Recent Longevity News for the week ending 5/12/21

'Precision' Nutrition? DHA Benefit Modified by AD Genetic Risk - Medscape, 5/7/21 - "In cognitively unimpaired middle-aged adults at high genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD), higher intake of dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was associated with greater resistance to disease-related brain atrophy on neuroimaging ... So, in other words, the people with the highest genetic risk for Alzheimer's because of the APOE allele, those were the patients who had benefit from greater fish intake" - See docosahexaenoic acid at Amazon.com.

Fecal Transplantation Safe but Ineffective in PsA Trial - Medscape, 5/7/21 - "The first clinical trial of fecal microbiota transplantation in patients with psoriatic arthritis has found the procedure to be as safe as a sham procedure, but it didn't show any effectiveness in decreasing PsA symptoms over 6 months"

Have high blood pressure? You may want to check your meds - Science Daily, 5/6/21 - "Which are the most likely culprits? Based on the study findings, the three most common classes of medications were antidepressants; nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that include ibuprofen and naproxen; and oral steroids used to treat conditions such as gout, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis or after an organ transplant. These medications were reported by 9%, 7% and 2% of participants, respectively. Other medications associated with blood pressure elevation were also reported, including antipsychotics, certain oral contraceptives and popular decongestants"

Sugar-sweetened drinks linked to increased risk of colorectal cancer in women under 50, study finds - Science Daily, 5/6/21 - "Compared with women who drank less than one 8-ounce serving per week of sugar-sweetened beverages, those who drank two or more servings per day had just over twice the risk of developing early-onset colorectal cancer, meaning it was diagnosed before age 50. The researchers calculated a 16% increase in risk for each 8-ounce serving per day. And from ages 13 to 18, an important time for growth and development, each daily serving was linked to a 32% increased risk of eventually developing colorectal cancer before age 50"

In-Depth: Study confirms why COVID-19 causes complications across the body - 10News, 5/6/21 - "It causes this massive change in cellular signaling that ultimately causes damage to their mitochondria ... Mitochondria are the power supply inside cells. Damaging them can lead to long-term effects ... Mitochondria are “a major signaling hub for the cell that’s involved in inflammation, in aging and telling the cells when to die and when to live" - Note: So no big problem, you'll just get old faster,

One cup of leafy green vegetables a day lowers risk of heart disease - Science Daily, 5/4/21 - "Researchers examined data from over 50,000 people residing in Denmark taking part in the Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health Study over a 23-year period. They found that people who consumed the most nitrate-rich vegetables had about a 2.5 mmHg lower systolic blood pressure and between 12 to 26 percent lower risk of heart disease ... The greatest reduction in risk was for peripheral artery disease (26 percent), a type of heart disease characterised by the narrowing of blood vessels of the legs, however we also found people had a lower risk of heart attacks, strokes and heart failure ... the optimum amount of nitrate-rich vegetables was one cup a day and eating more than that didn't seem to give any additional benefits"

Retinoids remain the gold standard for fighting acne and wrinkles. Here’s what you should know. - Washington Post, 5/4/21 - "Since Kligman’s 1986 work, there have been thousands of studies on tretinoin, making it one of the most researched anti-aging ingredients in dermatology. “Tretinoin is considered the gold standard in skin care because of the extensive body of research that supports how well it works at increasing cell turnover,” said Ranella Hirsch, a dermatologist based in Cambridge, Mass. This boost in cell turnover helps increase collagen production, unclog pores (one way it helps treat acne), smooth fine lines, reduce the appearance of sun damage and manage dark spots, Hirsch added ... The key to safely and tolerably introducing a retinoid is not only to start with a low strength but to only apply a pea size of the retinoid two to three times per week, depending on your skin’s tolerability, Rieder said. “I love to start my patients on retinol or retinaldehyde [retinal] for a month or two, and then transition them to prescription-strength tretinoin,” said Sarvenaz Zand, a dermatologist based in Marin County, Calif. “This regimen helps to avoid all the irritation, peeling and redness that you can get with starting a prescription-strength retinoid right off the bat.” ... if you have a retinoid in your routine you should always wear proper sunscreen and moisturizer to prevent irritation ... Rieder emphasized patience when it comes to seeing results from retinoids, whether using them for the treatment of acne or wrinkles. “I always tell my patients that in the beginning you’re going to ask yourself, ‘Why the hell am I doing this to my skin?’ after having irritated, flaky skin for weeks and not seeing any difference at all. It’s like that six-month point, that one-year point that you really start seeing results. But it’s a journey, a long journey.”" - See Retin-A at ReliableRxPharmacy.

