Recent Longevity News for the week ending 9/30/20

Berry good news: newly discovered compound from blueberries could treat inflammatory disorders - Science Daily, 9/23/20 - "In their latest study, published in The FASEB Journal, the scientists identified a polyphenolic compound called "pterostilbene" (PSB) with strong immunosuppressive properties -- making it a potential therapeutic option for chronic inflammatory diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This compound is very similar to another phytocompound known to have important medicinal effects, called "resveratrol" (RSV) ... Our findings showed that PSB possesses a strong immunosuppressive property, paving the way for a new, natural treatment for IBD" - See pterostilbene at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Low Vitamin D Levels Tied to Odds for Severe COVID - WebMD, 9/25/20 - "The study was published Sept. 25 in the journal PLOS ONE" - Just one more study saying the same thing but I thought I'd throw it in. - See vitamin D at Amazon.com and vitamin D at iHerb.

Dosage For Vitamin D, K2, and Calcium - Dr. Been, YouTube - He recommends 5,000 IU of vitamin D per day to his patients.  He cites this study which says 8800 IU which is in line with what I've been saying over the years:

• Vitamin D for influenza - Can Fam Physician. 2015 Jun; 61(6): 507. - "The Institute of Medicine recommendation for adults younger than 70 years of age is 600 IU of vitamin D daily. We are told that this would achieve a level of 50 nmol/L in greater than 97.5% of individuals.6 Regrettably, a statistical error has resulted in erroneous recommendations by the Institute of Medicine leading to this conclusion and it might actually take 8800 IU of vitamin D to achieve this level in 97.5% of the population.7 This is a serious public health blunder"

Diabetes Drug Metformin May Protect Aging Brains - WebMD, 9/23/20 - "The study followed more than 1,000 people, aged 70 to 90, for six years ... Among the participants, 123 had diabetes and 67 were taking metformin ... People with diabetes who didn't take metformin had a five times higher risk of developing dementia during the study ... this isn't the first study to show that metformin might be linked to lower dementia risk. Other studies have found a similar association ... Metformin is an inexpensive drug and has few side effects" - [Science Daily] - See metformin at ReliableRX.

Could Zinc Help Fight COVID-19? - Science Daily, 9/23/20 - "All of the patients had their blood zinc levels tested upon arrival -- the average level was 61 micrograms per deciliter of blood (mcg/dL) ... However, among those who died of COVID-19, blood levels of zinc were much lower, averaging just 43 mcg/dL, the researchers reported. In contrast, blood levels among those who survived the illness averaged 63 mcg/dL ... Also, higher levels of zinc in the blood were tied to lower levels of pro-inflammatory proteins when patients were infected, the Spanish researchers said ... Overall, and after adjusting for factors such as age, gender, illness severity and treatments received, every unit increase of zinc in the blood was tied to a 7% lowering of the odds that a patient would die while in the hospital" - See Jarrow Zinc Balance at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Common heart defect – repaired or not - may limit exercise ability - AHA, 9/23/20 - "Adults born with a hole in their heart may lose 20% or more of their exercise capacity regardless of surgical repair ... Young adults with the defect are known to have poorer exercise ability than their healthy counterparts, however, it is unclear if exercise capacity would deteriorate with age ... Based on these findings, researchers suggest adults born with the heart defect continue outpatient follow-up care for their entire life."

Statins reduce COVID-19 severity, likely by removing cholesterol that virus uses to infect - Science Daily, 9/23/20 - "In short, removing cholesterol from cell membranes prevents the coronavirus from getting in ... statin use prior to hospital admission for COVID-19 was associated with a more than 50 percent reduction in risk of developing severe COVID-19, compared to those with COVID-19 but not taking statins. Patients with COVID-19 who were taking statins prior to hospitalization also recovered faster than those not taking the cholesterol-lowering medication ... statins are likely beneficial in preventing or reducing the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection because, while intended to remove cholesterol from blood vessels, they are also removing cholesterol from cell membranes. As a result, the coronavirus can't get in"

