Recent Longevity News for the week ending 11/11/20

Researchers use 'big data' approach to identify melatonin as possible COVID-19 treatment - Science Daily, 11/9/20 - "a novel artificial intelligence platform developed by Lerner Research Institute researchers to identify possible drugs for COVID-19 repurposing has revealed melatonin as a promising candidate ... Analysis of patient data from Cleveland Clinic's COVID-19 registry also revealed that melatonin usage was associated with a nearly 30 percent reduced likelihood of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) after adjusting for age, race, smoking history and various disease comorbidities. Notably, the reduced likelihood of testing positive for the virus increased from 30 to 52 percent for African Americans when adjusted for the same variables." - See

Marijuana use associated with complications after heart attack or procedures - AHA, 11/9/20 - "Two separate studies find dangerous complications following heart procedures for marijuana users ... Smoking marijuana (also known as cannabis) may significantly increase the risk of stroke and bleeding following procedures to open blocked arterie ... Similarly, marijuana users who had a heart attack or procedures to open blocked arteries were more likely to be readmitted to the hospital for a second heart attack or cardiac procedure than non-users"

Pfizer Vaccine Data Show 90% Efficacy in Early Results - Medscape, 11/9/20 - "38,955 trial volunteers had received a second dose of either vaccine or placebo as of November 8. An interim analysis of 94 individuals conducted by an independent data monitoring committee (DMC) found that the vaccine efficacy rate was above 90% 7 days after the second dose. This means that protection was achieved 28 days after the first vaccine dose"

Dietary Polyunsaturated Fat Intake in Relation to Head and Neck, Esophageal, and Gastric Cancer Incidence in the National Institutes of Health–AARP Diet and Health Study - Medscape, 11/3/20 - "Long-chain n-3 PUFAs were associated with a 20% decreased HNC and EA risk (for HNC, quintile5 vs. 1 hazard ratio = 0.81, 95% confidence interval: 0.71, 0.92, and BH-adjusted P trend = 0.001; and for EA, quintile5 vs. 1 hazard ratio = 0.79, 95% confidence interval: 0.64, 0.98, and BH-adjusted P trend = 0.1). Similar associations were observed for nonfried fish but only for high intake. Further, the ratio of long-chain n-3:n-6 was associated with a decreased HNC and EA risk. No consistent associations were observed for gastric cancer. Our results indicate that dietary long-chain n-3 PUFA and nonfried fish intake are associated with lower HNC and EA risk" - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Flu Shot May Shield You From Severe COVID - WebMD, 11/2/20 - "COVID patients who had not received a flu vaccine within the last year had 2.4 times greater odds of being hospitalized and 3.3 times greater chance of being transferred to the ICU ... Unfortunately, we do not know why the flu vaccine would have this beneficial side effect," he said. "Our study did not look at this specifically. [But] if one looks at the available scientific studies, we can guess that the flu vaccine might increase natural killer cell activity, a type of immune cell that has been shown to target cancer and cells infected by viruses ... The flu vaccine may also stimulate a patient's immune system to step up and fight off COVID-19 more quickly and rigorously than otherwise"

Vitamin D levels during pregnancy linked with child IQ - Science Daily, 11/2/20 - "as many as 80% of Black pregnant women in the U.S. may be deficient in vitamin D. Of the women who participated in the study, approximately 46% of the mothers were deficient in vitamin D during their pregnancy, and vitamin D levels were lower among Black women compared to White women ... After controlling for several other factors related to IQ, higher vitamin D levels in pregnancy were associated with higher IQ in children ages 4 to 6 years old. Although observational studies like this one cannot prove causation, Melough believes her findings have important implications and warrant further research." - See vitamin D at Amazon.com and vitamin D at iHerb.

