Recent Longevity News for the week ending 4/28/21

Regular Coffee Drinking Tied to Functional Brain Changes - Medscape, 4/26/21 - "For the general public, the take-home message is that we now know better how the regular intake of coffee prepares your brain for action and prompt response"

The blood pressure readings you get at the doctor’s office may not be so accurate - Washington Post, 4/25/21 - "A study of people who took part in the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) found that blood pressure readings taken during routine clinic appointments were consistently higher than those taken during the study’s trial, which carefully adhered to AHA guidelines ... The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent body of medical experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine, found in 2015 that 15 to 30 percent of people with high blood pressure readings at routine clinic appointments may have lower readings outside of that setting ... There can be several explanations, including that some patients feel anxious at the doctor’s office — they experience the “white-coat syndrome” — which can cause a high reading. And others may have rushed to get to their appointment, navigating subways, traffic and parking without time to calm down before blood pressure is taken. But it’s also clear, experts say, that some clinics just aren’t doing it right."

Women, Black, and Asian Patients Least Likely to Get SGLT2 Inhibitors - Medscape, 4/23/21 - "If left unaddressed, these inequities in utilization will continue to widen well-documented disparities in cardiovascular and kidney outcomes in the [United States] ... Study after study, including large randomized trials, have demonstrated a cardio-protective and kidney-protective effect of this class of medications" - Note:  My experience is that you have to do your own research and discuss it with your doctor.  Because of doing that, every single medication I take is a change from what was originally prescribed.  Jardiance is an SGLT2. It's not just for diabetes. It lowers blood pressure better than medications developed for hypertension plus it repairs damaged hearts (increases ejection fraction and cardiac output).

Poor iodine levels in women pose risks to fetal intellectual development in pregnancy - Science Daily, 4/22/21 - "Mild to moderate iodine deficiency has been shown to affect language development, memory and mental processing speeds ... During pregnancy, the need for iodine is increased and a 150mcg supplement is recommended prior to conception and throughout pregnancy. Unfortunately, most women do not take iodine supplements before conceiving. It is important to consume adequate iodine, especially during the reproductive years" - See iodine at Amazon.com.

Consumer Reports Ranks Top Sunscreens for 2021 - WebMD, 4/23/21 - "They are: ... Badger Active Natural Mineral Cream SPF 30 ($18) ... California Kids #supersensitive Tinted Lotion SPF 30-plus ($20) ... More Top Performers
Among other products to consider, Calvo says: ... Kiehl's Activated Sun Protector Lotion SPF 30 ($32) ... Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Face Lotion SPF 70 ($13) ... La Roche-Posay Anthelios Lotion Spray SPF 60 ($25)"

Changing views on atherosclerosis - Science Daily, 4/21/21 - "Inflammation drives atherosclerosis: New data suggests that inflammation may be a critical link between traditional risk factors such as abnormal lipids, smoking, and diabetes and complications of atherosclerosis including heart attack and stroke."

Lithium treats intellectual defects in mouse model of Bardet-Biedl Syndrome - Science Daily, 4/22/21 - "Intellectual disability is the most common type of neurodevelopmental disorder, but few drugs are available to treat it. The new study suggests that lithium may be an effective treatment for the learning and memory defects caused by BBS, and the researchers suggest that further studies should be performed to test the use of this FDA-approved drug" - See lithium supplements at Amazon.com but I doubt if the over-the-counter form will work.

Multivitamins, omega-3, probiotics, vitamin D may lessen risk of positive COVID-19 test - Science Daily, 4/19/21 - "Taking probiotics, omega-3 fatty acids, multivits or vitamin D was associated with a lower risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection: by 14%, 12%, 13% and 9%, respectively, after accounting for potentially influential factors, including underlying conditions and usual diet ... The equivalent figures for the US and Sweden were a reduced risk of:18% and 37%, respectively for probiotics; 21% and 16%, respectively, for omega-3 fatty acids; 12% and 22%, respectively for multivits; and 24% and 19%, respectively, for vitamin D supplements."