Prenatal cannabis exposure associated with adverse outcomes during middle childhood - Science Daily, 9/23/20 - "Cutting to the chase ... clinicians and dispensaries should discourage cannabis use among those who are pregnant or are considering becoming pregnant ... However, when we look at exposure after maternal knowledge of pregnancy, which corresponds to when endocannabinoid type 1 receptors are expressed in the fetal brain, the associations with child psychopathology largely remain -- these children tend to have more psychotic-like experiences, more impulsivity and attention problems, and social problems ... This raises the intriguing possibility that prenatal cannabis exposure may plausibly impact child behavior"

• Prenatal Pot Use Impacts Kid's Future Mental Health - WebMD, 9/23/20

Gut microbiome plays important role in sleep regulation - Science Daily, 9/23/20 - "the gut microbiome plays a major role in sleep regulation. This ultimately could translate into treatments that target the gut microbiome in humans with OSA ... The study exposed male mice to either room air or intermittent hypoxia -- a condition in which the body doesn't get enough oxygen -- designed to mimic OSA. After six weeks, researchers collected fecal material from all of the rodents. A third group of mice was divided up and given either a fecal transplant from the mice breathing room air or those exposed to intermittent hypoxia. The transplanted mice underwent sleep recordings for three consecutive days. Researchers found the mice who received transplants from the intermittent hypoxia group slept longer and slept more often during their normal period of wakefulness, suggesting increased sleepiness" - See probiotic supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Which is the best pulse oximeter for home use? - consumerlab.com, 9/22/20 - "As nicely summarized in an article on MedPage Today by Dr. Anthony Pierson, a cardiologist, a model that has performed relatively well in studies is the Contec CMS50DL (or a similar model the Contec CMS50D, from Contec Medical Systems, China), currently sold on Amazon by a distributor (ClinicalGuard) for just $19.95. As Dr. Pierson points out in his article, the Contec CMS50DL has been shown to be fairly accurate at normal oxygen saturation levels above 90% but, like similar products, it may be less accurate below 90%" - See oximeters at Amazon.com.

• How Accurate Are Home Blood Oxygen Monitors? - medpagetoday.com, 9/17/20 - "This study has been widely reported as demonstrating that NMU pulse oximeters are inaccurate and unreliable. However, although four of the six oximeters did not meet FDA standards for accuracy, the authors wrote that two "unexpectedly" did meet accuracy standards defined by the FDA and International Organization for Standardization: the Beijing Choice C20 and Contec CMS550DL."

Vitamin E needed for proper nervous system development - Science Daily, 9/21/20 - "Zebrafish share a remarkable similarity to humans at the molecular, genetic and cellular levels, meaning many findings are immediately relevant to humans. Embryonic zebrafish are of special interest because they develop quickly, are transparent and are easy to care for ... In an embryo, a brain primordium and the neural tube appear early and will form the nervous system and "innervate" -- supply with nerves -- all organs and body structures. Without vitamin E, the zebrafish embryos showed neural tube defects and brain defects ... They were kind of like folic acid-deficient neural tube defects, and now we have pictures to show the neural tube defects and brain defects and that vitamin E is right on the closing edges of the cells that are forming the brain ... Vitamin E is a group of eight compounds -- four tocopherols and four tocotrienols -- distinguished by their chemical structure. Alpha-tocopherol is what vitamin E commonly refers to and is found in supplements and in foods associated with a European diet; gamma-tocopherol is the type of vitamin E most commonly found in a typical American diet" - See Jarrow FamilE (contains all eight members of the vitamin E family, includes Tocomin) at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Authoritative new analysis links increased omega-3 intake to cardioprotection and improved cardiovascular outcomes - Science Daily, 9/18/20 - "A new study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings provides the most comprehensive analysis of the role of omega-3 dosage on cardiovascular prevention to date. The meta-analysis, which is an in-depth review of 40 clinical trials, provides authoritative evidence for consuming more EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) omega-3 fats ... The research concludes that EPA and DHA omega-3 intake is associated with reduced risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) events, the cause of 7.4 million deaths globally each year, and reduced risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack), including fatal heart attack ... Specifically, the study found that EPA+DHA supplementation is associated with a statistically significant reduced risk of: Fatal myocardial infarction (35 percent) ... Myocardial infarction (13 percent) ... CHD events (10 percent) ... CHD mortality (9 percent) ... People should consider the benefits of omega-3 supplements, at doses of 1000 to 2000 mg per day -- far higher than what is typical, even among people who regularly eat fish" - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb.

