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Recent Longevity News for the week ending 7/25/18

Scientists reverse aging-associated skin wrinkles and hair loss in a mouse model - Science Daily, 7/20/18 - "The mutation in the mouse model is induced when the antibiotic doxycycline is added to the food or drinking water. This causes depletion of mitochondrial DNA because the enzyme to replicate the DNA becomes inactive ... In four weeks, the mice showed gray hair, reduced hair density, hair loss, slowed movements and lethargy, changes that are reminiscent of natural aging. Wrinkled skin was seen four to eight weeks after induction of the mutation, and females had more severe skin wrinkles than males ... Dramatically, this hair loss and wrinkled skin could be reversed by turning off the mutation. The photos below show the hair loss and wrinkled skin after two months of doxycycline induction, and the same mouse a month later after doxycycline was stopped, allowing restoration of the depleted mitochondrial DNA" - Note:  I threw this in because if doxycycline will accelerate aging, maybe other antibiotics might.

How cannabis and cannabis-based drugs harm your brain - Science Daily, 7/23/18 - "mice exposed to the drug long-term had "significant ... memory impairments" and could not even discriminate between a familiar and novel object ... Brain imaging studies showed that the drug impairs function in key brain regions involved in learning and memory ... Long-term exposure to the drug impairs the ability of brain regions involved in learning and memory to communicate with each other, suggesting that this underlies the negative effects of the drug on memory ... Importantly, our work clearly shows that prolonged cannabinoid intake, when not used for medical reasons, does have a negative impact in brain function and memory. It is important to understand that the same medicine may re-establish an equilibrium under certain diseased conditions, such as in epilepsy or MS, but could cause marked imbalances in healthy individuals. "As for all medicines, cannabinoid based therapies have not only beneficial disease-related actions, but also negative side effects. It is for the medical doctor to weight the advantages of the therapy, taking into consideration quality of life and diseases progression, against the potential side effects" - Note:  If all the bad news on pot isn't enough, did I mention the problem of gynecomastia?

Supplement May Ease Sickle Cell Pain - WebMD, 7/18/18 - "Endari, a medicine-grade version of the dietary supplement L-glutamine, reduced sickle cell patients' number of acute pain crises by 25 percent compared with a placebo ... In addition, the supplement reduced hospitalizations by one-third" - See l-glutamine at Amazon.com.

Alcohol-related liver deaths have increased sharply - Washington Post, 7/18/18 - "The study suggests that a new generation of Americans is being afflicted "by alcohol misuse and its complications,” ... eople are at risk of life-threatening cirrhosis if they drink several drinks a night or have multiple nights of binge drinking — more than four or five drinks per sitting — per week. Women tend to be less tolerant of alcohol and their livers more sensitive to damage"

Switching From Metformin to Sulfonylurea Raises CV Risks - Medscape, 7/18/18 - "Use of sulfonylureas as second-line treatment — whether by adding or switching — was associated with a significant 26% increased risk of myocardial infarction compared with continuing metformin monotherapy (incidence rate 7.8 vs 6.2 per 1000 patient-years; HR, 1.26) ... Sulfonylurea users also had a 28% greater risk for all-cause mortality compared with metformin monotherapy (27.3 vs 21.5 per 1000 patient-years; HR, 1.28) and a nearly eight-fold higher rate of severe hypoglycemia (5.5 vs 0.7 per 1000 patient-years; HR, 7.6)" - See metformin at the Antiaging Store.

Sugar improves memory in over-60s, helping them work smarter - Science Daily, 7/18/18 - "They found that increasing energy through a glucose drink can help both young and older adults to try harder compared to those who had the artificial sweetener. For young adults, that's where it ended, though: glucose did not improve either their mood or their memory performance ... However, older adults who had a glucose drink showed significantly better memory and more positive mood compared to older adults who consumed the artificial sweetener."

Fish consumption may prolong life - Science Daily, 7/18/18 - "Comparing the highest with lowest quintiles of fish intake, men had 9% lower total mortality, 10% lower cardiovascular disease mortality, 6% lower cancer mortality, 20% lower respiratory disease mortality, and 37% lower chronic liver disease mortality, while women had 8% lower total mortality, 10% lower cardiovascular disease mortality, and 38% lower Alzheimer's disease mortality ... Fried fish consumption was not related to mortality in men, whereas it was associated with increased risks of mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory disease in women. Long-chain omega-3 fatty acid intake was associated with 15% and 18% lower cardiovascular disease mortality in men and women, respectively, when comparing the highest and lowest quintiles." - See fish oil supplements at Amazon.com.  See the following.  Makes you wonder if the left hand knows what the right hand is doing:

Products of omega-3 fatty acid metabolism may have anticancer effects - Science Daily, 7/13/18 - "In 2017, the Illinois team identified a new group of omega-3 fatty-acid metabolites called endocannabinoid epoxides, or EDP-EAs. They found that these molecules had anti-inflammatory properties and targeted the same receptor in the body that cannabis does .... in higher concentrations, EDP-EAs did kill cancer cells, but not as effectively as other chemotherapeutic drugs on the market. However, the compounds also combated the osteosarcoma in other ways: They slowed tumor growth by inhibiting new blood vessels from forming to supply the tumor with nutrients, they prevented interactions between the cells, and most significantly, they appeared to stop cancerous cells from migrating" - See fish oil supplements at Amazon.com.

