Recent Longevity News for the week ending 6/27/18

Vitamin D Deficiency Could Be Lung Disease Risk - WebMD, 6/25/18 - "The findings suggest that low vitamin D might be one factor in the development of interstitial lung disease ... There was also evidence in the literature that vitamin D plays a role in obstructive lung diseases such as asthma and COPD, and we now found that the association exists with this scarring form of lung disease, too" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

What Is Optimum BP in Stroke Thrombectomy? - Medscape, 6/25/18 - "Researchers found the optimum systolic pressure to be 135 mm Hg; increasing values above this level were associated with increased risk for symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage and a lower chance of successful reperfusion"

First marijuana-derived drug is on the verge of approval - Washington Post, 6/23/18 - "In April, an advisory committee unanimously recommended approval of the drug for two of the most severe types of childhood epilepsy, and the agency is expected to render its decision by the end of June. The medication is an oral solution containing highly purified cannabidiol, or CBD, which is one of scores of chemicals in the cannabis plant. It contains only trace amounts of the psychoactive element THC, and does not induce euphoria." - Note:  I guess we'll find out whether people are taking it for the high or whether they really want it for the weak evidence of a medical benefit.  I'm betting that the CBD won't sell.

Probiotics can protect the skeletons of older women - Science Daily, 6/21/18 - "A random method determined which women received the active treatment with the Lactobacillus reuteri 6475 bacteria and which received powder without bacteria. Neither the researchers nor the women knew who received the active powder during the study ... The women who received the powder with active bacteria had lost only half as much bone in the skeleton compared with those who received inactive powders" - See probiotic products at Amazon.com.

Caffeine from four cups of coffee protects the heart with the help of mitochondria - Science Daily, 6/21/18 - "Caffeine consumption has been associated with lower risks for multiple diseases, including type II diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, but the mechanism underlying these protective effects has been unclear. A new study now shows that caffeine promotes the movement of a regulatory protein into mitochondria, enhancing their function and protecting cardiovascular cells from damage ... the protective effect was reached at a concentration equivalent to consumption of four cups of coffee ... Caffeine was protective against heart damage in pre-diabetic, obese mice, and in aged mice"

• To the K-Cup and beyond: Single serve coffee makers reviewed - CNET Reviews, 9/8/13 - "what really stood out for us was the differences in flavor between each unit, even using the same kind of coffee ... The sturdy Bunn MyCafe MCU is our favorite brewer so far, for its sturdy construction, retro design, and, most importantly because it makes the most flavorful cup of coffee" - See BUNN MCU Single Cup Multi-Use Brewer at Amazon.com.  It takes both pods and coffee grounds which isn't clear until you get toward the end of the full review

MSG Isn't Toxic - Five minute video - See Aji No Moto Ajinomoto Monosodium Glutamate Umami Seasoning 454g / 1LB / 16oz HALAL at Amazon.com.

Low Iodine Intake Linked to Hearing Loss in US Teens - Medscape, 6/19/18 - "US teens with the lowest levels of urinary iodine were five-times more likely to have hearing loss associated with speech comprehension than their peers with higher iodine levels" - See iodine at Amazon.com.

Daily fasting works for weight loss, finds report on 16:8 diet - Science Daily, 6/18/18 - "Between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. the dieters could eat any type and quantity of food they desired, but for the remaining 16 hours they could only drink water or calorie-free beverages. The study followed the participants for 12 weeks ... those who followed the time-restricted eating diet consumed fewer calories, lost weight and had improvements in blood pressure. On average, participants consumed about 350 fewer calories, lost about 3 percent of their body weight and saw their systolic blood pressure decreased by about 7 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), the standard measure of blood pressure. All other measures, including fat mass, insulin resistance and cholesterol, were similar to the control group" - Note:  It sounds good on paper but some people can't sleep when their stomach is on empty.

