Recent Longevity News for the week ending 2/6/19

Boosting glutamate reduces anxiety in monkeys - Science Daily, 2/4/19 - "Hannah Clarke and colleagues were able to make anxious monkeys more comfortable with an unfamiliar human, who wore different masks to conceal his or her identity, by increasing glutamate release in the anterior hippocampus. In response to an unexpected loud sound, increased hippocampal glutamate was associated with increased blood pressure, heart rate, and scanning of the environment -- all of which are part of a typical threat response and reduced in anxious individuals. These effects depended on functioning of area 25, implicating this brain region and its connection to the hippocampus as a promising target for reducing anxiety."

Could Germs in Your Gut Send You Into Depression? - WebMD, 2/4/19 - "Researchers found that among over 2,100 adults, those with depression showed differences in specific groups of gut bacteria. And people with higher concentrations of certain other gut bugs generally reported better mental well-being ... Those microbes are believed to do much more than aid in digestion. Research suggests they are involved in everything from immune system defenses to producing vitamins, anti-inflammatory compounds and even chemicals that influence the brain ... levels of two specific groups of gut bacteria -- Coprococcus and Dialister -- were "consistently depleted" in people with depression ... Meanwhile, people with higher levels of Coprococcus, and another group of bacteria called Faecalibacterium, typically gave better ratings to their quality of life ... Both types of bacteria break down dietary fiber to produce an anti-inflammatory compound called butyrate"

Conditions Treated With Cannabis Often Lack Good Evidence - Medscape, 1/4/19 - "Many conditions that are considered qualifying conditions for cannabis use under state laws have no or insufficient evidence of efficacy, and some have evidence of inefficacy, according to an analysis published online February 4 in Health Affairs"

9 Signs of Magnesium Deficiency You Should Know - YouTube - Doctor claims that low magnesium can contribute to AFib.

• 10 Signs Your Body Needs More Magnesium - YouTube, BrightSide

Do all chemotherapies have equal long-term heart risk? - Science Daily, 1/31/19 - "The drug daunorubicin was associated with decreased cardiomyopathy risk when compared to doxorubicin, the study showed. Mitoxantrone, another chemotherapy, appeared to have greater long-term cardiomyopathy risk than was previously estimated"

Lifelong Exercise Halts Markers of Aging, Immune System Decline - Medscape, 2/1/19 - "Researchers found that muscle fiber type and composition, size, and mitochondrial protein content showed no association with age. However, they did find that in males, type 1 fibers and capillary density were significantly associated with training volume, maximum oxygen uptake, oxygen uptake kinetics, and ventilatory threshold; whereas in females, capillary density was associated with training volume. Male subjects also failed to increase body fat and cholesterol levels with age and experienced no declines in testosterone levels. Moreover, the thymus glands of the subjects made T cells at the same rate as young people, a marker of immune system competency"

The dangers of hidden fat: Exercise is your best defense against deep abdominal fat - Science Daily, 2/1/19 - "Both exercise and medicines resulted in less visceral fat, but the reductions were more significant per pound of body weight lost with exercise"

Fasting ramps up human metabolism, study shows - Science Daily, 1/31/19 - "The researchers monitored changing levels of metabolites -- substances formed during the chemical processes that grant organisms energy and allow them to grow. The results revealed 44 metabolites, including 30 that were previously unrecognized, that increased universally among subjects between 1.5- to 60-fold within just 58 hours of fasting ... In previous research, the G0 Cell Unit identified various metabolites whose quantities decline with age, including three known as leucine, isoleucine, and ophthalmic acid. In fasting individuals, these metabolites increase in level, suggesting a mechanism by which fasting could help increase longevity ... These are very important metabolites for maintenance of muscle and antioxidant activity, respectively ... For example, they found a global increase in substances produced by the citric acid cycle, a process by which organisms release energy stored in the chemical bonds of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids. The marked increase suggests that, during fasting, the tiny powerhouses running every cell are thrown into overdrive."

