Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 12/23/13.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

Higher blood pressure treshold OK in older adults - NBC  News, 12/18/13 - "For adults aged 60 and older, they are recommending a higher treatment threshold, prescribing medicine only when blood pressure levels reach 150 over 90 or higher" - [Abstract]

Penile Length After Prostatectomy - Medscape, 12/17/13 - "the average penile length at 6 months was not significantly different compared with the length before surgery. However, whereas those men who were taking a daily phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor had no significant loss of length at 6 months, those not taking a daily PDE5 inhibitor had an average loss of 4.4 mm" - Note: 4.4 mm = 0.17 inches.

ACE + ARB = Adverse Events - Medscape, 12/17/13 - "patients receiving the active drug combination had an excess occurrence of hyperkalemia and acute kidney injury. The hazard ratio for hyperkalemia was 2.8, and for acute kidney injury, it was 1.7. No benefit, excess risk, and the study was stopped early"

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):

Fish oil, contained in eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, attenuates testicular and spermatological damage induced by cisplatin in rats - Andrologia. 2013 Dec 18 - "The aim of this study was to investigate the beneficial effects of the fish oil (FO) supplementation on oxidative stress, sperm characteristics and histological alterations in the male reproductive system of rats against cisplatin (CP) toxicity. The rats were divided randomly into 4 equal groups (control, FO, CP and FO + CP) ... The results showed that CP caused a significant oxidative damage via induction of lipid peroxidation and reduction in the antioxidant defence system potency in the testis tissue. In addition, sperm motility and sperm concentration significantly decreased but the abnormal sperm rate and histopathological testicular damage increased with CP treatment. On the other hand, FO treatment prevented oxidative, histopathological and spermatological effects of CP and reversed side effects of CP" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

High protein intake is associated with low prevalence of frailty among old Japanese women: a multicenter cross-sectional study - Nutr J. 2013 Dec 19;12(1):164 - "A total of 2108 grandmothers or acquaintances of dietetic students aged 65 years and older participated in this cross-sectional multicenter study, which was conducted in 85 dietetic schools in 35 prefectures of Japan. Intakes of total, animal, and plant protein and eight selected amino acids were estimated from a validated brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire and amino acid composition database ... Adjusted ORs (95% CI) for frailty in the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth quintiles of total protein intake were 1.00 (reference), 1.02 (0.72, 1.45), 0.64 (0.45, 0.93), 0.62 (0.43, 0.90), and 0.66 (0.46, 0.96), respectively (P for trend = 0.001). Subjects categorized to the third, fourth, and fifth quintiles of total protein intake (>69.8 g/d) showed significantly lower ORs than those to the first quintile"

Neuroenhancement with vitamin B12-underestimated neurological significance - Nutrients. 2013 Dec 12;5(12):5031-45 - "A Vitamin B12 deficiency expresses itself by a wide variety of neurological manifestations such as paraesthesias, skin numbness, coordination disorders and reduced nerve conduction velocity. In elderly people, a latent Vitamin B12 deficiency can be associated with a progressive brain atrophy. Moderately elevated concentrations of homocysteine (>10 µmol/L) have been associated with an increased risk of dementia, notably Alzheimer's disease, in many cross-sectional and prospective studies. Raised plasma concentrations of homocysteine is also associated with both regional and whole brain atrophy, not only in Alzheimer's disease but also in healthy elderly people. Clinician awareness should be raised to accurately diagnose and treat early Vitamin B12 deficiency to prevent irreversible structural brain damage" - See vitamin B12 at Amazon.com.

