Recent Longevity News for the week ending 2/5/20

Eating red meat and processed meat hikes heart disease and death risk, study finds - Science Daily, 2/3/20 - "After a controversial study last fall recommending that it was not necessary for people to change their diet in terms of red meat and processed meat, a large, carefully analyzed new study links red and processed meat consumption with slightly higher risk of heart disease and death ... Eating two servings of red meat, processed meat or poultry -- but not fish -- per week was linked to a 3 to 7% higher risk of cardiovascular disease, the study found. Eating two servings of red meat or processed meat -- but not poultry or fish -- per week was associated with a 3% higher risk of all causes of death"

First Evidence Dietary Flavonols Linked to Lower Alzheimer Risk - Medscape, 1/30/20 - "Kaempferol, isorhamnetin, and myricetin may not be household names, but investigators at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, found that for those who reported diets highest in these flavonols, the rate of incident AD was 48% lower than that of their counterparts who consumed the lowest levels of these dietary compounds ... Kale, beans, spinach, apples, olive oil, and tomato sauce are among the sources richest of these flavonols"

Chronic inflammation is frightening. Here’s what you can do about it - Washington Post, 1/29/20 - "diseases linked to chronic inflammation are “the most significant cause of death in the world today,” accounting for more than 50 percent of global deaths. These include heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer and dementia, among others ... One key change is to increase physical activity. A recent exercise-and-chronic-inflammation paper in the Journal of Applied Physiology reached a striking conclusion: A group of 75-year-old men who were lifelong aerobic exercisers had inflammation profiles much closer to those of 25-year-old exercisers than to their healthy 75-year-old peers who did not exercise ... beneficial foods include: fruit and vegetables (both high in inflammation-fighting polyphenols); omega-3 fatty acids; high-fiber foods; and foods high in zinc and magnesium. Harmful foods include: processed foods, especially those with emulsifiers; fried foods; salt; sugar; and alcohol ... They found good evidence to back two prescription medications, metformin and angiotensin II receptor blockers (used to treat high blood pressure); and also probiotics and omega-3 fatty acids ... Intermittent fasting elicits evolutionarily-conserved, adaptive cellular responses that . . . suppress inflammation ... Obesity is clearly associated with ­chronic inflammation, and inflammation experts are particularly concerned about the rapid increase in child and adolescent weight problems ... Cigarette smoking is a known cause of chronic inflammation, and vaping probably is ... individuals with high CRP were two to seven times more likely to die during an eight-year period"

New toxic byproducts of disinfecting drinking water - Science Daily, 1/28/20- "Phenols, which are chemical compounds that occur naturally in the environment and are abundant in personal care products and pharmaceuticals, are commonly found in drinking water. When these phenols mix with chlorine, the process creates a large number of byproducts. Current analytical chemistry methods, however, are unable to detect and identify all of these byproducts, some which may be harmful and can cause long-term health consequences"

Controversy Now Moves to New Diastolic BP Threshold - Medscape, 1/29/20 - "Our data suggest there is no harm of having a diastolic pressure above 80 mmHg if the systolic is below 130 mmHg and that the new 80 mmHg diastolic threshold means that 12 million adults in the US will be labeled as hypertensive but will not benefit from the diagnosis and may be given unnecessary treatment ... The recommendation to lower the diastolic threshold for hypertension from 90 mmHg to 80 mmHg was based on expert opinion, not on trial data ... If an individual has normal systolic blood pressure (<130 mmHg according to new guidelines), our data suggest that it doesn't really matter what the diastolic blood pressure is"

Air pollution impacts can be heart-stopping - Science Daily, 1/28/20 - "out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) ... more than 90 percent of OHCAs occurred at PM2.5 levels lower than the WHO guideline (and Australian standard level), a daily-average of 25 micrograms per cubic metre (?g/m3). As well, 98 percent of OHCAs happened at levels lower than the Japanese or American daily standard level of 35 ?g/m3 ... Our study supports recent evidence that there is no safe level of air pollution -- finding an increased risk of cardiac arrest despite air quality generally meeting the standards ... There are two main sources of PM2.5 worldwide: 1. Traffic/motor vehicles 2. Bushfires"

