Recent Longevity News for the week ending 10/28/20

How exercise stalls cancer growth through the immune system - Science Daily, 10/26/20 - "Our research shows that exercise affects the production of several molecules and metabolites that activate cancer-fighting immune cells and thereby inhibit cancer growth"

A New, Large Study Finds Plasma Does Not Lower Risk of Dying from COVID-19 - Time, 10/23/20 - "when plasma is infused in patients who have moderate COVID-19 (similar to severe in other countries), it did not reduce mortality or progression to more critical COVID-19"

Probiotics Promising for Parkinson's Constipation - Medscape, 10/22/20 - "randomized 72 patients (mean age, about 70; about 65% men) to a multi-strain probiotics capsule or placebo for four weeks. Each probiotic capsule contained 10 billion colony forming units of eight different commercially-available bacterial strains: Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. reuteri, L. gasseri, L. rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, B. longum, Enterococcus faecalis, and E. faecium. The placebo group received capsules containing maltodextrin ... spontaneous bowel movements (SBMs) per week ... SBMs increased by a mean of one per week after probiotics treatment, and decreased by 0.3 per week in the placebo group. After correction for multiple comparisons, significant improvements with probiotics were also seen for secondary outcomes, including stool consistency and quality of life related to constipation. A trend for reduced laxative usage was also seen ... Satisfaction was reported by 65.6% of intervention group participants versus 21.6% in the placebo group" - See probiotic supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Brad Pitt: Multiple Divorces, Depression And Addictions - YouTube - Note:  I thought this was interesting.  Many pot enthusiasts claim that pot cures their depression when studies show the opposite.  Sounds like Brad Pitt is agreeing with the studies that it increases depression.

Drinking green tea and coffee daily linked to lower death risk in people with diabetes - Science Daily, 10/20/20 - "Drinking up to 1 cup of green tea every day was associated with 15% lower odds of death; while drinking 2-3 cups was associated with 27% lower odds. Getting through 4 or more daily cups was associated with 40% lower odds ... Among coffee drinkers, up to 1 daily cup was associated with 12% lower odds; while 1 cup a day was associated with 19% lower odds. And 2 or more cups was associated with 41% lower odds" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com and green tea extract at iHerb.

High flavanol diet may lead to lower blood pressure - Science Daily, 10/21/20 - "The findings, published in Scientific Reports, studied the diet of more than 25,000 people in Norfolk, UK and compared what they ate with their blood pressure. In contrast to most other studies investigating links between nutrition and health, the researchers did not rely on study participants reporting their diet, but instead measured flavanol intake objectively using nutritional biomarkers -- indicators of dietary intake, metabolism or nutritional status that are present in our blood ... The difference in blood pressure between those with the lowest 10% of flavanol intake and those with the highest 10% of intake was between 2 and 4 mmHg. This is comparable to meaningful changes in blood pressure observed in those following a Mediterranean diet or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. Notably, the effect was more pronounced in participants with hypertension." - See flavonoids at Amazon.com and flavonoids at iHerb.com.

Prenatal cannabis exposure linked to cognitive deficits, altered behavior - Science Daily, 10/14/20 - "While rats eventually caught on, those whose mothers were exposed to cannabis were more likely to revert to the old pattern and make regressive errors ... They also took more trials to learn the rules ... Male and female juvenile rats whose mothers were exposed to cannabis also engaged in far fewer play behaviors. The male rats were especially hesitant to engage with other rats in their initial social introductions ... Moreover, adult rats whose mothers were exposed to cannabis exhibited anxiety-like behavior in new environments.When placed in a large, elevated maze with open and closed arms, the rats were more likely to stay in the closed arms of the maze and explore the open, exposed arms less ... the finding is significant because it shows cannabis vapor administered to a rat during pregnancy may cause its offspring to have age-dependent effects well into adulthood"