Drinking 8 glasses of water a day usually isn’t necessary, an exercise scientist says - Washington Post, 5/2/21 - "The kidneys will make molecular adjustments to both underhydration and overhydration within 40 seconds in response to any upset in the water balance. These adjustments result from the mobilization armies of AQP-2 water channels, numbering about 12 million per collecting duct cell ... This is why when we drink more water than our body needs — above thirst — we immediately have to discharge any excess water. Or when we forget our water bottle during practice, we stop urinating to conserve body water. This quick coordinated action between the brain, cranial nerves and kidneys is far more efficient and precise than any phone app, gadget or personalized recommendation available ... Improvement in skin complexion, kidney function and constipation, with increased water consumption, are not clearly supported by science. Drinking extra water alone does not help kids lose weight unless water intake replaces the ingestion of higher-caloric beverages, such as soda, or makes people feel “full” before meals."

FDA Approves Dapagliflozin (Farxiga ) for Chronic Kidney Disease - Medscape, 4/30/21 - "Dapagliflozin was approved in 2014 to improve glycemic control in patients with diabetes mellitus, and approval was expanded in 2020 to include treatment of patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction ... during a median of 2.4 years, treatment with dapagliflozin led to a significant 31% relative reduction compared with placebo in the study's primary outcome, a composite that included at least a 50% drop in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) compared with baseline, end-stage kidney disease, kidney transplant, renal death, or cardiovascular death ... Dapagliflozin treatment also cut all-cause mortality by a statistically significant relative reduction of 31%, and another secondary-endpoint analysis showed a statistically significant 29% relative reduction in the rate of cardiovascular death or heart failure hospitalization." - See dapagliflozin at reliablerxpharmacy.com.

More Years With Type 2 Diabetes, Higher Dementia Risk - Science Daily, 4/29/21 - "Overall, dementia risk at age 70 rose 24% for every five years people had been living with diabetes"

Fasting lowers blood pressure by reshaping the gut microbiota - Science Daily, 4/29/21 - "Taken together, the study shows for the first time that intermittent fasting can be beneficial in terms of reducing hypertension by reshaping the composition of gut microbiota in an animal model. The work also provides evidence that gut dysbiosis contributes to hypertension by altering bile acid signaling"

Avocado discovery may point to leukemia treatment - Science Daily, 4/29/21 - "Earlier, his lab looked at avocatin B, a fat molecule found only in avocados, for potential use in preventing diabetes and managing obesity. Now he's eager to see it used in leukemia patients"

Association Between Dietary Sodium, Potassium Intake and Lung Cancer Risk - Medscape, 4/29/21 - "Appropriate intake of potassium has a protective effect against lung cancer, while high consumption of sodium is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer" - See potassium citrate at Amazon.com.

Dapagliflozin, Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease, and Mortality: New Insights From the DAPA-CKD Trial - Medscape, 4/28/21 - "Taken together, the data from DAPA-CKD, in conjunction with the results from other recently published SGLT2 inhibitor trials in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction, position the class of SGLT2 inhibitors far beyond their original use in patients with type 2 diabetes (Graphical Abstract).[5,6,8] For the cardiovascular high-risk population of patients with CKD, SGLT2 inhibition with dapagliflozin provides for the first time a treatment option to significantly improve the prognosis and to reduce mortality—independent of the presence of diabetes. Within the next few years, additional studies with SGLT2 inhibitors in CKD patients will report (e.g. EMPA-KIDNEY with empagliflozin, NCT03594110), but now it is on us—nephrologists, cardiologists, and all healthcare providers treating patients with CKD—to ensure that these life-saving therapies are implemented. For the treatment of patients with diabetes, a subset of members of the writing groups of the 2019 American Diabetes Association (ADA)/European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) consensus document and the 2019 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines have recently published a call for action to ensure that clinical inertia no longer leads to the low prescription of evidence-based life-saving therapies in high risk patients"

Research shows consuming prebiotic supplements once a day has a positive impact on anxiety levels - Science Daily, 4/27/21 - "Researchers studied a group of 64 healthy female participants with no current or previous clinical diagnoses of anxiety. Participants received either a daily dose of the prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) or a placebo for 28 days ... This is an exciting study that brings together different dimensions in mental health research; finding prebiotic effects in a sub-clinical group shows promise for translational clinical research on multiple markers of mental health" - See galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) at Amazon.com.

