Recent Longevity News for the week ending 9/15/21

Mediterranean Diet Tied to Less Severe Erectile Dysfunction - Medscape. 9/7/21 "The men with a higher Mediterranean diet score (> 29) had better erectile performance (SHIM scores > 14), as well as higher testosterone levels, higher coronary flow reserve, and less arterial stiffness than the other men"

Gut bacteria influence brain development - Science Daily, 9/3/21 - "The early development of the gut, the brain and the immune system are closely interrelated. Researchers refer to this as the gut-immune-brain axis. Bacteria in the gut cooperate with the immune system, which in turn monitors gut microbes and develops appropriate responses to them ... The microorganisms of the gut microbiome -- which is a vital collection of hundreds of species of bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microbes -- are in equilibrium in healthy people. However, especially in premature babies, whose immune system and microbiome have not been able to develop fully, shifts are quite likely to occur. These shifts may result in negative effects on the brain" - See probiotic supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Sarcopenia Is Associated With Incident Alzheimer's Dementia, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Cognitive Decline - Medscape, 9/3/21 - "More severe sarcopenia at baseline was associated with a higher risk of incident AD (hazard ratio [HR], 1.50 [95% confidence interval 1.20–1.86]; p < 0.001) and of MCI (1.21 [1.01–1.45]; 0.04) and a faster rate of cognitive decline" - Note:  Makes you wonder if supplements the help prevent sarcopenia such as leucine might also protect the noodle.

Antibiotics linked to increased risk of colon cancer - Science Daily, 9/1/21 - "women and men who took antibiotics for over six months ran a 17 per cent greater risk of developing cancer in the ascending colon, the first part of the colon to be reached by food after the small intestine, than those who were not prescribed any antibiotics. However, no increased risk was found for cancer in the descending colon. Nor was there an increased risk of rectal cancer in men taking antibiotics, while women taking antibiotics had a slightly reduced incidence of rectal cancer ... The increased risk of colon cancer was visible already five to ten years after taking antibiotics. Although the increase in risk was greatest for those taking most antibiotics, it was also possible to observe an admittedly small, but statistically significant, increase in the risk of cancer after a single course of antibiotics"

Moderna vaccine creates twice as many antibodies as Pfizer: research - Hill, 8/31/21 - "This research follows a preprint study released ahead of peer review earlier this month that suggested that the Moderna vaccine’s effectiveness dropped to 76 percent and the Pfizer shot’s effectiveness fell to 42 percent in July when the delta variant had taken hold in the U.S."

Abstracts from this week:

Immunomodulatory Effect of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) Extract—A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled Trial with an Open Label Extension on Healthy Participants - J Clin Med 2021 Aug 18 - "randomized placebo-controlled double-blinded study, subjects were allocated either 60 mg WS extract or placebo. It consists of a blinded 30-day period and an open-label extension study of another 30 days with crossover of only placebo to test. After the 30-day blinded study period, the WS test group reported significant increase (p < 0.05) in Ig's (IgA, IgM, IgG, IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4), Cytokines (IFN-γ, IL4), TBNK (CD45+, CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD19+, NK cells) whereas in the placebo group TBNK cells showed significant decrease (p < 0.05) and Ig's and cytokines showed no change (p > 0.05). In the extension period on day 60, the subjects on placebo who were crossed over to the WS test group showed significant increase (p < 0.05) in Ig's, cytokines and TBNK cells and the subjects who continued on the WS group showed a further significant improvement (p < 0.05) in Ig's, cytokines and TBNK cells. There were no adverse events reported in the study. WS extract significantly improved the immune profile of healthy subjects by modulating the innate and adaptive immune systems. Boosting the immune system of people at risk of infection and during widespread infections can be targeted with WS extract" - [Nutra USA] - See Ashwagandha at Amazon.com and iHerb.

A 6-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial to evaluate the effect of Eurycoma longifolia (Tongkat Ali) and concurrent training on erectile function and testosterone levels in androgen deficiency of aging males (ADAM) - Maturitas 2021 Mar - "Androgen deficiency of aging males (ADAM) largely manifests as sexual symptoms. Erectile dysfunction is one of the most common symptoms of ADAM ... 6-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled four-arm clinical. 45 men (47.38 ± 5.03 years) were randomized into 4 groups (G1: control + placebo; G2: control + Eurycoma longifolia; G3: concurrent training + placebo; G4: concurrent training + Eurycoma longifolia). 22 received a 200 mg supplement of Eurycoma longifolia and 23 underwent the intervention with concurrent training, 3 times a week for 60 min at progressive intensity ... Erectile function demonstrated improvements in both interventions; however, the most significant results were obtained by men allocated to concurrent training + Eurycoma longifolia" - [Nutra USA] - See Tongkat at Amazon.com.

