Recent Longevity News for the week ending 8/19/20

COVID-19 now No. 3 cause of death in US - The Hill, 8/17/20 - "eight months after the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in the country ... The coronavirus is behind only heart disease and cancer among causes of death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)"

In-hospital Start of Sacubitril-Valsartan - Medscape, 8/17/20 - "From a healthcare system perspective, initiation of sacubitril-valsartan during hospitalization saved $452 per year compared with continuing enalapril (Vasotec), and $811 per year compared with initiation at 2 months after hospitalization ...Compared with continuation of enalapril indefinitely, switching patients to sacubitril-valsartan during their HF admission was associated with a cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained of $21,532 ... As modeled in this study, starting the drug during hospitalization was associated with 62 fewer HF-related admissions per 1000 patients compared with outpatient initiation at 2 months (similar to the PARADIGM-HF strategy) and 116 fewer HF-related admissions compared with continuation of enalapril treatment ... the researchers also saw a reduction in HF-related readmissions with sacubitril-valsartan compared with enalapril. Rehospitalization for HF, which was assessed as part of a composite clinical events endpoint, was reduced from 13.8% in the enalapril arm to 8% with sacubitril-valsartan"

Watch: A New York City Doctor Warns of COVID-19's Long-Term Effects - Time, 8/17/20 - "or become permanent ... including kidney damage, reduction in heart function, and cognitive impairment in patients who had been infected with COVID-19, Shimony said, adding that the sicker the patients had been from COVID-19, the greater the damage to their organs ... After the Spanish flu of 1918, Shimony said as many as 50% to 60% of patients were found to still have effects four years later. He expects we will see a similar effect with COVID-19 ... This is a disease that can leave people disabled for years to come, or a lifetime ... The impact it has on a family, psychologically, financially, et cetera, that’s an impact for the country" - Note: My wife keeps getting on my case about joining the Moderna trial. I'm more worried about the problems with not joining the trial.

CDC backtracks guidance on three-month window of immunity - Hill, 8/14/20 - "people are not immune to reinfection to the coronavirus after recovering from the disease"

Does Metformin Reduce Risk for Death in COVID-19? - Medscape, 8/14/20 - "Scheen notes that several mechanisms have been proposed for the possible beneficial effect of metformin on COVID-19 outcomes, including direct improvements in glucose control, body weight, and insulin resistance; reduction in inflammation; inhibition of virus penetration via phosphorylation of ACE2; inhibition of an immune hyperactivation pathway; and neutrophil reduction ... Taken together, the four observational studies that Scheen reviews showed that metformin had a positive effect, with an overall 25% reduction in death (P < .00001), albeit with relatively high heterogeneity ... Because metformin is out of patent and very inexpensive, no pharmaceutical company is likely to be interested in planning a study to demonstrate the benefits of metformin on COVID-19-related clinical outcomes" - See metformin at ReliableRX.

Gum Disease Tied to Colon Cancer Risk - NYT, 8/12/20  - "Compared with people with no history of periodontal disease, those who had gum disease had a 17 percent increased relative risk of having a serrated polyp and an 11 percent increased risk of a conventional adenoma. The scientists also found that the loss of four or more teeth was associated with a 20 percent increased risk for having a serrated polyp"

Sweden's COVID Policy Didn't Create Herd Immunity - WebMD, 8/13/20 - "Diverging from much of the world, Sweden let COVID-19 spread in hopes the population would develop "herd immunity." But the risky strategy failed ... Authorities predicted that 40% of the people in Stockholm would get the disease and develop protective antibodies by May. The actual prevalence, however, was around 15% ... It is clear that not only are the rates of viral infection, hospitalization and mortality [per million population] much higher than those seen in neighboring Scandinavian countries, but also that the time-course of the epidemic in Sweden is different, with continued persistence of higher infection and mortality well beyond the few critical weeks period seen in Denmark, Finland and Norway ... antibodies are much less common in only mildly ill or asymptomatic patients. This means they are likely not immune, and can't prevent the spread of the virus, the study noted. This is central to the concept of herd immunity"

Persistent Hair Loss After Radiation Improved With Minoxidil - Medscape, 8/13/20 - "The majority of evaluable patients who were treated with topical minoxidil (5%) twice daily showed a response (82%, 28/34) during a median follow-up of 61 weeks" - See minoxidil at Amazon.com.

Face masks with valves or vents do not prevent spread of the coronavirus, CDC says - Washington Post, 8/13/20 - "The purpose of masks is to keep respiratory droplets from reaching others to aid with source control,” the agency’s guidance reads. “However, masks with one-way valves or vents allow air to be exhaled through a hole in the material, which can result in expelled respiratory droplets that can reach others. This type of mask does not prevent the person wearing the mask from transmitting COVID-19 to others."

These are the top coronavirus vaccines to watch - Washington Post, 8/13/20 - "RNA vaccines contain a strip of genetic material within a fat bubble. Once inside the cell, the RNA generates a protein found on the surface of the virus. The immune system, presented with the protein, learns to recognize the virus ... These vaccines have the advantage of speed — they can be quickly designed and manufactured. But they have never been approved for use outside of medical research and will likely require two doses ... Viral-vectored vaccines can be designed quickly. One concern is that people can develop immunity to the viral vector, making this approach potentially less useful if booster shots need to be given ... In a more old-fashioned approach, the virus is weakened so that it does not cause disease, but still triggers the immune system’s defenses. The vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella uses this approach ... Inactivated virus vaccines contain dead virus, incapable of infecting people but still able to instruct the immune system how to mount a defensive reaction against an infection. The polio vaccine invented by Jonas Salk used this approach, and flu vaccines use this technology ... These vaccines typically take longer to manufacture."

US will pay Moderna up to $1.5B to secure 100M doses of COVID-19 vaccine - 10News, 8/12/20 - "HHS says the vaccine doses will be delivered to government-designated locations across the country and the U.S. could acquire up to an additional 400 million doses of the vaccine." - Note:  Someone other than me must have a lot of confidence that the Moderna vaccine works when it costs four times more than the competition.  See the articles below.