Few young adult men have gotten the HPV vaccine - Science Daily, 4/27/21 - "just 16% of men who were 18 to 21 years old had received at least one dose of the HPV vaccine at any age ... I don't think that a lot of people, both providers and patients, are aware that this vaccine is actually a cancer-prevention vaccine for men as well as women ... But HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer can impact anyone -- and there's no good screening for it, which makes vaccination even more important" - Note: Stupid. I had stage III neck cancer (cancer of the tonsil that spread to the lymph nodes in the neck and it was the size of a golf ball). The five-year survival was 25%. For two years they told me I was going to die. I refused chemo and radiation and just had surgery and was going to let nature run its course. That was in 2004 so they must have gotten it all but I have a scar from in back of my left ear to my collar bone and from the middle of that to my Adam's apple. It healed well though. I doubt if anyone notices it. I still can't eat certain foods because it gets stuck in my throat.

Abstracts from this week:

The effect of Eurycoma Longifolia on the regulation of reproductive hormones in young males - Andrologia 2021 May - "Eurycoma longifolia supplementation increases testosterone levels in humans via activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and/or the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis mainly in older adults and nonhealthy populations ... Thirty-two males (24.4 ± 4.7 years; 1.74 ± 0.07 m; 73.7 ± 8.4 kg) in a placebo-controlled, double-blind, matched-paired study received 600 mg/day Eurycoma longifolia or placebo for two weeks. Blood analysis using repeated measures analysis of variance showed significant interaction and time effects for testosterone (F1,30 = 9.04, p = .005), free testosterone (F1,30 = 7.13, p = .012) and estradiol (F1,30 = 8.07, p = .008) levels in favour of the treatment group, while luteinising hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone and sexual hormone-binding globulin did not. The lack of changes in luteinising hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone levels suggests that a lesser role played by Eurycoma longifolia in activating the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in the young adults. The raised testosterone level may be due to a greater rate of hormone production via the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. The supplementation of Eurycoma longifolia for two weeks demonstrates steroidogenic effects on young men were dose-related. Consequently, the raised testosterone following Eurycoma longifolia supplementations could benefit muscle and strength gain in young adults" - [Nutra USA] - I take Eurycoma longifolia to lower SHBG. SHBG bines with total testosterone causing lower free testosterone. My SHBG was really high so I came up with my own formula: Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia), stinging nettle, boron, DHEA, fish oil, vitamin D and 50 mg (a very low dose) of prescription danazol that I purchased from an overseas pharmacy. It makes a big difference in your sex life and getting rid of your gut.  See Tongkat (Eurycoma Longifolia) at Amazon.com and also the LJ 100 Tongkat used in this trial.

Mechanisms of Anti-Tumor Activity of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) - Nutr Cancer 2021;73(6):914-926 - "Increasing herbal formulations have been used to treat several diseases including cancer. W. somnifera (Ashwagandha) is one such plant the extracts of which have been tested against a number of ailments including cancer, which remains as one of the most dreadful diseases on the globe ... Through this review, we highlight the importance of W. somnifera in countering the potential oncogenic signaling mediators that are modulated by active constituents of W. somnifera in a variety of cancer types" - See Ashwagandha at Amazon.com.

Effects of preoperative serum vitamin D levels on early clinical function outcomes and the moderate-to-severe pain prevalence in postmenopausal women after primary total knee arthroplasty - Menopause 2021 May 3 - "total knee arthroplasty (TKA) ... Preoperative vitamin D deficiency may adversely affect early functional outcomes in postmenopausal women after TKA. In addition, vitamin D deficiency, smoking, and high body mass index were independent risk factors for moderate-to-severe knee pain after surgery" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Associations of Dietary ω-3, ω-6 Fatty Acids Consumption with Sleep Disorders and Sleep Duration among Adults - Nutrients 2021 Apr 27 - "Our study indicates that ω-6 fatty acid consumption and the ω-6:ω-3 ratio are positively associated with the risk of sleep disorders, while the negative association between ω-3 fatty acids and sleep disorders may exist only in men. Furthermore, ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acid consumption are negatively related to the risk of non-normal sleep duration"

Higher Branched-Chain Amino Acid Intake Is Associated with Handgrip Strength among Korean Older Adults - Nutrients 2021 Apr 30 - "Sarcopenia is a disease of old age characterized by decreased muscle mass and strength. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) promote muscle mass synthesis and increase muscle strength. We aimed to develop a dietary amino acid database and to examine the association between BCAA intake and handgrip strength in Korean older adults ... Grains greatly contributed to amino acid intake; however, a significant negative association was observed between handgrip strength and increased BCAA intake through grains. In the fully adjusted model, leucine intake and handgrip strength showed a positive association. Thus, consuming BCAAs (especially leucine) via a variety of food sources can help maintain muscle health in older people" - See leucine products at Amazon.com.

