Recent Longevity News for the week ending 1/25/17

Low Vitamin D Linked to Increased Headache Risk - Medscape, 1/19/17 - "Data from 2600 middle-aged men from Finland who participated in the Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease (KIHD) Risk Factor Study showed that those with the lowest levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) were more than twice as likely to report having chronic headaches as those who had the highest vitamin D levels" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Age-related GABA decline is associated with poor cognition - Science Daily, 1/17/17 - "The study, led by Ronald Cohen of University of Florida's Center for Cognitive Aging and McKnight Brain Institute, shows an association between higher GABA concentrations in the frontal lobe, a brain region important for complex cognitive functioning, and superior performance on a cognitive test in healthy older adults ... Interventions that increase GABA levels (such as exercise) could potentially offset these changes, and this paper opens up a pathway for investigating this exciting possibility" - See GABA at Amazon.com although little if any probably passes the blood brain barrier.

Vitamin D does more than help bones stay strong, and most kids don’t get enough - Washington Post, 1/17/17 - "They help the body absorb nutrients such as calcium, iron, magnesium and zinc. This is why vitamin D is added to calcium-rich milk. Studies show that only 10 to 15 percent of calcium in food is absorbed without vitamin D ... If you boys want to fight off colds this winter so you don’t miss any sports games or weekend fun, vitamin D can help boost your immune system ... The current recommended daily allowance for individuals ages 1 to 70 is 600 IU, or inter­national units, but more recent research at the Boston University School of Medicine recommends up to 2,000 IU. Other studies recommend even higher levels for optimal health ... Because one glass of milk provides just 100 IU of vitamin D, a piece of salmon offers 360 IU and an egg yolk under 50 IU, even the lowest recommendation of 600 IU a day is hard for most children to attain without regular sun exposure" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Grilled/BBQ Meat and Lower Breast Cancer Survival? - Medscape, 1/17/17 - "High pre-diagnosis grilled/barbecued and smoked meat intake was associated with a 23% increased risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 1.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03 - 1.46) ... Also, among women with a continued high intake of grilled/barbecued and smoked meat after diagnosis, all-cause mortality risk was elevated at 31% ... breast-cancer–specific mortality was decreased among women with any pre- and post-diagnosis intake of smoked poultry/fish (HR, 0.55 ... They are a "prevalent" dietary source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) carcinogens, observe the authors. PAHs are a group of over 100 different chemicals and typically are formed when fat and juices from grilled meat drip onto the fire, creating flames and smoke, the authors explain. The PAHs then stick to the surface of the meat. They are also generated in the meat-smoking process"

High Blood Pressure May Not Be All Bad in Elderly - WebMD, 1/17/17 - "There is evidence that high blood pressure may also reduce frailty and disability ... those who developed high blood pressure after age 80 were 42 percent less likely to develop dementia in their 90s compared to those with normal blood pressure. And, those whose high blood pressure started after age 90 were 63 percent less likely to develop dementia versus those without hypertension"

Abstracts from this week:

The effects on plasma L-arginine levels of combined oral L-citrulline and L-arginine supplementation in healthy males - Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2017 Feb;81(2):372-375 - "Oral l-citrulline plus l-arginine supplementation more efficiently increased plasma l-arginine levels than 2 g of l-citrulline or l-arginine, suggesting that oral l-citrulline and l-arginine increase plasma l-arginine levels more effectively in humans when combined" - [Nutra USA] - See BulkSupplements Pure L-Arginine HCL Powder at Amazon.com and BulkSupplements Pure L-Citrulline Powder at Amazon.com.

Flavanone-rich citrus beverages counteract the transient decline in postprandial endothelial function in humans: a randomised, controlled, double-masked, cross-over intervention study - Br J Nutr. 2017 Jan 9:1-12 - "In summary, citrus flavanones are effective at counteracting the negative impact of a sequential double meal on human vascular function, potentially through the actions of flavanone metabolites on nitric oxide" - [Nutra USA] - See American Health Products - Ester C W/Citrus Bioflavonoids, 1000 mg, 180 veg tablets at Amazon.com.