Lipoic acid supplements help some obese but otherwise healthy people lose weight - Science Daily, 8/12/20 - "analyzed the effects of 24 weeks of daily, 600-milligram doses of lipoic acid supplements on 31 people, with a similarly sized control group receiving a placebo ... The data clearly showed a loss in body weight and body fat in people taking lipoic acid supplements ... When taken as a dietary supplement, lipoic acid displays additional properties that might be unrelated to the function in the mitochondria. They include the stimulation of glucose metabolism, antioxidant defenses and anti-inflammatory responses -- making it a possible complementary treatment for people with diabetes, heart disease and age-related cognitive decline ... people who lost weight on lipoic acid also reduced their blood triglyceride levels -- that effect was clear" - [Nutra USA] - See alpha lipoic acid at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Supplement Plus Probiotic May Improve Depressive Symptoms - Medscape, 8/12/20 - "randomly assigned 90 patients with subthreshold or mild-to-moderate depression to receive either SAMe plus L. plantarum HEAL9 or placebo for 6 weeks and found significant reductions in depression, anxiety, and cognitive symptoms as early as 2 weeks following treatment initiation ... The effect of this novel product is independent from the severity of the symptoms, unlike traditional antidepressants available on the market that have minimal benefits for subthreshold or mild-to-moderate symptoms ... Extensive research has also shed light on the role of microbiota in patients with depressive disorder, suggesting a role for probiotic supplementation. A probiotic called L. plantarum 299v has been found to have a significant effect on stress markers, such as cortisol levels ... At 2 weeks, participants showed significant reductions in the cognitive and anxiety subdomains of the Z-SDS" - See probiotic supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb and SAM-e at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Wearing a neck gaiter may be worse than no mask at all, researchers find - Washington Post, 8/10/20 - "A fitted N95 mask, which is used most commonly by hospital workers, was the most effective, Warren said, noting that the mask allowed “no droplets at all” to come out. Meanwhile, a breathable neck gaiter, well-liked by runners for its lightweight fabric, ranked worse than the no-mask control group. The gaiter tested by the researchers was described in the study as a “neck fleece” made out of a polyester spandex material, Warren said ... “These neck gaiters are extremely common in a lot of places because they’re very convenient to wear,” he said. “But the exact reason why they’re so convenient, which is that they don’t restrict air, is the reason why they’re not doing much of a job helping people.”"

FDA lists hand sanitizers that don't have enough alcohol to kill germs - CNET, 8/10/20 - "The CDC recommends using hand sanitizers that have at least 60% ethanol or ethyl alcohol -- although the CDC maintains that "no drugs, including hand sanitizers, are approved to prevent the spread of COVID-19."" - Note:  So the 120 proof Everclear vodka I've been recommending should work.

Chloroquine Linked to Serious Psychiatric Side Effects - Medscape, 8/10/20 - "In addition to previously reported side effects, chloroquine could also induce psychiatric side effects which are polymorphic and can persist even after stopping the drug ... In COVID-19 patients who may still be [undergoing treatment] with chloroquine, close psychiatric assessment and monitoring should be performed ... According to the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System database, 12% of reported adverse events (520 of 4336) following the use of chloroquine that occurred between the fourth quarter of 2012 and the fourth quarter of 2019 were neuropsychiatric. These events included amnesia, delirium, hallucinations, depression, and loss of consciousness ... some case series or case reports describe symptoms such as depression, anxiety, agitation, violent outburst, suicidal ideation, and psychosis in patients who have been treated with chloroquine for malaria, lupus erythematosus, and rheumatoid arthritis"

Candesartan May Improve Cognition Independent of Blood Pressure - Medscape, 8/10/20 - "The angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) candesartan is associated with superior neurocognitive outcomes compared with lisinopril in older adults with hypertension and mild cognitive impairment ... While these findings would fall into hypotheses generation and justify larger trials, ARBs in general, and candesartan in particular, offer an intriguing therapeutic possibility for cognitive disorders in relation to vascular brain injury, and especially when considered cumulatively with prior observational studies ... 176 individuals aged 55 years or older with mild cognitive impairment and hypertension were withdrawn from prior antihypertensive therapy and randomized to candesartan (up to 32 mg) or lisinopril (up to 40 mg) both once daily ... candesartan was superior to lisinopril in terms of the primary outcome of executive function measured by Trail Making Test Part B (effect size = –12.8) ... Candesartan was also superior to lisinopril in terms of the secondary outcome of episodic memory as measured by the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised delayed recall (effect size = 0.4) and retention (effect size = 5.1) ... MRI results showed that those randomized to candesartan had less white matter lesion accumulation compared with lisinopril (0.2 vs 0.8 mm3)"

Nearly 40% of those who've died from COVID-19 had diabetes, ADA says - ABC, 8/10/20 - "nearly 40% of COVID-19 deaths have been from those with the disease, while 90% of the hospitalizations have been people with diabetes or other underlying conditions"

Chronic Fatigue May Be Long-term Effect of COVID-19 - Medscape, 8/10/20 - "This could result in a longstanding public health disaster leaving in its wake untold numbers of new sufferers of a condition that feels like a 'living death' for those of us afflicted,"

Test Sites Quickly Attract Thousands for COVID-19 Vaccine Study - Medscape, 8/10/20 - "There's a lot less risk to getting the vaccine than contracting the virus," said Coe, 74, a retired cardiologist. "The worst thing that can happen is if I get the placebo." - Note: Exactly, that's why I'm in the Moderna clinical trial.

'Doubling Down' on Hydroxychloroquine QT Prolongation in COVID-19 - Medscape, 8/7/20 - "Still, hydroxychloroquine continues to be dragged into the spotlight in recent days as an effective treatment for COVID-19, despite discredited research and the US Food and Drug Administration's June 15 revocation of its emergency-use authorization to allow use of HCQ and chloroquine to treat certain hospitalized COVID-19 patients ... "The unfortunate politicization of this issue has really muddied the waters because the general public doesn't know what to believe or who to believe. The fact that treatment for a disease as serious as COVID should be modulated by political affiliation is just crazy to me," said Haines. "We should be using the best science and taking careful observations, and whatever the recommendations derived from that should be uniformly adopted by everybody, irrespective of your political affiliation."" - Note:  I'm one of those that think to fight any disease, you have to keep your body as healthy as possible.  I still believe that's what got me through stage III neck cancer in 2004.  That's counterintuitive to taking hydroxychloroquine.  I stopped taking hydroxychloroquine for prevention of malaria three months into Vietnam because of the reported problems with it way back 50 years ago.