Metformin extended-release versus metformin immediate-release for adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - Diabetes Res Clin Pract 2021 Apr 19 - "MIR was statistically associated with better HbA1c lowering (MD 0.09% [0.01%, 0.17%]) and serum lipid control, and MXR only with reduced dyspepsia (RR 0.58 [0.34, 0.98]). MXR and MIR were similar in other considered outcomes ... Conclusions: MXR was associated with statistically worse but likely clinically insignificant HbA1c lowering, similar plasma glucose control, and minimal improvement of metformin intolerance versus MIR" - See metformin at ReliableRX.

Berberine modulates crucial erectogenic biomolecules and alters histological architecture in penile tissues of diabetic rats - Andrologia 2021 Apr 30 - "Berberine is an isoquinoline alkaloid, found in several plants. Diabetes induces erectile dysfunction (ED) via reduction in some hormones and enzymes implicated in sexual function. This study aimed to investigate the role of berberine on crucial biomolecules linked to penile function in diabetic rats. Sixty-three (63) adult male rats were used and distributed into nine groups (each = 7). Group I-IV normal rats administered with citrate buffer (pH 4.5), sildenafil citrate (SD, 5.0 mg/kg), 50 and 100 mg/kg of berberine, respectively, via oral gavage. Rats in groups V-IX were diabetic rat with ED treated with buffer, SD, 50 and 100 mg/kg of berberine, and acarbose (25 mg/kg ACA) respectively. The result revealed that histological architecture in penile tissues were altered in diabetic groups treated with berberine, sildenafil citrate and acarbose when compared to the diabetic control group. Treatment with berberine, increased testosterone, luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone in diabetic rat with ED. Also, reduced prolactin level and acetylcholinesterase, angiotensin-1 converting enzyme, adenosine deaminase and arginase activities were observed in berberine treated diabetic rat with ED. Molecular docking analysis revealed that berberine had strong binding affinities for these enzymes. Thus, berberine could represent a potential therapeutic agent for diabetes-induced ED." - See berberine at Amazon.com.

NAD + and NAFLD - Caution, Causality, and Careful Optimism - J Physiol 2021 May 1 - "The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasing worldwide, and new treatments are direly needed. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+ ) has been proposed as a potential target to prevent and reverse NAFLD. NAD+ is an important redox factor for energy metabolism and is used as a substrate by a range of enzymes, including sirtuins (SIRT), which regulates histone acetylation, transcription factor activity and mitochondrial function. NAD+ is also a precursor for reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), which is an important component of the antioxidant defense system. NAD+ precursors such as nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) are available as over-the-counter dietary supplements, and oral supplementation with these precursors increases hepatic NAD+ levels and prevent hepatic lipid accumulation in pre-clinical models of NAFLD. Moreover, NAD+ precursors were found to improve hepatic mitochondrial function and decrease oxidative stress in pre-clinical NAFLD models. NAD+ repletion also prevents NAFLD progression to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), as NAD+ precursor supplementation is associated with decreased hepatic stellate cell activation, and decreased fibrosis. However, initial clinical trials have only shown modest effects when NAD+ precursors were administrated to people with obesity. We review the available pre-clinical investigations of NAD+ supplementation for targeting NAFLD, and discuss how data from the first clinical trials can be reconciled with observations from preclinical research" - See nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide at Amazon.com.

Are SGLT2 Inhibitors New Hypertension Drugs? - Circulation 2021 May 4 - Note:  See the table. Jardiance (empagliflozin) lowered systolic by about 10 points.  Farxiga (dapagliflozin) was 5.8. - See dapagliflozin at RelibleRXPharmacy but they don't carry empagliflozin.

