Recent Longevity News for the week ending 3/3/21

WHO expert panel strongly advises against use of hydroxychloroquine to prevent COVID-19 - Science Daily, 3/2/21 - "High certainty evidence showed that hydroxychloroquine had no meaningful effect on death and admission to hospital, while moderate certainty evidence showed that hydroxychloroquine had no meaningful effect on laboratory confirmed covid-19 infection and it probably increases the risk of adverse effects"

New Trials on T3/T4 Combination for Hypothyroidism 'Justified' - Medscape, 3/2/21 - "There was sufficient justification for new trials of our current T3 preparation based on the fact that the trials were underpowered and had other issues, such as not selecting patients with residual symptoms, short duration of the study, and once-daily dosing of T3"

Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Early Cognitive Impairment in MS - Medscape, 3/1/21 - "those with cognitive impairment were significantly more likely to have severe hypovitaminosis D compared with those with sufficient vitamin D levels, none of whom showed cognitive impairment ... Vitamin D was already linked to cognitive function in other neurodegenerative diseases, [including] Alzheimer's disease, but more importantly, also in other autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus ... The study adds to recent research showing longer-term effects of vitamin D deficiency and cognitive impairment in MS" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Statin use associated with increased survival in severe COVID-19 - Science Daily, 2/26/21 - "People who took statins to lower cholesterol were approximately 50% less likely to die if hospitalized for COVID-19 ... In addition to their well-known cholesterol-lowering effect, statins are known for their anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant and immunomodulatory properties"

In-Depth: Could melatonin help with COVID-19 infections and vaccinations? - 10News, 3/1/21 - "The paper, published in late January, says that taking melatonin "for at least two weeks prior to vaccination can be a useful approach to improve sleep quality and to ensure that the vaccination is performed at a moment of optimal sleep conditions."" - See melatonin at Amazon.com.

The right “5-a-day” mix is 2 fruit and 3 vegetable servings for longer life - AHA, 3/1/21 - "Intake of about five servings of fruits and vegetables daily was associated with the lowest risk of death. Eating more than five servings was not associated with additional benefit ... Eating about two servings daily of fruits and three servings daily of vegetables was associated with the greatest longevity ... Compared to those who consumed two servings of fruit and vegetables per day, participants who consumed five servings a day of fruits and vegetable had a 13% lower risk of death from all causes; a 12% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke; a 10% lower risk of death from cancer; and a 35% lower risk of death from respiratory disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) ... Not all foods that one might consider to be fruits and vegetables offered the same benefits. For example: Starchy vegetables, such as peas and corn, fruit juices and potatoes were not associated with reduced risk of death from all causes or specific chronic diseases ... On the other hand, green leafy vegetables, including spinach, lettuce and kale, and fruit and vegetables rich in beta carotene and vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, berries and carrots, showed benefits." - [Science Daily]

Mediterranean Diet Could Keep Aging Brains Sharp - WebMD, 2/25/21 - "Even after adjusting for childhood IQ and other health and education factors, the results still showed a significant benefit to the brain for folks adhering to a Mediterranean diet compared to those who didn't ... The strongest association seen was between the diet and verbal ability. However, the Mediterranean diet had no effects on the brain's structure as shown on the MRIs ... We could hypothesize that it has something to do with inflammation for one, as well as with other nutrients like magnesium or folate that are found in the leafy greens ... Sandon also acknowledged the important role healthy fats, such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, appear to play in keeping the brain and body functioning at their best. These healthy fats, which are found in high amounts in the Mediterranean diet, help reduce inflammation in the body ... Some salmon filet that has been grilled might be on the plate. Maybe some broccoli and brussels sprouts and tomatoes that are roasted or pan-seared. Maybe some brown rice or quinoa, and there might be olive oil on the vegetables"

