Recent Longevity News for the week ending 6/26/19

Cholesterol medication could invite diabetes, study suggests - Science Daily, 6/25/19 - "statin users had more than double the risk of a diabetes diagnosis compared to those who didn't take the drugs. Those who took the cholesterol-lowering drugs for more than two years had more than three times the risk of diabete ... statin users were 6.5 percent more likely to have a troublingly high HbA1c value ... the results suggest that individuals taking statins should be followed closely to detect changes in glucose metabolism and should receive special guidance on diet and exercise for prevention"

Could coffee be the secret to fighting obesity? - Science Daily, 6/24/19 - "The results were positive and we now need to ascertain that caffeine as one of the ingredients in the coffee is acting as the stimulus or if there's another component helping with the activation of brown fat. We are currently looking at caffeine supplements to test whether the effect is similar ... Once we have confirmed which component is responsible for this, it could potentially be used as part of a weight management regime or as part of glucose regulation programme to help prevent diabetes."

Bacteria from your gut may be the key to running farther - engadget, 6/25/19 - "The researchers found the bacteria after examining the poop of 10 Boston Marathon runners. To generate energy for itself, Veillonella breaks down lactic acid, which is produced at a higher level when athletes perform particularly strenuous activities. To determine if the bacteria was making a difference, the researchers isolated a strain of it and inserted it into 16 mice, then placed them on a treadmill. The mice with the bacteria in their stomachs were able to run for 13 percent longer than mice who didn't get the benefit of Veillonella -- a small difference, but one that could make a huge difference in an athletic competition in which every little advantage counts" - See probiotic products at Amazon.com.

Commonly Prescribed Meds Could Raise Dementia Risk - WebMD, 6/24/19 - "people aged 55 and older who took strong anticholinergic medications daily for three years or more had a 50% increased risk of dementia"

New study highlights key nutrients that are linked to better sleep quality - Nutra USA, 6/18/19 - See the three minute video.

FDA Approves New Libido-Boosting Drug for Premenopausal Women - Medscape, 6/21/19 - "Bremelanotide is designed to be self-administered subcutaneously with a disposable autoinjector at least 45 minutes before an anticipated sexual encounter ... Users don't see the needle and it can be pushed against the abdomen or thigh ... testing for both increase in desire and reduction in distress, the hallmarks of HSDD ... We saw statistically significant and clinically important improvements in both those parameters ... The most common adverse events were nausea, flushing, and headache" - [NYT]

Cancer Survivors May Have Lower Odds for Dementia - WebMD, 6/21/19 - "There are theories as to why the pattern exists: Some of the mechanisms that allow cancer cells to grow and spread may, in the brain, protect cells from dying ... Glymour's team points to the example of an enzyme called PIN1: Its activity is enhanced in cancer, but decreased in Alzheimer's. Among other roles, the enzyme is thought to help prevent the buildup of abnormal proteins in the brain that are the hallmark of Alzheimer's"

Gut bacteria associated with chronic pain for first time - Science Daily, 6/20/19 - "We also saw that the severity of a patient's symptoms was directly correlated with an increased presence or a more pronounced absence of certain bacteria -- something which has never been reported before ... At this point, it's not clear whether the changes in gut bacteria seen in patients with fibromyalgia are simply markers of the disease or whether they play a role in causing it" - See probiotic products at Amazon.com.

Phenols in cocoa bean shells may reverse obesity-related problems in mouse cells - Science Daily, 6/20/19 - "three of the phenolic compounds in cocoa bean shells have powerful effects on the fat and immune cells in mice, potentially reversing the chronic inflammation and insulin resistance associated with obesity ... cocoa shells contain high levels of three beneficial bioactive chemicals also found in cocoa, coffee and green tea -- protocatechuic acid, epicatechin and procyanidin B2 ... Cocoa shells are a waste byproduct that's generated when cocoa beans are roasted during chocolate production" - See Ghirardelli Chocolate Intense Dark Squares, Midnight Reverie, 4.12 oz., 86% Cacao (Pack of 4) at Amazon.com.