Case-cohort study of plasma phospholipid fatty acid profiles, cognitive function, and risk of dementia: a secondary analysis in the Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory Study - Am J Clin Nutr 2021 Apr 21 - "Substitution of 1% of SFAs for 1% of linoleic acid, the predominant polyunsaturated n-6 (ɷ-6) fatty acid, was associated with higher risk of dementia (HR per 1% of SFAs instead of linoleic acid = 1.03; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.07) and a 0.08 point lower 3MSE score at baseline (95% CI: -0.12, -0.03), signifying worse cognitive function. When compared with linoleic acid, we found no associations of total monounsaturated, n-3 polyunsaturated, or trans fatty acids with risk of dementia or AD. However, the substitution of 1% of the marine n-3 PUFA DHA for linoleic acid was associated with lower risk of dementia (HR = 0.86 per 1% of DHA instead of linoleic acid; 95% CI: 0.76, 0.96)"

The flavonoid, kaempferol-3-O-apiofuranosyl-7-O-rhamnopyranosyl, as a potential therapeutic agent for breast cancer with a promoting effect on ovarian function - Phytother Res 2021 Apr 28 - "It is widely known that breast cancer cells eventually develop resistance to hormonal drugs and chemotherapies, which often compromise fertility. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the flavonoid, kaempferol-3-O-apiofuranosyl-7-O-rhamnopyranosyl (KARP), on 1) the viability of MCF-7 breast cancer cells and 2) ovarian function in rats. A dose-dependent decrease in MCF-7 cell survival was observed, and the IC50 value was found to be 48 μg/ml. Cells in the control group or those exposed to increasing concentrations of KARP experienced a similar generation of reactive oxygen species and induction of apoptosis. For the rats, estradiol levels correlated negatively to KARP dosages, although a recovery was obtained at administration of 30 mg/kg per day. Noteworthily, when compared against the control, this dosage led to significant increases in mRNA levels for CYP19, CYP17a, CCND2, GDF9, and INSL3 among the treatment groups, and ER1 and ER2 mRNA levels decreased in a dose-dependent manner. KARP shows great promise as an ideal therapy for breast cancer patients since it induced apoptosis and autophagy in cancerous cells without harming fertility in our animal model" - See kaempferol at Amazon.com.

Effects of delta-tocotrienol supplementation on Glycemic Control, oxidative stress, inflammatory biomarkers and miRNA expression in type 2 diabetes mellitus: A randomized control trial - Phytother Res 2021 Apr 25 - "Compared to the placebo, δT3 supplementation resulted in a significant (p ≤ .05) reduction [mean difference (95% confidence interval)] in plasma glucose [-0.48 (-0.65, -0.30)], insulin [-1.19 (-1.51, -0.87)], homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance [-0.67 (-0.86, -0.49)], glycosylated hemoglobin [-0.53 (-0.79, -0.28)], malondialdehyde [-0.34 (-0.45, -0.22)], high sensitive-C-reactive protein[-0.35 (-0.54, -0.16)], tumor necrosis factor-alpha [-1.22 (-1.62, -0.83)], and interleukin-6[-2.30 (-2.91, -1.68)]. More than twofold downregulation in miRNA-375, miRNA-34a, miRNA-21, and upregulation in miRNA-126, miRNA-132 expression was observed in the δT3 group compared to the placebo. The study demonstrated that δT3 supplementation in addition to oral hypoglycemic agents, improved glycemic control, inflammation, oxidative stress, and miRNA expression in T2DM without any adverse effect. Thus, δT3 might be considered as an effective dietary supplement to prevent long-term diabetic complications" - See Jarrow FamilE (contains all eight members of the vitamin E family, includes Tocomin) at Amazon.com.

Theanine and cancer: A systematic review of the literature - Phytother Res 2021 Apr 23 - "A growing literature indicates several health benefits of theanine, a major nonprotein derivative amino acid special to tea, and a nonedible mushroom ... Most of the included in vitro and ex vivo studies reported beneficial effects of theanine on the proliferation, apoptosis, metastasis, migration, and invasion in various cancer cell lines. The in vivo studies also supported the potential impacts of theanine on cancer incidence or progression. Theanine exerted its anticancer function by inhibiting EGFR, VEGFR, Met, and Akt/mTOR, JAK2/STAT3, and ERK/NFκB pathways, as well as activating the intrinsic apoptosis pathway and caspase-independent programmed cell death. In conclusion, the results indicated moderate apoptotic, antimetastatic, antimigration, and anti-invasion effects, along with the mild antiproliferative influence of theanine on cancer" - See theanine at Amazon.com.

Disposition of Dietary Polyphenols in Breast Cancer Patients' Tumors, and their Associated Anticancer Activity: the Particular Case of Curcumin - Mol Nutr Food Res 2021 May 3 - "Curcuminoids could be coadjuvants that might help fight BC upon regular consumption" - See curcumin at Amazon.com.