Beetroot peptide as potential drug candidate for treating diseases - Science Daily, 10/30/20 - "The beetroot peptide specifically inhibits prolyl oligopeptidase (POP), which is involved in the breakdown of protein hormones in the body and is therefore able to regulate inflammatory reactions. POP is a much-discussed drug target for neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases, such as Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis, for example. "This means that, in future studies, this group of plant peptides called 'knottins', such as those found in beetroot, could potentially provide a drug candidate for treating these diseases."" - See beet root capsules at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Statins Linked to Lower Risk for Colorectal Cancer - Medscape, 10/28/20 - "In more than 15,000 patients with IBD, statin use was associated with a 60% reduced risk of CRC ... In the non-IBD population, statin use was associated with a 20% reduced risk of CRC"

Probiotic Blend May Help Patients With GI Symptoms - Medscape, 10/28/20 - "evaluated the safety and efficacy of a five-strain probiotic blend - comprised of Bl-04, Bi-07, HN019, NCFM, and Lpc-37 - in people with functional GI disturbances ... In the open-label, multicenter study, all 188 adult participants - mean age, 44.1 years; 72.3% female - demonstrated symptoms of functional GI disturbances. Each received an oral capsule of the probiotic blend once daily for 30 days ... By day 30, 85.1% of patients had achieved the primary end point and indicated a positive response when asked about their overall GI well-being. All of the improvements reported at day 30 were generally observed at day 14 as well" - See probiotic supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Study finds sharp fall in immunity after coronavirus infection - Politico, 10/27/20 - "in a random sample of more than 365,000 adults in the U.K. from June to September, the presence of antibodies fell for all age groups. It fell from 6 percent to 4.4 percent over that time."

Over 80 percent of COVID-19 patients have vitamin D deficiency, study finds - Science Daily, 10/27/20 - "The researchers found 80 percent of 216 COVID-19 patients at the Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla had vitamin D deficiency, and men had lower vitamin D levels than women. COVID-19 patients with lower vitamin D levels also had raised serum levels of inflammatory markers such as ferritin and D-dimer" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com and vitamin D at iHerb.

Artificially sweetened drinks may not be heart healthier than sugary drinks - Science Daily, 10/26/20 - "researchers looked at data from the French NutriNet-Santé cohort to investigate the relationship between the risk of cardiovascular disease and consuming sugary drinks and artificially sweetened drinks ... Compared to non-consumers, both higher consumers of sugary drinks and of artificially sweetened beverages had higher risks of first incident cardiovascular disease, after taking into account a wide range of confounding factors"

Higher Serum Omega-3 Tied to Better Outcome After STEMI - Medscape, 10/27/20 - "Regular consumption of foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids was associated with improved prognosis after ST-segment myocardial infarction (STEMI) ... plasma levels of fatty acids at the time of the STEMI were inversely associated with both incident major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and cardiovascular readmissions (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.76 and 0.74 for 1-SD increase; for both" - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb.

CV Benefit of Eicosapentaenoic Acid Seen at All eGFR Levels - Medscape, 10/27/20 - "The primary end point was a composite of CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, coronary revascularization, and unstable angina. The key secondary end point was a combination of CV death, MI, and stroke ... At a mean follow-up of 4.9 years, there was a 25% relative risk reduction and a 4.8% absolute risk reduction in the primary composite end point in the REDUCE-IT study"

Abstracts from this week:

The impact of vitamin D supplementation as an adjuvant therapy on clinical outcomes in patients with severe atopic dermatitis: A randomized controlled trial - Pharmacol Res Perspect 2020 Dec - "Vitamin D supplementation with standard treatment yielded positive clinical outcomes in mild and moderate atopic dermatitis; however, the potential benefit of vitamin D in severe cases remains unclear ... The patients were randomized to receive either vitamin D 3 1600 IU/day or placebo, plus baseline therapy of topical 1% hydrocortisone cream twice daily for 12 weeks. The primary endpoints were the change in mean Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) score at the end of the study and the mean percent change in EASI score from baseline to week 12. Eighty-six subjects completed the study. The treated group achieved a significant higher level of 25 hydroxy vitamin D (P < .001) compared to control group at week 12. The mean EASI score was significantly lower in the treatment group compared to placebo group (P = .035). The percent change in EASI score from baseline differed significantly between the supplementation (56.44 ± 29.33) and placebo (42.09 ± 19.22) groups after intervention (P = .039). Vitamin D supplementation could be an effective adjuvant treatment that improves the clinical outcomes in severe atopic dermatitis" - [Nutra USA] - See vitamin D at Amazon.com and vitamin D at iHerb.