Vanilla makes milk beverages seem sweeter - Science Daily, 6/20/19 - "In a blind taste test that provided new insights into taste enhancement by an aroma, participants -- who did not know vanilla had been added to the milk -- consistently indicated that samples with vanilla were significantly sweeter than their added sugar concentrations could explain ... The subjects' responses indicate that with the addition of vanilla, the added sugar content in flavored milk could potentially be reduced by 20 to 50 percent"

Timed release of turmeric stops cancer cell growth - Science Daily, 6/20/19 - "A Washington State University research team has developed a drug delivery system using curcumin, the main ingredient in the spice turmeric, that successfully inhibits bone cancer cells while promoting growth of healthy bone cells ... Turmeric has been used in cooking and as medicine for centuries in Asian countries, and its active ingredient, curcumin has been shown to have anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and bone-building capabilities. It has also been shown to prevent various forms of cancers ... However, when taken orally as medicine, the compound can't be absorbed well in the body. It is metabolized and eliminated too quickly ... The researchers found that their system inhibited the growth of osteosarcoma cells by 96 percent after 11 days as compared to untreated samples. The system also promoted healthy bone cell growth" - See curcumin products at Amazon.com.

Early-and-regular cannabis use by youth is associated with alteration in brain circuits that support cognitive control - Science Daily, 6/19/19 - "The findings are based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data acquired from 28 adolescents and young adults (aged 14-23 years) with significant cannabis use and 32 age and sex-matched non-using healthy controls ... Compared to their healthy counterparts, the adolescents and young adults with significant cannabis use showed reduced activation in the frontostriatal circuits that support cognitive control and conflict resolution ... the research team found an association between how early individuals began regularly using cannabis and the extent to which frontostriatal regions were disrupted, suggesting that earlier chronic use may have a larger impact on circuit development than use of later onset"

• U.S. Teens' Pot Use Has Jumped 10-fold Since 1990s - WebMD, 6/20/19

Sleep apnea: Why you feel tired after a full night of sleep - CNET, 6/18/19 - "Complications of sleep apnea ... When you have sleep apnea, your body is consistently deprived of oxygen throughout the night. This lack of oxygen can have negative long-term effects on your health ... Sleep apnea has been associated with: Hypertension (high blood pressure) ... Cardiovascular disease ... Stroke ... Diabetes ... Depression ... Metabolic syndrome ... Liver problems"

An Anti-Aging Pill? Think Twice - NYT, 6/19/19 - "These results do not mean that people should stop or avoid using metformin, Dr. Miller cautions, even to brake aging. The study followed only a small group of people for a relatively short period of time and examined a mere fraction of the voluminous bodily impacts of exercise and metformin. It also did not include people taking metformin without exercise ... But the findings “do give us reason to think a bit more cautiously” about mixing metformin and exercise in healthy people"

Another Carcinogen Found in Popular BP Meds - WebMD, 6/19/19 - Note: Ever notice how the medical community demonizes supplements and one of their arguments is that the supplements aren't tested for dangerous chemicals?  That's not  really true.  CVS not tests their supplements and ConsumerLab has been testing supplements for years.  It seems like when a supplement fails ConsumerLab, it's usually some band X and it's usually because it's a little off on the amount of what's listed.  I'm just saying, the medical community needs to look in their own backyard.  This has been going on for some time.  Another one that gets my goat is that they emphasis 900 or so emergency room admissions because of supplements  when that's just a drop in the bucket compared to emergency room visits from problems with prescription drugs.  Plus those admissions for supplements are most likely some radical herb that most people won't take.