B-Vitamin Intake and Biomarker Status in Relation to Cognitive Decline in Healthy Older Adults in a 4-Year Follow-Up Study - Nutrients. 2017 Jan 10;9(1) - "Participants (aged 60-88 years; n = 155) who had been previously screened for cognitive function were reassessed four years after initial investigation using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). At the 4-year follow-up assessment when participants were aged 73.4 ± 7.1 years, mean cognitive MMSE scores had declined from 29.1 ± 1.3 at baseline to 27.5 ± 2.4 (p < 0.001), but some 27% of participants showed a greater than expected rate of cognitive decline (i.e., decrease in MMSE > 0.56 points per year). Lower vitamin B6 status, as measured using pyridoxal-5-phosphate (PLP; <43 nmol/L) was associated with a 3.5 times higher risk of accelerated cognitive decline, after adjustment for age and baseline MMSE score (OR, 3.48; 95% CI, 1.58 to 7.63; p < 0.05). Correspondingly, lower dietary intake (0.9-1.4 mg/day) of vitamin B6 was also associated with a greater rate of cognitive decline (OR, 4.22; 95% CI, 1.28-13.90; p < 0.05). No significant relationships of dietary intake or biomarker status with cognitive decline were observed for the other B-vitamins" - [Nutra USA] - Note:  B6 also helps with melatonin absorption.  I take 25 mg of B6 with 1 mg of melatonin every night.  See Best Naturals Vitamin B-6 25 mg 250 Tablets at Amazon.com.  Related study:

• Brain atrophy in cognitively impaired elderly: the importance of long-chain ω-3 fatty acids and B vitamin status in a randomized controlled trial - Am J Clin Nutr. 2015 Apr 15 - "folic acid, 0.8 mg; vitamin B-6, 20 mg; vitamin B-12, 0.5 mg ... B vitamin treatment slowed the mean atrophy rate by 40.0% compared with placebo"

Resveratrol regulates neuro-inflammation and induces adaptive immunity in Alzheimer's disease - J Neuroinflammation. 2017 Jan 3;14(1):1 - "Compared to the placebo-treated group, at 52 weeks, resveratrol markedly reduced CSF MMP9 and increased macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC), interleukin (IL)-4, and fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2. Compared to baseline, resveratrol increased plasma MMP10 and decreased IL-12P40, IL12P70, and RANTES. In this subset analysis, resveratrol treatment attenuated declines in mini-mental status examination (MMSE) scores, change in ADL (ADCS-ADL) scores, and CSF Aβ42 levels during the 52-week trial, but did not alter tau levels" - See Reserveage Nutrition - Resveratrol with Pterostilbene 500mg, Cellular Age-Defying Formula, 60 veg capsules at Amazon.com.

Intake of up to 3 Eggs per Day Is Associated with Changes in HDL Function and Increased Plasma Antioxidants in Healthy, Young Adults - J Nutr. 2017 Jan 11. pii: jn241877 - "Intake of 1 egg/d was sufficient to increase HDL function and large-LDL particle concentration; however, intake of 2-3 eggs/d supported greater improvements in HDL function as well as increased plasma carotenoids. Overall, intake of ≤3 eggs/d favored a less atherogenic LDL particle profile, improved HDL function, and increased plasma antioxidants in young, healthy adults"

Polyphenol-Rich Foods Alleviate Pain and Ameliorate Quality of Life in Fibromyalgic Women - Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2016 Nov 21:1-10 - "intake of foods rich in polyphenols was associated with lower numbers of tender points (coffee, r = - 0.346; pear, r = - 0.331) and better quality of life (red fruits, r = - 0.342; dark chocolate, r = - 0.404) in the fibromyalgic group" 

Health Focus (HDL Cholesterol):