Supplement treats schizophrenia in mice, restores healthy 'dance' and structure of neurons - Science Daily, 4/20/21 - "The supplement betaine was first isolated from sugar beets and is often associated with sweetness or umami flavor. Healthy levels of betaine come from both external food sources and internal synthesis in the body. Betaine supplements are already used clinically to treat the metabolic disease homocystinuria ... By protecting CRMP2 from damage, betaine treatment allows kif3b mutant neurons to build proper structures. With a structurally sound skeleton to navigate, the remaining functional KIF3B protein can shuttle cargo around the cell. Other test tube experiments revealed that KIF3B and CRMP2 can bind together, but their exact relationship remains unclear ... We know that the amount of betaine decreases in schizophrenia patients' brains, so this study strongly suggests betaine could be therapeutic for at least some kinds of schizophrenia" - See TMG at Amazon.com.

LED masks to fight wrinkles: Here's what you should know - Washington Post, 4/20/21 - "Deciding which device to purchase is difficult. Amazon lists more than 500 tools for facial light therapy, and even skin-care professionals have trouble evaluating product claims. At the very least, dermatologists said, shoppers should choose a device that’s cleared by the Food and Drug Administration, meaning the agency has deemed it to be sufficiently safe for at-home use on all skin types. But be aware: that doesn’t necessarily mean the device is effective, just that it’s unlikely to cause injury. Check out the manufacturer’s credentials before buying, follow the directions and do not use for longer than recommended ... It may also help to ask dermatologists and estheticians for input. Czech said she has been recommending the $1,800 Celluma Pro, which has a flexible panel designed to conform to any part of the body, based on her experience with the brand and feedback from clients." - See facial light therapy at Amazon.com.

Cardiovascular Impact of Nutritional Supplementation With Omega-3 Fatty Acids - Medscape, 4/20/21 - "Supplementation with omega-3 PUFA capsules serves 2 distinct but overlapping roles: treatment of hypertriglyceridemia and prevention of cardiovascular events. Marine-derived omega-3 PUFAs reduce triglycerides and have pleiotropic effects including decreasing inflammation, improving plaque composition and stability, and altering cellular membranes" - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com.

Mohs Surgeons Favor Nicotinamide for Chemoprevention in Survey - Medscape, 4/20/21 - "Approximately three-quarters of Mohs surgeons recommended nicotinamide for prevention of keratinocyte carcinoma" -  See nicotinamide at Amazon.com.

• Keratinocyte cancer - dermnetnz.org - "Keratinocyte cancers are cancers of the skin. They are classified as: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) ... Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) ... Intraepidermal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC in situ)"

New DAPA-CKD Analysis Hints at Dapagliflozin for IgA Nephropathy - Medscape, 4/20/21 - "Dapagliflozin may be a novel therapeutic option to slow kidney function decline in patients with IgA nephropathy"

New benefits from anti-diabetic drug metformin - Science Daily, 4/15/21 - "the anti-diabetic drug metformin significantly prolongs the survival of mice in a model that simulates the pathology of non-diabetic chronic kidney disease (ND-CKD) by ameliorating pathological conditions like reduced kidney function, glomerular damage, inflammation and fibrosis. Metformin's mechanism is different from existing therapeutics which only treat symptoms, such as the blood pressure drug losartan, so the researchers believe that a combination of these medications at low dose will be highly beneficial. ... This research found that the appropriate combination of metformin and losartan significantly improved renal pathology and prolonged survival in a ND-CKD mouse model. This suggests that the old inexpensive drug metformin could become a new inexpensive drug for patients with chronic kidney disease" - See metformin and losartan at ReliableRX.

More Exercise Linked to Lower Chance of Severe COVID-19: Study - Medscape, 4/16/21 - "Compared with the most active people in the study — those who exercised 150 minutes or more every week — patients with COVID-19 who were "consistently inactive" were 226% more likely to be hospitalized, 173% more likely to be admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU), and 149% more likely to die in the study."

Eating More Fat May Boost Borderline Low Testosterone - Medscape, 4/16/21 - "A total of 206 healthy men with normal testosterone received a high-fat diet followed by a low-fat diet (or vice versa), and their mean total testosterone levels were 10% to 15% lower (but still in the normal range) during the low-fat diet. ... A Mediterranean diet is a good way to increase 'healthy fats,' mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs and PUFAs, respectively), which will likely decrease cardiovascular disease risk, and boost testosterone at the same time ... Olive oil has been shown to boost testosterone more than butter, and it also reduces CVD, he continued. Nuts are high in "healthy fats" and consistently decrease CVD and mortality and may boost testosterone. Other sources of "good fat" in a healthy diet include avocado, and red meat and poultry in moderation"

Genetic predisposition to schizophrenia may increase risk of psychosis from cannabis use - Science Daily, 4/15/21 - "The research shows that while cannabis users had higher rates of psychotic experiences than non-users across the board, the difference was especially pronounced among those with high genetic predisposition to schizophrenia."