Low vitamin K levels linked to mobility limitation and disability in older adults - Science Daily, 6/13/19 - "The new study examined two biomarkers: circulating levels of vitamin K (phylloquinone) and a functional measure of vitamin K (plasma ucMGP). Using participant data from the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study (Health ABC), the study found that older adults with low levels of circulating vitamin K were more likely to develop mobility limitation and disability ... Specifically, older adults with low circulating vitamin K levels were nearly 1.5 times more likely to develop mobility limitation and nearly twice as likely to develop mobility disability compared to those with sufficient levels." - See vitamin K at Amazon.com.

Increasing red meat intake linked with heightened risk of early death - Science Daily, 6/12/19 - "After adjusting for age and other potentially influential factors, increasing total red meat intake (both processed and unprocessed) by 3.5 servings a week or more over an eight year period was associated with a 10% higher risk of death in the next eight years ... Similarly, increasing processed red meat intake, such as bacon, hot dogs, sausages and salami, by 3.5 servings a week or more was associated with a 13% higher risk of death, whereas increasing intake of unprocessed red meat was associated with a 9% higher risk." -

Vitamin D and estradiol help guard against heart disease, stroke, and diabetes - Science Daily, 6/12/19 - "vitamin D has been associated with several markers of metabolic syndrome, including obesity, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Supplementation with vitamin D has been shown to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome over a 20-year follow-up ... Because the synergistic benefits of vitamin D and estrogen are already documented to improve bone health in women, researchers in this newest study from China hypothesized that the same interaction might affect metabolic syndrome. The cross-sectional study included 616 postmenopausal women aged 49 to 86 years who were not taking estrogen and vitamin D/calcium supplements at the beginning of the trial. It concluded there was a positive correlation between vitamin D and estradiol" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

What is inulin, and why is it showing up in so many food products? - Washington Post, 6/12/19 - "Both inulin and FOS are extracted from chicory root fiber, a natural dietary fiber that is extracted using hot water from a plant that’s part of the dandelion family ... Longer-chain inulin has a creamy mouthfeel, so it’s often used to help reduce the fat content in products. Short-chain inulin (FOS) tastes slightly sweet, so it’s used to help reduce some of the sugar and sugar substitutes in foods and beverages. Inulin supplements and some foods and beverages will use a blend of short- and longer-chain inulin ... Chicory root fiber passes through your small intestine and then is fermented by the bacteria in your large intestine. As noted above, taking in too much too quickly can lead to digestive discomfort — which can happen with any fiber. In addition, some people seem to be more sensitive to inulin and FOS than others, and may need to limit their consumption ... Inulin does have some digestive benefits. A blend of short- and long-chain inulin has been shown to reduce discomfort and help with constipation. The fiber increases the amounts of beneficial Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli bacteria in the gut. The European Food Safety Association has approved the claim that consuming at least 12 grams of chicory inulin or FOS a day eases constipation ... Inulin and FOS also may reduce our calorie intake and blood-sugar levels and increase calcium absorption ... Chicory root fiber seems to slow down stomach emptying and suppresses appetite signals in the brain, which could help you eat less ... A weight-loss study of 44 people with pre-diabetes who were receiving counseling from a dietitian found that the group taking inulin supplements for 18 weeks had a weight loss of 7.6 percent of body weight, compared with a weight loss of 4.9 percent in the group taking cellulose, another type of fiber ... Inulin also seems to lower glucose and insulin levels after meals in average-weight and overweight people ... In prehistoric times — when we were eating far more vegetables and gnawing at roots — it’s estimated that our ancestors consumed about 135 grams of inulin a day. I wouldn’t recommend aiming for those levels, given what our digestive levels are now accustomed. But we can realistically reach much lower levels that promote health benefits ... Randal Buddington, professor at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, likens increasing your inulin intake to exercising more. “If a couch potato starts exercising with a very intense workout, the pain and agony may very well keep them from continuing. If they start slow, and gradually build up, the benefits will increase and the person will continue.”" - See inulin at Amazon.com.  See my write-up in my 5/29/19 newsletter on using inulin to replace half the sugar in an ice cream recipe.  That and xanthan gum makes the creamiest ice cream you'll find.