Nano-encapsulation technology enhances DHA absorption for early brain development - Science Daily, 1/31/19 - "The nano-encapsulation forms a core-shell structure to protect DHA in fish oil throughout gastric digestion and facilitate DHA absorption in brain, intestine and placenta ... Our team innovated the nano-encapsulation technology, which is proven to be an effective technology to protect DHA from oxidation in vivo, thus enhancing the absorption and efficacy of DHA. Our findings also indicated that the technology can help overcome blood-brain barrier in DHA delivery. We therefore believe that the technology could be further applied to enhance the efficiency of drug delivery for the brain, such as those for patients with dementia or Alzheimer's disease ... For the Nano FO-high group, they had higher amount of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) in hippocampus. BDNF, a protein activated by DHA, plays an important role in supporting the survival of existing brain neurons and encouraging the growth and differentiation of new neurons and synapses. They also demonstrated a significant difference to other groups in terms of better spatial learning and memory abilities in the Y-maze experiment."

Are Mushrooms Healthy? Here's What Experts Say - Time, 1/31/19 - "Though they’re small and light in calories—one serving only has about 15—they’re mighty in other ways. Mushrooms have about 15 vitamins and minerals, including vitamin B6, folate magnesium, zinc and potassium, says Angela Lemond, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics ... They’re also rich in antioxidants, such as ergothioneine and selenium, which are both anti-inflammatory compounds. “Mushrooms are a great food to consume when you have minor inflammation, such as any injury, or if you have any autoimmune disorders such as muscular sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis or lupus,” says Lemond."

Exercise may improve thinking skills in people as young as 20 - Science Daily, 1/30/19 - "The specific set of thinking skills that improved with exercise is called executive function. Executive function is a person's ability to regulate their own behavior, pay attention, organize and achieve goals ... Researchers found that aerobic exercise increased thinking skills. From the beginning of the study to the end, those who did aerobic exercise improved their overall scores on executive function tests by 0.50 points, which was a statistically significant difference from those who did stretching and toning, who improved by 0.25 points. At age 40, the improvement in thinking skills was 0.228 standard deviation units higher in those who exercised compared to those who did stretching and toning and at age 60, it was 0.596 standard deviation units higher ... "Since a difference of 0.5 standard deviations is equivalent to 20 years of age-related difference in performance on these tests, the people who exercised were testing as if they were about 10 years younger at age 40 and about 20 years younger at age 60," Stern said ... Researchers also found an increase in the thickness of the outer layer of the brain in the left frontal area in all those who exercised, suggesting that aerobic exercise contributes to brain fitness at all ages."

Is Breakfast Really Good For You? Here’s What the Science Says - Time, 1/10/19 - "A new research review published in The BMJ only adds to the debate: It analyzed 13 breakfast studies and found that eating a morning meal was not a reliable way to lose weight, and that skipping breakfast likely does not lead to weight gain."

• Study: Breakfast Not Key to Weight Loss After All - WebMD, 1/30/19

'Bugs' in the gut might predict dementia in the brain - Science Daily, 1/10/19 - "Researchers studying the population of bacteria and microbes in the intestines, known as gut microbiota, have found these "bugs" impact risks for diseases of the heart and more. Japanese researchers studied 128 (dementia and non-dementia) patients' fecal samples and found differences in the components of gut microbiota in patients with the memory disorder suggesting that what's in the gut influences dementia risk much like other risk factors."

Doctors: Newer Blood Thinners Best Against A-Fib - WebMD, 1/28/19 - "The newer drugs are called non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs). Examples include dabigatran (Pradaxa), rivaroxaban (Xarelto) and apixaban (Eliquis). They don't require the same frequent monitoring of blood-clotting levels as the older clot-preventing drug warfarin (Coumadin) does. They also don't have the same drug and food interactions that warfarin does"

Gum Disease Bacteria Found in Alzheimer's Brains - WebMD, 1/15/19 - "Tests on mice confirmed the bacteria, Porphyromonas gingivalis could migrate from the mouth to the brain and that a toxic protein they secrete (gingipain) destroyed brain neurons ... The bacteria also boosted production of amyloid beta, a component of brain plaques associated with Alzheimer's ... The study adds to evidence of a link between gum disease and dementia, but it's still not clear if gum disease bacteria actually trigger Alzheimer's ... Previous studies linking gum disease with dementia include one published last year that found that people with chronic gum disease for 10 years or more had a 70 percent higher risk of Alzheimer's than those without gum disease" - Note:  See a dental hygienist. Ask them about soaking Gum Go-Betweens in Periogard to get the bacteria between your teeth.