• Effect of Omega-3 Dosage on Cardiovascular Outcomes - YouTube, Mayo Proceedings, 9/17/20

EMA Backs Dexamethasone for Severe COVID-19 After Data Review - Medscape, 9/18/20 - "Overall, 482 patients (22.9%) who received dexamethasone and 1110 patients (25.7%) who received usual care died within 28 days after randomization ... Preliminary results indicate that, compared with usual care, dexamethasone reduced mortality by about 35% in patients on invasive mechanical ventilation and by about 20% in patients receiving oxygen without invasive ventilation ... No reduction in the risk for death was seen in patients who were not receiving oxygen therapy or mechanical ventilation"

Observational Study Again Suggests Lasting COVID-19 Impact on Heart - Medscape, 9/18/20 - "A new study using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging to examine the effects of novel coronavirus infection on the heart showed signs suggestive of myocarditis in 4 out of 26 competitive athletes who recovered from asymptomatic or mild cases of COVID-19 ... Two of the 4 patients showing signs of myocarditis in this series had no symptoms of COVID-19 but tested positive on routine testing. An additional 12 student athletes (46%) showed late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), of whom 8 (30.8%) had LGE without T2 elevation, suggestive of prior myocardial injury"

Coffee May Slow Spread of Colon Cancer - WebMD, 9/17/20 - "Of the nearly 1,200 patients in the study, those who drank four or more cups of java on a daily basis had 36% higher odds of surviving during the 13-year study period"

Low Vitamin D in COVID-19 Predicts ICU Admission, Poor Survival - Medscape, 9/17/20 - "Patients with severe COVID-19 who were admitted to ICU, as opposed to a ward, were more likely to be male, have at least one comorbidity, have higher baseline IL-6 levels and neutrophil counts, and lower lymphocyte and platelet counts ... They also had lower mean vitamin D levels (14.4 vs 22.4 ng/mL) and were more likely to have vitamin D deficiency (vitamin D < 20 ng/mL; 80% vs 45%) ... Patients admitted to ICU who died had lower baseline vitamin D levels than those who survived (13.2 vs 19.3 ng/mL) ... Vitamin D levels were inversely associated with respiratory distress requiring ICU admission [odds ratio, 1.06; P = .038] and with mortality (odds ratio, 1.18, P = 029), independent of IL-6 levels and other comorbidities" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com and vitamin D at iHerb.

Why do older people fare worse against COVID-19? Fewer T-cells, according to new study - 10News, 9/16/20 - "The numbers are staggering: if you’re 65 or older, your risk of winding up in the hospital from COVID-19 is five to 11 times higher than someone under 30 ... they measured the three elements of the adaptive immune system in detail: antibodies, helper T-cells and killer T-cells ... people with all three branches of the adaptive immune system tended to fully recover. People with severe cases of the virus often lacked one or more of the immune branches, and it was particularly evident in older people ... Our data indicated that of the older individuals, it was particularly the ones that had fewer T-cells to start that look like they really struggled to control this virus ... Some vaccine approaches, such as inactivated virus vaccines, only elicit two of three branches, not killer T-cells ... Two strong branches produced by a vaccine could potentially cover for the lack of a third"

• T cells take the lead in controlling SARS-CoV-2 and reducing COVID-19 disease severity - Science Daily, 9/16/20
• Pfizer reports strong T-cell response to COVID-19 vaccine - fiercebiotech.com, 7/20/20 - "The results suggest Pfizer and BioNTech may have an edge over Moderna, which saw “low levels” of CD8 T-cell responses to the S-2P antigen in patients who received two 100-μg doses of mRNA-1273. Pfizer and BioNTech saw stronger CD8 responses in patients who received BNT162b1 ... In the view of the researchers, the effect on CD8 cells is part of a “coordinated immune response to counter a viral intrusion” seen in patients who received BNT162b1. Other aspects of the coordinated response include increases in neutralizing antibodies, CD4 T cells and immune-modulatory cytokines. Almost 95% of patients had CD4 T-cell responses"
• Covid-19 vaccine contest turns to T-cell responses - evaluate.com, 7/20/20 - "In the race to develop a vaccine against Covid-19 Moderna and Biontech/Pfizer’s rival projects have shown an impressive ability to generate neutralising antibodies, but so far little had been said about their ability to stimulate T-cells. Today that changed ... Not only did Astrazeneca’s AZD1222 join the leaders with the first clinical data of its own published in the Lancet, these included findings on its ability to generate a T-cell response. But it was Biontech/Pfizer that, in a preprint of a separate trial of their BNT162b1 vaccine, detailed perhaps the most impressive T-cell responses so far."