An egg a day not tied to risk of heart disease - Science Daily, 1/27/20 - "Moderate egg intake, which is about one egg per day in most people, does not increase the risk of cardiovascular disease or mortality even if people have a history of cardiovascular disease or diabetes ... Also, no association was found between egg intake and blood cholesterol, its components or other risk factors"

Cannabinoids Do Not Reduce Cancer-Related Pain, Has No Clear Effect on Sleep Problems - Medscape, 1/28/20 - "Change in pain as measured by a numeric rating scale did not differ significantly between cannabinoids and placebo overall and when only phase-3 studies were included in the meta-analysis ... Change in pain intensity, a secondary outcome in one trial, did not differ significantly between cannabinoids and placebo either"

Hyaluronic Acid and Platelet-Rich Plasma, a New Therapeutic Alternative for Scleroderma Patients - Medscape, 1/28/20 - "Systemic sclerosis is a systemic connective tissue disease characterized by endothelium damage, fibrosis, and subsequent atrophy of the skin ... Ten female patients aged between 18 and 70 were included in this study. Each patient was treated with three filler injections of hyaluronic acid and platelet-rich plasma at an interval of 15 to 20 days ... Our study demonstrates that filler injections of hyaluronic acid and platelet-rich plasma represent an efficient local therapeutic alternative for patients affected by scleroderma. The treatment has significantly improved patients' quality of living" - See hyaluronic acid at Amazon.com.

Can lithium halt progression of Alzheimer's disease? - Science Daily, 1.25/20 - "when given in a formulation that facilitates passage to the brain, lithium in doses up to 400 times lower than what is currently being prescribed for mood disorders is capable of both halting signs of advanced Alzheimer's pathology such as amyloid plaques and of recovering lost cognitive abilities ... While it is unlikely that any medication will revert the irreversible brain damage at the clinical stages of Alzheimer's it is very likely that a treatment with microdoses of encapsulated lithium should have tangible beneficial effects at early, preclinical stages of the disease" - See lithium supplements at Amazon.com.

Mortality costs of air pollution in US - Science Daily, 1/22/20 - "members of the most vulnerable group -- those with a life expectancy of less than one year -- are over 30 times more likely to die from pollution than the typical Medicare beneficiary ... By exploiting the daily variation in acute fine particulate pollution exposure driven by changes in wind direction, the researchers found significant effects of exposure on mortality, hospitalizations and medical spending ... The scholars also found that increases in particulate matter lead to more emergency room visits, hospitalizations and higher patient spending ... "Mortality is only one of many potential costs of air pollution," Molitor said. "The elderly who aren't dying may engage in other costly activities such as going to the hospital for preventive or emergency care. Those steps may help them avoid death, but it doesn't mean that pollution has no cost to their health or finances.""

Vitamin D Supplementation Linked to Improved BP and Insulin Sensitivity in Overweight, Obese Children - NTK Institute, 1/21/20 - "The children were split into 3 groups, with 1 group receiving 600 IU vitamin D daily, which is the current recommended daily dietary allowance, and the other 2 groups received either a 1,000 or 2,000 IU vitamin D daily ... After 6 months, the children receiving the daily 2,000 IU vitamin D supplement had a reduced fasting blood glucose level and improved insulin sensitivity, and the children receiving 1,000 IUs of vitamin D daily had lower BP" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Glutamate in the brain has unexpected qualities, researchers show with new analysis method - Science Daily, 1/21/20 - "the brain regulates its signals using glutamate in more ways than previously realised. ... Glutamate, or glutamic acid, is found in proteins in food. It occurs naturally in meat, in almost all vegetables, and in wheat and soy. It is also used as a food additive to enhance flavours, for example in the form of MSG, or monosodium glutamate ... Glutamate is an amino acid, and an important part of our body. It is also a neurotransmitter which nerve cells use to communicate, and forms the basis for some of the brain's basic functions such as cognition, memory and learning. It is also important for the immune system, the function of the gastrointestinal tract, and to prevent microorganisms from entering the body" - See glutamic acid at Amazon.com.