Strong link found between abnormal liver tests and poor COVID-19 outcomes - Science Daily, 8/7/20 - "higher levels of liver enzymes -- proteins released when the liver is damaged -- were associated with poorer outcomes for these patients, including ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, and death"

Drivers who keep their windows down are exposed to 80 percent more air pollution - Science Daily, 8/5/20 - "According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year and nine out of 10 people breathe air with high levels of pollutants ... a windows-open setting showed the highest exposure, followed by fan-on and recirculation. Pollutionexposure for windows-open during off-peak hours was 91 percent and 40 percent less than morning and evening peak hours, respectively. The study also found that the windows-open setting exposed car passengers to hotspots of air pollution for up to a third of the total travel length ... The study found that commuters who turn on the recirculation are exposed to around 80 percent less harmful particles than those who open their car windows. Car cabin filters were more effective in removing pollution than fine particles, suggesting that if new cars had more efficient filters, it could reduce the overall exposure of car commuters"

Vitamin D twice a day may keep vertigo away - Science Daily, 8/5/20 - "The 445 people in the intervention group had their vitamin D levels taken at the start of the study. The 348 people with vitamin D levels below 20 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) were started on supplements with 400 international units of vitamin D and 500 milligrams of calcium twice daily, while those with vitamin D levels equal to or greater than 20 ng/mL were not given supplements ... The 512 people in the observation group did not have their vitamin D levels monitored and they did not get supplements ... Those in the intervention group who took the supplements had a lower recurrence rate for vertigo episodes after an average of one year than those in the observation group. People taking supplements had an average recurrence rate of 0.83 times per person-year, compared to 1.10 times per person-year for those in the observation group, or a 24% reduction in the annual recurrence rate"

‘A Rinsing of the Brain.’ New Research Shows How Sleep Could Ward Off Alzheimer's Disease - Time, 8/6/20 - "Spira studied brain scans of 70 healthy adults with an average age of 76. Indeed, the scans of those who reported less or compromised sleep showed higher levels of amyloid plaques than the scans of those who slept better ... These results very much support the notion that one of the roles of sleep is to actually accelerate the clearance of beta amyloid from the brain ... in healthy adults, during the day when the brain is active, there is less fluid bathing neurons and tissues in the organ. During sleep--and especially during deeper sleep--this solution saturates the brain in a cleansing flood. The finding reinforced Nedergaard's theory that sleeping may help clear the brain of toxic proteins that can eventually cause disease ... She and others don't believe sleep alone can fully prevent Alzheimer's or halt its progression. But together with other therapies that could emerge to treat the disease, sleep may be a powerful way to help people lower their risk even further. It's even possible that sleep could play an important role in keeping our brains healthy in other ways: by controlling metabolism and other cellular functions behind diseases like diabetes, hypertension and even cancer. As the latest research shows, a good night's sleep isn't a luxury--it's critical for keeping the brain healthy."

Can Moderna's COVID 19 Vaccine Generate Lasting Immunity? - YouTube - This showed up on a search of Moderna vaccine.  The doctor claims covid is too smart to be stopped by antibodies alone and they have to go at it three different ways, one being to go after T-cells. I think he's saying that the Moderna bypasses that (the virus generates T-cells which generate B-cells which generate the antibodies.  The T-cells last for years whereas antibodies only last months).

• Virus uses decoy strategy to evade immune system - Science Daily, 8/3/20

COVID-19 Pandemic Update 101: T Cell Immunity vs. Antibodies & Prior Exposure to Other Coronaviruses - YouTube - Note: I've set it at 7:30 which supports what I've been saying, i.e., covid patients who have mild or no symptoms have probably been exposed to a similar virus in the past.  Recommend viewing the whole video.   He claims that another reason some are asymptomatic is the amount of the virus, i.e., people who are exposed to just a small amount of the virus may be asymptomatic because their immune system is able to keep up with the replication of the virus within their body.

Moderna Coronavirus Vaccine [Medical Doctor Breaks Down the COMPLETE Vaccine Details] - YouTube - Note: This is the Moderna study I’m in. In the Phase II study, they used 45 volunteers and gave 15 volunteers 25 mcgs, 15 got 100 mcgs and 15 got 250 mcgs twice. The second dose was at day 28. From that they decided to go with 100 mcg for phase III. From phase II, the data shows the side effects for the first dose of 100 mcg were very mild but for the second dose, it was significant. But see the table at 27 minutes. Someone who has had covid has about 142,000 units of antibodies. Those who got the vaccine had 86,000 units of antibodies at day 15, 109,000 at day 29, 781,000 at day 36, 811,000 at day 43 and 783,000 at day 57. If you look at the other parameters such as ELISA anti–receptor-binding domain, it seems like you'd be immune around day 20. The side effects are shown 30 minutes into the video. Here’s the NEJM report: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2022483

Note:  Phase III uses 100 mcg.  Vaccination two is at day 28. Convalescent serum is the average value from those who recovered from covid:

Note:  This if for 15 people so I assume each vertical line represents three people.

Moderna Prices COVID Vaccine Higher than Others - WebMD, 8/6/20 - "Moderna executives said they have been charging between $32 and $37 for doses of the company's vaccine. That is nearly 90% more than Pfizer is charging, and triple the cost of Sanofi-GSK's vaccine" - Note: This is the trial I'm in. Sounds like Moderna thinks their vaccine is better if they can charge four times as much as the competition. Then again, it might be due to the fact that the delivery system that they use is patented by Arbutus Biopharma but that shouldn't matter to the buyer unless they think it's a better vaccine  . Right now they don't have to pay the other company because they're not making money off of it but before they can sell the vaccine, they have to make a deal with that company. I don't understand this statement where it says: "have been charging between $32 and $37 for doses of the company's vaccine". They can't sell it. It hasn't been FDA approved yet plus they haven't made a deal the company that's patented the delivery technology yet.

The Vaccine to End the Pandemic? - YouTube

Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Price Revealed - YouTube

Oxford Vaccine. Moderna Vaccines Shows Good Results - YouTube - Doctor claims the Oxford vaccine doesn't work and that the delivery technology used by Moderna stays in the system and could cause liver damage.  This was posted on May 18th and I haven't seen anything to support it.

Cannabis use shows substantial risks, no benefits for cardiovascular health; more research is critical - AHA, 8/5/20 - "Smoking and inhaling cannabis, regardless of THC content, has been associated with cardiomyopathy (heart muscle dysfunction), angina (chest pain), heart attacks, heart rhythm disturbances, sudden cardiac death and other serious cardiovascular conditions. In states where cannabis has been legalized, an increase in hospitalizations and emergency department visits for heart attacks has been observed."

Exposure to common cold coronaviruses can teach the immune system to recognize SARS-CoV-2 - Science Daily, 8/4/20 - "We have now proven that, in some people, pre-existing T cell memory against common cold coronaviruses can cross-recognize SARS-CoV-2, down to the exact molecular structures ... This could help explain why some people show milder symptoms of disease while others get severely sick ... 40 to 60 percent of people never exposed to SARS-CoV-2 had T cells that reacted to the virus. Their immune systems recognized fragments of the virus it had never seen before ... fighting off a common cold coronavirus can indeed teach the T cell compartment to recognize some parts of SARS-CoV-2 and provides evidence for the hypothesis that common cold viruses can, in fact, induce cross-reactive T cell memory against SARS-CoV-2 ... this study provides very strong direct molecular evidence that memory T cells can 'see' sequences that are very similar between common cold coronaviruses and SARS-CoV-2" - Note:  I've been saying this for years and as recent as my last newsletter, getting the flu vaccine every year likely makes you particularly immune from similar viruses in the future.