More Evidence Links Coffee Intake to Reduced Parkinson's Risk - Medscape, 10/14/20 - "levels of caffeine were lower in patients with Parkinson's disease compared to control persons, but this difference was much greater in individuals carrying a mutation in the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene ... among individuals with a normal copy of the LRRK2 gene, for those with Parkinson's disease, plasma concentration of caffeine was 31% lower compared with individuals without Parkinson's ... Among people carrying LRRK2 gene mutations, for those who had Parkinson's, plasma concentration of caffeine was 76% lower than among those who did not have Parkinson's ... Carriers of the gene mutation who had Parkinson's also consumed less caffeine in their diet. The gene carriers with Parkinson's consumed 41% less caffeine per day than the people who did not have Parkinson's, both with and without the gene mutation"

Entresto Halves Renal Events in Preserved EF Heart Failure Patients - Medscape, 10/14/20 - "sacubitril/valsartan treatment, an angiotensin-receptor/neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI), cut the incidence of the combined renal endpoint — renal death, end-stage renal disease, or at least a 50% drop in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ... Also notable was that renal protection from sacubitril/valsartan was equally robust across the range of baseline kidney function"

Statins may reduce cancer risk through mechanisms separate to cholesterol - Science Daily, 10/13/20 - "Taken together, these results suggest that inhibiting HMGCR with statins may help reduce cancer risk though non-lipid lowering mechanisms, and that this role may apply across cancer sites ... This effect may operate through other properties of statins, including dampening down inflammation or reducing other chemicals produced by the same cellular machinery which synthesises cholesterol"

Abstracts from this week:

Effect of Vitamin D Status during Pregnancy on Infant Neurodevelopment: The ECLIPSES Study - Nutrients 2020 Oct 19 - "From an initial sample of 793 women (mean age 30.6) recruited before the 12th week of pregnancy, 422 mother–infant pairs were followed up to a postpartum visit. Vitamin D levels were assessed in the first and third trimesters of pregnancy, and socio-demographic, nutritional, and psychological variables were collected. At 40 days postpartum, the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-III were administered to the infants and several obstetrical data were recorded. Independently from several confounding factors, deficient vitamin D levels in the first trimester of pregnancy (<30 nmol/L) predicted a worse performance in cognitive and language skills. Language performance worsened with lower vitamin D levels (<20 nmol/L). In the third trimester, this highly deficient level was also associated with lower motor skills. Vitamin D deficiency was therefore associated with worse neurodevelopmental outcomes" - [Nutra USA] - See vitamin D at Amazon.com and vitamin D at iHerb.

Supplementation with Resveratrol, Piperine and Alpha-Tocopherol Decreases Chronic Inflammation in a Cluster of Older Adults with Metabolic Syndrome - Nutrients 2020 Oct 15 - "In order to assess the effect of a dietary supplement on chronic inflammation in MetS, we conducted a clinical trial with volunteers receiving a formula composed of resveratrol, piperine and alpha tocopherol (FRAMINTROL®), together with their habitual treatment, for three months ... The results showed that ferritin decreased by 10% (p < 0.05), US-CRP by 33% (p < 0.0001), oxygen consumption by 55% (p < 0.0001), and spontaneous chemiluminiscence was by 25% (p < 0.005) after treatment. As far as we know, this is the first study showing a chronic inflammation decrease in MetS patients due to the administration of a biopower Resveratrol-piperine and alpha tocopherol dietary supplement together with conventional therapy" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com and resveratrol at iHerb, piperine extract at Amazon.com and iHerb and vitamin E at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Supplementation with Red Wine Extract Increases Insulin Sensitivity and Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Sirt1 Expression in Nondiabetic Humans - Nutrients 2020 Oct 12 - "The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with a nonalcoholic red wine extract (RWE), including resveratrol and polyphenols, on insulin sensitivity and Sirt1 expression in nondiabetic humans ... Twelve subjects received supplementation with RWE, including 19.2 mg resveratrol and 136 mg polyphenols, daily for 8 weeks ... Supplementation with RWE for 8 weeks decreased the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), which indicates an increase in insulin sensitivity. Serum low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), triglyceride (TG) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were significantly decreased by RWE supplementation for 8 weeks. Additionally, Sirt1 mRNA expression in isolated PBMNCs was significantly increased after 8 weeks of RWE supplementation. Moreover, the rate of increase in Sirt1 expression was positively correlated with the rate of change in HOMA-IR. The administration of RWE increased Sirt1 and p-AMPK expression in cultured THP-1 cells. Supplementation with RWE improved metabolism, such as insulin sensitivity, lipid profile and inflammation, in humans. Additionally, RWE supplementation induced an increase in Sirt1 expression in PBMNCs, which may be associated with an improvement in insulin sensitivity" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com and resveratrol at iHerb.