Big Data 'Clinches' Link Between High Glycemic Index Diets and CVD - Medscape, 2/24/21 - "This new analysis from PURE — a massive prospective epidemiological study — shows people with a diet in the highest quintile of glycemic index had a significant 25% higher rate of combined total deaths and major CVD events during a median follow-up of nearly 10 years, compared with those with a diet in the lowest glycemic index quintile"

Guys, Exercise Helps Aging Hearts, Testosterone Won't - WebMD, 2/23/21 - "arterial function shot up by 28% among those who exercised without taking testosterone therapy. That bested the 19% improvement seen among those exercised and took testosterone replacement therapy ... Those men who only received testosterone therapy saw no heart health improvement at all. The researchers concluded that exercise may be preferable over testosterone supplementation to improve heart health in older men"

More From DAPA-HF: Dapagliflozin Quickly Reduces Heart Failure Events - Medscape, 2/23/21 - "These findings were consistent with the timing of benefits for patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) in recent studies of two other drugs from the same class, the sodium-glucose cotransporter (SGLT) inhibitors, including empagliflozin (Jardiance, which inhibits SGLT-2) in the EMPEROR-Reduced trial, and sotagliflozin (Zynquista, which inhibits both SGLT1 and -2) in the SOLOIST-WHF trial ... DAPA-HF randomized 4,744 patients with HFrEF and in New York Heart Association functional class II-IV at 410 sites in 20 countries. The incidence of the primary, combined endpoint fell by 26% with dapagliflozin treatment, compared with placebo, during a median 18-month follow-up. Among the study cohort 27% of patients had been hospitalized for heart failure within a year of their entry, 20% had been hospitalized for heart failure more than 1 year before entry, and 53% had no history of a hospitalization for heart failure."

Long-term exposure to low levels of air pollution increases risk of heart and lung disease - Science Daily, 2/22/21 - "Researchers examined hospitalization records for more than 63 million Medicare enrollees in the contiguous Unites States from 2000 to 2016 to assess how long-term exposure to air pollution impacts hospital admissions for specific cardiovascular and respiratory issues. The study measured three components of air pollution: fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3). Using hundreds of predictors, including meteorological values, satellite measurements and land use to estimate daily levels of pollutants, researchers calculated the study participants' exposure to the pollutants based upon their residential zip code ... Data also showed there were surges in hospital admissions for all of the health outcomes studied with each additional unit of increase in particulate matter. Specifically, stroke rates increased by 2,536 for each additional ug/m3 (micrograms per cubic meter of air) increase in fine particulate matter each year ... There was an increased risk of stroke and atrial fibrillation associated with long-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide"

High-Potency Cannabis Products Linked to Suicidality - Medscape, 2/22/21 - "According to a report from the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, between 2014 and 2017, the number of suicides positive for marijuana increased 250% among those aged 10-19 years (from 4 to 14) and 22% among those aged 20 and older (from 118 to 144). "Other states are seeing something similar, and there is an emerging research showing a relationship between suicidality and the use of marijuana, especially high-potency products that are available in legalized markets," ... During that same 3-year time span, the proportion of Colorado youth aged 12 years and older who used marijuana in the past month jumped by 45%, which is more than 85% above the national average. "Similarly, among college-age students, we've seen an 18% increase in past-month marijuana use, which is 60% above the national average," ... 48% of young marijuana users reported going to work high (40% at least once per week), and there has been a 170% increase in youth ED urgent care visits for marijuana-related illnesses such as cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome or first-episode psychosis. State health officials have also observed a 148% increase in marijuana-related hospitalizations ... The use of high-potency products also doubles the risk of developing generalized anxiety disorder, triples the risk of tobacco dependence, doubles the risk of other illicit substance disorders, and it at least quadruples the risk of developing first-episode psychosis in young people ... 12% of U.S. 8th graders self-reported marijuana use in the past year and 7% in the past month, compared with 29% and 18% of 10th graders, respectively"