Impact of Breakfasts (with or without Eggs) on Body Weight Regulation and Blood Lipids in University Students over a 14-Week Semester - Nutrients. 2013 Dec 16;5(12):5097-113 - "Seventy-three subjects were instructed to consume a breakfast with eggs (Egg Breakfast, EB, n = 39) or without (Non-Egg Breakfast, NEB, n = 34), five times/week for 14 weeks ... Blood lipids were similar between groups at all time points, indicating that the additional 400 mg/day of dietary cholesterol did not negatively impact blood lipids"

Daily Nutritional Dose Supplementation with Antioxidant Nutrients and Phytochemicals Improves DNA and LDL Stability: A Double-Blind, Randomized, and Placebo-Controlled Trial - Nutrients. 2013 Dec 18;5(12):5218-32 - "The hypothesis that a multi-micronutrient supplement with nutritional doses of antioxidant nutrients and phytochemicals (MP) may provide protection against oxidative damage and maintain the endogenous antioxidant defense capacity was assessed in subjects with a habitually low intake of fruits and vegetables. In a randomized, placebo-controlled, and parallel designed trial, 89 eligible subjects were assigned to either placebo or MP for eight weeks ... These results suggest that MP use in healthy subjects with habitually low dietary fruit and vegetable intake may be beneficial in providing resistance to oxidative damage to DNA and LDL without suppressing the endogenous defense mechanisms" - See Garden of Life, Radical Fruits Antioxidant Complex at Amazon.com.

Increased risk of dementia in patients with osteoporosis: a population-based retrospective cohort analysis - Age (Dordr). 2013 Dec 18 - "Using data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database ... After adjustment for potential risk factors, the osteoporosis patients exhibited 1.46-fold and 1.39-fold higher risk of dementia (95 % CI = 1.37-1.56) and Alzheimer's disease (95 % CI = 0.95-2.02), respectively, compared with the matched nonosteoporosis patients"

Effects of Freeze-Dried Strawberry Supplementation on Metabolic Biomarkers of Atherosclerosis in Subjects with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Trial - Ann Nutr Metab. 2013 Dec 6;63(3):256-264 - "To our knowledge there has been no study investigating the impact of freeze-dried strawberry (FDS) supplementation on metabolic biomarkers of atherosclerosis in subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2D) ... Thirty-six subjects with T2D (23 females; mean body mass index 27.90 ± 3.7; mean age 51.57 ± 10 years) were randomly divided into two groups. The treatment group consumed 2 cups of FDS beverage (50 g of FDS is equivalent to 500 g of fresh strawberries) or macronutrient matched placebo powder with strawberry flavor daily for 6 weeks in a randomized double-blind controlled trial ... FDS supplementation significantly decreased C-reactive protein levels as a biomarker of inflammation (2.5 vs. 2.04 mg/l, p < 0.05) and lipid peroxidation in the form of MDA (3.36 vs. 2.7 nmol/ml, p < 0.05) at 6 weeks compared to the baseline. Moreover, supplementation led to a decreasing trend in HbA1c (-5.7%, p < 0.05) and significant increase in total antioxidant status in the FDS group (1.44 vs. 1.26 mmol/l, p < 0.01) compared to the placebo group" - See Garden of Life, Radical Fruits Antioxidant Complex at Amazon.com.

Erythrocyte n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Koreans: A Case-Control Study - Ann Nutr Metab. 2013 Dec 7;63(4):283-290 - "The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether erythrocyte levels of n-3 PUFAs are negatively associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes and correlated with levels of glucose and HbA1c in Koreans ... A total of 130 patients with type 2 diabetes and 260 age- and sex-matched controls participated in this study ... The risk of type 2 diabetes was negatively associated with erythrocyte levels of n-3 PUFA, which were negatively correlated with HbA1c levels in Koreans, suggesting that n-3 PUFAs might reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in Asians" - See See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Intakes of Anthocyanins and Flavones Are Associated with Biomarkers of Insulin Resistance and Inflammation in Women - J Nutr. 2013 Dec 11 - "In multivariable analyses, higher anthocyanin and flavone intake were associated with significantly lower peripheral insulin resistance [homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance; quintile 5 (Q5) to Q1 = -0.1, P-trend = 0.04 for anthocyanins and flavones] as a result of a decrease in insulin concentrations (Q5-Q1 = -0.7 μU/mL, P-trend = 0.02 anthocyanins; Q5-Q1 = -0.5 μU/mL, P-trend = 0.02 flavones). Higher anthocyanin intake was also associated with lower hs-CRP levels (Q5-Q1 = -0.3 mg/L, P-trend = 0.04), whereas those in the highest quintile of flavone intake had improved adiponectin levels (Q5-Q1 = 0.7 μg/L, P-trend = 0.01). Anthocyanin-rich foods were also associated with lower insulin and inflammation levels"