Dietary Indole-3-Carbinol Alleviated Spleen Enlargement, Enhanced IgG Response in C3H/HeN Mice Infected with Citrobacter rodentium - Nutrients 2020 Oct 15 - "Enteropathogenic and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli are important enteric pathogens that induce hemorrhagic colitis or even fatal hemolytic uremic syndrome. Emerging evidence shows that some bio-actives derived from fruits and vegetables may serve as alternatives to antibiotics for overcoming multidrug resistant E. coli infections ... Dietary I3C significantly inhibited the loss of body weight and the increase in spleen size in Cr infected mice. In addition, I3C treatment reduced the inflammatory response to Cr infection by maintaining anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-22 mRNA levels while reducing expression of other pro-inflammatory cytokines including IL17A, IL6, IL1β, TNF-α, and IFN-γ. Moreover, the serum cytokine levels of IL17, TNF-α, IL12p70, and G-CSF also were down-regulated by I3C in Cr-infected mice. Additionally, dietary I3C specifically enhanced the Cr-specific IgG response to Cr infection. In general, dietary I3C reduced the Cr-induced pro-inflammatory response in susceptible C3H/HeN mice and alleviated the physiological changes and tissue damage induced by Cr infection but not Cr colonization" - See indole-3-carbinol at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Daily Consumption of Coffee and Eating Bread at Breakfast Time Is Associated with Lower Visceral Adipose Tissue and with Lower Prevalence of Both Visceral Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome in Japanese Populations: A Cross-Sectional Study - Nutrients 2020 Oct 11 - "Coffee consumption was associated with significantly lower proportions of visceral obesity (OR: 0.746, CI: 0.588-0.947) and metabolic syndrome (OR: 0.706, CI: 0.565-0.882). On the other hand, green tea was not associated with visceral obesity (OR: 1.105, CI: 0.885-1.380) or metabolic syndrome (OR: 0.980, CI: 0.796-1.206). The combination of daily drinking coffee and eating bread at breakfast time was associated with significantly lower proportions of obesity (OR: 0.613, CI: 0.500-0.751) (p = 0.911 for interaction), visceral obesity (OR: 0.549, CI: 0.425-0.710) (p = 0.991 for interaction), and metabolic syndrome (OR: 0.586, CI: 0.464-0.741) (p = 0.792 for interaction)."

• How to Brew Coffee - National Coffee Association - "Your brewer should maintain a water temperature between 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal extraction. Colder water will result in flat, under-extracted coffee, while water that is too hot will also cause a loss of quality in the taste of the coffee"

  • Which Single Serve Coffee Machine Makes The Hottest Coffee? - pickandbrew.com - "The recommended brew heat for coffee is between 195-205 degrees and to serve between 153-175 degrees ... Black And Decker Brew N’ Go ... 182 degrees ... Cuisinart SS-10 ... 177 degrees ... Bunn My Cafe MCU Coffee Maker ... 190 degrees ... Keurig 2.0 K575 Series ... 176 degrees ... TouchPlus T526S ... 200-205 degrees ... The TouchPlus doesn’t only heat it up like no other, but it also delivers in quality and taste" - See Touch Plus Single Serve Coffee Brewer T526S at Amazon.com.