Vitamin D Supplementation Associated to Better Survival in Hospitalized Frail Elderly COVID-19 Patients: The GERIA-COVID Quasi-Experimental Study - Nutrients 2020, 12(11), 3377 - "Intervention groups were participants regularly supplemented with vitamin D over the preceding year (Group 1), and those supplemented with vitamin D after COVID-19 diagnosis (Group 2). The comparator group involved participants having received no vitamin D supplements (Group 3) ... In Group 1 (n = 29), 93.1% of COVID-19 participants survived at day 14, compared to 81.2% survivors in Group 2 (n = 16) (p = 0.33) and 68.7% survivors in Group 3 (n = 32) (p = 0.02). While considering Group 3 as reference (hazard ratio (HR) = 1), the fully-adjusted HR for 14-day mortality was HR = 0.07 (p = 0.017) for Group 1 and HR = 0.37 (p = 0.28) for Group 2. Group 1 had longer survival time than Group 3 (log-rank p = 0.015), although there was no difference between Groups 2 and 3 (log-rank p = 0.32). Group 1, but not Group 2 (p = 0.40), was associated with lower risk of OSCI score ≥5 compared to Group 3 (odds ratio = 0.08, p= 0.03). Conclusions. Regular bolus vitamin D supplementation was associated with less severe COVID-19 and better survival in frail elderly" - [Nutra USA] - See vitamin D at Amazon.com and vitamin D at iHerb.

Maternal Plasma 25-Hydroxyvitamin D during Gestation Is Positively Associated with Neurocognitive Development in Offspring at Age 4-6 Years - J Nutr 2020 Nov 2 - "Second-trimester maternal 25(OH)D was positively associated with IQ at 4-6 y, suggesting that gestational vitamin D status may be an important predictor of neurocognitive development. These findings may help inform prenatal nutrition recommendations and may be especially relevant for Black and other dark-skinned women at high risk of vitamin D deficiency" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com and vitamin D at iHerb.

Maternal age at last birth and leukocyte telomere length in a nationally representative population of perimenopausal and postmenopausal women - Menopause 2020 Nov;27 - "Maternal age at last birth was positively associated with telomere length: the multivariable-adjusted least-squares geometric mean leukocyte telomere length across categories of age at last birth (<25, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, ≥40 y) was 0.90, 0.93, 0.93, 0.95, and 0.96, respectively (P trend = 0.04). There was suggestive evidence this association may be restricted to those women with one or two live births or women who reported ever using oral contraceptives"

The effect of Fennel seed powder on estradiol levels, menopausal symptoms, and sexual desire in postmenopausal women - Menopause 2020 Nov;27 - "The intervention and control groups received four capsules of Fennel seed powder (2 gr) and starch-containing capsules (2 gr) daily over 8 weeks, respectively ... The results of the present study indicated that daily use of Fennel seed significantly improved menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women over 8 weeks, though its effect on estradiol levels and sexual desire was not significant" - See Fennel seed at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Circulating Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Incident Adverse Events in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction - J Am Coll Cardiol 2020 Nov 3 - "ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) ... Elevated serum-PC EPA and ALA levels at the time of STEMI were associated with a lower risk of clinical adverse events. Consumption of foods rich in these fatty acids might improve the prognosis of STEMI" - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Whey Protein Drink Ingestion before Breakfast Suppressed Energy Intake at Breakfast and Lunch, but Not during Dinner, and Was Less Suppressed in Healthy Older than Younger Men - Nutrients. 2020 Oct 29 - "These findings support the use of whey-protein drink supplements in older people who aim to increase their protein intake without decreasing their overall energy intake" - See whey protein at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Effects of L-Carnitine Supplementation in Patients Receiving Hemodialysis or Peritoneal Dialysis - Nutrients 2020 Nov 1 - "L-carnitine is an important factor in fatty acid metabolism, and carnitine deficiency is common in dialysis patients. This study evaluated whether L-carnitine supplementation improved muscle spasm, cardiac function, and renal anemia in dialysis patients. Eighty Japanese outpatients (62 hemodialysis (HD) patients and 18 peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients) received oral L-carnitine (600 mg/day) for 12 months; the HD patients further received intravenous L-carnitine injections (1000 mg three times/week) for 12 months, amounting to 24 months of treatment ... There was no significant improvement in muscle spasms, although decreased muscle cramping after L-carnitine treatment was reported by 31% of patients who had undergone HD for >4 years. Hemoglobin concentrations increased significantly at 12 and 24 months in the HD group. Therefore, L-carnitine may be effective for reducing muscle cramping and improving hemoglobin levels in dialysis patients, especially those who have been undergoing dialysis for >4 years" - See L-carnitine at Amazon.com.