Pembro Now Approved for First-Line Use in Head and Neck Cancer - Medscape, 6/11/19 - "overall survival (OS) ... For the whole patient population, the median OS for pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy was 13 months vs 10.7 months"

High Blood Pressure at Doctor's Could Signal Danger - WebMD, 6/10/19 - "People who had untreated white-coat hypertension had double the risk of dying from heart disease or stroke compared with people with normal blood pressure ... Besides looking at white-coat hypertension, the review also looked at white-coat effect. This is when elevated in-office blood pressure is treated with medication. The concern is that if readings are only elevated in the doctor's office, high blood pressure drugs might drop pressure too low ... But researchers didn't find any significant links between white-coat effect and heart disease and strokes, or deaths from heart disease and strokes, or deaths from any cause" - Note:  The article seems to contradict itself.

Acute Sleep Loss Increases Blood Levels of Alzheimer's Biomarker - Medscape, 6/11/19 - "Acute sleep loss results in increased plasma levels of tau, which has been proposed as a biomarker to assess subsequent risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) ... This may be because of "increased neuronal activity that's required to sustain wakefulness during the night ... We noted an evening to morning increase in plasma levels of total tau following the acute sleep loss condition, while levels of total tau decreased in the normal sleep condition, such that there was a significant change in the evening to morning levels between these two conditions"

Abstracts from this week:

Vitamin B6 Intake and Pancreatic Carcinoma Risk: A Meta-Analysis - Nutr Cancer. 2019 Jun 21:1-6 - "This meta-analysis suggested that vitamin B6 intake could significantly decrease pancreatic carcinoma risk"

Higher Vitamin B6 Intake is Associated with Lower Depression and Anxiety Risk in Women but not in Men: A large Cross-Sectional Study - Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2019 Jun 11:1-9 - "The association of lower intakes vitamin B6 intake with increased risk of depression and anxiety was clearly supported by current study. A reasonable approach to tackle these disorders could be the improvement of nutritional status, accordingly large randomized controlled trials are suggested for providing more evidence" - See vitamin B6 at Amazon.com.

• 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"

Low serum magnesium and 1-year mortality in Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome - Eur J Clin Invest. 2019 Jun 19:e13152 - "Overall, 1-year mortality was significantly higher among those patients who were magnesium deficient (<0.75 mmol/L) when compared to those who were replete (> 0.75 mmol/L)" - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.

High dietary total antioxidant capacity is associated with a reduced risk of hypertension in French women - Nutr J. 2019 Jun 11;18(1):31 - "In a large prospective cohort, the risk of incident hypertension in women was inversely associated with the antioxidant capacity of the diet, suggesting that promoting a diet naturally rich in antioxidants might help prevent the development of hypertension"

Impact of vitamin C on teriparatide treatment in the improvement of bone mineral density, strength, and quality in vitamin C-deficient rats - J Bone Miner Metab. 2019 May;37(3):411-418 - "Age-related decreases in serum levels of vitamin C (VC) may negatively affect the efficacy of anti-osteoporotic pharmacotherapy ... Compared to the ODS control group, the VC group showed significantly higher total femoral BMD, but the TPTD group showed significantly higher femoral and lumbar spinal BMD, maximum load of femoral metaphysis, and hydroxyapatite (HA) crystallinity by FTIR (p < 0.05). In addition to the increases shown in the TPTD group, the VC + TPTD group also showed significantly higher stiffness of the femoral diaphysis and breaking energy of the femoral metaphysis compared to the ODS control group (p < 0.05). These results indicated that TPTD alone increased cancellous/cortical BMD and cancellous bone strength with improvement of HA crystallinity in ODS rats, but addition of VC supplementation further improved cortical bone strength" - See vitamin C products at Amazon.com.