Influences of Folate Supplementation on Homocysteine and Cognition in Patients with Folate Deficiency and Cognitive Impairment - Nutrients 2020 Oct 14 - "Although folate deficiency was reported to be associated with hyperhomocysteinemia, influence of folate supplementation on cognition remains controversial. Therefore, we explored the effects of folate supplementation on the cognition and Homocysteine (Hcy) level in relatively short periods in patients with folate deficiency and cognitive impairment. Enrolled 45 patients (mean age of 79.7 ± 7.9 years old) with folate deficiency (<3.6 ng/mL) with cognitive impairment underwent Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and laboratory examinations, including folate, vitamin B12, and Hcy ... Patients were administrated folate (5 mg/day), then Hcy, and MMSE score were re-examined after 28 to 63 days. Mean Hcy significantly decreased from 25.0 ± 18.0 to 11.0 ± 4.3 nmol/mL (p < 0.001). Average MMSE scores also significantly changed from 20.1 ± 4.7 to 22.2 ± 4.3 (p < 0.001). The degree of change in the MMSE score and basic Hcy or Hcy change was significantly positively correlated, while degree of hippocampal atrophy in MRI did not. Although several factors should be taken into account, folate supplementation ameliorated cognitive impairment, at least for a short period, in patients with folate deficiency" - See folic acid products at Amazon.com and iHerb.

The Effect of Perioperative Vitamin C on Postoperative Analgesic Consumption: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials - Nutrients 2020 Oct 12 - "These findings showed significant reductions in pain score and opioid requirement up to postoperative 24 h, respectively, suggesting the effectiveness of perioperative vitamin C use" - See American Health Ester-c With Citrus Bioflavonoids 500 Mg, 240 Count and and iHerb.com.

Choline Intake as Supplement or as a Component of Eggs Increases Plasma Choline and Reduces Interleukin-6 without Modifying Plasma Cholesterol in Participants with Metabolic Syndrome - Nutrients 2020 Oct 13 - "Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is characterized by low-grade inflammation and insulin resistance, which increase the risk of heart disease. Eggs have numerous nutrients including choline, carotenoids, and fat-soluble vitamins that may protect against these conditions. Egg phosphatidylcholine (PC) is a major contributor of dietary choline in the American diet. However, uncertainty remains regarding eggs due to their high concentration of cholesterol. In this study, we evaluated the effect of two sources of choline, whole eggs (a source of PC) and a choline supplement (choline bitartrate, CB), on plasma lipids, glucose, insulin resistance, and inflammatory biomarkers ... We recruited 23 subjects with MetS to participate in this randomized cross-over intervention. After a 2-week washout, with no choline intake, participants were randomly allocated to consume three eggs/day or CB (~400 mg choline/d for both) for 4 weeks. After a 3-week washout period, they were allocated to the alternate treatment. Dietary records indicated higher concentrations of vitamin E and selenium during the egg period (p < 0.01). Interestingly, there were no changes in plasma total, low density lipoprotein (LDL)- or high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, triglycerides, or glucose, compared either to baseline or between treatments. In contrast, interleukin-6 was reduced, with both sources of choline compared to baseline, while eggs also had an effect on lowering C-reactive protein, insulin, and insulin resistance compared to baseline. This study demonstrates that in a MetS population, intake of three eggs per day does not increase plasma LDL cholesterol, and has additional benefits on biomarkers of disease compared to a choline supplement, possibly due to the presence of other antioxidants in eggs" - See citicholine at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Effect of Omega-3 Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (n-3 LCPUFA) Supplementation on Cognition in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Literature Review with a Focus on n-3 LCPUFA Blood Values and Dose of DHA and EPA - Nutrients 2020 Oct 12 - "The aims of the current review were to investigate whether: (1) a certain O3I level and (2) a minimum daily n-3 LCPUFA dose are required to improve cognition in 4-25 year olds ... daily supplementation of ≥450 mg DHA + EPA per day and an increase in the O3I to >6% makes it more likely to show efficacy on cognition in children and adolescents" - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Taurine supplementation associated with exercise increases mitochondrial activity and fatty acid oxidation gene expression in the subcutaneous white adipose tissue of obese women - Clin Nutr 2020 Oct 5 - "A randomized and double-blind trial was developed with 24 obese women (BMI 33.1 ± 2.9 kg/m2, 32.9 ± 6.3 y) randomized into three groups: Taurine supplementation group (Tau, n = 8); Exercise group (Ex, n = 8); Taurine supplementation + exercise group (TauEx, n = 8). The intervention was composed of 3 g of taurine or placebo supplementation and exercise training for eight weeks ... Taurine supplementation associated with exercise improved lipid metabolism through the modulation of genes related to mitochondrial activity and fatty acid oxidation, suggesting a browning effect in the scWAT of obese women" - See taurine at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Chlorogenic Acid Suppresses miR-155 and Ameliorates Ulcerative Colitis Through the NF-κB/NLRP3 inflammasome Pathway - Mol Nutr Food Res 2020 Oct 20 - "These findings indicate that CGA prevented colitis by downregulating miR-155 expression and inactivating the NF-κB/NLRP3 inflammasome pathway in macrophages. The current study may have promising therapeutic implications in the treatment of ulcerative colitis" - See chlorogenic acid at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Is there an association between a history of military service and cancer diagnosis? Results from a US national-level study of self-reported outcomes - Cancer Causes Control 2020 Oct 16 - "Compared to men with no military service history, men with a military service history were older (median of 65 [IQR 56, 74] vs. 53 [IQR 41, 62] years, p < 0.0001), more commonly Caucasian (71.4% vs. 61.4%, p < 0.0001), born in the US (95.6% vs. 79.5%, p < 0.0001), attained higher education level and annual household income (p < 0.0001), and consisted of more smokers(58.3% vs. 44.5%, p < 0.0001). The age-adjusted comparison demonstrated a higher cancer prevalence in men with military service history (20.5% vs. 7.6%, p < 0.0001). Specifically, genitourinary, dermatological, gastrointestinal, and hematological cancers were generally more prevalent. Adjusting for all available confounders, multivariable models showed that military service history was associated with 1.56 (95% CI 1.20-2.03), and 1.57 (95% CI 1.07-2.31) increased odds of having any cancer, and specifically genitourinary cancer, respectively"