• Anthocyanin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - "Anthocyanins ... are water-soluble vacuolar pigments that may appear red, purple, or blue depending on the pH. They belong to a parent class of molecules called flavonoids synthesized via the phenylpropanoid pathway; they are odorless and nearly flavorless, contributing to taste as a moderately astringent sensation ... Plants rich in anthocyanins are Vaccinium species, such as blueberry, cranberry, and bilberry; Rubus berries, including black raspberry, red raspberry, and blackberry; blackcurrant, cherry, eggplant peel, black rice, Concord grape, muscadine grape, red cabbage, and violet petals" - See Garden of Life, Radical Fruits Antioxidant Complex at Amazon.com.

Cruciferous Vegetables and Risk of Colorectal Neoplasms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis - Nutr Cancer. 2013 Dec 16 - "Evidence shows cruciferous vegetables exhibit chemoprotective properties, commonly attributed to their rich source of isothiocyanates ... Thirty-three articles were included in the meta-analysis after a literature search of electronic databases ... Results show a statistically significant inverse association between cruciferous vegetable intake and colon cancer [OR = 0.84; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.72-0.98; P value heterogeneity < 0.001]. Broccoli in particular exhibited protective benefits against colorectal (CRC) neoplasms (OR = 0.80; 95% CI: 0.65-0.99; P value heterogeneity = 0.02). Stratification by GST genotype reveals that the GSTT1 null genotype confers a reduction in CRC risk (OR = 0.78; 95% CI: 0.64-0.95; P value heterogeneity = 0.32). This study provides support to the hypothesis that cruciferous vegetable intake protects against cancer of the colon" - See cruciferous vegetables supplements at Amazon.com.

Tea consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: a dose-response meta-analysis of cohort studies - Br J Nutr. 2013 Dec 13:1-11 - "Pertinent studies were identified by searching PubMed, Web of Science and EMBASE through 31 March 2013 ... A significant linearly inverse association between tea consumption and T2D risk was found (P for linear trend = 0.02). An increase of 2 cups/d in tea consumption was found to be associated with a 4.6 (95 % CI 0.9, 8.1) % reduced risk of T2D. On the basis of the dose-response meta-analysis, the predicted relative risks of diabetes for 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 cups of tea consumed per d were 1.00 (referent), 0.97 (95 % CI 0.94, 1.01), 0.95(95 % CI 0.92, 0.98), 0.93 (95 % CI 0.88, 0.98), 0.90 (95 % CI 0.85, 0.96), 0.88 (95 % CI 0.83, 0.93) and 0.85 (95 % CI 0.80, 0.91), respectively" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.

Effects of α-tocopherol and β-carotene supplementation on cancer incidence and mortality: 18-Year postintervention follow-up of the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study - Int J Cancer. 2013 Dec 3 - "In the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study among 29,133 Finnish male smokers aged 50-69 years, daily α-tocopherol (50 mg) for a median of 6.1 years decreased the risk of prostate cancer, whereas β-carotene (20 mg) increased risk of lung cancer and overall mortality. To determine the postintervention effects of α-tocopherol and β-carotene, 25,563 men were followed 18 years for cancer incidence and all causes of mortality through national registers ... In conclusion, supplementation with α-tocopherol and β-carotene appeared to have no late effects on cancer incidence. The preventive effect of moderate-dose α-tocopherol on prostate cancer continued several years post-trial and resulted in lower prostate cancer mortality" - Note:  I still see doctors on the news quoting that study claiming it will give you lung cancer.