Increased global mortality linked to arsenic exposure in rice-based diets - Science Daily, 8/4/20 - "there is a significant association between elevated cardiovascular mortality, recorded at a local authority level, and the consumption of inorganic arsenic bearing rice."

Abstracts from this week:

A Five-Ingredient Nutritional Supplement and Home-Based Resistance Exercise Improve Lean Mass and Strength in Free-Living Elderly - Nutrients 2020 Aug 10 - "Old age is associated with lower physical activity levels, suboptimal protein intake, and desensitization to anabolic stimuli, predisposing for age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia). Although resistance exercise (RE) and protein supplementation partially protect against sarcopenia under controlled conditions, the efficacy of home-based, unsupervised RE (HBRE) and multi-ingredient supplementation (MIS) is largely unknown ... Thirty-two sedentary men underwent twelve weeks of home-based resistance band training (3 d/week), in combination with daily intake of a novel five-nutrient supplement ('Muscle5'; M5, n = 16, 77.4 ± 2.8 y) containing whey, micellar casein, creatine, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids, or an isocaloric/isonitrogenous placebo (PLA; n = 16, 74.4 ± 1.3 y), containing collagen and sunflower oil. Appendicular and total lean mass (ASM; +3%, TLM; +2%), lean mass to fat ratios (ASM/% body fat; +6%, TLM/% body fat; +5%), maximal strength (grip; +8%, leg press; +17%), and function (5-Times Sit-to-Stand time; -9%) were significantly improved in the M5 group following HBRE/MIS therapy (pre vs. post tests; p < 0.05). Fast-twitch muscle fiber cross-sectional areas of the quadriceps muscle were also significantly increased in the M5 group post intervention (Type IIa; +30.9%, Type IIx, +28.5%, p < 0.05). Sub-group analysis indicated even greater gains in total lean mass in sarcopenic individuals following HBRE/MIS therapy (TLM; +1.65 kg/+3.4%, p < 0.05). We conclude that the Muscle5 supplement is a safe, well-tolerated, and effective complement to low-intensity, home-based resistance exercise and improves lean mass, strength, and overall muscle quality in old age" - [Nutra USA] - Note:  I'd add leucine, HBM and collagen.

Co-Administration of Iron and a Bioavailable Curcumin Supplement Increases Serum BDNF Levels in Healthy Adults - Antioxidants (Basel) 2020 Jul 22 - "Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is key for the maintenance of normal neuronal function and energy homeostasis and has been suggested to improve cognitive function, including learning and memory. Iron and the antioxidant curcumin have been shown to influence BDNF homeostasis ... Participants were randomly allocated to five different treatment groups: both iron and curcumin placebo (FS0+Plac), low dose iron and curcumin placebo (FS18+Plac), low dose iron and curcumin (FS18+Curc), high dose iron and curcumin placebo (FS65+Plac) and high dose iron and curcumin (FS65+Curc). Results showed a significant increase in BDNF over time (26%) in the FS18+Curc group (p = 0.024), and at end-point between FS18+Curc and FS18+Plac groups (35%, p = 0.042), demonstrating for the first time that the combination with curcumin, rather than iron supplementation alone, results in increased serum BDNF. The addition of curcumin to iron supplementation may therefore provide a novel approach to further enhance the benefits associated with increased BDNF levels" - [Nutra USA] - See iron supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb and curcumin at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Effects of High Intensity Dynamic Resistance Exercise and Whey Protein Supplements on Osteosarcopenia in Older Men with Low Bone and Muscle Mass. Final Results of the Randomized Controlled FrOST Study - Nutrients 2020 Aug 5 - "The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of high intensity dynamic resistance exercise (HIT-DRT) and whey protein supplementation (WPS) on bone mineral density (BMD) and sarcopenia parameters in osteosarcopenic men. Men ≥ 72 years with osteosarcopenia (n = 43) were randomly assigned to a HIT-RT (HIT-RT: n = 21) or a non-training control group (n = 22). Supervised HIT-RT twice/week was applied for 18 months, while the control group maintained their habitual lifestyle. Supplying WPS, total protein intake amounted to 1.5-1.6 (HIT-RT) and 1.2 g/kg/body mass/d (control). Both groups were supplied with calcium and vitamin D ... we observed significant positive effects for sarcopenia Z-score (standardized mean difference (SMD): 1.40), BMD at lumbar spine (SMD: 0.72) and total hip (SMD: 0.72). In detail, effect sizes for skeletal muscle mass changes were very pronounced (1.97, p < 0.001), while effects for functional sarcopenia parameters were moderate (0.87, p = 0.008; handgrip strength) or low (0.39, p = 0.209; gait velocity). Apart from one man who reported short periods of temporary worsening of existing joint pain, no HIT-RT/WPS-related adverse effects or injuries were reported. We consider HIT-RT supported by whey protein supplementation as a feasible, attractive, safe and highly effective option to fight osteosarcopenia in older men" - See whey protein at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Low Vitamin C Status in Patients with Cancer Is Associated with Patient and Tumor Characteristics - Nutrients 2020 Aug 5 - "Vitamin C (ascorbate) acts as an antioxidant and enzyme cofactor, and plays a vital role in human health. Vitamin C status can be affected by illness, with low levels being associated with disease due to accelerated turnover ... We recruited 150 fasting patients with cancer (of 199 total recruited) from two cohorts, either prior to cancer surgery or during cancer chemo- or immunotherapy. A significant number of patients with cancer had inadequate plasma ascorbate concentrations. Low plasma status was more prevalent in patients undergoing cancer therapy. Ascorbate status was higher in women than in men, and exercising patients had higher levels than sedentary patients. Our study may prompt increased vigilance of ascorbate status in cancer patients" - See vitamin C products at Amazon.com and vitamin C at iHerb.com.