Congress May Soon Make CBD From Hemp Legal - WebMD, 6/18/18 - "Although it’s a type of cannabis plant like marijuana, hemp does not produce the ''high" of THC. It’s often used in industrial products and also contains cannabidiol, or CBD; much more, in fact, than cannabis or marijuana. CBD is used in products that claim to relieve pain, ease stress, help you sleep, improve skin, and pump up mascara's lash-thickening power" - Note: I'm betting that all those people that claim they need pot for their condition won't use it because they really want the high and use their condition as an excuse.  The studies I've read show the THC that gives the high does nothing for the conditions.

Young Marijuana Users Face Psychosis Risk - WebMD, 6/18/18 - "The effect was seen for everyone in the study, says Conrod, not just teens with a family history of schizophrenia or something biological that makes them more likely to be affected by it"

New research shows marathoners have less arthritis than non-runners - Washington Post, 6/13/18 - "veteran American marathoners had only half as much arthritis as non-runners"

Greater levels of vitamin D associated with decreasing risk of breast cancer - Science Daily, 6/15/18 - "We found that participants with blood levels of 25(OH)D that were above 60 ng/ml had one-fifth the risk of breast cancer compared to those with less than 20 ng/ml ... To reach 25(OH)D levels of 60 ng/ml, said Garland, would generally require dietary supplements of 4,000 to 6,000 international units (IU) per day" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

All Young Cannabis Users Face Psychosis Risk - Medscape, 6/15/18 - "The effect was observed for the entire cohort. This finding, said Conrod, means that all young cannabis users face psychosis risk, not just those with a family history of schizophrenia or a biological factor that increases their susceptibility to the effects of cannabis ... The first time point occurred at a mean age of 12.8 years. Twelve months separated each assessment. In total, 86.7% and 94.4% of participants had a minimum of two time points out of four on psychosis symptoms and cannabis use, respectively ... Cannabis use, in any given year, predicted an increase in psychosis symptoms a year later" - Note: I don’t know where Dr. Sanjay Gupta on CNN finds his positive studies but it burns me up that he ignores the overwhelming number of negative stories.  At a minimum he's not the totality of all the studies into account.  Those positive studies aren't showing up in the abstracts I read and I go through about 200 per day.  Too many reporters have an agenda and I think Gupta's agenda is ratings.  He's letting ideology overwhelm common sense and facts. 

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Reduce Pain From AIs -- When BMI Is 30 or More - Medscape,6/14/18 - "among patients with a BMI of 30 or greater, once-a-day omega-3 fatty acid use was associated with a 2.89-point decrease in the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) worst pain score at 24 weeks, which was the study's primary endpoint, compared with only a 1.49-point decrease with placebo use (P = .02). In other words, among the heavier women, the treatment significantly reduced pain vs placebo" - See fish oil supplements at Amazon.com.

Higher vitamin D levels linked to lower colorectal cancer risk, study finds - Washington Post, 6/14/18 - "The researchers found that people who had lower levels of vitamin D than recommended by the National Academies for bone health had a 31 percent higher risk of colorectal cancer during a follow-up period that averaged five-and-a-half years. Those with levels above the recommended concentrations had a 22 percent lower risk, they said" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Common Drugs May Be Contributing to Depression - NYT, 6/13/18 - "About 200 prescription drugs can cause depression, and the list includes common medications like proton pump inhibitors (P.P.I.s) used to treat acid reflux, beta-blockers used to treat high blood pressure, birth control pills and emergency contraceptives, anticonvulsants like gabapentin, corticosteroids like prednisone and even prescription-strength ibuprofen ... For some drugs, like beta-blockers and interferon, the side effect of depression is well known"