Tadalafil - a therapeutic option in the management of BPH-LUTS - Int J Clin Pract. 2014 Jan;68(1):94-103 - "While tadalafil is most frequently recognised as a standard treatment option for men with ED, it also represents a well-tolerated and effective treatment option in men with moderate to severe BPH-LUTS"

Hypomagnesaemia in patients hospitalised in internal medicine is associated with increased mortality - Int J Clin Pract. 2014 Jan;68(1):111-6 - "Magnesium is the major intracellular divalent cation. Hypomagnesaemia is common among critically ill patients; it's prevalence is not known in patients admitted to general internal medicine ... Retrospective chart review. Hypomagnesaemic patients admitted from 1 October 2010 through 18 November 2010 compared with normomagnesaemic patients ... There was a significant difference in mortality between the normomagnesaemic group (7.2%) and the hypomagnesaemic group (17.2%)" - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid Prevents Ovariectomy-Induced Bone Loss in Mice by Modulating Both Osteoclastogenesis and Osteoblastogenesis - Lipids. 2013 Dec 13 - "Postmenopausal osteoporosis due to estrogen deficiency is associated with severe morbidity and mortality ... Eight-week old ovariectomized (Ovx) and sham operated C57BL/6 mice were fed either a diet containing 0.5 % safflower oil (SFO) or 0.5 % CLA for 24 weeks ... In conclusion, CLA may prevent postmenopausal bone loss not only by inhibiting excessive bone resorption due to estrogen deficiency but also by stimulating new bone formation. CLA might be a potential alternative therapy against osteoporotic bone loss" - See conjugated linoleic acid at Amazon.com.

Impact of dietary fiber intake on glycemic control, cardiovascular risk factors and chronic kidney disease in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: the Fukuoka Diabetes Registry - Nutr J. 2013 Dec 11;12(1):159 - "A total of 4,399 patients were assessed for dietary fiber intake using a brief self-administered diet history questionnaire ... increased dietary fiber intake was associated with better glycemic control and more favorable cardiovascular disease risk factors including chronic kidney disease in Japanese type 2 diabetic patients"

Consumption of cranberry polyphenols enhances human gammadelta-T cell proliferation and reduces the number of symptoms associated with colds and influenza: a randomized, placebo-controlled intervention study - Nutr J. 2013 Dec 13;12(1):161 - "Subjects drank a low calorie cranberry beverage (450 ml) made with a juice-derived, powdered cranberry fraction (n = 22) or a placebo beverage (n = 23), daily, for 10 wk ... The proliferation index of gammadelta-T cells in culture was almost five times higher after 10 wk of cranberry beverage consumption (p <0.001). In the cranberry beverage group, the incidence of illness was not reduced, however significantly fewer symptoms of illness were reported" - See cranberry extract at Amazon.com.

Effect of Fucoxanthin Alone and in Combination with D-glucosamine Hydrochloride on Carrageenan/kaolin-induced Experimental Arthritis in Rats - Phytother Res. 2013 Dec 12 - "fucoxanthin (FUCO) alone and in combination with glucosamine hydrochloride (GAH) ... FUCO is an effective anti-arthritis agent through an antiinflammation mechanism. FUCO may enhance therapeutic effect of GAH on rat arthritis through mechanism of antiinflammation" - See fucoxanthin products at Amazon.com.

• Fucoxanthin -  Examine.com - "Fucoxanthin is a carotenoid found in brown seaweed that is being investigated for its fat burning abilities. It reduces fat mass, but has a time delay due to build up in fat tissue and does not stimulate the brain. Also appears healthy, but needs more corroborating evidence"

Folate intake and risk of bladder cancer: a meta-analysis of epidemiological studies - Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2013 Dec 16 - "a meta-analysis of epidemiological studies published between 1996 and June 2013 on the relationship between folate intake and bladder cancer ... A significantly decreased risk with bladder cancer was observed in overall folate intake group (RE = 0.84; 95% CI, 0.72-0.96) and subgroup of case-control studies (RE = 0.73; 95% CI, 0.57-0.89), but not in cohort studies (RE = 0.96; 95% CI, 0.81-1.10) when comparing the highest with the lowest category of folate intake" - See folic acid products at Amazon.com.