The effect of curcumin and zinc co-supplementation on glycemic parameters in overweight or obese prediabetic subjects: A phase 2 randomized, placebo-controlled trial with a multi-arm, parallel-group design - Phytother Res 2021 Apr 23 - "Management of prediabetes is a critical step to prevent type-2 diabetes. Curcumin and zinc have been studied as an antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and antidiabetic agents. In this clinical trial, 84 subjects were randomized into curcumin (500 mg), zinc (30 mg), zinc and curcumin, and placebo groups for 90 days ... After the intervention, dietary intake, PA, weight, and BCF% did not show a significant difference among the groups. However, subjects taking only zinc and zinc and curcumin groups experienced decreased BMI compared to the placebo (p = .01 and .007, respectively). The three treated groups had improved FPG (p = .01), 2hpp (p = .003), HbA1C (p = .004), insulin (p = .001), IS% (p = .001), and IR (p < .001) compared to the placebo. Based on these results, zinc and curcumin supplementation exerted a beneficial effect on several key glycemic parameters" - See curcumin at Amazon.com and Jarrow Zinc Balance at Amazon.com.

Promising role of curcumin against viral diseases emphasizing COVID-19 management: A review on the mechanistic insights with reference to host-pathogen interaction and immunomodulation - J Funct Foods 2021 Jul - "Curcumin has already acknowledged immense interest from both medical and scientific research because of its multifaceted activity. To date, the promising effects of curcumin were perceived against numerous inflammatory diseases. Besides, curcumin's role as a medicine has been studied in many virus infections like influenza, HIV, etc. There is a need to analyze the cellular mechanisms of curcumin including host-pathogen interaction and immunomodulatory effects, to explore the role of curcumin against COVID-19. With this background, our study suggests that curcumin can prevent COVID-19 infections by inhibiting the pathogen entry, viral genome replication and steps in the endosomal pathway along with inhibition of T-cell signalling by impairing the autophagy-mediated antigen-presenting pathway. This review explicit the possible mechanisms behind curcumin-induced cellular immunity and a therapeutive dosage of curcumin suggesting a preventive strategy against COVID-19" - See curcumin at Amazon.com.

Quercetin Attenuates Atherosclerotic Inflammation by Inhibiting Gal-3-NLRP3 Signaling Pathway - Mol Nutr Food Res 2021 May 3 - "Atherosclerosis is the underlying pathogenesis of cardiovascular events caused by inflammation, and dietary intervention has been recommended as one fundamental prevention strategy ... Gal-3 initiates inflammatory lesions by activating NLRP3 inflammasome which functions as a candidate target of quercetin exerting favorable anti-atherogenic effects. Our findings highlight a promising strategy for atherosclerosis prevention and treatment by naturally-occurring quercetin" - See quercetin at Amazon.com.

Quercetin Relieves D-Amphetamine induced Manic-like Behavior through Activating TREK-1 Potassium Channels in Mice - Br J Pharmacol 2021 Apr 28 - "Quercetin is a prominent neuroprotective compound from flavonoids. Previous studies found it may relieve psychiatric disorders, cognition deficits, and memory dysfunction through anti-oxidation and/or radical scavengingmechanisms ... Our results demonstrated that TREK-1 channel is a novel target on quercetin treatment through PKC-dependent manner, which could contribute to both the neuroprotection and anti-manic-like effects" - See quercetin at Amazon.com.

γ-Oryzanol improves exercise endurance and muscle strength by upregulating PPARδ and ERRγ activity in aged mice - Mol Nutr Food Res 2021 May 1 - "γ-Oryzanol, a well-known antioxidant, has been used by body builders and athletes to boost strength and increase muscle gain, without major side effects. However, the effect of γ-oryzanol on sarcopenia and the underlying molecular mechanism is poorly understood ... These are the first findings showing that γ-oryzanol enhances skeletal muscle function in aged mice by regulating PPARδ and ERRγ activity without muscle gain" - See Gamma Oryzanol at Amazon.com.