Effects of Probiotic Strains on Disease Activity and Enteric Permeability in Psoriatic Arthritis-A Pilot Open-Label Study - Nutrients 2020 Aug 5 - "enrolled 10 PsA patients with low to medium disease activity who received probiotics for 12 weeks ... All patients showed increased levels of the enteric permeability marker zonulin which correlated with the frequency of peripheral Th17 cells. Calprotectin, a marker for intestinal inflammation was elevated in 6 out of 10 patients. Probiotic intake resulted in a reduction of disease activity and gut permeability. These effects, however, were not sustained beyond termination of probiotic intake. (4) Conclusions: PsA patients suffer from enhanced enteric permeability and inflammation. Probiotics may ameliorate disease activity in PsA by targeting these alterations" - See probiotic supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Antidepressant-like effects of Lactobacillus plantarum DP189 in a corticosterone-induced rat model of chronic stress - Behav Brain Res 2020 Aug 6 - "Probiotic antidepressant effects demonstrated previously in clinical studies and animal models act via unknown mechanism ... Behaviorally, DP189 treatment improved memory and spatial learning and reduced anhedonia, as measured using Morris water maze and sucrose preference tests, respectively. Histopathologically, DP189 treatment ameliorated hippocampal pathological changes and dramatically reduced TUNEL-positive cell numbers. Biochemically, DP189 decreased serum IL-1β and TNF-α levels, decreased hippocampal mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 7 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase 2 levels, down-regulated pro-apoptosis protein Bax immunocontent and up-regulated anti-apoptosis protein Bcl-2 immunocontent. Collectively, these results suggest that DP189 treatment may prevent and/or alleviate depression-like behaviors and hippocampal neural injury induced by CORT" - See probiotic supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Effect of D-ribose supplementation on delayed onset muscle soreness induced by plyometric exercise in college students - J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2020 Aug 10 - "D-ribose supplementation reduces muscle soreness, improves recovery of muscle damage, and inhibits the formation of lipid peroxides. Young adult males performing plyometric exercise are likely to realize a DOMS reduction through consumption of D-ribose in 15 g/doses both before (1-h) and after (1-h, 12-h, 24-h, 36-h) exercise. These results suggest that appropriately timed consumption of D-ribose may induce a similar alleviation of exercise-induced DOMS in the general public" - See D-ribose at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Anticancer Effect of Mountain Ginseng on Human Breast Cancer: Comparison with Farm-Cultivated Ginseng - Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2020 Jul 25 - "MGE showed stronger cytotoxicity than farm-cultivated ginseng extract (FGE) through promoting ROS generation. Also MGE dose-dependently brought about mitochondrial dysfunction in MCF-7 cells. In addition, MGE induced apoptosis through enhancing the activities of caspase-3/7 by regulation of expression of Bcl-2, Bax, cytochrome c, and cleaved caspase-3 in the MCF-7 cells. Consistent with the in vitro results, MGE significantly reduced tumor weights compared with FGE in mice transplanted with MCF-7 cells, and it regulated the expression of apoptosis-related proteins, such as Bcl-2, Bax, cytochrome c, cleaved caspase-3, and cleaved PARP, in the tumor tissues. Additionally, MGE included higher total ginsenoside contents than FGE. In conclusion, MGE, which is richer in ginsenosides, exerts a stronger anticancer action than FGE in breast cancer. The anticancer action of MGE may be closely correlated with caspase-mediated apoptosis through upregulating ROS generation. Therefore, these findings may be helpful for a clinical understanding of the anticancer mechanism of MGE for breast cancer patients" - See mountain ginseng at Amazon.com but it doesn't show anything with 'mountain'.

Effects of Tart Cherry Powder on Serum Uric Acid in Hyperuricemia Rat Model - Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2020 Jul 22 - "low dose of tart cherry powder (0.17 g/kg·bw) showed effects on hyperuricemia by slightly decreasing serum uric acid and improving kidney injury, whereas high dose of tart cherry powder (0.50 g/kg·bw) could merely alleviate kidney injury. Meanwhile, adenosine deaminase activity rather than xanthine oxidase activity was affected at low dose, which reveals low dose of tarty cherry powder may be beneficial to hyperuricemia through reduction of ADA activity, and its reported potentials on antioxidation or anti-inflammation provide clues for further study" - See tart cherry extract at Amazon.com and iHerb.

The impact of aerobic fitness on arterial stiffness and adrenal cortex hormones in middle-aged and older adults - Endocr J 2020 Aug 1 - "An increase in arterial stiffness with advance aging is a risk for cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular dysfunction is associated with the imbalance of adrenal cortex hormones, especially with the cortisol/dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAs) ratio ... These findings suggest that the cortisol/DHEAs ratio is associated with aerobic fitness and arterial stiffness in middle-aged and older adults."

Alternate-day fasting, obesity, and metabolic syndrome - Metabolism 2020 Aug 7 - "Alternate-day fasting (ADF) is related to weight reduction, lowered risks of weight regain, and relative lean body mass preservation compared to continuous energy restriction ... We observed significant effects of ADF for BMI (WMD -0.73 kg/m2, 95% CI -1.13 to -0.34), FM (WMD -1.27 kg, 95% CI -2.09 to -0.46), and total cholesterol (WMD -8.14 mg/dL, 95% CI -14.59 to -1.69). Subgroup analyses indicated that significant intervention effects were observed for BMI, BW, FM, and total cholesterol when compared to the control, the participants were overweight, and the study duration was <6 months. ADF is effective in reducing waist circumference in adults aged ≥40 years with obesity. However, there was no difference between ADF and continuous energy restriction, time-restricted feeding, or control with regard to lean body mass"

Association Between Coffee Consumption and Functional Disability in the U.S. Older Adults - Br J Nutr 2020 Aug 11;1-19 - "Five domains of functional disability including lower-extremity mobility (LEM), general physical activity (GPA), leisure and social activities (LSA), activities of daily living (ADL), and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) were self-reported. Aged and multivariate adjusted logistic regression models and restricted cubic splines analyses were used. Total coffee consumption was inversely associated with LEM, GPA, LSA, and IADL disability. Compared with non-drinkers of total coffee, those who consumed ≥2 cups/day total coffee had lower odds of reporting disability of LEM (OR:0.67, 95%CI: 0.50-0.91), GPA (OR:0.65, 95%CI: 0.47-0.88), LSA (OR:0.61, 95%CI: 0.45-0.83) and IADL (OR:0.59, 95%CI: 0.44-0.78). These relationships were confirmed by the dose-response analyses. Intake of ≥2 cups/day caffeinated coffee was also inversely linked to the disability of GPA (OR: 0.67, 95%CI: 0.48-0.92), LSA (OR: 0.66, 95%CI: 0.46-0.93) and IADL (OR: 0.57, 95%CI:0.43-0.75,). While the inverse association of 2+ cups/day decaffeinated coffee was only on LEM (OR:0.43, 95%CI:0.23-0.81) and LSA (OR:0.39, 95%CI:0.16-0.94) disability. The present study suggested that coffee consumption was inversely associated with functional disability in older American adults" - Note:  I keep plugging the Touch Single Serve Coffee Brewer because it's the only one I could find that even comes close to the optimal brewing temperature of 200 degrees.  Engineering wise, that's not easy to do plus I'm sure that also makes the service life shorter.  I just hope they don't go out of business because no one knows that and then my machine breaks and I end up having to go back to drinking coffee that tastes like piss again.