Metformin protects bone mass in ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene particle-induced osteolysis by regulating osteocyte secretion - J Bone Miner Metab. 2019 May;37(3):399-410 - "Our finding suggests that metformin induces differentiation and mineralization of osteoblasts, while inhibits osteoclastogenesis via mature osteocytes secretion. Therefore, the drug might be beneficial for not only diabetes but also in other bone disorders by acting on mature osteocytes"

Pioglitazone: inexpensive; very effective at reducing HbA1c ; no evidence of bladder cancer risk; plenty of evidence of cardiovascular benefit - Diabet Med. 2019 Jun 18 - "We were disappointed to see in the recent article by Ripamonti et al., published in Diabetic Medicine (1), that there still are people pursuing a connection between pioglitazone and bladder cancer, despite all of the accumulated evidence that this association is a red herring (2). The possibility of a connection first came about during pre-clinical studies because of an association between pioglitazone and bladder cancer in male, but not female, rats; no such association was observed in other animals (2). Subsequently, a possible connection was raised in the PROActive Study (3)"

Chronic inflammatory liver diseases and coffee intake - Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2019 Jun 18 - "A regular coffee consumption may have preventive healthy effects, especially if consumed without added sugars. Certainly, coffee consumption should not be prohibited in individuals with chronic inflammatory liver diseases, including hepatocellular carcinoma"

Impact of quercetin on systemic levels of inflammation: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled human trials - Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2019 Jun 18 - "Subgroup analyses revealed a significant reduction in circulating CRP in participants with diagnosed diseases (SMD: -0.24, 95% CI: -0.49, 0.00) and IL-6 in females (SMD: -1.37, 95% CI: -1.93, -0.81), subjects with diagnosed diseases (SMD: -1.37, 95% CI: -1.93, -0.81) and with high-dose interventions (SMD: -0.69, 95% CI: -1.10, -0.38). In conclusion, consumption of quercetin is a promising therapeutic strategy for chronic disease management" - See quercetin at Amazon.com.

Mice with myocyte deletion of vitamin D receptor have sarcopenia and impaired muscle function - J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2019 Jun 21 - "It has long been recognized that vitamin D deficiency is associated with muscle weakness and falls ... Maintenance of normal vitamin D signalling is a useful strategy to prevent loss of muscle function and size" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Tyrosol Reduces Amyloid-β Oligomer Neurotoxicity and Alleviates Synaptic, Oxidative, and Cognitive Disturbances in Alzheimer's Disease Model Mice - J Alzheimers Dis. 2019 Jun 21 - "Rhodiola rosea extracts and one of its main constituents, tyrosol, significantly inhibited AβO-induced caspase-3 activation ... Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the immunoreactivity of spinophilin, a dendritic synaptic protein, was significantly reduced in three hippocampal subregions of vehicle-treated AD mice compared with non-transgenic mice, which was reversed in tyrosol-treated AD mice. Tyrosol treatment also prevented the enhancement of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal immunoreactivity in the hippocampal CA3 region of AD mice. By contrast, tyrosol administration did not affect Aβ accumulation, as evaluated by immunohistochemical and biochemical analyses. Moreover, the Barnes maze test showed that tyrosol administration modestly mitigated spatial memory impairment in AD mice. These findings collectively indicate that the natural agent tyrosol protects neurons against AβO neurotoxicity in vitro and ameliorates synaptic disturbance, oxidative stress responses, and cognitive impairment in vivo. We thus suggest that tyrosol is potentially an effective, safe, and unique drug candidate for AD" - See Rhodiola rosea at Amazon.com.