Psilocybin Matches SSRI for Moderate-to-Severe Depression in Phase 2 Study - Medscape, 4/14/21 - "Patients in the psilocybin cohort did show a much more rapid improvement in the main measure than those taking escitalopram, but this gap narrowed over the span of the trial until it was no longer statistically significant .... Investigators found that psilocybin bested escitalopram in several secondary outcomes, including feelings of well-being, the ability to express emotion, and social functioning ... The researchers said that the results, while promising, should not encourage anyone to self-medicate with psychedelic substances, which are still illegal in most jurisdictions"

• Psilocybin - Wiki - "As a prodrug, psilocybin is quickly converted by the body to psilocin, which has mind-altering effects similar, in some aspects, to those of LSD, mescaline, and DMT. In general, the effects include euphoria, visual and mental hallucinations, changes in perception, a distorted sense of time, and spiritual experiences"
• Magic Mushrooms Guide: Where Shrooms Are Legal and How To Take Psilocybin - Newsweek, 7/3/19 - "psilocybin mushrooms continue to be illegal on the federal level, and are listed as a Schedule 1 narcotic"

Follow-up study finds a single dose of one drug can ease anxiety and depression for five years - Hill, 4/23/21 - "At the four-and-a-half year follow-up, 71 to 100 percent of participants credited improvements in levels of anxiety and depression to the single-dose psilocybin and therapy combination of the study. The participants further “rated it among the most personally meaningful and spiritually significant experiences of their lives.” ... Though further research needs to be done, it’s thought that because psilocybin can affect mood and perception to “regulate arousal and panic responses,” the drug interacts with the networks of the brain to shape it into being more amenable to entertaining new thought patterns."

Dietary cocoa improves health of obese mice; likely has implications for humans - Science Daily, 4/14/21 - "Supplementation of cocoa powder in the diet of high-fat-fed mice with liver disease markedly reduced the severity of their condition ... Cocoa powder, a popular food ingredient most commonly used in the production of chocolate, is rich in fiber, iron and phytochemicals reported to have positive health benefits, including antioxidant polyphenols and methylxanthines ... While it is typically considered an indulgence food because of its high sugar and fat content, epidemiological and human-intervention studies have suggested that chocolate consumption is associated with reduced risk of cardio-metabolic diseases including stroke, coronary heart disease and Type 2 diabetes ... Doing the calculations, for people it works out to about 10 tablespoons of cocoa powder a day ... Or, if you follow the directions on the Hershey's box of cocoa powder, that's about five cups of hot cocoa a day ... cocoa-treated mice gained weight at a 21% lower rate and had smaller spleen weights -- indicating less inflammation -- than the high-fat-fed control mice. At the end of the study, mice fed the cocoa-powder-supplemented diet had 28% less fat in their livers than the control mice. Cocoa-treated mice also had 56% lower levelsnewsletter18 of oxidative stress and 75% lower levels of DNA damage in the liver compared to high-fat-fed control mice ... Lambert is not recommending that obese people -- or anyone -- simply add five cups of hot cocoa to their daily routine and change nothing else in their diet. But he does advise, based on what he has learned in this study, to consider substituting cocoa for other foods, particularly high-calorie snack foods" - See Ghirardelli Chocolate Intense Dark Squares, Midnight Reverie, 4.12 oz., 86% Cacao (Pack of 6) at Amazon.com.

Even 'safe' ambient carbon monoxide levels may harm health, study finds - Science Daily, 4/13/21 - "even slight increases in ambient carbon monoxide levels from automobiles and other sources are associated with increased mortality ... Overall, a 1 mg/m³ increase in the average CO concentration of the previous day was associated with a 0.91% increase in daily total mortality, the study found. This suggests considerable public health benefits could be achieved by reducing ambient CO concentrations through stricter control of traffic emissions and other measures ... The U.S. National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ambient CO (approximately 7 mg/m³ for the daily average) was established in 1971 and has not been revisited for the past five decades. The same air quality guideline for CO has been applied in other regions such as Europe, whereas a lower value of 4 mg/m³ was established as China's air quality standard."