Periodontal disease increases risk of major cardiovascular events - Science Daily, 2/22/21 - "researchers performed positron emission tomography and computer tomography (PET and CT) scans on 304 individuals to view and quantify inflammation in the arteries and gums of each patient. In follow-up studies approximately four years later, 13 of those individuals developed major adverse cardiovascular events. Presence of periodontal inflammation was shown to be predictive of cardiovascular events, even after researchers controlled for all other risk factors, such as smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes ... Researchers hypothesize that local periodontal inflammation activates and mobilizes cells signaling through bone marrow, which triggers the inflammation of arteries, leading to adverse cardiac events"

Eating more refined grains increases risk of heart attack, early death - Science Daily, 2/19/21 - "The study found that having more than seven servings of refined grains per day was associated with a 27 per cent greater risk for early death, 33 percent greater risk for heart disease and 47 per cent greater risk for stroke"

We’ll Have Herd Immunity by April - WSJ. 2/18/21 - "Survivors of the 1918 Spanish flu were found in 2008—90 years later—to have memory cells still able to produce neutralizing antibodies." - Note: I've pointed out this fact many times in my newsletter which is why I'm a big proponent of annual flu shots. They claim the immunity is not as robust as contracting the disease itself but I'm going with the theory that every little bit helps and that immunity will help you with similar viruses for the rest of your life.

FDA Warns About Potential Inaccuracies With Pulse Oximeters - Medscape, 2/19/21 - "they may not always be accurate ... Several factors can affect the accuracy of pulse oximeters, including poor circulation, skin temperature, skin thickness, current tobacco use, use of fingernail polish, and dark skin pigmentation" - Note:  The one I bought from Amazon shows anywhere from 93% to 97%.  The doctor's office consistently shows 99%.

New Data Boost Calls for Single COVID-19 Vaccine Dose - Medscape, 2/18/21 - "A single dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine offers 92.6% efficacy in new calculations based on data submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ... Other experts disagree, however, saying more data are needed before diverting from the two-dose regimen evaluated in clinical trials. They also point out that the FDA granted emergency use authorization based on the two-dose studies ... Even if efficacy from one dose exceeds 90% at first, how long that protection persists without a second dose remains an open question ... Other researchers reported an efficacy of 94.8% against SARS-CoV-2 after two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in a previous study. The same report estimated a single-dose efficacy of 52.4% between the first and second doses, "but in their calculation, they included data that were collected during the first 2 weeks after the first dose, when immunity would have still been mounting,""

Long-term, heavy coffee consumption and CVD risk - Science Daily, 2/18/21 - "In a world first genetic study, researchers from the Australian Centre for Precision Health at the University of South Australia found that that long-term, heavy coffee consumption -- six or more cups a day -- can increase the amount of lipids (fats) in your blood to significantly heighten your risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) ... Cafestol is mainly present in unfiltered brews, such as French press, Turkish and Greek coffees, but it's also in espressos, which is the base for most barista-made coffees, including lattes and cappuccinos ... There is no, or very little cafestol in filtered and instant coffee, so with respect to effects on lipids, those are good coffee choices"

Fauci: Data 'Favorable' That Vaccines Limit Transmission - Medscape, 2/17/21 - "Fauci cited studies from Spain and Israel published this month, showing the amount of viral load -- or the amount of the COVID-19 virus in someone's body -- is significantly lower if someone gets infected after they've been vaccinated, compared with people who get infected and didn't have the vaccine. Lower viral load means much lower chances of passing the virus to someone else, Fauci says. ... Fauci says that Israel has more thorough data on this than the United States because it has given 78 doses per 100 people -- well above the U.S. vaccination rates, which is currently 16.7 doses per 100 people."