Cannabis for Sleep: Short-Term Benefit, Long-Term Disruption? - Medscape, 1/24/20 - "chronic administration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) may result in tolerance to the sleep-enhancing effects of cannabis ... Medical cannabis users reported taking the drug for an average of 4 years, at an average quantity of 31 g per month. The primary mode of administration was smoking (68.6%), followed by oil extracts (21.4%) and vaporization (20%) ... Results showed that of the total sample, 24.1% reported always waking up early and not falling back to sleep; 20.2% reported always having difficulty falling asleep; and 27.2% reported always waking up during the night" - Note: The best thing I’ve found for insomnia is to take 1 mg of melatonin before bed then another 1 mg every time you wake up during the night.

Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ more common in tap water than thought, report says - National Geographic, 2/24/20 - "In tests of 44 different taps in 31 states, the EWG found that 43 exceeded a limit they deem safe by their own standards"

Living near major roads linked to risk of dementia, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and MS - Science Daily, 1/23/20 - "living less than 50 metres from a major road or less than 150 metres from a highway is associated with a higher risk of developing dementia, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and MS -- likely due to increased exposure to air pollution"

FDA: Skin Absorbs Dangerous Sunscreen Chemicals - Medscape, 1/21/20 - "six common active ingredients are absorbed into the body and may linger for days or even weeks ... the testing showed that just a single application of sunscreen ― whether as a lotion or a spray ― increases the blood levels of these active ingredients beyond the FDA's threshold for determining if they need more study to be considered safe for use ... sunscreen essentially got grandfathered into the FDA's surveillance system without any real safety testing ... For example, blood concentrations of oxybenzone were more than 180 times the FDA's level of concern after a single application of sunscreen. They soared to more than 500 times the FDA's level of concern after 4 days of regular use ... Studies have shown that oxybenzone may affect breast development, infant birth weight, and sperm function. It has also been shown to contribute to the killing of coral reefs in the ocean ... Shinkai recommends looking for products that combine zinc and titanium" - See zinc and titanium sunscreens at Amazon.com.

Abstracts from this week:

Validation of the Omron HBP-9031C professional office blood pressure monitor in the general population according to the ANSI/AAMI/ISO 81060-2:2013 protocol - J Hum Hypertens. 2020 Jan 22 - "The mean differences between the two observers and the Omron HBP-9031C were 1 ± 7 mmHg for systolic BP and -2 ± 6 mmHg for diastolic BP, according to criterion 2. The two ANSI/AAMI/ISO criteria were fulfilled. The OMRON HBP-9031C professional BP monitor fulfilled the requirements of the ANSI/AAMI/ISO validation standard and can be recommended for clinical use" - See Omron blood pressure monitors at Amazon.com.

Dietary flavonols and risk of Alzheimer dementia - Neurology. 2020 Jan 29 - "Participants with the highest intake of total flavonols had higher levels of education and more participation in physical and cognitive activities. In Cox proportional hazards models, dietary intakes of flavonols were inversely associated with incident Alzheimer dementia in models adjusted for age, sex, education, APOE ɛ4, and participation in cognitive and physical activities. Hazard ratios (HRs) for the fifth vs first quintiles of intake were as follows: for total flavonol, 0.52 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.33-0.84); for kaempferol, 0.49 (95% CI, 0.31-0.77); for myricetin, 0.62 (95% CI, 0.4-0.97); and for isorhamnetin, 0.62 (95% CI, 0.39-0.98). Quercetin was not associated with Alzheimer dementia (HR, 0.69" - Note:  I don't know why they're saying 0.69 is not associated.  Maybe it has to do with being 'statistical significant'.