Nutrition Can Help DNA Repair in the Case of Aging - Nutrients 2020 Nov 1 - "Micronutrients such as vitamins and trace elements are crucial for maintaining the health of all organisms. Micronutrients are involved in every cellular/biochemical process. They play roles in proper heart and brain functioning, influence immunological responses, and antioxidant defense systems. Therefore, prolonged deficiency in one or more micronutrients leads to cardiovascular or neurodegenerative disorders. Keeping micronutrients at adequate levels is especially important for seniors. They are prone to deficiencies due to age-associated functional decline and often to a diet poor in nutrients. Moreover, lack of micronutrients has an indirect impact on the genome. Their low levels reduce the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and therefore inhibit the efficiency of defense against free radicals which can lead to the formation of DNA lesions. The more DNA damage in the genetic material, the faster aging at the cellular level and a higher risk of pathological processes (e.g., carcinogenesis). Supplementation of crucial antioxidative micronutrients such as selenium, zinc, vitamin C, and vitamin E seems to have the potential to positively influence the condition of an aging organism, including minimizing inflammation, enhancing antioxidative defense, and limiting the formation of DNA lesions. In consequence, it may lead to lowering the risk and incidence of age-related diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and malnutrition. In this article, we attempt to present the synergistic action of selected antioxidant micronutrients (vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, and zinc) for inhibiting oxidative stress and DNA damage, which may impede the process of healthy aging" - See multivitamins at Amazon.com.

Vitamin D and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD): An Update - Nutrients 2020 Oct 28 - "Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the first cause of chronic liver disease worldwide; it ranges from simple steatosis to steatohepatitis (NASH) and, potentially, cirrhosis and hepatocarcinoma. NAFLD is also an independent risk factor for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and mortality. As it is largely associated with insulin resistance and related disorders, NAFLD has been recently re-named as Metabolic dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD) ... Evidence so far available supports the hypothesis of potential benefits of vitamin D supplementation in selected populations of NAFLD patients, as those with shorter disease duration and mild to moderate liver damage" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com and vitamin D at iHerb.

Novel predictive risk factor for Erectile Dysfunction: Serum folic acid - Andrologia 2020 Nov 3 - "The purpose of this study was to compare the serum Folic Acid (FA) levels in patients with Erectile Dysfunction (ED) and healthy controls and whether levels vary with its severity. The study was carried out on 77 sexually active individuals, out of which 41 complained of ED and 36 were apparently normal. Patients were excluded if they had any diseases known to cause ED ... FA levels were significantly decreased in ED group (5.29 vs. 10.8; p value = .004). Smoking habits were comparable between the groups, and FA levels did not vary among smokers and nonsmokers (p value = .46). Serum FA levels significantly declined with increasing severity of ED (8.28 vs. 5.56 vs. 4.37 vs. 3.5; p value < .001). Thus, decreased FA might possibly be one of the novel risk factors for ED" - See folic acid products at Amazon.com and iHerb.