FDA Expands Sacubitril/Valsartan Indication to Embrace Some HFpEF - Medscape, 2/17/21 - "The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a groundbreaking expanded indication for sacubitril/valsartan (Entresto), making it the first drug in the United States indicated for chronic heart failure (HF) not specifically characterized by ejection fraction ... PARAGON-HF had assigned more than 4800 patients whose LVEF was 45% or higher and were in NYHA class 2-4 to receive sacubitril/valsartan or valsartan only. Those taking the combo drug showed a 13% drop in risk for HF hospitalization or cardiovascular deaths over an average of 3 years, which narrowly missed significance (P = .059) ... But a subgroup analysis garnered attention for its hint of benefit for patients with "mid-range" LVEF, in this case, below the median of 57%. The finding was supported by a later PARAGON-HF and PARADIGM-HF meta-analysis that pointed to a significant benefit for patients with HFpEF at its lowest LVEF levels, especially in women"

Women have a lower range of 'normal' blood pressure than men - Science Daily, 2/16/21 - "In doing so, the research team identified that while 120 mmHg was the threshold of risk in men, 110 mmHg or lower was the threshold of risk in women. Systolic blood pressure levels that were higher than these thresholds were associated with risk for developing any type of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack, heart failure and strokes"

Ashwagandha Benefits | Surprisingly Compelling Research - Dr Brad Stanfield, 9 minute YouTube video.

Abstracts from this week:

Gut microbiome pattern reflects healthy ageing and predicts survival in humans - Nat Metab 2021 Feb;3(2):274-286 - "The identified microbiome pattern of healthy ageing is characterized by a depletion of core genera found across most humans, primarily Bacteroides. Retaining a high Bacteroides dominance into older age, or having a low gut microbiome uniqueness measure, predicts decreased survival in a 4-year follow-up. Our analysis identifies increasing compositional uniqueness of the gut microbiome as a component of healthy ageing, which is characterized by distinct microbial metabolic outputs in the blood" - [Nutra USA] - See probiotic supplements at Amazon.com.

Effects of Saffron Extract Supplementation on Mood, Well-Being, and Response to a Psychosocial Stressor in Healthy Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Parallel Group, Clinical Trial - Front Nutr 2021 Feb 1 - "Anxiety, stress, and low mood are closely related and may contribute to depressive symptoms. Among non-pharmacological solutions to improve subclinical mood symptoms and resilience to stress, natural products such as saffron—identified as promising following preliminary beneficial effects in major depressive disorder—represent a relevant strategy. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of 8 weeks' supplementation with 30 mg standardized saffron extract on emotional well-being in healthy adults with subclinical feelings of low mood and anxiety and/or stress and evaluate the acute effect of saffron in response to a lab-based psychosocial stressor. The study adopted a double-blind, randomized, parallel groups design in which 56 healthy male and female individuals (18–54 years) received either a saffron extract or a placebo for 8 weeks ... Participants who received the saffron extract reported reduced depression scores and improved social relationships at the end of the study. Urinary crocetin levels increased significantly with saffron supplementation and were correlated with change in depression scores. The typical stress-induced decrease in heart rate variability (HRV) during exposure to the stressor was attenuated following acute saffron intake. Saffron extract appears to improve subclinical depressive symptoms in healthy individuals and may contribute to increased resilience against the development of stress-related psychiatric disorders." - [Nutra USA] - See saffron supplements at Amazon.com.

The Effect of Metformin vs Placebo on Sex Hormones in Canadian Cancer Trials Group MA.32 - J Natl Cancer Inst 2021 Feb 1 - "Metformin has been associated with lower breast cancer (BC) risk and improved outcomes in observational studies. Multiple biologic mechanisms have been proposed, including a recent report of altered sex hormones ... Metformin lowered estradiol levels, independent of BMI. This observation suggests a new metformin effect that has potential relevance to estrogen sensitive cancers" - Note: Metformin and also coffee, increase SHBG.  You might be able to counter it with Tongkat ali, boron, DHEA, vitamin D and/or fish oil.