Zinc deficiency may play a role in high blood pressure - Science Daily, 1/24/19 - "Lower-than-normal zinc levels may contribute to high blood pressure (hypertension) by altering the way the kidneys handle sodium ... A small group of the zinc-deficient mice were fed a zinc-rich diet partway through the study. Once the animals' zinc reached adequate levels, blood pressure began to drop and urinary sodium levels increased" - See zinc supplements at Amazon.com.

Finasteride Clears Its Name - WebMD, 1/23/19 - "the drug has never been fully accepted for this use, mainly because earlier results from the trial showed an increased risk of high-grade prostate cancer ... Now, longer-term results from this trial (median follow-up of 18.6 years) show that there has been no increase in prostate cancer-related deaths with the drug"

You might be able to fight dry winter skin with these three nutrition hacks - Washington Post, 1/23/19 - "Staying well hydrated helps keep all of our bodily systems functioning smoothly, so at a minimum, you should aim for the recommended daily intake of 91 ounces of liquid for women and 125 ounces for men, amounts which include not only water, but all nonalcoholic liquids consumed ... Since most of us get plenty of omega-6, it’s a smart strategy to focus on upping our intake of omega-3 ... Two nutrients bountiful in richly hued fruit and vegetables which researchers have begun to home in on are carotenoids (including beta-carotene, a form of vitamin A, lutein, zeaxanthin and others) and vitamin C. They act as antioxidants, protecting cells from damage, and they are essential for the skin’s growth and repair. "

Flu vaccination keeps COPD patients out of the hospital - Science Daily, 1/23/19 - "influenza vaccine was associated with a 38 percent reduction in influenza-related hospitalizations among patients with COPD"

Fried Food May Be Killing You, a New Study Says. Here Are the Worst Offenders - Time, 1/23/19 - "Those who reported eating at least one serving of fried food per day had about an 8% higher chance of dying early, compared to women who said they did not eat any, according to the study. They also had a 8% higher chance of dying specifically from cardiovascular disease ... However, fried food consumption did not seem to correspond to a higher risk of dying from cancer, despite some past research that has connected the two" - Note: Air frying might be an alternative.  I love my Philips Air Fryer.  If you spray the food with cooking spray, most of the spray oil boils off and it still retains the fried taste.  I use avocado oil spray.  Just coating the food with oil before adding it to the air fryer works also.  Most of it still boils off.  The published air fryer cook times don't have what people in a hurry actually cook.  I started my own  cheat sheet (.docx file).  Even our cheat saved cheat sheet isn't up to date.  The original is on the refrigerator and we write on it.  I bought this one for $99 at Costco.  It's now $89 at Amazon.  See the price history.

Supplement makes (mouse) moms' milk better; pups benefit for life - Science Daily, 1/22/19 - "Mother mice given the NR supplement lost weight faster and produced more milk than mothers not fed NR. In addition to increasing the quantity of milk the moms produced, NR supplementation also increased the quality of the milk, which contained higher levels of a protein factor that promotes brain development ... The advantages to the pups being nursed by NR-supplemented moms were striking and long-lasting. The pups were bigger and had better metabolic health than pups nursed by non-supplemented moms. As adults, they also had better motor coordination, better learning and memory, and were less anxious and more resilient to stress ... NR-supplementation in mice returned liver levels of NAD back to or above normal, and supercharged lactation, so that NR-fed moms produced more milk and the milk contained higher levels of a growth factor called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) that enhances brain development" - See nicotinamide riboside at Amazon.com.

Muscle loss with aging — are you at risk for sarcopenia? - womenshealthnetwork.com,, 1/22/19 - See the "Building Muscle" graph at the bottom for a quick course.