Protective Effects of Grape Seed Proanthocyanidins on the Kidneys of Diabetic Rats through the Nrf2 Signalling Pathway - Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2020 Sep 29 - "Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the most common cause of end-stage renal failure. Grape seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSPE) is a powerful antioxidant that is believed to protect the kidney through antioxidant action ... Ten healthy Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly selected as controls. Rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes were randomly divided into three groups (10 animals/group): type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) group (untreated), L-GSPE group (treated with 125-mg/kg/day GSPE for 8 weeks), and H-GSPE group (treated with 250 mg/kg/day GSPE for 8 weeks) ... Compared with the T2DM group, the H-GSPE group had significantly reduced kidney weight and renal index. Similarly, the levels of fasting blood glucose, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, uric acid, urinary albumin, and renal malondialdehyde (p < 0.05) were also significantly decreased. In addition, GSPE significantly increased the levels of superoxide dismutase, total antioxidative capability, and glutathione (p < 0.05) as well as the protein levels of Nrf2, HO-1, glutathione S-transferase, and NAD (P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 ... The results indicate that GSPE reduced renal damage in rats with diabetes by activating the Nrf2 signalling pathway, which consequently increased the antioxidant capacity of the tissue. Therefore, GSPE is a potential natural agent for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy" - See grape seed extract at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Metformin use in elderly population with diabetes reduced the risk of dementia in a dose-dependent manner, based on the Korean NHIS-HEALS cohort - Diabetes Res Clin Pract 2020 Oct 14 - "Participants were divided into five groups: metformin non-users with diabetes mellitus (DM), metformin users with DM (low-, mid-, and high-users), and non-diabetic Individuals ... The median follow-up was 12.4 years. The overall incidence rate of dementia was 11.3% (8.4% in men and 13.9% in women). Compared with metformin non-users, hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of low-, mid-, and high-users and non-diabetic individuals for dementia were 0.97 (0.73-1.28), 0.77 (0.58-1.01), 0.48 (0.35-0.67), and 0.98 (0.84-1.15), respectively, in men, respectively, and 0.90 (0.65-0.98), 0.61 (0.50-0.76), 0.46 (0.36-0.58), and 0.92 (0.81-1.04), respectively, in women, after full adjustment of confounding variables" - See metformin at ReliableRX.