Baseline omega-3 level is associated with nerve regeneration following 12-months of omega-3 nutrition therapy in patients with type 1 diabetes - J Diabetes Complications 2021 Mar - "Omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty-acids are essential for the development and maintenance of nerve function, but the relationship of plasma n-3 to the presence of diabetic distal-symmetric-polyneuropathy (DSP) and the effect of n-3 therapy on plasma levels and small nerve fibre morphology in T1D are unknown ... Participants with T1D (n = 40, 53% female, aged (mean ± SD) 48 ± 14 years, BMI 28.1 ± 5.8 kg/m2, diabetes duration 27 ± 18 years), 23 of whom had DSP, took seal-oil (10 mL/day; 750 mg eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), 560 mg docosapentaenoic acid (DPAn-3), and 1020 mg docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)) for 12-months in a single-arm open-label study ... low plasma DHA was associated with prevalent DSP, n-3 therapy increased blood n-3 levels and higher baseline n-3s were associated with greater nerve regeneration" - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com.

Eicosapentaenoic Acid Is Associated with Decreased Incidence of Alzheimer's Dementia in the Oldest Old - Nutrients 2021 Jan 30 - "Omega-3 (n-3) and omega-6 (n-6) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may have different effects on cognitive health due to their anti- or pro-inflammatory properties ... During the follow-up window of seven years, 233 participants developed dementia. Higher concentrations of EPA were associated with a lower incidence of AD (hazard ratio (HR) 0.76 (95% CI 0.63; 0.93)). We also observed that higher concentrations of EPA were associated with a decreased risk for all-cause dementia (HR 0.76 (95% CI 0.61; 0.94)) and AD (HR 0.66 (95% CI 0.51; 0.85)) among apolipoprotein E ε4 (APOE ε4) non-carriers but not among APOE ε4 carriers. No other fatty acids were significantly associated with AD or dementia" - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com.

The Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation on Serum Adipocytokines, Lipid Profile and Biochemical Markers of Inflammation in Recreational Runners - Nutrients 2021 Jan 29 - "The study aimed to evaluate the effects of a 3-week ω-3 PUFA supplementation on serum adipocytokines (i.e., adiponectin, leptin), neuregulin-4 (NRG4) and erythrocyte omega-3 (ω-3) fatty acid content, as well as the blood antioxidant defense capacity in non-elite endurance runners ... Twenty-four runners were randomized into two groups: the supplemented group, who received omega free fatty acids extract containing 142 mg of EPA, 267 mg of DHA, 12 mg of vitamin E and 5 µg of vitamin D, each administrated at a dose of six capsules twice a day for three weeks, or the placebo group ... A significantly higher ω-3 index and lower AA/EPA ratio was observed after ω-3 PUFA compared to pre-supplementation levels (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). An increase in baseline adiponectin and NRG4 levels, as well as a decrease of leptin concentration and lipid profile improvement, were observed in subjects after a ω-3 PUFA diet. The increased ω-3 index had a significant effect on TNFα levels and a serum marker of antioxidant defense" - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com.

Randomized Phase II Study of Gemcitabine Monotherapy vs. Gemcitabine with an EPA-Enriched Oral Supplement in Advanced Pancreatic Cancer - Nutr Cancer 2021 Jan 13 - "Pancreatic cancer is often associated with cachexia. It had been reported that eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) improve cachexia. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of gemcitabine with an EPA-enriched oral supplement in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer ... The 1-year survival probability of the EPA group was 35% while the gemcitabine group was 19%. The median survival times were 8.2 and 9.7 mo, respectively. The hazard ratio for EPA group was 0.79 [95% CI 0.46-1.37]; (P = 0.40). The toxicities were mild and insignificant in both groups. More beneficial effects of EPA in survival were observed in men, pancreatic body-tail and low C-reactive protein patients" - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com.