Study suggests new advice for medics treating high blood pressure - Science Daily, 4/13/21 - "The study by researchers at NUI Galway, Johns Hopkins University and Harvard Medical School found no evidence that diastolic blood pressure -- the bottom reading on a blood pressure test -- can be harmful to patients when reduced to levels that were previously considered to be too low ... There appears to be no lower limit of normal for diastolic blood pressure and no evidence in this genetic analysis that diastolic blood pressure can be too low ... There was no genetic evidence of increased risk of heart disease when a patient's diastolic blood pressure reading is as low as 50 ... The authors also confirmed that values of the top, systolic, blood pressure reading above 120 increased the risk of heart disease and stroke ... Because doctors often focus on keeping the bottom blood pressure reading in the 70-90 range, they may have been undertreating some adults with persistently high systolic blood pressure ... My advice now to GPs is to treat their patients with high blood pressure to a systolic level of between 100-130mmHg, where possible and without side effects, and to not worry about the diastolic blood pressure value"

Abstracts from this week:

Dietary lutein plus zeaxanthin and choline intake is interactively associated with cognitive flexibility in middle-adulthood in adults with overweight and obesity - Nutr Neurosci 2021 Jan 15 - "Among a sample of adults with overweight and obesity, greater intake of choline and lutein+zeaxanthin was associated with faster performance on a cognitive flexibility task" - [Nutra USA] - See citicholine at Amazon.com, lutein at Amazon.com and astaxanthin at Amazon.com.

Blood n-3 fatty acid levels and total and cause-specific mortality from 17 prospective studies - Nature Communications volume 12, Article number: 2329 (2021) - "Comparing the medians of the first and fifth quintiles (i.e., approximately the 90th and the 10th percentiles), higher EPA, DPA, DHA, and EPA + DHA levels were associated with between 9% and 13% lower risk of all-cause mortality" - [Nutra USA] - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com.

Dietary Supplementation with Glycine Enhances Intestinal Mucosal Integrity and Ameliorates Inflammation in C57BL/6J Mice with High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity - J Nutr 2021 Apr 8 - "Obesity, a major public health problem worldwide, is associated with dysfunction of the intestinal barrier. Glycine (Gly) has been reported to enhance the expression of tight-junction proteins in porcine enterocytes. It is unknown whether Gly can improve intestinal barrier integrity in obese mice ... Gly supplementation enhanced the intestinal barrier and ameliorated inflammation and insulin resistance in HFD-fed mice. These effects of Gly were associated with reduced ER stress-related apoptosis in the intestine of obese mice" - See glycine products at Amazon.com.

Trilobatin Induces Apoptosis and Attenuates Stemness Phenotype of Acquired Gefitinib Resistant Lung Cancer Cells via Suppression of NF-κB Pathway - Nutr Cancer 2021 Apr 16 - "Trilobatin is a common type of flavonoids compounds derived from Lithocarpus polystachyus Rehd leaves. Previous report suggests that trilobatin was potentially involved in pro-and anticancer, antioxidative and anti-hyperglycemic activities. Here, we investigated the anticancer efficiency of trilobatin on gefitinib resistant lung cancer cells ... trilobatin inhibits proliferation of gefitinib resistant lung cancer cells. In addition, the proportions of apoptotic cells were increased along with down-regulated expression levels of Bcl-2 and mitochondrial Cytochrome C while up-regulated Bax, Cleaved Caspase-3, -9, and cytosolic Cytochrome C expression. Moreover, trilobatin decreased tumor sphere formation and expression levels of multiple stemness markers (ALDH1, CD133, Nanog, and ABCG2) in gefitinib resistant lung cancer cells. Furthermore, investigation of the mechanism indicated that trilobatin suppressed activity of NF-κB via decreasing constitutive phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 and IκB-α in gefitinib resistant lung cancer cells. All these results indicate that trilobatin induces apoptosis and attenuates stemness phenotype of gefitinib resistant lung cancer cells, involved with, or partly, the suppression of NF-κB activity" - See flavonoids at Amazon.com.