Metformin ameliorates skeletal muscle atrophy in Grx1 KO mice by regulating intramuscular lipid accumulation and glucose utilization - Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020 Oct 14 - "Disorder in lipid metabolism and glucose utilization could impair the quality and function of skeletal muscle. Glutaredoxin-1 (Grx1) acts as a vital metabolic regulator of redox homeostasis ... intraperitoneal injection of metformin for 15 consecutive days ameliorated skeletal muscle atrophy caused by Grx1 deficiency to a certain extent. Taken together, these findings indicate that Grx1 deficiency might induce skeletal muscle atrophy by regulating the intramuscular lipid deposition and glucose utilization, which could be attenuated by metformin. Therefore, the expression or activity of Grx1 may be a pharmacological approach to ameliorate muscle atrophy diseases, such as sarcopenia" - See metformin at ReliableRX.

Combination of metformin and RG7388 enhances inhibition of growth and induction of apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway - Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020 Oct 10 - "reactive oxygen species (ROS) ... The combination of MET and RG7388 significantly increased growth inhibition, apoptosis, and ROS of A2780 and SKOV3 cells compared with either agent alone. Additionally, in vitro and in vivo results showed that MET and/or RG7388 inhibited the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway and their combination had a stronger effect. Our findings suggest that the combination of MET and RG7388 enhances growth inhibition and apoptosis induction of ovarian cancer cells through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and accumulation of intracellular ROS." - See metformin at ReliableRX.

Dietary quercetin attenuates depressive-like behaviors by inhibiting astrocyte reactivation in response to stress - Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020 Oct 12 - "The mechanisms underlying the antidepressant activity of quercetin are unknown. We investigated the effect of a quercetin-enriched diet (2 g/kg and 0.5 g/kg doses) on chronic social defeat stress (CSDS)-induced depressive-like behaviors in mice. The 2 g/kg quercetin-enriched diet attenuated depressive-like behaviors when introduced before CSDS (long-term). The long-term 0.5 g/kg quercetin-enriched diet showed a trend toward behavioral improvement ... These findings highlight the key role of astrocyte reactivation in the regulation of quercetin neuroprotective activity and suggest that a diet high in quercetin, whether as a fruit- and vegetable-rich diet or food additive may help cope with stress" - See quercetin at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Serum testosterone is inversely, and sex hormone-binding globulin directly, associated with all-cause mortality in men - J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2020 Oct 16 - "Lower serum testosterone is independently associated with higher all-cause and cancer-related, but not CVD-related, mortality in middle-aged to older men. Lower SHBG is independently associated with lower all-cause, CVD-related and cancer-related mortality"

Testosterone, Dihydrotestosterone, Bone Density, and Hip Fracture Risk among Older Men: The Cardiovascular Health Study - Metabolism 2020 Oct 12 - "In older men, DHT was inversely associated with hip fracture risk and SHBG was positively associated with hip fracture risk, while T was not"