The impact of acute beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) ingestion on glucose and insulin kinetics in young and older men - J Funct Foods 2020 Oct;73:104163 - "Insulin resistance (IR) is a key feature in the development of numerous metabolic diseases. The cornerstone for treatment for IR remains diet and exercise, however these have poor rates of adherence. Beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) is a nutraceutical with contentious effects on IR in animal models ... Young and older male volunteers underwent two 75 g OGTT with or without 3 g HMB. In young men, HMB significantly reduced the insulin area-under-the-curve (AUC), with no difference in glucose AUC, resulting in a numerical increase in the Cederholm index of insulin sensitivity. In older men, HMB had no effect on insulin or glucose responses" - See HMB at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Inverse Association Between Riboflavin Intake and New-Onset Hypertension: A Nationwide Cohort Study in China - Hypertension 2020 Nov 2 - "A total of 12 245 participants who were free of hypertension at baseline from China Health and Nutrition Survey were included. Dietary intake was measured by 3 consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls combined with a household food inventory ... Overall, there was a nonlinear, inverse association between total, plant-based, or animal-based riboflavin intake and new-onset hypertension (all P for nonlinearity, <0.001). The risk of new-onset hypertension was increased only in participants with relatively lower riboflavin intake. Accordingly, a significantly lower risk of new-onset hypertension was found in participants in quartiles 2 to 4 of total riboflavin intake (hazard ratio, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.68-0.80]), plant-derived riboflavin intake (hazard ratio, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.71-0.84]), or animal-derived riboflavin intake (hazard ratio, 0.70 [95% CI, 0.65-0.77]), compared with those in quartile 1. In addition, the association between total riboflavin intake and new-onset hypertension was particularly evident in those with lower dietary sodium/potassium intake ratio" - See B complex supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Coffee, Black Tea, and Green Tea Consumption in Relation to Plasma Metabolites in an Asian Population - Mol Nutr Food Res 2020 Oct 29 - "Coffee, black tea, and green tea consumption were associated with plasma levels of certain classes of sphingolipids and acylcarnitines in an Asian population, particularly sphingomyelins, which may mediate the health benefits of these beverages"

Estimation of folic acid/micro nutrients levels; does it reflect sperm parameters - Int J Clin Pract 2020 Oct 30 - "It was declared that with every 1 unit increase in vitamin B12, FA and MMA the prevalence of infertility was decreased by 1%, 17% and 74% respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that vitamin B12, FA and MMA had a significant association with total sperm count, motility and morphology. The sperm parameters were also affected by increase in; LH, BMI and body fat %. There was a significant positive correlation of; LH with Vitamin B12 and FA (0.423<0.001,0.338 <0.001) and testosterone with vitamin B12 and FA (0.326<0.001,0.291<0.001) respectively" - See folic acid products at Amazon.com and iHerb.

The Role of the Gut Microbiota in Coronary Heart Disease - Curr Atheroscler Rep 2020 Oct 16 - "A consensus has been reached that differences exist in the gut microbiotas of patients with coronary heart disease. Studies have shown that the gut microbiota is associated with obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension, which are risk factors for coronary heart disease. The gut microbiota is involved in mediating basic metabolic processes, such as cholesterol metabolism, uric acid metabolism, oxidative stress, and inflammatory reactions, through its metabolites, which can induce the development of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Interfering with the composition of gut microbiota, supplementing probiotics, and fecal donation are active areas of research to potentially prevent and treat coronary heart disease. Gut microbiota are causally associated with coronary heart disease. We analyzed the gut microbiota's effects on risk factors for coronary heart disease and studied the effects of gut microbiota metabolites on coronary heart disease. Gut microbiota is a potential target for preventing and treating coronary heart disease." - See probiotic supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Green tea consumption and influenza infection among Japanese employees - Eur J Clin Nutr 2020 Nov 2 - "case-control study in a cohort of 4302 workers. Consumption frequency of green tea in 2011 and physician-diagnosed influenza that occurred over the winter season from November 2011 through April 2012 were ascertained using a self-administered questionnaire ... the multivariable-adjusted odds ratio for green tea consumption of ≥5 cups/week was 0.61 (95% CI 0.39-0.95) compared with <1 cup/week (P for trend = 0.028). When analysis was restricted to cases confirmed using a diagnostic kit, the corresponding value was 0.68" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com and green tea extract at iHerb.

Pioglitazone corrects dysregulation of skeletal muscle mitochondrial proteins involved in ATP synthesis in type 2 diabetes - Metabolism 2020 Oct 30 - "skeletal muscle (SKLM) ... Type 2 diabetes is associated with reduced levels of mitochondrial proteins involved in oxidative phosphorylation and an increased abundance of enzymes implicated in fatty acid catabolism in SKLM. PIO treatment is able to improve SKLM mitochondrial proteomic profile in subjects with T2DM" - See pioglitazone at ReliableRXPharmacy.  For some reason, since COVID, everyone is sold out.  I've been trying to buy it also.