Abstracts from this week:

Sulforaphane suppresses the growth of triple-negative breast cancer stem-like cells in vitro and in vivo - Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2019 Jan 24 - "Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents the poorest prognosis among all of breast cancer subtypes with no currently available effective therapy. In this study, we hypothesized that sulforaphane (SFN), a dietary component abundant in broccoli and its sprouts, can inhibit malignant cell proliferation and tumor sphere formation of cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) in TNBC ... In vivo, BalbC/nude mice were supplemented with SFN before and after TNBC cell inoculation (daily i.p. injection of 50mg SFN/kg for 5 and 3 weeks respectively), and effects of SFN during mammary tumor initiation and growth were accessed with Nanostring gene analysis. We found that SFN can inhibit cell proliferation and mammosphere formation of CSCs in TNBC. Further analysis of gene expression in these TNBC tumor cells revealed that SFN significantly decreases the expression of cancer-specific CR1, CRIPTO-3/TDGF1P3 (CR3, a homologue of CR1), and various stem cell markers including Nanog, aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A1 (ALDH1A1), Wnt3, and Notch4. Our results suggest that SFN may control the malignant proliferation of CSCs in TNBC via Cripto-mediated pathway by either suppressing its expression and/or by inhibiting Cripto/Alk4 protein complex formation. Thus, the use of SFN for chemoprevention of TNBC is plausible and warrants further clinical evaluation" - See sulforaphane at Amazon.com.

Beneficial Effects of Probiotic Consumption on the Immune System - Ann Nutr Metab. 2019 Jan 23;74(2):115-124 - "Once administered, oral probiotic bacteria interact with the intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) or immune cells associated with the lamina propria, through Toll-like receptors, and induce the production of different cytokines or chemokines ... Specifically, probiotics activate regulatory T cells that release IL-10. Interestingly, probiotics reinforce the intestinal barrier by an increase of the mucins, the tight junction proteins and the Goblet and Paneth cells. Another proposed mechanism of probiotics is the modulation of intestinal microbiota by maintaining the balance and suppressing the growth of potential pathogenic bacteria in the gut. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that long-term probiotics consumption does not affect the intestinal homeostasis. The viability of probiotics is crucial in the interaction with IECs and macrophages favoring, mainly, the innate immune response ... In malnutrition models, such as undernourishment and obesity, probiotic was able to increase the intestinal and systemic immune response. Furthermore, probiotics contribute to recover the histology of both the intestine and the thymus damaged in these conditions. Probiotic bacteria are emerging as a safe and natural strategy for allergy prevention and treatment. Different mechanisms such as the generation of cytokines from activated pro-T-helper type 1, which favor the production of IgG instead of IgE, have been proposed" - See probiotic products at Amazon.com.

The Effect of β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) on Sarcopenia and Functional Frailty in Older Persons: A Systematic Review - J Nutr Health Aging. 2019;23(2):145-15 - "Beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) has been shown to be effective and superior to other types of protein supplements to attenuate loss of muscle mass, strength and function, however, its benefits in sarcopenic and frail older people remain unclear ... Three studies matched our eligibility criteria which enrolled 203 subjects through a variety of definitions of sarcopenia or frailty. Lean body mass increased and muscle strength and function were preserved following HMB supplementation" - See HMB at Amazon.com.

Improving Dietary Protein Quality Reduces the Negative Effects of Physical Inactivity on Body Composition and Muscle Function - J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2019 Jan 28 - "Twenty healthy, older men and women completed 7 days of bed rest followed by 5 days of rehabilitation. Volunteers consumed a mixed macronutrient diet (MIXED: N = 10; 68 ± 2 years; 1,722 ± 29 kcal/day; 0.97 ± 0.01 g protein/kg/day) or an isoenergetic, whey-augmented, higher protein quality diet (WHEY: N = 10; 69 ± 1 years; 1,706 ± 23 kcal/day; 0.90 ± 0.01 g protein/kg/day) ... During bed rest, both groups experienced a 20% reduction in knee extension peak torque (p < .05). The WHEY diet partially protected leg lean mass (-1,035 vs. -680 ± 138 g, MIXED vs. WHEY; p = .08) and contributed to a greater loss of body fat (-90 vs. -233 ± 152 g, MIXED vs. WHEY; p < .05). Following rehabilitation, knee extension peak torque in the WHEY group fully recovered (-10.0 vs. 2.2 ± 4.1 Nm, MIXED vs. WHEY; p = .05)" - See whey protein at Amazon.com.