The effect of cranberry consumption on lipid metabolism and inflammation in human apolipoprotein A-I transgenic mice fed a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet - Br J Nutr 2020 Oct 16 - "This study investigated whether the consumption of cranberry (CR; Vaccinium macrocarpon) can alter high-density lipoprotein (HDL) metabolism and prevent inflammation in mice expressing human apolipoprotein A-I transgene (hApoAITg), which have similar HDL profiles to those of humans. Male hApoAITg mice were fed a modified American Institute of Nutrition-93M high-fat/high-cholesterol diet (16% fat, 0.25% cholesterol, w/w; n=15) or high-fat/high-cholesterol diet containing CR (5 % dried CR powder, w/w, n=16) for 8 weeks. There were no significant differences in body weight between the groups. Serum total cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations were significantly lower in control than CR group with no significant differences in serum HDL-C and apoA-I ... In conclusion, although CR consumption elicited minor effects on HDL metabolism, it prevented obesity-induced inflammation in eWAT with concomitant alterations in soleus muscle energy metabolism" - See cranberry extract at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Glucosamine and chondroitin supplements and risk of colorectal adenoma and serrated polyp - Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020 Oct 14 - "Analyses include 43,163 persons from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS), Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS), and NHS2 who reported on glucosamine/chondroitin use in 2002 and who subsequently underwent ≥1 lower gastrointestinal endoscopy ... Glucosamine/chondroitin use was inversely associated with high-risk and any conventional adenoma in NHS and HPFS: in the pooled multivariable-adjusted model, glucosamine+chondroitin use at baseline was associated with a 26% (OR=0.74, 95% CI=0.60-0.90, P-heterogeneity=0.23) and a 10% (OR=0.90, 95% CI=0.81-0.99, P-heterogeneity=0.36) lower risk of high-risk adenoma and overall conventional adenoma, respectively. However, no association was observed in NHS2, a study of younger women (high-risk adenoma: OR=1.09, 95% CI=0.82-1.45; overall conventional adenoma: OR=1.00, 95% CI=0.86-1.17), and effect estimates pooled across all three studies were not significant (high-risk: OR=0.83; 95% CI=0.63-1.10, P-heterogeneity=0.03; overall conventional adenoma: OR=0.93" - See glucosamine hydrochloride at Amazon.com and iHerb and chondroitin sulfate at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Beetroot supplemented diet exhibit anti-amnesic effect via modulation of cholinesterases, purinergic enzymes, monoamine oxidase and attenuation of redox imbalance in the brain of scopolamine treated male rats - Nutr Neurosci 2020 Oct 15 - "beetroot supplemented diet (BRSD) ... Rats were fed with BRSD (2 and 4%) for 14 days and administered with 2 mg/kg of SCOP intraperitoneally on the last day. Morris water Maze and Y-maze tests were performed to assess cognitive function ... BRSD improved cognitive function by increasing memory index in SCOP treated rats. An increase in NTPdase, ADA, MAO, and ACE activities were observed in the brain of rats treated with SCOP. However, the activities of these enzymes were significantly lower after treatment with BRSD. Treatment with BRSD triggered a significant increase in catalase activity, T-SH and NP-SH levels in SCOP-treated rats. Catechin, 6,7-benzocoumarin, gentisin, 5,7-dimethoxyflavone, and vulgaxanthin I was identified in beetroots" - See beet root capsules at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Non-Viable Lactobacillus johnsonii JNU3402 Protects against Diet-Induced Obesity - Foods, 19 Oct 20 - "In this study, the role of non-viable Lactobacillus johnsonii JNU3402 (NV-LJ3402) in diet-induced obesity was investigated in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). To determine whether NV-LJ3402 exhibits a protective effect against diet-induced obesity, 7-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were fed a normal diet, an HFD, or an HFD with NV-LJ3402 for 14 weeks. NV-LJ3402 administration was associated with a significant reduction in body weight gain and in liver, epididymal, and inguinal white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue weight in HFD-fed mice. Concomitantly, NV-LJ3402 administration to HFD-fed mice also decreased the triglyceride levels in the plasma and metabolic tissues and slightly improved insulin resistance. Furthermore, NV-LJ3402 enhanced gene programming for energy dissipation in the WATs of HFD-fed mice as well as in 3T3-L1 adipocytes with increased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) transcriptional activity, suggesting that the PPARγ pathway plays a key role in mediating the anti-obesity effect of NV-LJ3402 in HFD-fed mice. Furthermore, NV-LJ3402 administration in HFD-fed mice enhanced mitochondrial levels and function in WATs and also increased the body temperature upon cold exposure. Together, these results suggest that NV-LJ3402 could be safely used to develop dairy products that ameliorate diet-induced obesity and hyperlipidemia" - [Nutra USA] - See Lactobacillus johnsonii at Amazon.com.