Metformin and cancer-specific survival among breast, colorectal, or endometrial cancer patients: a nationwide data linkage study - Diabetes Res Clin Pract 2021 Apr 6 - "The 1-year adherence was similar at baseline in three cohorts, on average 75%. Each 10% increase in 1-year adherence to metformin reduced cancer-specific mortality among women with breast cancer (adjusted HR=0.95; 95% CI, 0.93-0.97), colorectal cancer (adjusted HR=0.94; 95% CI, 0.91-0.96), or endometrial cancer (adjusted HR=0.95; 95% CI, 0.90-0.99). The inverse associations remained unchanged in most subgroup analyses" - See metformin at ReliableRX.

IL-6 and IL-10 are associated with disease severity and higher comorbidity in adults with COVID-19 - Cytokine 2021 Mar 26 - "Older adults with COVID-19 had higher serum levels of IL-6 and IL-10 as compared to those under 65 years of age (p < 0.001 and p = 0.003, respectively). IL-10 was independently associated with age (p = 0.04) and severity of the disease (p = 0.05), whereas serum levels of IL-6 were not directly associated with age (p = 0.5). The comorbidity index seems to be the main responsible for this, being significantly associated with IL-6 levels among those aged 65 and over (p = 0.007), in addition to the severity of the disease"

Effects of the SGLT2 Inhibitor Dapagliflozin on Energy Metabolism in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized, Double-Blind Crossover Trial - Diabetes Care 2021 Apr 15 - "SGTL2 inhibitors increase urinary glucose excretion and have beneficial effects on cardiovascular and renal outcomes. The underlying mechanism may involve caloric restriction-like metabolic effects due to urinary glucose loss ... Dapagliflozin treatment for 5 weeks resulted in major adjustments of metabolism mimicking caloric restriction, increased fat oxidation, improved hepatic and adipose insulin sensitivity, and improved 24-h energy metabolism"

Triglyceride-induced cardiac lipotoxicity is mitigated by Silybum marianum - Atherosclerosis 2021 Mar 27 - "Silybum marianum (SM) is an herbal product with cytoprotective and antioxidant properties. We have previously demonstrated that SM ameliorates ventricular remodeling and improves cardiac performance. Here, we evaluated whether SM could exert beneficial effects against cardiac lipotoxicity in a pig model of closed-chest myocardial infarction (MI) ... SM administration reduces plasma triglyceride levels through attenuation of triglyceride intestinal absorption and modulates cardiac lipotoxicity in the ischemic myocardium, likely contributing to improve ventricular remodeling" - See silymarin at Amazon.com.

An updated systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of the randomized controlled trials on the effects of Alpha-Lipoic acid supplementation on inflammatory biomarkers - Int J Vitam Nutr Res 2021 Apr 8 - "The findings of the meta-analysis showed that ALA supplementation significantly reduced CRP (WMD: -0.69 mg/L, 95% CI: -1.13, -0.26, P=0.002), IL-6 (WMD: -1.83 pg/ml, 95% CI: -2.90, -0.76, P=0.001), and TNF-α concentrations (WMD: -0.45 pg/ml, 95% CI: -0.85, -0.04, P=0.032). No evidence of departure from linearity was observed between dose and duration of the ALA supplementation on serum CRP, IL-6 and TNF-α concentration. In subgroup analysis, ALA dosage, baseline concentrations of the parameter, sample size, and gender were considered as possible sources of heterogeneity. In summary, ALA supplementation improves inflammatory markers without any evidence of non-linear association to dose or duration of the trial" - See alpha lipoic acid at Amazon.com.

Magnesium supplementation reduces inflammation in rats with induced chronic kidney disease - Eur J Clin Invest 2021 Apr 18 - "Inflammation is a common feature in chronic kidney disease (CKD) that appears specifically associated with cardiovascular derangements in CKD patients. Observational studies have revealed a link between low Mg levels and inflammation ... Mg supplementation reduced inflammation associated with CKD, exerting a direct effect on vascular cells. These findings support a possible beneficial effect of Mg supplementation along the clinical management of CKD patients" - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.