Paying the Piper: Marijuana Now, Psychosis Later - Medscape, 7/23/18 - "From 13 to 16 years of age, participants completed an annual online survey to self-report symptoms and frequency of cannabis use. The study revealed statistically significant positive associations, at every time point, from use to psychosis symptoms reported up to a year later"

An orange a day keeps macular degeneration away: 15-year study - Science Daily, 7/12/18 - "people who ate at least one serving of oranges every day had more than a 60% reduced risk of developing late macular degeneration 15 years later ... the data showed that flavonoids in oranges appear to help prevent against the eye disease ... Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants found in almost all fruits and vegetables, and they have important anti-inflammatory benefits for the immune system"

Seriously, Juice Is Not Healthy - NYT, 7/7/18 - "Despite all the marketing and government support, fruit juices contain limited nutrients and tons of sugar. In fact, one 12-ounce glass of orange juice contains 10 teaspoons of sugar, which is roughly what’s in a can of Coke ... Drinking fruit juice is not the same as eating whole fruit. While eating certain fruits like apples and grapes is associated with a reduced risk of diabetes, drinking fruit juice is associated with the opposite. Juices contain more concentrated sugar and calories. They also have less fiber, which makes you feel full. Because juice can be consumed quickly, it is more likely than whole fruit to contribute to excess carbohydrate intake. For example, research has found that adults who drank apple juice before a meal felt hungrier and ate more calories than those who started with an apple instead. Children who drink juice instead of eating fruit may similarly feel less full and may be more likely to snack throughout the day"

Abstracts from this week:

The Effect of Curcumin on Serum Copper and Zinc and Zn/Cu Ratio in Individuals with Metabolic Syndrome: A Double-Blind Clinical Trial - J Diet Suppl. 2018 Jul 18:0 - "Curcumin and phospholipidated curcumin complex, given at a dose of 1 g per day for six weeks, were associated with an increase in serum zinc and consequently zinc-to-copper ratio"

The effects of alpha-lipoic acid supplementation on glucose control and lipid profiles among patients with metabolic diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - Metabolism. 2018 Jul 7 - "ALA supplementation among patients with metabolic diseases significantly decreased fasting glucose (SMD -0.54; 95% CI, -0.89,-0.19; P = 0.003), insulin (SMD -1.01; 95% CI, -1.70, -0.31; P = 0.006), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (SMD -0.76; 95% CI, -1.15,-0.36; P < 0.001) and hemoglobin A1c (SMD -1.22; 95% CI, -2.01,-0.44; P = 0.002), triglycerides (SMD -0.58; 95% CI, -1.00, -0.16; P = 0.006), total- (SMD -0.64; 95% CI, -1.01, -0.27; P = 0.001), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (SMD -0.44; 95% CI, -0.76, -0.11; P = 0.008). We found no detrimental effect of ALA supplementation on high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol) levels (SMD 0.57; 95% CI, -0.14, 1.29; P = 0.11)" - See alpha lipoic acid products at Amazon.com.

Serum lipophilic antioxidants levels are associated with leucocyte telomere length among US adults - Lipids Health Dis. 2018 Jul 20;17(1):164 - "Our findings support a possible positive association between serum concentrations of lipophylic antioxidant and TL"

l-Citrulline Supplementation: Impact on Cardiometabolic Health - Nutrients. 2018 Jul 19;10(7) - "Diminished bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO), the gaseous signaling molecule involved in the regulation of numerous vital biological functions, contributes to the development and progression of multiple age- and lifestyle-related diseases. While l-arginine is the precursor for the synthesis of NO by endothelial-nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), oral l-arginine supplementation is largely ineffective at increasing NO synthesis and/or bioavailability for a variety of reasons. l-citrulline, found in high concentrations in watermelon, is a neutral alpha-amino acid formed by enzymes in the mitochondria that also serves as a substrate for recycling l-arginine. Unlike l-arginine, l-citrulline is not quantitatively extracted from the gastrointestinal tract (i.e., enterocytes) or liver and its supplementation is therefore more effective at increasing l-arginine levels and NO synthesis. Supplementation with l-citrulline has shown promise as a blood pressure lowering intervention (both resting and stress-induced) in adults with pre-/hypertension, with pre-clinical (animal) evidence for atherogenic-endothelial protection. Preliminary evidence is also available for l-citrulline-induced benefits to muscle and metabolic health (via vascular and non-vascular pathways) in susceptible/older populations" - See l-citrulline at Amazon.com.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin Isomers Protect against Light-Induced Retinopathy via Decreasing Oxidative and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in BALB/cJ Mice - Nutrients. 2018 Jun 28;10(7) - "Our data shows that L/Zi provided functional and morphological preservation of photoreceptors against light damage, which is probably related to its mitigation of oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress" - [Nutra USA]