Exercise associated or not to the intake of Eurycoma longifolia improves strength and cardiorespiratory fitness in men with androgen deficiency - Comp Ther Clin Prac, Feb 21 - "This study aims to analyze the effects of a concurrent training (CT) associated with Eurycoma longifolia (EL) supplementation on the muscle strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, and symptomatology score of men with the androgen deficiency of aging male (ADAM). Forty-five subjects (47.6 ± 5.2 years) were included in the study. The randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled clinical trial lasted for 6 months. Participants were randomized into four groups, control (C; n = 12); EL (n = 11); CT (n = 11); and CT + EL (n = 11). Along this period, the isokinetic peak torque of the knee extensors increased in the CT (14%) and CT + EL (17%) groups (p = 0.040; p = 0.006, respectively), while the isokinetic peak torque of knee flexion increased in the CT + EL group only (p < 0.05). For all participants, testosterone levels were correlated with isokinetic peak torque of knee extension (r = 0.517, p = 0.001) and flexion (r = 0.362, p = 0.028). Subjects of the CT (27.3%) and CT + EL (36.1%) groups decreased the symptomatology of ADAM (p = 0.005). This study demonstrated the benefits of CT and EL consumption as a non-pharmacological treatment for ADAM" - [Nutra USA] - See Tongkat at Amazon.com.

Level of systolic blood pressure within the normal range and risk of cardiovascular events in the absence of risk factors in Chinese - J Hum Hypertens 2021 Sep 3 - "A SBP between 90 and 129 mmHg was not associated with an increased CVD risk in a healthy population"

Vitamin D/VDR signaling attenuates skeletal muscle atrophy by suppressing renin-angiotensin system - J Bone Miner Res 2021 Sep 7 - "renin-angiotensin system (RAS) ... Taken together, VDR protects against skeletal muscle atrophy by suppressing RAS. Vitamin D could be a potential agent for the prevention and treatment of skeletal muscle atrophy" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com and vitamin D at iHerb.

Outcomes of patients with type 2 diabetes treated with SGLT-2 inhibitors versus DPP-4 inhibitors. An Italian real-world study in the context of other observational studies - Diabetes Res Clin Pract 2021 Aug 25 - "Patients with T2D who initiated SGLT2i under routine care had better cardio-renal outcomes and lower all-cause mortality than similar patients who initiated DPP4i"

Melatonin ameliorates endocrine dysfunction and defective sperm integrity associated with high-fat diet-induced obesity in male Wistar rats - Andrologia 2021 Sep 7 - "Taken together, these results indicate that HFD exposure causes endocrine dysfunction and disrupted sperm parameters in obese animals, which are accompanied by lipid peroxidation/defective antioxidant capacity. In addition, the present results suggest that melatonin supplementation restores endocrine function and sperm integrity in obese rat model by suppression of oxidative stress-dependent mechanism" - See melatonin at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Rutin inhibits androgen synthesis and metabolism in rat immature Leydig cells in vitro - Andrologia 2021 Aug 29 - "In the early stage of androgen-sensitive prostate cancer, cancer cells require androgens to grow. Hormone therapy that lowers androgen output or blocks androgen receptor can suppress the growth of this type of prostate cancer. Rutin, a flavonoid derivative of many plants, has numerous pharmacological effects ... In conclusion, rutin suppresses androgen biosynthesis in Leydig cells through multiple mechanisms, thereby having benefits for the treatment of androgen-sensitive prostate cancer" - See rutin at Amazon.com and rutin at iHerb.com.

Rutin: A Flavonoid as an Effective Sensitizer for Anticancer Therapy; Insights into Multifaceted Mechanisms and Applicability for Combination Therapy - Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2021 Aug 23 - "Rutin is demonstrated to inhibit the proliferation of breast, colon, lung, and prostate cancers and other tumors. Furthermore, rutin alone or in combination with other therapeutic agents has been shown to regulate several signalling pathways involving the Ras/Raf and PI3K/Akt, MAPK, and TGF-β2/Smad2/3Akt/PTEN, etc., which are related to the processes of carcinogenesis and induction of apoptosis. The combination of rutin with other chemotherapy drugs may benefit on prevention of tumor cells by decreasing drug resistance and chemotherapy side effects. Moreover, rutin induces apoptosis synergistically with the therapeutic agent. More in vivo and clinical data are however needed to evaluate the true potential of rutin as an anticancer agent as an adjuvant. The present review highlights the effects of rutin which can be a promising candidate in combination with other antitumor drugs or alone for cancer treatment in vitro. Also, rutin can lead to decrease in drug resistance and chemotherapeutic side effects" - See rutin at Amazon.com and rutin at iHerb.com.