Re-esterified DHA improves ventilatory threshold 2 in competitive amateur cyclists - J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2020 Oct 21 - "Our aim was to test a supplement highly concentrated in DHA (DHA:EPA ratio equal to approximately 8:1) on a maximal cycling test to elucidate performance improvements mainly due to DHA ... After 30 days of supplementation with 975 mg of re-esterified DHA, the thirty-eight cyclist who completed the study were finally included for statistical analysis ... Mean power output at ventilatory threshold 2 (VT2) improved after DHA supplementation both as absolute (^DHA versus ^PLA: 6.33-26.54 Watts; CI 95%) and relative (p=0.006) values, paralleled with higher oxygen consumption at VT2 both for absolute (DHA 2729.4 +/-304.5, 3045.9 +/-335.0; PLA 2792.3 +/-339.5, 2845.5 +/-357.1; ml.min−1 baseline versus post p=0.025) and relative values (DHA 36.6 +/-5.0, 41.2 +/-5.4; PLA 37.2 +/-5.7, 38.1 +/-5.2; ml.kg−1.min−1 baseline versus post p=0.024). Heart rate recovery rate improved during the recovery phase in the DHA group compared to PLA" - [Nutra USA] - See docosahexaenoic acid at Amazon.com and and iHerb.

Neat Tech Stuff / "How To's":

My t-shirt of the week design. 6-ounce cotton, which is next to impossible to find these days. $16 delivered.

I’ve added all three of the women’s short-sleeve shirts that Gildan sells. There’s more to buying a t-shirt than people realize. For example, Gildan makes three different short-short sleeve t-shirts for women, the 2000L which is a classic cut and 6-ounce cotton, the 5000L which is more of a medium cut and 5.3-ounce cotton and the 64000L which is a tapered cut and 4.5-ounce cotton. Not only is my competition selling their shirts for twice as much, but you’ve got no idea what cut and cotton weight your getting. Nearly all are the flimsy 4.2-ounce cotton.

It’s similar for men’s short sleeve. There’s the 4.5-ounce 64000 which they claim is ‘tubular fit for minimal torque’, the 6-ouncecotton H000 which they call a ‘modern fit’ and the 6-ounce 2000 which they also claim is a ‘tubular fit for minimal torque’.

What would I buy for men's short-sleeve? The Gildan Ultra tubular fit (6-ounce cotton). For long-sleeve I'd go with the Gildan long-sleeve (6-ounce cotton). For women's short-sleeve I'd choose the Gildan 2000L (6-ounce cotton) for the classic fit. For a slightly slimmer short-sleeve, I'd to with the Gildan 5000L (5.3-ounce cotton. Gildan is the only one I could find that makes a women's long-sleeve (5.3-ounce cotton). If it's not too big, you're probably better off selecting a men's long sleeve which are mostly 6-ounce cotton.

Happy customers mean return business. I feel more people will be happen with the 6-ounce cotton shirts.

The best coffee maker for 2020: Bunn, Bonavita, Ninja, Oxo and more - CNET, 10/29/20 - "Evaluating the performance of a coffee maker is trickier than it might sound. The first step is to know what good drip coffee actually is. According to the Specialty Coffee Association, there are criteria critical to brewing quality java. Mainly these are brewing time and water temperature. Hot water should come into contact with grounds for no less than four minutes and no longer than eight. Additionally, the ideal water temperature range is between 197 degrees Fahrenheit (92C) and 205 degrees Fahrenheit (96C)." - Note how they keep harping on the ideal temp.  As far as single-cup pods, there are only two coffee makes that even come close to that temperature which is probably why most coffee made with pod coffee makers tastes like piss.  The two coffee makers that do reach that temperature are the Touch Coffee Maker ($90 for the basic, $208 for the advanced) and the BUNN My Cafe which sells for about $600.  Personally, the highlight of my day is after I've done seven miles on my treadmill and then take a nap, I get up and have a cup of coffee along with a slide of Julian Dutch Apple pie.  They sell it frozen at the Marine Corp Air Station commissary.  The recommended cook time will burn it.  Let it thaw for 40 minutes then put it in a non-preheated oven.  Set it at 375 degrees.  In an hour and 20 minutes, turn off the oven and open the oven door.

Health Focus (Tinnitus):