The combination of sport and sport-specific diet is associated with characteristics of gut microbiota: an observational study - J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2019 May 3 - "Results suggest that high-protein diets may have a negative impact on gut microbiota diversity for athletes, while athletes in resistance sports that carry out the high protein low carbohydrates diet demonstrate a decrease in short chain fatty acid-producing commensal bacteria" - [Nutra USA]

The mitophagy activator urolithin A is safe and induces a molecular signature of improved mitochondrial and cellular health in humans - Nature Metabolism volume 1, pages595–603 (2019) - "Urolithin A (UA) is a natural dietary, microflora-derived metabolite shown to stimulate mitophagy and improve muscle health in old animals and in preclinical models of aging1. Here, we report the results of a first-in-human clinical trial in which we administered UA, either as a single dose or as multiple doses over a 4-week period, to healthy, sedentary elderly individuals. We show that UA has a favourable safety profile (primary outcome). UA was bioavailable in plasma at all doses tested, and 4 weeks of treatment with UA at doses of 500 mg and 1,000 mg modulated plasma acylcarnitines and skeletal muscle mitochondrial gene expression in elderly individuals (secondary outcomes). These observed effects on mitochondrial biomarkers show that UA induces a molecular signature of improved mitochondrial and cellular health following regular oral consumption in humans" - [Nutra USA] - See pomegranate extract at Amazon.com.

• Pomegranate juice and extract extended lifespan and reduced intestinal fat deposition in Caenorhabditis elegans - Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2017 May;87(3-4) - "Pomegranate juice with a high content of polyphenols, pomegranate extract, ellagic acid, and urolithin A, have anti-oxidant and anti-obesity effects in humans. Pomegranate juice extends lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster. Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) (n = 6) compared to the control group in each treatment, lifespan was increased by pomegranate juice in wild type (N2, 56 %, P < 0.001) and daf-16 mutant (daf-16(mgDf50)I) (18 %, P = 0.00012), by pomegranate extract in N2 (28 %, P = 0.00004) and in daf-16(mgDf50)I (10 %, P < 0.05), or by ellagic acid (11 %, P < 0.05). Pomegranate juice reduced intestinal fat deposition (IFD) in C. elegans"

Effects of BioCell Collagen in the spotlight- Nutraceutical Business Review, 6/18/19 - "The intervention consisted of twice daily 500mg oral administration of BioCell Collagen®, a novel hydrolyzed chicken sternal cartilage extract dietary ingredient composed of a naturally-occurring matrix of collagen type-II peptides (≥300 mg), chondroitin sulfate (≥100 mg), and hyaluronic acid (≥50 mg) ... For the 113 participants completing the study, BioCell Collagen® supplementation compared to a placebo resulted in: Significantly reduced facial lines and wrinkles (P = .019) and crow’s feet lines and wrinkles (P = .05) ... Increased skin elasticity (P = .008) and cutaneous collagen content (P < .001) by 12% ... Improved indicators associated with a more youthful skin appearance based on visual grading and wrinkle width (P = .046) ... Decreased skin dryness and erythema" - [Nutra USA] - See BioCell Collagen® at Amazon.com.

Altered microbiome composition in individuals with fibromyalgia - Pain. 2019 Jun 18 - "When comparing FM patients to unrelated controls using differential abundance analysis, significant differences were revealed in several bacterial taxa. Variance in the composition of the microbiomes was explained by FM-related variables more than by any other innate or environmental variable and correlated with clinical indices of FM. In line with observed alteration in butyrate metabolising species, targeted serum metabolite analysis verified differences in the serum levels of butyrate and propionate in FM patients. Using machine learning algorithms, the microbiome composition alone allowed for the classification of patients and controls (ROC AUC 87.8%)" - [Nutra USA] - See probiotic products at Amazon.com.

Supplementation with high-content docosahexaenoic acid triglyceride in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial - Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2019 May 8 - "This study provides further evidence of the beneficial effect of supplementation with ω-3 DHA in the management of ADHD" - [Nutra USA] - See docosahexaenoic acid at Amazon.com.