Supplementation with Robuvit® in subjects with burnout associated to high oxidative stress - Minerva Med. 2018 Jun;109(3):211-217 - "This supplement registry study evaluated the effect of supplementation with Robuvit® on the burnout syndrome (BOS) of patients with significant fatigue and high oxidative stress. Robuvit® (French oak wood extract) is a standardized supplement, effective in treating chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and convalescence ... Subjects followed a standard management (SM); one half of the subjects received 300 mg/day of Robuvit® for 4 weeks in addition to SM ... Robuvit® by controlling fatigue (the primary symptom) and oxidative stress, relieves the most important 'symptoms' associated with BOS. The effects are comparable in young surgeons not accustomed to stress, as well as in professionals in management positions who are used to control stress" - [Nutra USA] - See Robuvit® at Amazon.com.

β-Alanine supplementation increased physical performance and improved executive function following endurance exercise in middle aged individuals - J Int Soc Sport Nutr, Jul 11, 18 - "Sarcopenia, a reduction in muscle mass and function seen in aging populations, may be countered by improving systemic carnosine stores via beta-Alanine (β-alanine) supplementation. Increasing systemic carnosine levels may result in enhanced anti-oxidant, neuro-protective and pH buffering capabilities ... Twelve healthy adults (average age = 60.5 ± 8.6 yrs, weight = 81.5 ± 12.6 kg) were randomized and given either 2.4 g/d of β-alanine (BA) or Placebo (PL) for 28 days ... BA supplementation increased exercise capacity and eliminated endurance exercise induced declines in executive function seen after recovery. Increased POST TTE coupled with similar PRE vs POST lactate production indicates an improvement in the ability of BA to extend exercise durations. Furthermore, by countering endurance exercise’s accompanying deficits in executive function, the aging population can maintain benefits from exercise with improved safety" - [Nutra USA] - See beta-alanine at Amazon.com.

Therapeutic Potential of Pterostilbene and Resveratrol on Biomechanic, Biochemical, and Histological Parameters in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats - Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2018 May 16;2018:9012352 - "pterostilbene (PTS) ... The skeletal muscle isometric contraction forces, which showed a decrease with diabetes, were observed to increase with antioxidant applications. Blood glucose, serum insulin, and MDA levels in diabetic rats approached normal levels after applying PTS. When the electron microscopic images of the rat skeletal muscle were examined, those in the combination treatment group were observed to show a better enhancement in the skeletal muscle morphological structure compared to the other diabetic and treatment groups ... According to the findings, we suggest that these antioxidant treatments might have good therapeutic nutraceutical potential for some muscle diseases that coexist with diabetes" - [Nutra USA] - See pterostilbene at Amazon.com and resveratrol products at Amazon.com.

Daily oral supplementation with collagen peptides combined with vitamins other bioactive compounds improves skin elasticity and has a beneficial effect on joint and general wellbeing - Nutr Res, Jun 9 2018 - "We hypothesized that daily oral supplementation with a liquid nutraceutical containing hydrolyzed fish collagen, vitamins, antioxidants, and other active ingredients could improve skin texture and elasticity, and in addition have a protective effect on joint health. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted on 120 subjects who consumed either the test product or placebo on a daily basis for 90 days. Subjects consuming the test product had an overall significant increase in skin elasticity (+40%; P < .0001) when compared to placebo. Histological analysis of skin biopsies revealed positive changes in the skin architecture, with a reduction in solar elastosis and improvement in collagen fiber organization in the test product group. As reported in the self-perception questionnaires, these results were confirmed by the subjects' own perceptions in that participants agreed their skin was more hydrated and more elastic. In addition, the consumption of the test product reduced joint pain by −43% and improved joint mobility by +39%. Oral supplementation with collagen bioactive peptides combined with chondroitin, glucosamine, L-carnitine, vitamins, and minerals significantly improved the clinical parameters related to skin aging and joint health, and therefore, might be an effective solution to slow down the hallmarks of aging" - [Nutra USA] - See collagen supplements at Amazon.com.  The Active Gold Collagen used in this study is expensive.

Neat Tech Stuff / "How To's":

Roku TV Wireless Speakers could spell trouble for budget sound bars, Wi-Fi speakers - CNET, 7/16/18 - "The speakers go on sale today at an introductory price of $150 for a week. From then until the October the price increases to be $180, and then at the time of release it'll be $200. Don't look for them on Amazon though -- the speakers will only be available from Roku.com"

Health Focus (Glycemic Index/Glycemic Load):