L-theanine improves neurophysiological measures of attention in a dose-dependent manner: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study - Nutr Neurosci 2020 Aug 11;1-11 - "L-theanine, a non-proteinic amino acid found in tea, is known to enhance attention particularly in high doses, with no reported adverse effects ... The findings indicate L-theanine can increase attentional processing of auditory information in a dose-dependent manner" - See L-theanine at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Probiotic Bifidobacterium breve prevents DOCA-salt hypertension - FASEB J 2020 Aug 11 - "Many probiotics that affect gut microbial ecology have been shown to produce beneficial effects on renin-angiotensin-dependent rodent models and human hypertension. We hypothesized that Bifidobacterium breve CECT7263 (BFM) would attenuate hypertension in deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt rats, a renin-independent model of hypertension. Rats were randomly divided into five groups: control, DOCA-salt, treated DOCA-salt-BFM, treated DOCA-salt-butyrate, and treated DOCA-salt-acetate, for 5 weeks. BFM prevented the increase in systolic blood pressure, cardiac weight, and renal damage induced by DOCA-salt. BFM increased acetate-producing bacterial population and gut acetate levels, improved colonic integrity, normalized endotoxemia, plasma trimethylamine (TMA) levels, and restored the Th17 and Treg content in mesenteric lymph nodes and aorta. Furthermore, BFM improved nitric oxide-dependent vasorelaxation induced by acetylcholine in aortic rings and reduced NADPH oxidase activity in DOCA-salt animals. These protective effects were mimicked by acetate, but not by butyrate supplementation. These data demonstrate that BFM induces changes in gut microbiota linked with attenuation of endothelial dysfunction and increase in blood pressure in this low-renin form of hypertension. These beneficial effects seem to be mediated by increased acetate and reduced TMA production by gut microbiota, thus, improving gut integrity and restoring Th17/Tregs polarization and endotoxemia" - See probiotic supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Rationale for the use of N-acetylcysteine in both prevention and adjuvant therapy of COVID-19 - FASEB J 2020 Aug 11 - "COVID-19 may cause pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, cardiovascular alterations, and multiple organ failure, which have been ascribed to a cytokine storm, a systemic inflammatory response, and an attack by the immune system. Moreover, an oxidative stress imbalance has been demonstrated to occur in COVID-19 patients. N- Acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) is a precursor of reduced glutathione (GSH). Due to its tolerability, this pleiotropic drug has been proposed not only as a mucolytic agent, but also as a preventive/therapeutic agent in a variety of disorders involving GSH depletion and oxidative stress. At very high doses, NAC is also used as an antidote against paracetamol intoxication. Thiols block the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 thereby hampering penetration of SARS-CoV-2 into cells. Based on a broad range of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms, which are herein reviewed, the oral administration of NAC is likely to attenuate the risk of developing COVID-19, as it was previously demonstrated for influenza and influenza-like illnesses. Moreover, high-dose intravenous NAC may be expected to play an adjuvant role in the treatment of severe COVID-19 cases and in the control of its lethal complications, also including pulmonary and cardiovascular adverse events." - See N-acetyl cysteine at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Nitrate-Rich Beetroot Juice Reduces Blood Pressure in Tanzanian Adults with Elevated Blood Pressure: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial - J Nutr 2020 Jul 30 - "Forty-seven middle-aged and older participants (age: 50–70 y, BMI: 26.3–29.1 kg/m2) were randomly assigned to 3 conditions for a period of 60 d: 1) high-nitrate beetroot juice (~400 mg nitrate) and folic acid (~5 mg folic acid) (N + F), 2) high-nitrate beetroot juice and placebo (N + P), or 3) nitrate-depleted beetroot juice and placebo (P + P) ... Baseline resting systolic and diastolic BP (mean ± SD) was 151.0 ± 19.4 mm Hg and 91.8 ± 11.7 mm Hg, respectively. Compliance to the interventions was high (>90%) in all groups which was confirmed by the significant increase in nitrate and folic acid concentrations in plasma and saliva samples in the treatment arms. After 60 d, 24-h systolic BP dropped by −10.8 ± 9.8 mm Hg (P < 0.001), −6.1 ± 13.2 mm Hg (P = 0.03), and −0.3 ± 9.7 mm Hg (P = 0.83) in the N + P, N + F, and P + P groups, respectively. There was a significant decrease in 24-h diastolic BP in the N + P group (−5.4 ± 5.0 mm Hg, P = 0.004), whereas changes were not significant in the N + F (−1.8 ± 8.1 mm Hg, P = 0.32) and P + P (1.6 ± 8.3 mm Hg, P = 0.43) groups" - [Nutra USA] - See beet root capsules at Amazon.com and iHerb.  Note: Beetroot powder contains 16.47807 mg nitrate/gram.  400/16.47807 = 24.3 grams or 0.86 ounces.  24.3/0.55 = 44 of the 550 mg capsules per day (two tablets are 1,100 mg or 1.1 grams).  Even the $38 150 gram powder will only last 6 days (150/24.3 = 6.2).  Let me know if my math is wrong. 