Dietary Palmitoleic Acid Attenuates Atherosclerosis Progression and Hyperlipidemia in Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Deficient Mice - Mol Nutr Food Res. 2019 Jun;63(12):e1900120 - "Dietary palmitoleate increases hepatic C16:1 levels, improves plasma and hepatic lipid/lipoprotein profiles (≈40% decrease in triglycerides), and reduces the atherosclerotic plaque area by ≈45% compared with control or olive oil group (p < 0.05) ... Dietary-supplemented palmitoleate reduces atherosclerosis development in LDLR-KO mice, and is associated with improvement of lipid and glucose metabolism and favorable changes in regulatory genes involved in lipogenesis and inflammation. These findings imply the potential role of dietary palmitoleate in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and diet-induced metabolic disorders" - [Nutra USA] - See omega-7 at Amazon.com.

Combined citicoline and docosahexaenoic acid treatment improves cognitive dysfunction following transient brain ischemia - J Pharmacol Sci. 2019 Apr;139(4):319-324 - "BCCAO ischemic mice were treated for a total of 11 days with a combination of citicoline (40 mg/kg body weight/day) and DHA (300 mg/kg body weight/day) or each alone. Combined citicoline and DHA synergistically and significantly improved learning and memory ability of ischemic mice compared with either alone. Further, citicoline and DHA treatment significantly prevented neuronal cell death, and slightly increased DHA-containing PtdCho in the hippocampus, albeit not significantly. Taken together, these findings suggest that combined citicoline and DHA treatment may have synergistic benefits for partially improving memory deficits following transient brain ischemia" - [Nutra USA] - See citicoline at Amazon.com and docosahexaenoic acid at Amazon.com.

Central Hemodynamics in Relation to Circulating Desphospho-Uncarboxylated Matrix Gla Protein: A Population Study - J Am Heart Assoc. 2019 Apr 2 - "Stiffening and calcification of the large arteries are forerunners of cardiovascular complications. MGP (Matrix Gla protein), which requires vitamin K-dependent activation, is a potent locally acting inhibitor of arterial calcification ... In people representative for the general population, higher inactive dp-uc MGP was associated with greater PWV , central pulse pressure, forward pulse wave, and backward pulse wave. These observations highlight new avenues for preserving vascular integrity and preventing cardiovascular complications (eg, by improving a person's vitamin K status)" - [Nutra USA] - See vitamin K at Amazon.com.

High flavonoid cocoa supplement ameliorates plasma oxidative stress and inflammation levels while improving mobility and quality of life in older subjects: a double blind randomized clinical trial - J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2019 May 6 - "Regular flavonoids consumption positively impact blood oxidative stress and inflammation endpoints, cardiometabolic risk markers, physical performance and QoL. The sum of such effects may help to mitigate the extent of frailty development in the elderly" - [Nutra USA] - See Ghirardelli Chocolate Intense Dark Squares, Midnight Reverie, 4.12 oz., 86% Cacao (Pack of 4) at Amazon.com.

Neat Tech Stuff / "How To's":

If I were younger I start an ice cream chain using this recipe and replace half the sugar with inulin and throw in a quarter teaspoon of xanthan gum. I'd call it Ben's Triple Cream. Triple cream because the cream, inulin and xanthan gum all make it creamier. Inulin can be used as both a sugar substitute and a fat substitute so it's two birds in one stone plus it's healthy. It's the creamiest ice cream I've ever tasted. It beats the crap out of Häagen-Dazs, Salt & Straw and Ben & Jerry's. You have to mix the milk (I used 98%), strawberries (I use Costco's frozen), and vanilla a day prior and leave it in the refrigerator for 24 hours for the strawberries to ripen. Significantly blend the strawberries before and after the 24 hours.  It's a taste thing, I'd rather have the stronger strawberry flavor thoughout rather than the chunks.  Then add the xanthan gum. Then pour the cream into the maker, then the rest of it.

Health Focus (Vitamin D):