Resveratrol and metabolic health in COPD: A proof-of-concept randomized controlled trial - Clin Nutr. 2020 Jan 13 - "resveratrol (150 mg/day) or placebo for four weeks ... Body weight decreased after resveratrol supplementation (resveratrol -0.95 ± 1.01 kg vs placebo -0.16 ± 0.66 kg, p = 0.049) due to a reduction in lean mass (resveratrol -1.79 ± 1.67 kg vs 0.37 ± 0.86 kg, p = 0.026)" - Note: 1.79 kg is 4 lbs.  4 lbs of lean muscle loss is not good but I don't see how that possible.  It contradicts these three studies that were on my sarcopenia page.

• Resveratrol Improves Muscle Atrophy By Modulating Mitochondrial Quality Control In STZ-Induced Diabetic Mice - Mol Nutr Food Res. 2018 Mar 26:e1700941 - "The results showed that RSV supplementation improved muscle atrophy and muscle function, attenuated the increase in ubiquitin and muscle RING-finger protein-1 (MuRF-1), and simultaneously attenuated LC3-II and cleaved caspase-3 in the skeletal muscle of diabetic mice. Moreover, RSV treatment of diabetic mice resulted in an increase in mitochondrial biogenesis and inhibition of the activation of mitophagy in skeletal muscle. RSV also protected skeletal muscle against excess mitochondrial fusion and fission in the diabetic mice"
• Resveratrol preserves neuromuscular synapses, muscle fibers in aging mice - Science Daily, 3/7/17 - "resveratrol, a compound in the skin of red grapes and red wine, and metformin, a drug often prescribed to fight type 2 diabetes, have many of the neuroprotective benefits of a low-calorie diet and exercise ... resveratrol preserves muscle fibers as we age and helps protect connections between neurons called synapses from the negative effects of aging ... the diabetes drug metformin slowed the rate of muscle fiber aging, but it did not significantly affect aging of neuromuscular junctions. However, the drug may possibly protect synapses in different dosage amounts ... Metformin is an FDA-approved drug to treat diabetes, but our study hints it may also serve the purpose of slowing the motor dysfunction that occurs with aging ... In wine, resveratrol is in such small amounts you could not drink enough of it in your life to have the benefits we found in mice given resveratrol"
• Resveratrol primes the effects of physical activity in old mice - Br J Nutr. 2016 Aug 4:1-10 - "Decrease in muscle mass and performance with ageing is one of the main factors of frailty in the elderly. Maintenance of muscle performance by involving in physical activities is essential to increase independence and quality of life among elderly ... RSV improves muscle performance in mature and old animals but not in young animals. Without showing significant effect by itself, RSV primed the effect of exercise by increasing endurance, coordination and strength in old animals. This effect was accompanied by a higher protection against oxidative damage and an increase in mitochondrial mass. RSV increased catalase and superoxide dismutase protein levels in muscle and primed exercise to reverse the decrease in their activities during ageing. Furthermore, RSV increased the level of mitochondrial mass markers such as cytochrome C, mitochondrial transcription factor A and nuclear respiratory factor-1 in muscle in exercised animals"

Novel Insights on Intake of Fish and Prevention of Sarcopenia: All Reasons for an Adequate Consumption - Nutrients. 2020 Jan 24 - "Sarcopenia is defined as a syndrome characterized by progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength and it is diagnosed by measurements of muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical performance. Sarcopenia affects quality of life and is associated with several adverse health effects. Muscle decline is aggravated by a sedentary lifestyle and can be prevented through proper nutrition, together with adequate physical activity. Fish contains biologically active compounds, such as omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, proteins, vitamin D, magnesium, and carnitine, which are able to intervene positively on muscle metabolism ... fish consumption has a protective and anti-inflammatory function on skeletal muscle and that its biologically active compounds help to maintain good muscle performance, preventing sarcopenia. Considering the nutritional and health benefits, elderly with sarcopenia should consume at least three servings per week of fish in order to have a minimum intake of 4-4.59 g daily of omega 3, and reaching the 50% RDA in Vitamin E and D. High biological value of proteins in 150 g of fish and its high available magnesium (20% of RDA in 150 g of fish) are an added value that could suggest fish as a "functional food" in order to prevent and treat sarcopenia"