Serum alkaline phosphatase is associated with arterial stiffness and 10-year cardiovascular disease risk in a Chinese population - Eur J Clin Invest 2021 Apr 13 - "Serum ALP is independently associated with arterial stiffness and 10-year CVD risk. Our results imply that serum ALP may be a promising marker to identify an increased risk for subclinical atherosclerosis in women needing further evaluation"

Effectiveness of supplementation with quercetin-type flavonols for treatment of viral lower respiratory tract infections: Systematic review and meta-analysis of preclinical studies - Phytother Res 2021 Apr 17 - "Viral infections of the lower respiratory tract are considered a public health problem. They affect millions of people worldwide, causing thousands of deaths, and are treated with expensive medicines, such as antivirals or palliative measures. In this study, we conducted a systematic review to describe the use of quercetin-type flavonols against lower respiratory tract viruses and discussed the preclinical impact of this approach on different signs and clinical mechanisms of infection ... The analysis of these studies showed evidence of antiviral activity of quercetin-type flavonols with significantly reduced mortality rate (M-H = 0.19, 95% CI: 0.05 to 0.65, p-value = 0.008) of infected animals and a reduction in the average viral load (IV = -1.93, 95% CI: -3.54 to -0.31, p-value = 0.02). Additionally, quercetin and its derivatives reduced the amount of proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, reactive oxygen species, mucus production, and airway resistance in animals infected with a respiratory virus. Overall, supplementation with quercetin-type flavonols is a promising strategy for treating viral-induced lower respiratory tract infections" - See quercetin at Amazon.com.

The effects of nano-curcumin supplementation on glycemic control, blood pressure, lipid profile, and insulin resistance in patients with the metabolic syndrome: A randomized, double-blind clinical trial - Phytother Res 2021 Apr 13 - "Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is one of the most important health hazards. Curcumin is extracted from Curcuma longa (turmeric), which can affect the components of MetS. To increase the oral bioavailability of curcumin, nano-micelle curcumin is used instead of curcumin powder. In this randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial, 50 patients with MetS were randomly assigned to two groups to receive either 80 mg/day nano-curcumin (n = 25) or placebo (n = 25), for 12 weeks anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, and biochemical factors-including fasting blood sugar (FBS), Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), pancreatic β cell function (HOMA-β) and lipid profile-were assessed at the baseline and the end of the study ... The analysis between the two groups has illustrated a significant reduction in the average change of triglyceride (TG) levels (-60.5 ± 121.7 vs. 13.1 ± 78.1 mg/dL; p < .05) and HOMA-β (-5.7 ± 48.2 vs. -4.01 ± 16.9; p < .05). But there were no significant differences in anthropometric measurements, blood pressure and biochemical factors-including FBS, HbA1c, HOMA-IR, HOMA-β, and lipid profile variables include (total cholesterol, LDL-C, and HDL-C) at the end of the study. In conclusion, supplementation with nano-micelle curcumin significantly improved serum TG in MetS patients" - See nano-micelle curcumin at Amazon.com.

Nicotinamide Protects Against Diet-Induced Body Weight Gain, Increases Energy Expenditure and Induces White Adipose Tissue Beiging - Mol Nutr Food Res 2021 Apr 18 - "Interventions that boost NAD+ availability are of potential therapeutic interest for obesity treatment. The potential of nicotinamide (NAM), the amide form of vitamin B3 and a physiological precursor of NAD+, in preventing weight gain has not previously been studied in vivo. Other NAD+ precursors have been shown to decrease weight gain; however, their impact on adipose tissue was not addressed ... Two doses of NAM (high dose: 1%; and low dose: 0.25%) were given by drinking water to C57BL/6J male mice, starting at the same time as the high-fat diet feeding. NAM supplementation protected against diet-induced obesity by augmenting global body energy expenditure in C57BL/6J male mice. The manipulation markedly altered adipose morphology and metabolism, particularly in inguinal (i) white adipose tissue (iWAT). An increased number of brown and beige adipocyte clusters, protein abundance of UCP1, mitochondrial activity, adipose NAD+, and AMPK levels were observed in the iWAT of treated mice. Notably, a significant improvement in hepatic steatosis, inflammation and glucose tolerance was also observed in NAM high-dose treated mice" - See nicotinamide at Amazon.com.