Poultry and Fish Intake and Pancreatic Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis - Nutr Cancer 2021 Jan 12 - "The pooled RR of PC for the highest vs. lowest poultry intake category was 1.14 (95% CI: 1.02-1.26) in cohort studies. There was no appreciable link between fish intake and PC risk (RR: 1.00, 95% CI: 0.93-1.07). Our results suggest that large amount of poultry intake may increase PC risk, while fish intake is unlikely to be linked to PC risk"

Creatine in Health and Disease - Nutrients 2021 Jan 29 - "Although creatine has been mostly studied as an ergogenic aid for exercise, training, and sport, several health and potential therapeutic benefits have been reported. This is because creatine plays a critical role in cellular metabolism, particularly during metabolically stressed states, and limitations in the ability to transport and/or store creatine can impair metabolism. Moreover, increasing availability of creatine in tissue may enhance cellular metabolism and thereby lessen the severity of injury and/or disease conditions, particularly when oxygen availability is compromised. This systematic review assesses the peer-reviewed scientific and medical evidence related to creatine's role in promoting general health as we age and how creatine supplementation has been used as a nutritional strategy to help individuals recover from injury and/or manage chronic disease. Additionally, it provides reasonable conclusions about the role of creatine on health and disease based on current scientific evidence. Based on this analysis, it can be concluded that creatine supplementation has several health and therapeutic benefits throughout the lifespan" - See creatine at Amazon.com.

Creatine Supplementation and Brain Health - Nutrients 2021 Feb 10 - "There is a robust and compelling body of evidence supporting the ergogenic and therapeutic role of creatine supplementation in muscle. Beyond these well-described effects and mechanisms, there is literature to suggest that creatine may also be beneficial to brain health (e.g., cognitive processing, brain function, and recovery from trauma). This is a growing field of research, and the purpose of this short review is to provide an update on the effects of creatine supplementation on brain health in humans. There is a potential for creatine supplementation to improve cognitive processing, especially in conditions characterized by brain creatine deficits, which could be induced by acute stressors (e.g., exercise, sleep deprivation) or chronic, pathologic conditions (e.g., creatine synthesis enzyme deficiencies, mild traumatic brain injury, aging, Alzheimer's disease, depression). Despite this, the optimal creatine protocol able to increase brain creatine levels is still to be determined. Similarly, supplementation studies concomitantly assessing brain creatine and cognitive function are needed" - See creatine at Amazon.com.

Magnesium in Aging, Health and Diseases - Nutrients 2021 Jan 30 - "Several changes of magnesium (Mg) metabolism have been reported with aging, including diminished Mg intake, impaired intestinal Mg absorption and renal Mg wasting. Mild Mg deficits are generally asymptomatic and clinical signs are usually non-specific or absent. Asthenia, sleep disorders, hyperemotionality, and cognitive disorders are common in the elderly with mild Mg deficit, and may be often confused with age-related symptoms. Chronic Mg deficits increase the production of free radicals which have been implicated in the development of several chronic age-related disorders. Numerous human diseases have been associated with Mg deficits, including cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and stroke, cardio-metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus, airways constrictive syndromes and asthma, depression, stress-related conditions and psychiatric disorders, Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementia syndromes, muscular diseases (muscle pain, chronic fatigue, and fibromyalgia), bone fragility, and cancer. Dietary Mg and/or Mg consumed in drinking water (generally more bioavailable than Mg contained in food) or in alternative Mg supplements should be taken into consideration in the correction of Mg deficits. Maintaining an optimal Mg balance all through life may help in the prevention of oxidative stress and chronic conditions associated with aging" - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.

Nebivolol is more effective than atenolol for blood pressure variability attenuation and target organ damage prevention in L-NAME hypertensive rats - Hypertens Res 2021 Feb 22 - "β-Adrenergic blockers are no longer recommended as first-line therapy due to the reduced cardioprotection of traditional β-blockers compared with other antihypertensive drugs. It is unknown whether third-generation β-blockers share the limitations of traditional β-blocker ... Nebivolol had a greater ability than atenolol to decrease central SBP and mid-term and short-term blood pressure variability (BPV) in L-NAME rats. Echocardiographic analysis showed that nebivolol was more effective than atenolol on E/A wave ratio normalization. Compared with atenolol treatment, nebivolol had a greater protective effect on different TOD markers, inducing a decrease in collagen deposition and a reduction in the proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α in the left ventricle and aorta. Our findings suggest that the adverse hemodynamic profile and the reduced cardiovascular protection reported with traditional β-blockers must not be carried forward to third-generation β-blocker" - Note: For years cardiologists have put out that third-generation Nebivolol wouldn't work for heart failure and you had to use the first generation ones with unbearable side effects. That said, with Entresto and Jaridience or Farxiga, why do you even need a beta-blocker?