Intake of 200 mg/day of γ-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) Improves a Wide Range of Cognitive Functions - A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Parallel-group Clinical Trial - 薬理と治療 Volume 48, Issue 3, 461 - 474 (2020) - "The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of intake 200 mg of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on cognitive function in healthy adult subjects aged over 40 years. Methods　This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group clinical trial. Thirty healthy participants were each assigned to either the placebo group or the GABA group; those in the latter group were given capsules containing 200 mg GABA daily for 12 weeks. Cognitive functions were assessed using Cognitrax and the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) test. Quality of life (QOL) was assessed using the MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). Results　GABA improved or maintained cognitive function on the domain of Non-Verbal Reasoning, Working Memory, and Sustained Attention in Cognitrax and on the domain of Visuospatial/Constructional and Delayed Memory in RBANS. Regarding QOL, the GABA group showed significant improvement in SF-36 domain of Role-Physical, Vitality, and Mental Health. IGF-1 levels within the GABA group increased in comparison to the levels before intake. No adverse effects or clinically concerning changes were observed." - [Nutra USA] - See GABA at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Improvement of Memory and Spatial Cognitive Function by Continuous Ingestion of 100mg/day of γ—Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) - A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Parallel-group Clinical Trial - 薬理と治療 Volume 48, Issue 3, 475 - 486 (2020) - "As the aging population of the world is increasing, it is important to prevent cognitive decline in the elderly before they develop dementia. Previously, in a preliminary study using animal model, we found that GABA might improve cognitive function. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the effect of 100 mg of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) intake on cognitive function in healthy adult subjects aged ≥40 years for practical applications ... Thirty healthy participants each were assigned to either the placebo group or the GABA group; those in the latter group were given capsules containing 100 mg GABA daily for 12 weeks. Cognitive functions were assessed using Cognitrax and the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) test. Quality of life（QOL）was assessed using the MOS 36-Item Short Form Health Survey（SF-36）. Results　GABA improved or maintained cognitive function on the domain of Visuospatial/ Constructional and Delayed Memory in RBANS. Regarding QOL, the GABA group showed significant improvements in SF-36 domain of Physical Functioning. No adverse effects or clinically concerning changes were observed" - See GABA at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Improvement in inner retinal function in glaucoma with nicotinamide (vitamin B3 ) supplementation: A crossover randomized clinical trial - Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2020 Jul 28 - "Participants received oral placebo or nicotinamide and reviewed six-weekly. Participants commenced 6 weeks of 1.5 g/day then 6 weeks of 3.0 g/day followed by crossover without washout ... photopic negative response (PhNR) parameters: saturated PhNR amplitude (Vmax), ratio of PhNR/b-wave amplitude (Vmax ratio) ... PhNR Vmax improved beyond 95% coefficient of repeatability in 23% of participants following nicotinamide vs 9% on placebo. Overall, Vmax improved by 14.8% [95% CI: 2.8%, 26.9%], (P = .02) on nicotinamide and 5.2% [-4.2%, 14.6%], (P = .27) on placebo. Vmax ratio improved by 12.6% [5.0%, 20.2%], (P = .002) following nicotinamide, 3.6% [-3.4%, 10.5%], (P = .30) on placebo. A trend for improved visual field mean deviation was observed with 27% improving ≥1 dB on nicotinamide and fewer deteriorating (4%) compared to placebo" - [Nutra USA] - See nicotinamide at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Eggshell Membrane+Fish Oil Combination (Move3®) Reduces Exercise-Induced Joint Pain, Stiffness and Cartilage Turnover in Healthy Adults: Results from a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study - Int J Phys Med Rehabil, Vol.8 Iss.3 - "Eggshell membrane supplementation has been shown to reduce exercise-induced joint pain and stiffness and lower urinary excretion of C-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type-II collagen (uCTX-II), a marker of cartilage degradation, in healthy, postmenopausal women. This study was conducted to evaluate whether the combination of eggshell membrane and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ES-OM3) versus placebo would reduce levels of uCTX-II and alleviate joint pain or stiffness immediately following exercise and 12 hours post exercise in healthy men and women ... Eighty-five healthy men and women (40-70 years) were randomly assigned to receive either 500 mg eggshell membrane with 1,500 mg fish oil concentrate (n=43) or 2,000 mg placebo (n=42) daily ... ES-OM3 produced a significant reduction in levels of uCTX-II versus placebo after 1 (-12.9%, p=0.035) and 2 weeks of exercise (-17.7%, p=0.019). Compared with placebo, ES-OM3 supplementation significantly relieved joint pain (p<0.05) immediately after exercise and 12 hours after exercise (Days 3,5 and 7 and Days 2 and 8 respectively) and significantly improved levels of stiffness (p<0.05) immediately after exercise and 12 hours after exercise (Day 3, and Days 2,4,6 and 8, respectively) ... In healthy adults who performed an aerobic step exercise regimen for two weeks, daily administration of a novel nutraceutical (Move3®), consisting of eggshell membrane and fish oil (ES-OM3) decreased levels of CTX-II, a biomarker for cartilage degradation. ES-OM3 supplementation provided rapid relief of joint pain and stiffness immediately after exercise and 12 hours post exercise. Use of a nutraceutical such as ES-OM3 (Move3®) is a promising new approach for alleviating joint pain and stiffness associated with exercise" - [Nutra USA] - See eggshell membrane at Amazon.com and iHerb and omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Improved metabolic function and cognitive performance in middle-aged adults following a single dose of wild blueberry - Eur J Nutr 2020 Aug 3 - "Research has demonstrated cognitive benefits following acute polyphenol-rich berry consumption in children and young adults. Berry intake also has been associated with metabolic benefits. No study has yet examined cognitive performance in middle-aged adults ... wild blueberry (WBB) ... Participants consumed a breakfast meal and 1-cup equivalent WBB drink or matched placebo beverage on two occasions ... Analysis of the memory-related Auditory Verbal Learning Task (AVLT) word recognition measure revealed a decrease in performance over the test day after placebo intake, whereas performance after WBB was maintained. For the AVLT word rejection measure, participants identified more foils following WBB in comparison to placebo. Benefits were also observed for EF on the Go/No-Go task with fewer errors following WBB intake on cognitively demanding invalid No-Go trials in comparison to placebo. Furthermore, in comparison to placebo, response times were faster for the Go/No-Go task, specifically at 4 h and 8 h following WBB treatment. We also observed reduced post-meal glucose and insulin, but not triglyceride, concentrations in comparison to placebo over the first 2 h following ingestion" - [Nutra USA] - See blueberry extract at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Episodic primary migraine headache: supplementary prophylaxis with Pycnogenol® prevents attacks and controls oxidative stress - Panminerva Med 2020 Jun;62(2):102-108 - "To manage MH, these subjects used only a few drugs (antiemetics, analgesics on demand) and lifestyle changes; only very occasionally they used other, more specific products such as triptans. Study groups: one group used only standard management (SM), basically, management on demand. Oral magnesium and riboflavin (vitamin B2) were used with lipoic acid as they are considered useful to improve MH. Another group used the supplement Pycnogenol® (150 mg/day for 8 weeks) in addition to SM. These two groups were compared to a third (non-parallel, observational) group using topiramate (50 mg/day). If needed, subjects were allowed to use rescue medications ... The number of migraine attacks were significantly reduced during the observation period with Pycnogenol® (P<0.05) in comparison with SM. Supplementation was more effective in reducing the use of rescue medications (P<0.05) including analgesics compared to SM. At 8 weeks, the pain score was lower with Pycnogenol in comparison with SM (P<0.05). The working incapacity was significantly lower with Pycnogenol® than in the SM group (P<0.05). The number of migraine attacks was lower with topiramate compared to SM. Pain score, working incapacity and use of rescue medication were lower with topiramate than in SM. However, adverse effects with topiramate, included paresthesia, fatigue, dizziness and nausea even at low dosages complicated management. Some 50% of these side effects require a form of further treatment including medications. Oxidative stress: all included subjects had high oxidative stress at baseline. At 8 weeks, the level of plasma free radicals was significantly lowered with Pycnogenol® (P<0.05), but not in the SM or topiramate group" - [Nutra USA] - See Pycnogenol at Amazon.com and iHerb.com.