Researchers find diminished response by 'killer' T cells in elderly COVID-19 patients - Science Daily, 9/21/20 - "the number of CD8+ T cells producing cytotoxic molecules in response to virus diminished with increased age, and that reduction was significantly higher, on average, in patients over 80. Moreover, the "killer" T cells from patients aged 80-96 produced cytotoxic molecules at a lower frequency than similar cells from younger patients. ... The new data suggest that cytotoxic T cells play a key role in control of early infections, but Zelinskyy cautioned that it's too soon to know if that connection can be harnessed to design an effective immunotherapy that uses these cells. In previous studies on viral infections in mice, his group found that a checkpoint inhibitor -- an immunotherapy that activates killer T cells and effectively releases the brakes on the immune system -- improved virus control at first but had the potential to later cause damage to the lungs and other organs"

Turmeric May Ease Knee Arthritis - NYT, 9/14/20 - "They found that pain, stiffness and physical function all improved significantly more in those who took the curcumin extract than in those who used the placebo. But there was no difference between the groups in the M.R.I. assessment of excess fluid in the synovial cavity, and no difference in knee cartilage structure ... Considering the limited effectiveness of current pharmacological treatments for osteoarthritis, a modest effect may be helpful, and turmeric appears to be without side effects" - See curcumin at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Turmeric Capsules Reduce Knee Osteoarthritis Pain - Medscape, 9/15/20 - "Researchers randomly assigned patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis to take two capsules of turmeric capsules (n=36) or placebo (n=34) daily for 12 weeks. At the end of the study period, turmeric improved knee pain on a visual analog scale (VAS) by -9.1 mm (95% CI, -17.8 to -0.4 mm) compared with placebo" - See curcumin at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Researchers use soy to improve bone cancer treatment - Science Daily, 9/15/20 - "Soybeans contain isoflavones, plant-derived estrogens that have been shown to impede cancer cell growth for many types of cancer without being toxic to normal cells. Isoflavones have also been shown to improve bone health and possibly prevent osteoporosis ... One of the soybean compounds caused a 90% reduction in bone cancer cell viability in their samples after 11 days. Two other soy compounds, meanwhile, significantly improved the growth of healthy bone cells. Furthermore, using the soy compounds in animal models also reduced inflammation, which could benefit bone health as well as overall recovery."

Identifying, preventing and managing heart rhythm side effects of medicines - AHA, 9/15/20 - "During the COVID-19 pandemic, chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin have been used to manage the novel coronavirus disease, noted the writing group. These medications can cause heart rhythm disturbances, and there have been some clinical trials to assess their effectiveness to treat COVID-19, including one National Institutes of Health trial that was halted in June. In June and July, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration revoked emergency use and issued a warning against the use of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19 outside of a clinical trial or hospital ... Heart rhythm disorders have been reported as a side effect of hydroxychloroquine alone and in combination with azithromycin among patients with COVID-19. Other medications proposed for managing COVID-19 such as lopinavir/ritonavir also have the potential to interfere with the heart’s normal rhythm"

Abstracts from this week:

An Exploratory Analysis of Changes in Mental Wellbeing Following Curcumin and Fish Oil Supplementation in Middle-Aged and Older Adults - Nutrients 2020 Sep 23 - "Curcumin has previously been shown to enhance mood in non-depressed older adults. However, observed benefits were limited to short-term supplementation (4 weeks). In a 16 week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 2 × 2 factorial design trial, we supplemented overweight or obese non-depressed adults (50-80 years) with curcumin (160 mg/day), fish oil (2000 mg docosahexaenoic acid +400 mg eicosapentaenoic acid/day), or a combination of both ... Curcumin improved vigour (p = 0.044) compared to placebo and reduced SMCs compared to no curcumin treatment (p = 0.038). Fish oil did not affect any mood states, SMCs or QoL; however, responses to fish oil were affected by APOE4 status. In APOE4 non-carriers, fish oil increased vigour (p = 0.030) and reduced total mood disturbances (p = 0.048) compared to placebo. Improvements in mental wellbeing were correlated with increased QoL. Combining curcumin with fish oil did not result in additive effects. This exploratory analysis indicates that regular supplementation with either curcumin or fish oil (limited to APOE4 non-carriers) has the potential to improve some aspects of mental wellbeing in association with better QoL" - [Nutra USA] - See curcumin at Amazon.com and iHerb and omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Long-term resveratrol supplementation improves pain perception, menopausal symptoms, and overall well-being in postmenopausal women: findings from a 24-month randomized, controlled, crossover trial - Menopause 2020 Aug 31 - "These results confirm the pilot study finding that resveratrol supplementation can reduce chronic pain in age-related osteoarthritis and improve menopause-related quality of life in postmenopausal women. These improvements are sustained by supplementation for at least 12 months and are associated with enhancement of circulatory function" - [Nutra USA] - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com and resveratrol at iHerb.

Quercetin Supplementation Improves Neuromuscular Function Recovery from Muscle Damage - Nutrients 2020 Sep 17 - "This study was aimed at investigating whether quercetin (Q) may improve the recovery of neuromuscular function and biochemical parameters in the 7 days following an eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage (EEIMD). Sixteen men (25.9 ± 3.3 y) ingested Q (1000 mg/day) or placebo (PLA) for 14 days following a double-blind crossover study design ... The results showed that Q supplementation significantly attenuated the strength loss compared to PLA. During the recovery, force-velocity relationship and mean fibers conduction velocity (MFCV) persisted significantly less when participants consumed PLA rather than Q, especially at the highest angular velocities (p < 0.02). A greater increase in biomarkers of damage was also evident in PLA with respect to Q. Q supplementation for 14 days seems able to ameliorate the recovery of eccentric exercise-induced weakness, neuromuscular function impairment and biochemical parameters increase probably due to its strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant action" - See quercetin at Amazon.com and iHerb.

The Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Taurine on Cardiovascular Disease - Nutrients 2020 Sep 17 - "Taurine exerts anti-inflammatory effects that improve diabetes and has shown benefits to the cardiovascular system, possibly by inhibition of the renin angiotensin system" - See taurine at Amazon.com and iHerb.

The effect of metformin treatment on the basal and gonadotropin-stimulated steroidogenesis in male rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus - Andrologia 2020 Sep 20 - "We concluded that metformin treatment normalises the testicular steroidogenesis in diabetic rats, which is due to restoration of the gonadotropin and leptin systems in the testes and is associated with an improvement in spermatogenesis" - See metformin at ReliableRX.

β-Hydroxybutyrate inhibits inflammasome activation to attenuate Alzheimer's disease pathology - J Neuroinflammation 2020 Sep 21 - "we find BHB levels are lower in red blood cells and brain parenchyma of AD patients when compared with non-AD controls. Furthermore, exogenous BHB administration reduced plaque formation, microgliosis, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (Asc) speck formation, and caspase-1 activation in the 5XFAD mouse model of AD. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that BHB reduces AD pathology by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Additionally, our data suggest dietary or pharmacological approaches to increase BHB levels as promising therapeutic strategies for AD" - See beta-Hydroxybutyrate at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Beverages Rich in Resveratrol and Physical Activity Attenuate Metabolic Changes Induced by High-Fat Diet - J Am Coll Nutr 2020 Sep 21 - "Wistar rats were fed with control diet, high-fat diet (HFD), HFD and 15 mL solution of resveratrol, HFD and 15 mL of grape juice, HFD and 10 mL of red wine. All animals performed the physical training protocol five days a week. Grape juice and red wine composition were analyzed, SBP, body mass, consumption, adiposity and body composition, gut microbiota, lipid peroxidation and inflammation were evaluated. The grape juice (114.8 ± 22.5 mmHG) and red wine (129 ± 15.8 mmHg) groups showed lower SBP when compared to HFD (216.8 ± 20.6 mmHg) (p < 0.0001). The grape juice group (GJG) (39.1 ± 7) had a higher number of microbiota bands DNA when compared to the other groups (p = 0.002). The GJG (33.7 ± 6.7 pg/mL) presented lower concentration IL6 when compared to high-fat group (47.3 ± 16 pg/mL) (p = 0.003). GJG (4.7 ± 1.2 nmol/L) presented a lower concentration of TBARS when compared to control group (6.1 ± 1.4 nmol/L) and resveratrol group (6.6 ± 0.9 nmol/L), and the red wine group (7.4 ± 1.2 nmol/L) had a higher concentration of TBARS when compared to control group and GJG (p = 0.0001). The consumption of these beverages, especially grape juice, together with physical exercise, was able to promote beneficial changes even in the presence of a HFD." - See grape seed extract at Amazon.com and iHerb and resveratrol products at Amazon.com and resveratrol at iHerb.