Effects of Melatonin Supplementation on Serum Oxidative Stress Markers and Disease Activity in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial - Int J Clin Pract 2021 Apr 20 - "This study demonstrated affirmative effects of melatonin in decreasing oxidative stress in SLE patients without any effect on disease activity" - See melatonin at Amazon.com.

Aged Garlic Extract Reduces IL-6: A Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial in Females with a Low Risk of Cardiovascular Disease - Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2021 Mar 3 - "Chronic inflammation is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease ... The present study concludes that AGE lowers IL-6 in females with a risk profile of cardiovascular disease" - See aged garlic at Amazon.com.

Probiotics Can Further Reduce Waist Circumference in Adults with Morbid Obesity after Bariatric Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials - Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2021 Apr 1 - "Probiotics aid adults with morbid obesity in achieving further waist circumference improvement after BS, with no significant effect on weight, BMI, %EWL, and CRP" - See probiotic supplements at Amazon.com.

Resveratrol Alleviates Vascular Endothelial Damage Caused by Lower-Extremity Ischemia Reperfusion (I/R) through Regulating Keap1/Nrf2 Signaling-Mediated Oxidative Stress - Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2021 Mar 24 - "Taken together, our data revealed that RSV might alleviate vascular endothelial injury induced by lower-extremity I/R injury through regulating Keap1/Nrf2 signaling-mediated oxidative stress." - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.

Combination of tea polyphenols and proanthocyanidins prevents menopause-related memory decline in rats via increased hippocampal synaptic plasticity by inhibiting p38 MAPK and TNF-α pathway - Nutr Neurosci 2021 Apr 19 - "tea polyphenols (TP) and proanthocyanidins (PC) ... TP and PC were used to investigate their protective effects on memory decline caused by inflammation. We characterized the learning and memory abilities, synaptic plasticity, AMPAR, phosphorylation of the p38 protein, TNF-ɑ, structural synaptic plasticity-related indicators in the hippocampus ... These results provided a novel evidence TP combined with PC inhibits p38 MAPK pathway, suppresses the inflammation in hippocampus, and increase the externalization of AMPAR, which may be one of the mechanisms to improve synaptic plasticity and memory in the menopause-related memory decline rats" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com and proanthocyanidins at Amazon.com.

Association Between Coffee Intake and Incident Heart Failure Risk - Circ Heart Fail 2021 Feb;14 - "Higher coffee intake was found to be associated with reduced risk of HF in all three studies" - [Nutra USA]

Reminds me of the following meme because the above two items will give you a better cup of coffee than you'd get at coffee houses.  The Touch has a 200 - 205 degree brewing temp.  The cheap ones at Costco are around 170 degrees.

8 weeks of 2S-Hesperidin supplementation improves muscle mass and reduces fat in amateur competitive cyclists: randomized controlled trial - Food & Function, Apr 21 - "A double-blind, parallel and randomized trial, was carried out with 40 amateur cyclists that were divided in two groups, one taking 2S-hesperidin (500 mg d−1, n = 20) and another taking placebo (500 mg d−1 microcellulose, n = 20) for 8 weeks. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and anthropometric measurements were used to assess the effect of both treatments on body composition. In addition, the resting metabolic rate was measured. In comparison to placebo, DXA analysis showed a decrease in percentage body fat (%BF) (−10.4%; p = 0.035) and lower limb fat mass (−10.5%; p = 0.029) in favour of 2S-hesperidin. After evaluation of anthropometric data, a decrease in %BF (−3.7%; p = 0.006), total body fat (−3.0%; p = 0.047), ∑ of 8 skinfolds (−6.1%; p = 0.008) was observed in 2S-hesperidin group, but not in placebo. Additionally, there was an increase in muscle mass percentage (1.0%; p = <0.001) and total muscle mass (1.7%; p = 0.011) after ingestion of 2S-hesperidin, with no changes in placebo. Chronic intake of 2S-hesperidin decreased fat mass in amateur cyclists, evaluated through different body composition measurement methodologies (DXA and anthropometry). In addition, 2S-hesperidin supplementation showed a promoting effect on muscle development" - [Nutra USA] - See hesperidin at Amazon.com.

Neat Tech Stuff / "How To's":

The best webcams you can buy - Engadget, 4/26/21 - "Best overall: Logitech C920s Pro HD ... Best premium: Logitech Brio"

Health Focus (Sytrinol):