The Effects of a 6-Month High Dose Omega-3 and Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Antioxidant Vitamins Supplementation on Cognitive Function and Functional Capacity in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment - Nutrients. 2020 Jan 26;12(2) - "The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of a high-dose omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids supplementation, in combination with antioxidant vitamins, on cognitive function and functional capacity of older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), over a 6-month period in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Forty-six older adults with MCI (age: 78.8 ± 7.3 years) were randomized 1:1 to receive either a 20 mL dose of a formula containing a mixture of omega-3 (810 mg Eicosapentaenoic acid and 4140 mg Docosahexaenoic acid) and omega-6 fatty acids (1800 mg gamma-Linolenic acid and 3150 mg Linoleic acid) (1:1 w/w), with 0.6 mg vitamin A, vitamin E (22 mg) plus pure γ-tocopherol (760 mg), or 20mL placebo containing olive oil. Participants completed assessments of cognitive function, functional capacity, body composition and various aspects of quality of life at baseline and following three and six months of supplementation. Thirty-six participants completed the study (eighteen from each group). A significant interaction between supplementation and time was found on cognitive function (Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination -Revised (ACE-R), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Stroop Color and Word Test (STROOP) color test; p < 0.001, p = 0.011 and p = 0.037, respectively), functional capacity (6-min walk test and sit-to-stand-60; p = 0.028 and p = 0.032, respectively), fatigue (p < 0.001), physical health (p = 0.007), and daily sleepiness (p = 0.007)-showing a favorable improvement for the participants receiving the supplement. The results indicate that this nutritional modality could be promising for reducing cognitive and functional decline in the elderly with MCI"

Comparison of the Effects of Oral Iron Treatment Every Day and Every Other Day in Female Patients with Iron Deficiency Anemia - Intern Med J. 2020 Jan 28 - "It is known that daily divided doses and high doses of iron increase hepcidin and reduce iron absorption. This study aimed to compare treatments of iron replacement every other day at low doses, once a day and twice a day in terms of their effectiveness and frequencies of side effects ... For a month, Group I received 270 mg ferrous sulfate twice a day (total elemental iron dose: 160 mg / day), Group II received 270 mg ferrous sulfate once a day (total elemental iron dose: 80 mg / day), and Group III received 270 mg ferrous sulfate every other day (total elemental iron dose: 80 mg / every other day) ... Hemoglobin (Hb) increased significantly in all three groups (p: 0.00). The increase in Hb levels was similar among the groups (p: 0.09). Ferritin significantly increased in all three groups after the treatment (p: 0.00). The increase in ferritin in Group I was significantly higher than those in Groups II and III (p<0.05). GIS side effects were also significantly higher in Group I in comparison to the others ... A low-dosage of iron treatment every other day may be used in the place of providing iron once or twice every day with similar effectiveness and lower rates of GIS side effects"

Plants in the management of male infertility - Andrologia. 2020 Jan 28 - "For many of these medicinal plants such as Lepidium meyenii, Rupus coreanus, Tribulus terrestres, Panax ginseng, Petasites japonicas, Apium graveolens, Eurycoma longifólia, Pedalium murex, Corchorus depressus, Mucuna pruriens, Astragalus membranaceus, Nigella sativa, Crataegus monogyna, Fagara tessmannii, Phaleria macrocarpa, Anacyclus pyrethrum, Cynomorium songaricum and Morinda officinalis, the mechanism of actions of their active principles and crude extracts has been shown in both laboratory animals, in vitro, and human studies, and includes their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, spermatogenesis-inducing, aphrodisiac, smooth muscle relaxing and androgenic properties. Several active chemical leads including glucosinolates, anthocyanins, protodioscin, ginsenosides, sesquiterpenes, phyto-oestrogens, quassinoids, diosgenin, thymoquinone, proanthocyanidins and bajijiasu isolated from these plants are known to have target effects on the testis, but efforts have been limited in their application at the clinical level. There still appear to be many more extracts of medicinal plants that have not been characterised to determine the phytochemicals unique to them that have target effects on the gonads. Further, collaborative efforts at isolating pro-drug candidates from medicinal plants for studies at the molecular, cellular and clinical level towards elucidating their mechanisms of action on the testes are therefore warranted in the light of the current male fertility crisis"

