Recent Longevity News for the week ending 1/20/16

Not sleeping so well? Eating fiber might help - CNET, 1/16/16 - "a new study published in the January issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine zeroes in the specific impact of fiber on sleep, saying it leads to deeper, more restorative rest. The study also suggests more saturated fats and sugar consumed throughout the day have the opposite effect ... The study out of Columbia University associates a higher fiber intake with more time spent in a dreamless deep stage of sleep known as slow-wave sleep ... Fill your day with whole grains, fruits and vegetables and steer clear of too much sugar and saturated fats"

How diabetes drug metformin inhibits progression of pancreatic cancer - Science Daily, 1/14/16 - "metformin decreases the inflammation and fibrosis characteristic of the most common form of pancreatic cancer ... Diabetic patients taking metformin -- a commonly used generic medication for type 2 diabetes -- are known to have a reduced risk of developing pancreatic cancer; and among patients who develop the tumor, those taking the drug may have a reduced risk of death" - See metformin at The Antiaging Store.

Blueberries, citrus fruits, red wine associated with reduced erectile dysfunction - Science Daily, 1/13/16 - "Of all the different flavonoids, Anthocyanins (found in blueberries, cherries, blackberries, radishes and blackcurrant), flavanones and flavones (found in citrus fruits) were found to offer the greatest benefits in preventing the condition ... It is already known that increased exercise can improve erectile function, but this research shows that eating a flavonoid-rich diet is as good for erectile function as briskly walking for up to five hours a week"

Lowering Dietary Glycemic Index Reduces Plasma Uric Acid - Medscape, 1/13/16 - "A low–glycemic index (GI) diet including foods such as legumes, dairy products, and some fruits might help prevent the development of gout or the occurrence of gout flares ... Reducing GI lowered uric acid by 0.24 mg/dL when the percentage of carbohydrates was low and by 0.17 mg/dL when the percentage of carbohydrates was high (both P < .001). Conversely, reducing the percentage of carbohydrates increased uric acid by 0.10 mg/dL when GI was high (P = .05) and had no significant effect when GI was low. The largest effect was seen with reducing the GI while increasing the percentage of carbohydrates, which reduced uric acid by 0.27 mg/dL (P < .001), an effect maintained even after adjustment for changes in kidney function, insulin sensitivity, and products of glycolysis"

Abstracts from this week:

Pioglitazone Enhances Survival and Regeneration of Pelvic Ganglion Neurons after Cavernosal Nerve Injury - Urology. 2016 Jan 6 - "bilateral cavernosal nerve crush injury (BCNI) ... Pioglitazone provides a protective effect on pelvic ganglion neurons after BCNI" - Note:  I threw in this study because pioglitazone is something I've been taking for years for anti-aging.

• Pelvic splanchnic nerves - "From there, they contribute to the innervation of the pelvic and genital organs. The nerves regulate the emptying of the urinary bladder, control opening and closing of the internal urethral sphincter, influence motility in the rectum as well as sexual functions like erection"
• Difference Between Nerve and Neuron - "nerves are actually projections of neurons"

Dietary flavonoid intake and incidence of erectile dysfunction - Am J Clin Nutr. 2016 Jan 13 - "In analyses stratified by age, a higher intake of flavanones, anthocyanins, and flavones was significantly associated with a reduction in risk of ED only in men <70 y old and not older men (11-16% reduction in risk; P-interaction = 0.002, 0.03, and 0.007 for flavones, flavanones, and anthocyanins, respectively). In food-based analysis, higher total intake of fruit, a major source of anthocyanins and flavanones, was associated with a 14% reduction in risk of ED"

Garlic Lowers Blood Pressure in Hypertensive Individuals, Regulates Serum Cholesterol, and Stimulates Immunity: An Updated Meta-analysis and Review - J Nutr. 2016 Jan 13 - "Our updated meta-analysis on the effect of garlic on blood pressure, which included 20 trials with 970 participants, showed a mean ± SE decrease in systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 5.1 ± 2.2 mm Hg (P < 0.001) and a mean ± SE decrease in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of 2.5 ± 1.6 mm Hg (P < 0.002) compared with placebo. Subgroup analysis of trials in hypertensive subjects (SBP/DBP ≥140/90 mm Hg) at baseline revealed a larger significant reduction in SBP of 8.7 ± 2.2 mm Hg (P < 0.001; n = 10) and in DBP of 6.1 ± 1.3 mm Hg (P < 0.001; n = 6). A previously published meta-analysis on the effect of garlic on blood lipids, which included 39 primary RCTs and 2300 adults treated for a minimum of 2 wk, suggested garlic to be effective in reducing total and LDL cholesterol by 10% if taken for >2 mo by individuals with slightly elevated concentrations [e.g., total cholesterol >200 mg/dL (>5.5 mmol/L)]. Garlic has immunomodulating effects by increasing macrophage activity, natural killer cells, and the production of T and B cells. Clinical trials have shown garlic to significantly reduce the number, duration, and severity of upper respiratory infections" - See garlic supplements at Amazon.com.

Garlic and Heart Disease - J Nutr. 2016 Jan 13 - "Garlic supplementation reduced blood pressure by 7-16 mm Hg (systolic) and 5-9 mm Hg (diastolic) (4 meta-analyses and 2 original studies). It reduced total cholesterol by 7.4-29.8 mg/dL (8 meta-analyses)" - See garlic supplements at Amazon.com.

Effect of Hesperidin with and without a Calcium (Calcilock®) Supplement on Bone Health in Postmenopausal Women - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2016 Jan 11 - "Citrus fruits contain unique flavanones. One of the most abundant of the flavanones, hesperidin, has been shown to prevent bone loss in ovariectomized rats ... Calcium plus hesperidin, but not hesperidin alone, improved bone calcium retention by 5.5%" - See hesperidin at Amazon.com.

Tocopherols in cancer: An update - Mol Nutr Food Res. 2016 Jan 11 - "Large scale clinical trials with α-tocopherol provided inconsistent results regarding the cancer preventive activities of tocopherols ... The experimental data provide strong evidence in support of the anti-cancer activities of δ-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol and the natural tocopherol mixture rich in γ-tocopherol, γ-TmT, over α-tocopherol" - See Jarrow FamilE (contains all eight members of the vitamin E family, includes Tocomin) at Amazon.com.

Docosahexaenoic acid attenuates adipose tissue angiogenesis and insulin resistance in high fat diet-fed mid-aged mice via a sirt1-dependent mechanism - Mol Nutr Food Res. 2016 Jan 9 - "Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; C22: 6, n-3), one of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), exerts beneficial effects on inflammatory diseases, obesity and diabetes. Angiogenesis in adipose tissue has a major role in the development of obesity and its related metabolic complications. Inhibition of angiogenesis is an emerging strategy for the novel treatment for obesity ... In high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mid-aged mice, DHA inhibited the macrophage-derived inflammation and angiogenesis in adipose tissues, reduced adipocyte size and body fat composition and improved insulin sensitivity. Moreover, DHA reversed the HFD-induced reduction of Sirt1 in adipose tissues" - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com. 

Health Focus (Resveratrol):