Dementia risk increased in 50-year-olds with blood pressure below hypertension threshold - Science Daily, 6/13/18 - "Those who had a systolic blood pressure of 130 mmHg or more at the age of 50 had a 45% greater risk of developing dementia than those with a lower systolic blood pressure at the same age. This association was not seen at the ages of 60 and 70, and diastolic blood pressure was not linked to dementia.* ... Our analysis suggests that the importance of mid-life hypertension on brain health is due to the duration of exposure. So we see an increased risk for people with raised blood pressure at age 50, but not 60 or 70, because those with hypertension at age 50 are likely to be 'exposed' to this risk for longer ... Possible reasons for the link between raised blood pressure and dementia include the fact that high blood pressure is linked to silent or mini strokes (where symptoms often are not noticeable), damage to the white matter in the brain, which contains many of the brain's nerve fibres, and restricted blood supply to the brain. This damage may underlie the resulting decline in the brain's processes"

Better physical fitness and lower aortic stiffness key to slower brain aging - Science Daily, 6/12/18 - "The results of this study indicate that remaining as physically fit as possible, and monitoring central arterial health, may well be an important, cost effective way to maintain our memory and other brain functions in older age"

As CBD Oil Flirts with Mainstream, Questions Mount - Medscape, 6/11/18 - "Yet evidence for most benefits is lacking, experts warn. The industry has set no standards. As with other products, a CBD product may not deliver what it promises on the label. Despite Internet marketing implying anyone can buy CBD products, that's not the case legally"

Abstracts from this week:

Feeding the developing brain: Juvenile rats fed diet rich in prebiotics and bioactive milk fractions exhibit reduced anxiety-related behavior and modified gene expression in emotion circuits - Neurosci Lett. 2018 Jun 11;677:103-109 - "These data demonstrate that early life diets containing prebiotics and bioactive milk fractions can adaptively alter genes in neural circuits underlying emotion regulation and impact anxiety-related behavior" - [Nutra USA]

Cognitive function is preserved in aged mice following long-term β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate supplementation - Nutr Neurosci. 2018 Jun 19:1-13 - "The findings from this study suggest that prolonged HMB supplementation starting in adulthood may preserve cognition with age" - See HMB at Amazon.com.

Berberine Improves Cognitive Deficiency and Muscular Dysfunction via Activation of the AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1a Pathway in Skeletal Muscle from Naturally Aging Rats - J Nutr Health Aging. 2018;22(6):710-717 - "The manifestations of aging include cognitive deficits and muscular dysfunction, which are closely linked to impairment of mitochondrial biogenesis. Berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid, presents multiple anti-diabetic pharmacological effects. Evidence has indicated that insulin resistance and cognitive impairment share the same pathogenesis, and berberine could reverse glucose metabolism abnormalities and muscle mitochondrial dysfunction induced by a high-fat diet ... reactive oxygen species (ROS) ... The results showed that administration of berberine for 6 months significantly improved cognitive deficits and insulin resistance in naturally aging rats (p<0.01). Furthermore, berberine treatment helped normalize the disordered alignment and the decreased number of muscle fibers (p<0.01) in the skeletal muscle of 24 mo rats. Berberine decreased the levels of ROS in both the serum and the skeletal muscle of 24 mo rats (p<0.01). Berberine increased the protein expression of p-AMPK, SIRT1 and PGC-1α and increased the production of ATP in the skeletal muscle of aging rats" - See berberine at Amazon.com.

Curcumin in epilepsy disorders - Phytother Res. 2018 Jun 19 - "The molecule has an anti-seizure potential in preclinical studies, including chemical and electrical models of acute and chronic epilepsy. Curcumin also possesses an anti-epileptogenic activity as it reduces spontaneous recurrent seizures severity in a kainate model of temporal lobe epilepsy. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nature of curcumin might be responsible for its observed anti-seizure effects; nevertheless, the exact mechanism is not yet clear. The poor availability of curcumin to the brain limits its use in clinics. The application of nanoliposome and liposome technologies has been tested to enhance its brain availability and penetrability. Unfortunately, there are no randomized, double-blinded controlled clinical trials validating the use of curcumin in epilepsy. The present article analyzes different preclinical evidence illustrating the effect of curcumin in seizure models. The review encourages carrying out clinical trials in this important area of research. In conclusion, curcumin might be beneficial in patients with epilepsy disorders, if its bioavailability issues are resolved" - See curcumin products at Amazon.com.