Serum ferritin levels are positively associated with bone mineral density in elderly Korean men: the 2008-2010 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys - J Bone Miner Metab. 2013 Dec 14 - "A possible negative effect of iron overload on bone metabolism has been suggested by the fact that patients with hemochromatosis, thalassemia, and sickle cell anemia have lower bone mineral density than the general population. However, the influence of iron overload on bone health in the general population is uncertain ... Serum ferritin levels were positively associated with BMD of the total lumbar spine, total femur, and femur neck after adjusting for all covariates in men, but not in women. This study suggests a positive association between serum ferritin levels and BMD in elderly South Korean men without hematologic disorders" - See iron supplements at Amazon.com.

Methylcobalamin promotes proliferation and migration and inhibits apoptosis of C2C12 cells via the Erk1/2 signaling pathway - Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2013 Dec 13 - "Methylcobalamin (MeCbl) is a vitamin B12 analog that has some positive effects on peripheral nervous disorders ... Our results suggest that MeCbl has beneficial effects on the muscle in vitro. MeCbl administration may provide a novel therapeutic approach for muscle injury or degenerating muscle after denervation" - See vitamin B12 at Amazon.com.

Health Focus (Sytrinol):

Related Topics:

• cholesterol / HDL cholesterol / homocysteine / inflammation / heart disease / strokes / policosanol / red yeast rice / Sytrinol / guggul / pantethine / artichoke / inositol hexanicotinate / triglycerides / statins / green tea / hesperidin / hypertension / trans fatty acids

Where to purchase:

• Sytrinol at Amazon.com

News & Research:

• Citrus flavonoids and tocotrienols help cut cholesterol - Nutra USA, 11/8/07 - "A combination of bioflavonoids from citrus fruit and tocotrienols found in Sytrinol has had a positive effect in lowering cholesterol levels ... a new ingredient Cholesstrinol, which includes both tocotrienols bioflavonoids, will be launched ... The 12-week double-blind placebo controlled study showed total cholesterol dropped by 30 per cent, LDL cholesterol by 29 per cent, triglycerides by 34 per cent compared to the placebo" - [Abstract] - Cholesstrinol isn't available yet but Sytrinol is.
• An Effective Natural Alternative to Statin Drugs to Lower Cholesterol - Dr. Murray's Natural Living, 6/21/06 - "The research on Sytrinol is extremely impressive"
• Novel Dietary Supplement [Sytrinol™] Shows Dramatic Effects in Lowering Cholesterol, LDL, and Triglycerides - Life Extension Magazine, 11/04 - "four weeks of treatment with 300 mg of Sytrinol™ daily significantly reduced levels of total cholesterol (-25%), LDL (-19%), and triglycerides (-24%). HDL levels were unchanged and body mass remained relatively stable"
• Orange, Tangerine Peels Could Be Better Than Drugs For Lowering Cholesterol - Science Daily, 5/12/04 - "A compound found in the peels of citrus fruit has the potential to lower cholesterol more effectively than some prescription drugs, and without side effects ... Marketed as a cholesterol-lowering agent under the trade name SytrinolTM, the supplement recently became available in the U.S" - See Sytrinol at Amazon.com.
• Source Naturals(R) First National Brand To Offer Sytrinol(TM) - NPI Center, 1/19/04 - "Sytrinol, a patented proprietary formula derived from citrus and palm fruit extracts, is composed of polymethoxylated flavones and tocotrienols. Multiple clinical trials have demonstrated Sytrinol acts synergistically to significantly reduce total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides by 23%, 21% and 26% respectively. Unlike other cholesterol supplements, Sytrinol is not diet specific and has no known side effects" - See Sytrinol at Amazon.com.

Abstracts:

• Variations on cardiovascular risk factors in metabolic syndrome after consume of a citrus-based juice - Clin Nutr. 2011 Dec 22 - "After six months of citrus-based juice consuming, there is significant differences at 95% confidence in oxidized LDL, C-Reactive Protein, and Homocysteine in Metabolic Syndrome patients who consume citrus-based juice" - Note:  Sytrinol may be a way to get the active ingredients without the sugar and calories.