The consumption of wholegrain is related to depressive symptoms among Chinese adults: a cross-sectional study - Eur J Clin Nutr 2021 Apr 30 - "After adjustments for potential confounding factors, the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of depressive symptoms across wholegrains consumption were 0.77 (0.65-0.91) for <1 time/week, 0.73 (0.62-0.86) for 1 time/week and 0.68 (0.59-0.79) for ≥2 time/week in males compared with the control group (almost never). In females, the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) were 0.86 (0.71-1.04) for <1 time/week, 0.94 (0.78-1.13) for 1 time/week, and 0.76 (0.65-0.91) for ≥2 time/week"

The association between subclinical hypothyroidism and metabolic syndrome: an update meta-analysis of observational studies - Endocr J 2021 Apr 21 - "subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) ... SCH was identified to be associated with an increased risk of obesity, hypertension, high triglyceride (TG) levels and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. In conclusion, SCH is significantly associated with an increased risk of MetS and four out of five components of MetS"

Serum Free Triiodothyronine and the Responsiveness to Clopidogrel in Patients Undergoing Elective Percutaneous Coronary Intervention - Adv Ther 2021 Apr 29 - "percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) ... Low FT3 was independently associated with increased risks of both low responsiveness to clopidogrel and cardiovascular events in patients undergoing elective PCI"

A combination of green tea, rhodiola, magnesium and B vitamins modulates brain activity and protects against the effects of induced social stress in healthy volunteers - Nutr Neurosci 2021 Apr 26 - "Green tea and rhodiola have been shown to modulate EEG oscillatory brain activity associated with relaxation and stress perception ... The combined treatment significantly increased EEG resting state theta (p < .02) - considered indicative of a relaxed, alert state, attenuated subjective stress, anxiety and mood disturbance, and heightened subjective and autonomic arousal ... Conclusions: Mg, B vitamins, rhodiola and green tea extracts are a promising combination of ingredients that may enhance coping capacity and offer protection from the negative effects of stress exposure" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com, rhodiola rosea at Amazon.com, Magtein at Amazon.com and B complex supplements at Amazon.com.

The impact of tryptophan supplementation on sleep quality: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression - Nutr Rev 2021 May 3 - "Results from the study suggested that Trp supplementation can shorten wake after sleep onset (-81.03 min/g, P = 0.017; SMD, -1.08 min [95%CI, -1.89 to -0.28]). In addition, the group receiving ≥1 g Trp supplementation had a shorter wake after sleep onset than the group with Trp < 1g supplementation (Trp <1 g vs Trp ≥1 g: 56.55 vs 28.91 min; P = 0.001) ... Conclusion: Trp supplementation, especially at ≥1 g can help improve sleep quality" - See tryptophan at Amazon.com.

Associations of dietary vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 with the risk of depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis - Nutr Rev 2021 Apr 29 - "The pooled RR (95% CI) of depression for the highest vs the lowest category of dietary vitamin B1, B2, B6, and B12 was 0.69 (0.55-0.87), 0.77 (0.67-0.89), 0.81 (0.71-0.93), and 0.86 (0.75-0.99), respectively. The pooled RR (95% CI) of depression for the highest vs the lowest category of dietary vitamin B2 was 0.80 (0.64-0.99) in females and 0.83 (0.67-1.02) in males, for dietary vitamin B6 was 0.71 (0.59-0.86) in females and 0.92 (0.76-1.12) in males, and for dietary vitamin B12 was 0.79 (0.65-0.97) in females and 0.94 (0.77-1.15) in males" - See B complex supplements at Amazon.com.

Chinese Outdoor Workers: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, and Crossover Intervention Study - Skin Pharmacol Physiol 2021;34(3):135-145 - "Oral supplementation with a standardized extract from the bark of the French pine (Pycnogenol®) has been reported to benefit the skin ... In a monocentre, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, and crossover study, the effects of Pycnogenol® intake (2 × 50 mg/day for a total of 12 weeks) on a variety of skin physiological parameters was studied in Chinese subjects (n = 76), from spring to autumn, who were working outdoors in Beijing, China ... During the intervention period, study subjects were constantly exposed to increased levels of particulate matter (PM)2.5 as well as seasonal changes in humidity and temperature. Despite this environmental stress, Pycnogenol® intake prevented (i) a decrease in the skin hydration, (ii) transepidermal water loss (TEWL), and (iii) skin darkening during the dry autumn season. In addition, Pycnogenol® intake improved (iv) viscoelastic skin properties such as gross elasticity and elastic recovery irrespective of the season. These beneficial effects were not observed if the same subjects were supplemented with placebo" - [Nutra USA] - See Pycnogenol at Amazon.com.