Inflammatory pathway employed by Red Maca to treat induced benign prostatic hyperplasia in rats - Andrologia. 2020 Jan 28 - "The Peruvian plant known as Red Maca (RM) (Lepidium meyenii) inhibits BPH in rats and mice. The aim of the study was to assess the inflammatory effect of RM and finasteride in rats with testosterone enanthate (TE)-induced BPH. Thirty rats were divided into 5 groups: Control, TE (50 mg/rat), TE + F (0.6 mg/kg), and two groups of TE + RM 40/80 (40 or 80 mg). After treatments, tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFa), interleukin 4 (IL4) and interferon gamma (INFg) as well as testosterone and oestradiol were evaluated and inflammatory cells (neutrophils, mast cells and lymphocytes) in prostate were quantified. Red Maca and finasteride treatments decreased inflammatory cells counts in prostate, inhibiting TNFa by different pathways. Finasteride increased IL4 whereas Red Maca increased INFg. In conclusion, data suggest that finasteride acts on Th2 response by increasing IL4 in prostate, while Red Maca acts on Th1 response mediated by INFg" - See Red Maca (RM) (Lepidium meyenii) at Amazon.com.

Hypertension in military veterans is associated with combat exposure and combat injury - J Hypertens. 2020 Jan 27 - "Overall prevalence of hypertension was 7.6%. Compared with participants who deployed but did not experience combat (mild exposure), elevated odds of hypertension were observed among those who experienced combat but not wounded (moderate exposure; AOR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.19-1.38) and those wounded in combat (high exposure; AOR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.07-2.00)"

Alcoholism and nutrition: a review of vitamin supplementation and treatment - Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2020 Jan 20 - "There are very significant findings with individual vitamin supplementation and combinations that show promise of our understanding of the role of vitamins in the disease of alcoholism and its treatment"

U.S. Adults With Pain, a Group Increasingly Vulnerable to Nonmedical Cannabis Use and Cannabis Use Disorder: 2001-2002 and 2012-2013 - Am J Psychiatry. 2020 Jan 22 - "The results suggest that adults with pain are a group increasingly vulnerable to adverse cannabis use outcomes, warranting clinical and public health attention to this risk. Psychiatrists and other health care providers treating patients with pain should monitor such patients for signs and symptoms of cannabis use disorder"

Fisetin Improved Rotenone-Induced Behavioral Deficits, Oxidative Changes, and Mitochondrial Dysfunctions in Rat Model of Parkinson's Disease - J Diet Suppl. 2020 Jan 29 - "Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD), particularly the inhibition of mitochondrial complex-I. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of fisetin in the rotenone-induced rat model of PD. Rotenone was administered (2 mg/kg s.c.) for 35 days to induce PD in animals. Fisetin was administered at two doses (10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg p.o.) for 25 days to the animals that were given rotenone ... Fisetin treatment improved motor function in the cylinder test and reversed the rotenone-induced changes in mitochondrial enzymes, striatal dopamine levels, antioxidant enzyme levels and histological changes. An important finding of this study was both the doses of fisetin significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced rotenone-induced behavioral and biochemical changes and the effects were found to be dose dependent. Based on the present results, we hypothesize that fisetin may improve the mitochondrial enzyme activity, thereby preventing the pathogenesis of PD" - See fisetin at Amazon.com.

