence swells in U.S. over last two decades; Increase in obesity and hypertension are likely contributors - Science Daily, 7/28/11
• Obesity, hypertension, alcohol and diuretic use: Gout risk factors for women - Science Daily, 3/30/10
• Uric Acid Level, Alcohol, Other Factors Increase Risk of Gout in Women - Science Daily, 2/23/10
• Gout Raises Women's Heart Attack Risk - WebMD, 2/9/10
• Gout Drug May Lower Blood Pressure - WebMD, 9/23/09 - "A new study suggests a direct link between a high-sugar diet and high blood pressure ... allopurinol could lower high blood pressure by lowering uric acid" - Note:  Kind of a confusing article.  Yeah, high blood sugar probably is a cause of high blood pressure and high uric acid but the article implies that allopurinol lowers blood pressure by lowering the uric acid not the blood sugar so why is it discussing blood sugar?  I've  written WebMD before about articles like that and they've agreed and changed it.  This one is minor I guess.
• High-sugar Diet Increases Men's Blood Pressure; Gout Drug Protective, Study Finds - Science Daily, 9/23/09
• New Gout Drug Gets FDA Panel Nod - WebMD, 11/24/08 - "Uloric should be the first new gout drug to be approved in over 40 years ... Unlike allopurinol, very little Uloric is excreted through the urine, making Uloric safe for patients with kidney problems"
• The practical management of gout - Cleve Clin J Med. 2008 Jul;75 Suppl 5:S22-5
• New Treatment for Previously Nontreatable Gout - WebMD, 9/4/08
• Steroid Pill May Ease Gout Attack - WebMD, 5/30/08
• Blame Sweet Soda for Gout? - WebMD, 1/31/08 - "Compared with men who almost never drank sugar-sweetened soft drinks -- fewer than one per month -- frequent soft-drink drinkers were significantly more likely to suffer gout: ... Two or more soft drinks each day upped gout risk by 85% ... One soft drink each day upped gout risk by 45% ... Five or six soft drinks each week upped gout risk by 29%"
• Sugar-sweetened soft drinks, diet soft drinks, and serum uric acid level: The third national health and nutrition examination survey - Arthritis Rheum. 2007 Dec 28;59(1):109-116 - "sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption is associated with serum uric acid levels and frequency of hyperuricemia, but diet soft drink consumption is not"