Enhanced physical and cognitive performance in active duty Airmen: evidence from a randomized multimodal physical fitness and nutritional intervention - Sci Rep 2020 Oct 19 - "Achieving military mission objectives requires high levels of performance from Airmen who operate under extreme physical and cognitive demands. Thus, there is a critical need to establish scientific interventions to enhance physical fitness and cognitive performance-promoting the resilience of Airmen and aiding in mission success. We therefore conducted a comprehensive, 12-week randomized controlled trial in active-duty Air Force Airmen (n = 148) to compare the efficacy of a multimodal intervention comprised of high-intensity interval aerobic fitness and strength training paired with a novel nutritional supplement [comprised of β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate (HMB), lutein, phospholipids, DHA and selected micronutrients including B12 and folic acid] to high-intensity interval aerobic fitness and strength training paired with a standard of care placebo beverage. The exercise intervention alone improved several dimensions of physical fitness [strength and endurance (+ 8.3%), power (+ 0.85%), mobility and stability (+ 22%), heart rate (- 1.1%) and lean muscle mass (+ 1.4%)] and cognitive function [(episodic memory (+ 9.5%), processing efficiency (+ 7.5%), executive function reaction time (- 4.8%) and fluid intelligence accuracy (+ 19.5%)]. Relative to exercise training alone, the multimodal fitness and nutritional intervention further improved working memory (+ 9.0%), fluid intelligence reaction time (- 7.7%), processing efficiency (+ 1.8%), heart rate (- 2.4%) and lean muscle mass (+ 1.5%)" - [Nutra USA] - See HMB at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Effects of a Psychobiotic Supplement on Serum Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels in Depressive Patients: A Post Hoc Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial - J Neurogastroenterol Motil 2020 Sep 30 - "Psychobiotics are probiotics or prebiotics that, upon ingestion in adequate amounts, yield positive influence on mental health via microbiota-gut-brain axis regulation to modulate the circulating cytokines, chemokines, neurotransmitters, or neurotrophins levels. We have recently shown that a psychobiotic combination (Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175; CEREBIOME) significantly improved depression symptoms in patients with depression. Recent animal data suggest the influence of the gut microbiota on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which was shown to correlate with antidepressant response in depressive patients. Therefore, we conducted this exploratory post hoc analysis of BDNF levels to clarify the mechanism of action of this psychobiotic in our cohort ... We compared serum BDNF levels from participants at baseline and endpoint, and assessed the Pearson correlation between depression severity and BDNF levels for each intervention ... We found that post-intervention BDNF levels were significantly different between groups (P < 0.001). Furthermore, BDNF levels increased significantly in the probiotic group compared to both the prebiotic (P < 0.001) and placebo" - [Nutra USA] - See probiotic supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb and prebiotic supplements at Amazon.com and prebiotic supplements at iHerb.

Clinical evaluation of the pharmacological impact of ashwagandha root extract on sleep in healthy volunteers and insomnia patients: A double-blind, randomized, parallel-group, placebo-controlled study - J Ethnopharmacol 2020 Aug 17 - "In both healthy and insomnia subjects, there was a significant improvement in the sleep parameters in the Ashwagandha root extract supplemented group. The improvement was found more significant in insomnia subjects than healthy subjects. Repeat measure Analysis of variance (ANOVA) confirmed the significant improvement in SOL (p 0.013), HAM-A outcomes (p < 0.05), mental alertness (p 0.01), and sleep quality (p < 0.05) of the insomnia patients. A two-way ANOVA was used to confirm the outcomes that denoted sleep onset latency (p < 0.0001) and sleep efficiency (p < 0.0001) as the most improved parameters, followed by TST (p < 0.002) and WASO(p < 0.040). All these parameters (SOL, TST, WASO, TIB, SE, PSQI, HAM-A, Mental Alertness, and Sleep quality) were also statistically assessed for the significant improvement within the group both for the treatment, and the placebo groups in the healthy and the insomnia datasets. Obtained results suggest statistically significant (p < 0.0001) changes between the baseline values and the end of the study results except for the HAM-A and the mental alertness scoresn the healthy subject group." - [Nutra USA] - See ashwagandha at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Effects of a Rhodiola rosea extract on mental resource allocation and attention: An event‐related potential dual task study - Phytother Res 2020 Jun 27 - "A total of 50 adult participants were treated with 2 × 200 mg R. rosea extract (Rosalin®, WS® 1,375) for 12 weeks and were subjected to a neuropsychological test battery as well as an event-related brain potential measurement in a dual task paradigm prior to administration, after 6 weeks and after 12 weeks. The study followed a single-arm open-label design. Reaction times improved for the attention network task (ANT), the Go/Nogo task, and the divided attention task. Moreover, the orienting effect and the executive effect in the ANT showed an improvement. The P3 component in a dual task paradigm was increased in amplitude. The results of this pilot study show an improvement of mental speed and moreover, suggest improved mental resources" - [Nutra USA] - See Rhodiola rosea at Amazon.com and iHerb.

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