Anxiolytic effects of a galacto-oligosaccharides prebiotic in healthy females (18–25 years) with corresponding changes in gut bacterial composition - Sci Rep 2021 Apr 15 - "Current research implicates pre- and probiotic supplementation as a potential tool for improving symptomology in physical and mental ailments, which makes it an attractive concept for clinicians and consumers alike ... We examined multiple indices of mood and well-being in 64 healthy females in a 4-week double blind, placebo controlled galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) prebiotic supplement intervention and obtained stool samples at baseline and follow-up for gut microbiota sequencing and analyses. We report effects of the GOS intervention on self-reported high trait anxiety, attentional bias, and bacterial abundance, suggesting that dietary supplementation with a GOS prebiotic may improve indices of pre-clinical anxiety. Gut microbiota research has captured the imagination of the scientific and lay community alike, yet we are now at a stage where this early enthusiasm will need to be met with rigorous research in humans. Our work makes an important contribution to this effort by combining a psychobiotic intervention in a human sample with comprehensive behavioural and gut microbiota measures" - [Nutra USA] - See galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) at Amazon.com.

Effects of Saffron Extract on Sleep Quality: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Clinical Trial - Nutrients 2021 Apr 27 - "A saffron extract has been found to be effective in the context of depression and anxiety, but its effect on sleep quality has not been investigating yet using objective approaches ... Sixty-six subjects were randomized and supplemented with a placebo (maltodextrin) or a saffron extract (15.5 mg per day) for 6 weeks ... Six weeks of saffron supplementation led to an increased time in bed assessed by actigraphy, to an improved ease of getting to sleep evaluated by the LSEQ questionnaire and to an improved sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, and global scores evaluated by the PSQI questionnaire, whereas those parameters were not modified by the placebo. In conclusion, those results suggest that a saffron extract could be a natural and safe nutritional strategy to improve sleep duration and quality" - [Nutra USA] - See saffron supplements at Amazon.com.

Dietary Strawberries Improve Cardiometabolic Risks in Adults with Obesity and Elevated Serum LDL Cholesterol in a Randomized Controlled Crossover Trial - Nutrients 2021, 13(5) - "participants were assigned to one of the three arms for four weeks separated by a one-week washout period: control powder, one serving (low dose: 13 g strawberry powder/day), or two-and-a -half servings (high dose: 32 g strawberry powder/day) ... Findings revealed significant reductions in fasting insulin (p = 0.0002) and homeostatic model of assessment of insulin resistance (p = 0.0003) following the high dose strawberry phase when compared to the low dose strawberry and control phases. Glucose and conventional lipid profiles did not differ among the phases. Nuclear magnetic resonance-determined particle concentrations of total VLDL and chylomicrons, small VLDL, and total and small LDL were significantly decreased after the high dose strawberry phase, compared to control and low dose phases (all p < 0.0001). Among the biomarkers of inflammation and adipokines measured, only serum PAI-1 showed a decrease after the high dose strawberry phase (p = 0.002). Conclusions: These data suggest that consuming strawberries at two-and-a-half servings for four weeks significantly improves insulin resistance, lipid particle profiles, and serum PAI-1 in obese adults with elevated serum LDL-C" - [Nutra USA] - See strawberry powder at Amazon.com.

The effects of cannabidiol and analgesic expectancies on experimental pain reactivity in healthy adults: A balanced placebo design trial - American Psychological Association, 4/22/21 - "Fifteen healthy adults each completed four separate experimental sessions. Participants were randomly assigned to different counterbalanced manipulation conditions at each session: control (told inactive—given inactive); expectancy (told active CBD—given inactive); drug (told inactive—given active CBD); and expectancy + drug (told active CBD—given active CBD). Primary outcomes were pain threshold, tolerance, intensity, unpleasantness, conditioned pain modulation (CPM), and offset analgesia (OA). There was a significant main effect of instructions on OA, such that the OA response was significantly larger when participants were told that they received CBD, regardless of drug content. Pain unpleasantness was significantly reduced in the drug, expectancy, and expectancy + drug conditions, relative to the control condition. The drug and expectancy conditions separately improved CPM, whereas the expectancy + drug and control conditions produced the lowest CPM change scores. We did not detect significant effects for pain threshold, tolerance, or intensity. Our results indicated that separate pain outcomes can be differentially affected by CBD and/or expectancies for receiving CBD" - [Nutra USA] - Note: In other words, it was mostly in their heads.

Neat Tech Stuff / "How To's":

Sometimes simple is better like with the new light I got for zoom. Only $24. See https://amzn.to/3tf1doR . Then I got carried away and added a mustache with the special effects in zoom. Now I'm thinking of growing one.

The camera is a Canon 90D though.

Health Focus (Telomeres):