Regular Use of Proton Pump Inhibitor and Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Women - Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2020;52(3):449-458 - "Regular PPI users had a 44% higher risk of RA as compared with non-regular users (adjusted HR = 1.44; 95%CI, 1.10–1.89). The risk of RA increased with the total duration of PPI use (P-trend = 0.008). Compared with non-regular users, the adjusted HRs were 1.22 (95%CI, 0.93–1.62) for women with >0 to 4 years' use and 1.73 (95% CI, 1.14 to 2.61) for >4 years' use"

Curcumagalactomannoside/Glucosamine Combination Improved Joint Health Among Osteoarthritic Subjects as Compared to Chondroitin Sulfate/Glucosamine: Double-Blinded, Randomized Controlled Study - J Altern Complement Med 2020 Jul 14 - "A combination of curcumagalactomannosides (CGM) (400 mg) with glucosamine hydrochloride (GLN) (500 mg) was evaluated against a standard dietary supplement combination chondroitin sulfate (CHN) (415 mg)/GLN (500 mg) for their effectiveness in alleviating the pain and symptoms among osteoarthritic subjects ... CGM-GLN was found to offer significant beneficial effects to pain, stiffness, and physical function of OA subjects compared with CHN-GLN, which was evident from the improvement in walking performance, VAS score, KPS score, and WOMAC score. The efficiency of CGM-GLN was almost double compared with the CHN-GLN by the end of the study (84th day). A significant reduction of inflammatory serum marker levels was observed among CGM-GLN subjects compared with CHN-GLN subjects. Compared with the baseline, CGM-GLN produced 54.52%, 59.08%, and 22.03% reduction in IL-1β, IL-6, and sVCAM levels, respectively. Whereas CHN-GLN group of subjects expressed only 23.17%, 21.38%, and 6.82% reduction in IL-1β, IL-6, and sVCAM levels, respectively" - [Nutra USA] - See curcumin at Amazon.com and iHerb and glucosamine hydrochloride at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Avenanthramide supplementation reduces eccentric exercise-induced inflammation in young men and women - J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2020 Jul 25 - "Avenanthramides (AVA) are a group of di-phenolic acids found only in oats and have shown antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in vitro and in vivo ... downhill running (DR) ... After an 8-week washout period, participants received two cookies daily containing either 206 mg/kg (AVA) or 0 mg/kg (C) AVA for 8 weeks ... Oat AVA supplementation reduced circulatory inflammatory cytokines and inhibited expression of chemokines and cell adhesion molecules induced by DR" -  [Nutra USA] - See avenanthramides at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Lactobacillus plantarum PS128 Improves Physiological Adaptation and Performance in Triathletes through Gut Microbiota Modulation - Nutrients 2020, 12(8), 2315 - "Probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics have been reported to have health-promoting activities (e.g., immunoregulation and cancer prevention) ... In our previous study, we found that Lactobacillus plantarum PS128 could ameliorate inflammation and oxidative stress, with improved exercise performance ... The triathletes were assigned to two groups: an L. plantarum 128 supplement group (LG, 3 × 1010 colony-forming units (CFU)/day) and a placebo group (PG). Both groups continued with their regular exercise training for the next 4 weeks. The endurance performance, body composition, biochemistries, blood cells, microbiota, and associated metabolites were further investigated. PS128 significantly increased the athletes’ endurance, by about 130% as compared to the PG group, but there was no significant difference in maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) and composition between groups" - [Nutra USA] - See probiotics at Amazon.com and iHerb, prebiotics at Amazon.com and iHerb,  and synbiotics at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Actaea racemosa L. Is More Effective in Combination with Rhodiola rosea L. for Relief of Menopausal Symptoms: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study - Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2020 May; 13(5): 102 - "The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of a new herbal preparation (Menopause Relief EP®), the hybrid combination of Actaea racemosa L. (black cohosh, BC) and Rhodiola rosea L. (RR) root extracts, compared with the most effective dose of BC extract in women with menopausal complaints ... A total of 220 women were randomly assigned to receive two capsules either BC (6.5 mg), BC500 (500 mg), Menopause Relief EP® (206,5), or placebo once per day for 12 weeks. The efficacy endpoints were relief of menopausal symptoms, measured using the Kupperman Menopausal Index (KMI), Menopause Relief Score (MRS), and menopause Utian Quality of Life (UQOL) index ... The menopause symptom relief effects of RR-BC were significantly superior in all tests to the effects of BC and placebo after their repeated administration for 6 and 12 weeks. There was no statistically significant difference between the effects of BC and BC500 over time. RR-BC significantly improved the QOL index in patients, compared to BC, BC500, and placebo, mainly due to the beneficial effects on the emotional and health domains ... BC is more effective in combination with RR in relief of menopausal symptoms, particularly psychological symptoms" - [Nutra USA] - See black cohosh at Amazon.com and iHerb and Rhodiola rosea at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on the Incidence of Diabetes Mellitus - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2020;105(8) - "In patients with prediabetes, vitamin D supplementation at moderate to high doses (≥1000 IU/day), significantly reduced the incidence risk of T2DM, compared with placebo." - See vitamin D at Amazon.com and vitamin D at iHerb.

Neat Tech Stuff / "How To's":

A lot of t-shirt printers on YouTube, who spent $20,000 on a t-shirt digital to garment (DTG) setup, are switching to printful.com. I joined their affiliate program. It might work better if you integrate it with canva.com.

The All-New Microsoft Edge Browser - Is It Any Good? - YouTube - Note: I saw this while lying in bed and going through YouTube videos on my Roku TV. The new Edge browser has an important feature that to the best of my knowledge isn’t available by other browsers unless you go with the $800 pro version of Adobe and share that in Zoom: You can drag a .pdf into Edge, mark up the .pdf with Zoom's markup options OR the Edge markup options and save the marked-up version as a .pdf with Edge. That could be an important feature if you use Zoom because the Zoom save option saves it as a picture of a screenshot (.jpg). Keep in mind that you must select “Mouse” in Zoom then treat Edge like it was a standalone not in Zoom. It works, I just tried it.  Even without Zoom, being able to sign the .pdf is a great feature. Doing it with a mouse could be difficult. The solution to that is a drawing tablet: https://amzn.to/2DEhD6e

Health Focus (Cayenne/Capsicum):