Adiponectin predicts the antioxidant capacity and size of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in individuals with diabetes mellitus - J Diabetes Complications 2021 Jan 22 - "High adiponectin level associates with a lesser negative impact of T2DM on HDL functionality by increase in APO AI, particles size, and cholesterol content. On the same token, higher adiponectin was associated with greater odds to have high antioxidant capacity"

Dietary table grape protects against UV photodamage in humans: 1. clinical evaluation - J Am Acad Dermatol 2021 Jan 20 -  [Nutra USA] - "whole grape powder - equiavlent of 2.25 cups of grapes per day - for 14 days ... 78.4 increase in natural protection of the skin" - See whole grape powder at Amazon.com.

Effectiveness of the piperine-supplemented Curcuma longa L. in metabolic control of patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial - Int J Food Sci Nutr 2021 Feb 14 - "A randomised double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted with 71 participants divided into a Curcuma longa L. group (500 mg/day with piperine 5 mg) and a placebo group, for 120 days ... The curcuma group presented a significantly decreased glycaemia (p=.013), glycated haemoglobin (p=.015), HOMA index (p=.037) and triglycerides (TGs) (p=.002). The use of piperine-added Curcuma longa L. was effective in the glycaemic and TG control of patients with type 2 diabetes" - [Nutra USA] - See curcumin at Amazon.com and piperine extract at Amazon.com.

Efficacy of a curcumin extract (Curcugen™) on gastrointestinal symptoms and intestinal microbiota in adults with self-reported digestive complaints: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study - BMC Complement Med Ther 2021 Jan 21 - "There is preliminary evidence to suggest curcumin can alleviate digestive symptoms in adults with self-reported digestive complaints and irritable bowel syndrome ... 79 adults with self-reported digestive complaints were recruited and randomised to receive either a placebo or 500 mg of the curcumin extract, Curcugen™ ... The curcumin extract, Curcugen™, administered for 8 weeks at a dose of 500 mg once daily was associated with greater improvements in digestive complaints and anxiety levels in adults with self-reported digestive complaints" - [Nutra USA] - See curcumin at Amazon.com.

Review of Clinical Effects and Presumed Mechanism of Action of the French Oak Wood Extract Robuvit - J Med Food 2021 Jan 28 - "Since ancient times, oak wood polyphenols are consumed concomitantly with beverages that are stored and aged in oak wood barrels. Among these polyphenols are roburins, which belong to the class of ellagitannins and only occur in oak ... Supplementation of Robuvit is ascribed to aid chronically fatigued or burnt-out individuals to regain higher energy and activity levels. Robuvit has been further shown to improve conditions such as renal insufficiency, liver insufficiency, mild heart failure, posttraumatic stress disorder and fatigue after surgery and facilitate recovery from mild health impairments such as flu or hangover. There are also indications that Robuvit helps improve erectile function and general loss of vigor in elderly men. Ex vivo gene expression experiments using metabolites collected from Robuvit consumers point to increased ribosomal biogenesis in endothelial, neuronal, and keratinocyte cells. Higher ribosome density accelerates the peptide production to meet protein demand, making Robuvit a potential enhancer of physical endurance and performance. A study with recreational athletes, supplemented with Robuvit daily, reported significantly increased performance in triathlon" - [Nutra USA] - See Robuvit® at Amazon.com.

Neat Tech Stuff / "How To's":

I went through two other brands prior to this one.  This has a lot more power:

Health Focus (Homocysteine):