Relations between dairy product intake and blood pressure: the INTERnational study on MAcro/micronutrients and blood Pressure - J Hypertens. 2018 Jun 20 - "Low-fat dairy consumption was associated with lower BP, especially among participants with low ACR. Dairy-rich nutrients including phosphorus and calcium may have contributed to the beneficial associations with BP"

Blood-pressure-lowering interventions to prevent dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis - J Hypertens. 2018 Jun 20 - "To conclude, lowering BP by medication and/or lifestyle changes did not lead to a significantly reduced risk of dementia. This appeared independent of dementia subtype"

Procyanidins attenuate neuropathic pain by suppressing matrix metalloproteinase-9/2 - J Neuroinflammation. 2018 Jun 21;15(1):187 - "Management of neuropathic pain is a real clinical challenge. Despite intense investigation, the mechanisms of neuropathic pain remain substantially unidentified. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and MMP-2 have been reported to contribute to the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain. Therefore, inhibition of MMP-9/2 may provide a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of neuropathic pain ... procyanidins (PC) ... PC is an effective and safe approach to alleviate neuropathic pain via a powerful inhibition on the activation of MMP-9/2" - See proanthocyanidins at Amazon.com.

Beneficial effect of apple vinegar on reproductive parameters in male rat model of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease - Andrologia. 2018 Jun 19 - "Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with low testosterone levels in serum ... total antioxidant levels (TAC) ... Significant reduction in Lee index, serum triglyceride, cholesterol, liver enzymes and glucose levels was observed in vinegar treated group compared with HFD group. Vinegar lowered insulin resistance compared with HFD (p < 0.01). Steatosis in hepatocytes reduced from 56% in HFD group to 20% in group D (p < 0.05). Vinegar caused a significant increase in serum testosterone, improvement in sperm parameters and a reduced germ cell apoptosis (p < 0.05). There was an insignificant increase in TAC levels in the serum and homogenate tissue of liver and testis compared with HFD. This study reports apple vinegar has beneficial effects on male rat fertility indices in an in vivo model of NAFLD" - See apple cider vinegar at Amazon.com - 1 Source Natural 500 mg tablet equals 2 teaspoons of vinegar.  4.5 tablets equals about 3 tablespoons by my calculations.

NAD+ supplementation normalizes key Alzheimer's features and DNA damage responses in a new AD mouse model with introduced DNA repair deficiency - Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 Feb 20 - "NR-treated 3xTgAD/Polβ+/- mice exhibited reduced DNA damage, neuroinflammation, and apoptosis of hippocampal neurons and increased activity of SIRT3 in the brain. NR improved cognitive function in multiple behavioral tests and restored hippocampal synaptic plasticity in 3xTgAD mice and 3xTgAD/Polβ+/- mice. In general, the deficits between genotypes and the benefits of NR were greater in 3xTgAD/Polβ+/- mice than in 3xTgAD mice. Our findings suggest a pivotal role for cellular NAD+ depletion upstream of neuroinflammation, pTau, DNA damage, synaptic dysfunction, and neuronal degeneration in AD. Interventions that bolster neuronal NAD+ levels therefore have therapeutic potential for AD" - [Nutra USA] - See nicotinomide riboside at Amazon.com.

Neat Tech Stuff / "How To's":

Plex is becoming like a cult. It doesn't seem like it's legal but they have groups on Facebook that share what's on Plex on their servers. So you've got unlimited movies and music for free. It's much better than streaming services like Netflix which don't have the top rated movies that are released. Three Billboards, Wind River, and Hostiles are good examples. They either have good movies that are 30 years old or all the new movies with a poor rating. The way Plex owners get around it is that they rent the top movies on DVD (which Netflix DOES have) then break the copyright protection, then put it on their servers.  Another option or addition is PlayOn which will download the movies on Streaming services.

https://www.facebook.com/ashley.dobson.900/videos/2005701916108878/

Health Focus (Depression):