Higher serum levels of vitamin D are associated with lower blood glucose levels - Menopause. 2019 Jan 18 - "Vitamin D plays an important role in bone metabolism. There is now evidence that a higher serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) is associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus, because it provides better glycemic control, possibly by promoting greater insulin sensitivity, and also by improving pancreatic beta cell function ... The mean fasting blood glucose level was 105 mg/dL (range 26-401 mg/dL). Fasting serum levels of 25(OH)D were <30 ng/mL in 65.4% of the participants and <20 ng/mL in 25.6%. A serum 25(OH)D level <30 ng/mL was positively associated with a blood glucose level ≥100 mg/dL (odds ratio [OR] 1.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05-1.57), as was a serum 25(OH)D level <20 ng/mL (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.04-1.50)" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri Prevents Postantibiotic Bone Loss by Reducing Intestinal Dysbiosis and Preventing Barrier Disruption - J Bone Miner Res. 2019 Jan 28 - "Antibiotic treatment, commonly prescribed for bacterial infections, depletes and subsequently causes long-term alterations in intestinal microbiota composition. Knowing the importance of the microbiome in the regulation of bone density, we investigated the effect of postantibiotic treatment on gut and bone health ... A link between the microbiome composition and bone density was demonstrated by supplementing the mice with probiotic bacteria. Specifically, Lactobacillus reuteri, but not Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG or nonpathogenic Escherichia coli, reduced the postantibiotic elevation of the Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes ratio and prevented femoral and vertebral trabecular bone loss. Consistent with causing bone loss, postantibiotic-induced dysbiosis decreased osteoblast and increased osteoclast activities, changes that were prevented by both L. reuteri and MDY. These data underscore the importance of microbial dysbiosis in the regulation of intestinal permeability and bone health, as well as identify L. reuteri and MDY as novel therapies for preventing these adverse effects" - See probiotic products at Amazon.com.

The effects of a multispecies probiotic supplement on inflammatory markers and episodic and chronic migraine characteristics: A randomized double-blind controlled trial - Cephalalgia. 2019 Jan 8 - "Forty episodic and 39 chronic migraine patients who completed this randomized double-blind controlled trial received two capsules of multispecies probiotic or placebo ... After a 10-week intervention, among episodic migraineurs the mean frequency of migraine attacks significantly reduced in the probiotic group compare to the placebo group (mean change: -2.64 vs. 0.06; respectively, p < 0.001). A significant reduction was also evident in the migraine severity (mean decrease: -2.14 in the probiotic group and 0.11 in the placebo group; p < 0.001). Episodic migraineurs who received the probiotic also showed significant reduction in abortive drug usage per week (mean change: -0.72; p < 0.001) compare to baseline, while there was no significant changes within the placebo group. In chronic migraine patients, after an 8-week intervention, the mean frequency of migraine attacks significantly reduced in the probiotic compared to the placebo group (mean change: -9.67 vs. -0.22; p ≤ 0.001). In contrast to the placebo, probiotic supplementation significantly decreased the severity (mean changes: -2.69; p ≤ 0.001), duration (mean changes: -0.59; p ≤ 0.034) of attacks and the number of abortive drugs taken per day (mean changes: -1.02; p < 0.001), in chronic migraine patients." - [Nutra USA] - See probiotic products at Amazon.com..

Influence of enhanced oavailable curcumin on obesity-associated cardiovascular disease risk factors and arterial function: a double-blind, randomized-controlled trial - Nutri 11 Jan 19 - "The objective of this study was to determine if an enhanced bioavailable curcumin formulation, CurQfen®, would improve circulating cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related blood biomarkers and arterial function in young (18-35 years old), obese (BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/m2) men ... Subjects were matched based on BMI and randomized to the intervention (curcumin formulated with fenugreek soluble fiber, for enhanced absorption) or control (fenugreek soluble fiber) group for 12 weeks at 500 mg/day without dietary modification or exercise ... Our data provide evidence for an enhanced bioavailable curcumin to improve homocysteine and HDL concentrations, which may promote favorable cardiovascular health in young, obese men. Improvements in endothelial function or blood pressure were not observed with curcumin supplementation, warranting further investigation" - [Nutra USA} - See CurQfen® at Amazon.com.

Neat Tech Stuff / "How To's":

I bought one of each:

Health Focus (Green Tea):