Obesity, vitamin D deficiency and old age a serious combination with respect to coronavirus disease-2019 severity and outcome - Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care 2020 Sep 15 - "There is a direct relationship between vitamin D, body fat and age in COVID-19 courses. With age, the ability of the skin to synthesize vitamin D decreases, and leads to vitamin D-deficits. If the skin is insufficiently exposed to sunlight, severe deficits can develop. As vitamin D plays an important role not only in the immune system but also in the RAS, and thus at the point where the virus attacks, a good vitamin D supply is an important basis for reducing the risk of severe COVID-19 processes. Treatment with vitamin D supplements should be based on severity of the vitamin D deficiency" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com and vitamin D at iHerb.

Effects of whey protein on glycemic control and serum lipoproteins in patients with metabolic syndrome and related conditions: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials - Lipids Health Dis 2020 Sep 21 - "Consumption of whey protein resulted in significant reduction of HbA1c (WMD: -0.15; 95% CI: - 0.29, - 0.01) insulin (WMD: -0.94; 95% CI: - 1.68, - 0.21) and homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (WMD: -0.20; 95% CI: - 0.36, - 0.05). A significant reduction in triglycerides levels (WMD: -17.12; 95% CI: - 26.52, - 7.72), total cholesterol (WMD: -10.88; 95% CI -18.60, - 3.17), LDL-cholesterol levels (WMD: -8.47 95% CI: - 16.59, - 0.36) and total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratio (WMD: -0.26; 95% CI: - 0.41, - 0.10) was found as well" - See whey protein at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Effects of N-acetylcysteine on oxidative stress and inflammation reactions in a rat model of allergic rhinitis after PM 2.5 exposure - Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020 Sep 18 - "As a ROS quenching agent, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) can attenuate the accumulation of inflammatory cells and hyper-responsiveness in animal asthma models. To explore the effect of NAC on the oxidative stress and inflammatory reactions in AR rats exposed to PM2.5, we analyzed the components of PM2.5 and examined the nasal symptoms, redox level in nasal mucosa, Th1/Th2-related serum cytokines, nasal mucosal histopathology and ultrastructure in AR rat models with NAC intervention after PM2.5 exposure. The results showed that the high concentrations of metal cations and PAHs in PM2.5 could aggravate Th2-dominant allergic inflammation in AR model and cause redox imbalance, accompanied by nasal epithelial cell stripping and eosinophil infiltration, while NAC intervention could alleviate the clinical symptoms of AR model after PM2.5 exposure, correct the redox imbalance, reduce the Th2 cytokines, reduce eosinophil infiltration, and promote the moderate regeneration of epithelial cells. The mechanism of NAC reversing PM2.5-mediated action may be related to its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, which may provide some new insights for the prevention of AR exacerbated by exposure to PM2.5." - See n-acetyl cysteine at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Responder Profile to Pharmaceutical-Grade Chondroitin Sulfate: An Analysis of the CONCEPT Trial - Adv Ther 2020 Sep 21 - "The treatment of OA with CS has the highest chance of success if administered in the early stage of the disease" - See chondroitin sulfate at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Dietary Vitamin E Intake Was Inversely Associated with Hyperuricemia in US Adults: NHANES 2009-2014 - Ann Nutr Metab 2020 Sep 21 - "After adjustment for age, gender, BMI, race, educational level, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity, total daily energy intake, total cholesterol, protein intake, glomerular filtration rate, serum Cr, use of uric acid drugs, and drug abuse, the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of hyperuricemia for the highest tertile of dietary vitamin E intake was 0.77 (0.63-0.96) compared with that of the lowest tertile. In