Dietary Lactoferrin Supplementation Prevents Memory Impairment and Reduces Amyloid-β Generation in J20 Mice - J Alzheimers Dis. 2020 Jan 24 - "Lactoferrin (LF) is present in senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brains of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and amyloid-β protein precursor transgenic (AβPP-Tg) mice. LF has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant functions, which exert neuroprotective effects against AD ... Nine-month-old J20 mice were fed with control, 2% lactoferrin-containing (LF), and 0.5% pepsin-hydrolyzed lactoferrin-containing (LF-hyd) diets for 3 months. We found that both the LF and LF-hyd diets attenuated memory impairment in J20 mice and decreased brain Aβ 40 and Aβ 42 levels through the inhibition of amyloidogenic processing of AβPP, as it decreased β-site amyloid protein precursor cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) levels. Furthermore, we found for the first time that LF and LF-hyd treatments increased both ApoE secretion and ATP-binding cassette A1 (ABCA1) protein levels in the brains of J20 mice and in primary astrocyte cultures. Moreover, LF and LF-hyd promoted extracellular degradation of Aβ in primary astrocyte cultures. These findings indicate that the reduction in Aβ levels in the brains of mice fed with both the LF and LF-hyd diets may also be mediated by increased ApoE secretion and ABCA1 protein levels, which in turn leads to the enhanced degradation of Aβ in the brains of J20 mice. Our findings suggest that LF and LF-hyd can be used for the treatment and/or prevention of the development of AD" - See lactoferrin at Amazon.com.

• Lactoferrin as a Natural Immune Modulator - NIH - "Lactoferrin is considered a first-line defense protein involved in protection against a multitude of microbial infections [6–8] and prevention of systemic inflammation"

Effects of 5-hydroxytryptophan on distinct types of depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis - Nutr Rev. 2020 Jan 1 - "Analyses revealed a depression remission rate of 0.65 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.55-0.78; remission rate [k] = 13), and this was confirmed by the questionnaire results, which revealed a large Hedges' g (1.11; 95%CI, 0.53-1.69). Methodological variability (in treatment duration, type of depression studied, experimental design, 5-hydroxytryptophan dosage) contributes to heterogeneity in the results (I2 = 76%, τ2 = 0.379). In addition, the OHAT (Office of Health Assessment and Translation risk of bias rating) tool suggested that, on the whole, current studies are relatively weak (few include placebo groups)" - See 5-HTP products at Amazon.com.

Effect of quercetin supplementation on plasma lipid profiles, blood pressure, and glucose levels: a systematic review and meta-analysis - Nutr Rev. 2020 Jan 6 - "Pooled results showed that quercetin significantly lowered both systolic BP (WMD, -3.09 mmHg; 95%CI, -4.59 to -1.59; P = 0.0001) and diastolic BP (WMD, -2.86 mmHg ... Quercetin intake resulted in significantly decreased BP in humans. Moreover, participants who consumed quercetin for 8 weeks or more showed significantly changed levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides in trials with a parallel design" - [Nutra USA] - See quercetin at Amazon.com.

Longitudinal development of brain iron is linked to cognition in youth - J Neurosci. 2020 Jan 27 - "We quantified tissue iron concentration using R2* relaxometry within four basal ganglia regions ... the developmental trajectory of R2* in the putamen is significantly related to individual differences in cognitive ability, such that greater cognitive ability is increasingly associated with greater iron concentration through late adolescence and young-adulthood. Together, our results suggest a prolonged period of basal ganglia iron enrichment that extends into the mid-twenties, with diminished iron concentration associated with poorer cognitive ability during late adolescence" - [Nutra USA] - See iron supplements at Amazon.com.

The effect of oral hydrolyzed eggshell membrane on the appearance of hair, skin, and nails in healthy middle‐aged adults: A randomized double‐blind placebo‐controlled clinical trial - J Cosmet Dermatol. 2020 Jan 6 - "Oral hydrolyzed eggshell membrane ingestion was associated with a significant improvement in facial skin appearance in crow's feet in 4 weeks and skin tone in 8 weeks, with significant impact on hair thickness, reduction in hair breakage and improvement in hair growth at 4, 8, and 12 weeks" - [Nutra USA] - See hydrolyzed eggshell membrane at Amazon.com.

 Health Focus (Atherosclerosis):