men, dietary vitamin E intake and hyperuricemia were negatively correlated. In stratified analyses by age (20-39, 40-59, and ≥60 years), dietary vitamin E intake was inversely associated with hyperuricemia only among participants aged ≥60 years. Dose-response analyses showed that dietary vitamin E intake was inversely associated with hyperuricemia in a nonlinear manner" - See Jarrow FamilE (contains all eight members of the vitamin E family, includes Tocomin) at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Blueberry extract as a potential pharmacological tool for preventing depressive-like behavior and neurochemical dysfunctions in mice exposed to lipopolysaccharide - Nutr Neurosci 2020 Sep 21 - "Mice were pretreated with vehicle, fluoxetine (20 mg/kg) or blueberry extract (100 or 200 mg/kg) intragastrically for seven days before intraperitoneal LPS (0.83 mg/kg) injection. Twenty-four hours after LPS administration, mice were submitted to behavioral tests ... blueberry extract or fluoxetine treatment protected against LPS-induced depressive-like behavior in tail suspension and splash tests (P < 0.05), without changes in locomotor activity (P > 0.05). LPS induced an increase in the levels of reactive oxygen species (P < 0.001), nitrite (P < 0.05) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (P < 0.01), as well as a reduction in total sulfhydryl content (P < 0.05) and catalase activity (P < 0.05) in brain structures; blueberry extract restored these alterations (P < 0.05). In addition, blueberry extract attenuated the increase in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels induced by LPS administration" - See blueberry extract at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Long-term Effects of Calcium β-Hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) and Vitamin D3 Supplementation on Muscular Function in Older Adults with and without Resistance Training: A Randomized, Double-blind, Controlled Study - J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2020 Aug 28 - "The primary aim of this study was to determine whether supplementation with calcium β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) and Vitamin D3 (D) would enhance muscle function and strength in older adults. Older adults over 60 years of age with insufficient circulating 25-hydroxy-Vitamin D (25OH-D) levels were enrolled in a double-blinded controlled 12-month study. Study participants were randomly assigned to treatments consisting of: (a) Control + no exercise; (b) HMB+D + no exercise; (c) Control + exercise, and (d) HMB+D + exercise. The study evaluated 117 participants consisting of multiple measurements over the 12 months that included body composition, strength, functionality, and questionnaires. HMB+D had a significant benefit on lean body mass within the non-exercise group at 6 months (0.44±0.27kg, HMB+D vs. -0.33±0.28kg control, p<0.05). In non-exercisers, improvement in knee extension peak torque (60°/sec) was significantly greater in HMB+D supplemented participants than in non-supplemented group (p=0.04) at 3 months, 10.9 ± 5.7Nm and -5.2 ± 5.9Nm, respectively. A composite functional index, integrating changes in handgrip, Get Up, and Get Up and Go measurements, was developed. HMB+D + no exercise resulted in significant increases in the functional index compared to those observed in the control + no exercise group at 3 (p=0.03), 6 (p=0.04), and 12 months (p=0.04). Supplementation with HMB+D did not further improve the functional index within the exercising group. This study demonstrated the potential of HMB and Vitamin D3 supplementation to enhance muscle strength and physical functionality in older adults, even in individuals not engaged in an exercise training program" - [Nutra USA] - See HMB at Amazon.com and iHerb and Vitamin D at Amazon.com and vitamin D at iHerb.

Neat Tech Stuff / "How To's":

My t-shirt design of the week. Bella+Canvas 6004. $17 delivered. To order: https://qualitycounts.com/tshirt/

Don't see what you want? Go to http://pngtree.com or https://www.canva.com/ and select something and tell me how you want it personalized.

Health Focus (Cataracts):