Vitamin B12, folate and homocysteine concentrations during pregnancy and early signs of atherosclerosis at school-age - Clin Nutr 2021 Aug 9 - "Circulating total B12, folate and homocysteine concentrations during fetal life seem to be associated with markers of subclinical atherosclerosis at school-age" - See B complex supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Omega-3 fatty acid blood levels are inversely associated with cardiometabolic risk factors in HFpEF patients: the Aldo-DHF randomized controlled trial - Clin Res Cardiol 2021 Aug 28 - "Higher O3I was associated with a more favorable cardiometabolic risk profile and predictive of higher submaximal/maximal aerobic capacity and lower BMI/truncal adiposity in HFpEF patients. Omega-3 fatty acid blood levels are inversely associated with cardiometabolic risk factors in HFpEF patients. Higher O3I was associated with a more favorable cardiometabolic risk profile and aerobic capacity (left) but did not correlate with echocardiographic markers for left ventricular diastolic function or neurohumoral activation (right). An O3I-driven intervention trial might be warranted to answer the question whether O3-FA in therapeutic doses (with the target O3I 8-11%) impact on echocardiographic markers for left ventricular diastolic function and neurohumoral activation in patients with HFpEF" - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Luteolin combined with low-dose paclitaxel synergistically inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition and induces cell apoptosis on esophageal carcinoma in vitro and in vivo - Phytother Res 2021 Sep 7 - "Although paclitaxel is a promising frontline chemotherapy agent for various malignancies, the clinical applications have been restricted by side effects, drug resistance, and cancer metastasis. The combination of paclitaxel and other agents could be the promising strategies against malignant tumor, which enhances the antitumor effect through synergistic effects, reduces required drug concentrations, and also suppresses tumorigenesis in multiple ways. In this study, we found that luteolin, a natural flavonoid compound, combined with low-dose paclitaxel synergistically regulated the proliferation, migration, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and apoptosis of esophageal cancer cells in vitro, as well as synergistically inhibited tumor growth without obvious toxicity in vivo. The molecular mechanism of inhibiting cell migration and EMT processes may be related to the inhibition of SIRT1, and the mechanism of apoptosis induction is associated with the reactive oxygen species (ROS)/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway-mediated activation of mitochondrial apoptotic pathway" - See luteolin products at Amazon.com.

Anticancer effects of root and beet leaf extracts (Beta vulgaris L.) in cervical cancer cells (HeLa) - Phytother Res 2021 Sep 8 - "Cervical cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer mortality in women worldwide. Beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) has bioactive compounds that can inhibit the progression of different types of cancer ... Here, we demonstrate that beetroot and leaf extracts could be an efficient strategy against cervical cancer" - See beet root powder at Amazon.com.

The effects of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) on depression and anxiety in clinical trials: A systematic review and meta-analysis - Phytother Res 2021 Aug 27 - "Based on meta-analysis results, lemon balm significantly improved mean anxiety and depression scores compared with the placebo (SMD: -0.98; 95% CI: -1.63 to -0.33; p = 0.003), (SMD: -0.47; 95% CI: -0.73 to -0.21; p = 0.0005) respectively, without serious side effects. Current evidence suggests that lemon balm may be effective in improving anxiety and depressive symptoms, particularly in the acute setting. Due to the high level of heterogeneity between studies, results should be interpreted with caution. The small number of clinical trials and differences between their methods were the limitations of the present study. Further high-quality studies are needed to firmly establish the clinical efficacy of the lemon balm" - See lemon balm at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Efficacy and Safety of Curcumin Supplement on Improvement of Insulin Resistance in People with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials - Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2021 Aug 24 - "Based on the current evidence, curcumin may assist in improving the insulin resistance, glycemic control, and decreased TG and TC in patients with T2DM" - See curcumin at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Effect of resveratrol administration on ovarian morphology, determined by transvaginal ultrasound for the women with PCOS - Br J Nutr 2021 Sep 1 - "Treatment with resveratrol significantly reduced the ovarian volume and PCOM, thus suggesting a disease-modifying effect in PCOS" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com and resveratrol at iHerb.

Effect of resveratrol on C-reactive protein: An updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - Phytother Res 2021 Sep 2 - "Pooled results revealed that resveratrol supplementation significantly reduced the hs-CRP (MWD = -0.40 mg/L; 95% CI: -0.70 to -0.09 mg/L; p = .01) and CRP (MWD = -0.31 mg/L; 95% CI: -0.47 to -0.15 mg/L; p < .001) levels in serum. Subgroup analysis revealed that resveratrol in group with ≥10 weeks significantly reduces hs-CRP levels (MWD = -0.48 mg/L; 95% CI: -0.92 to -0.04 mg/L; p = .03) and CRP (WMD = -0.47 mg/L, 95% CI = -0.69 to -0.25, p < .001). A dose of ≥500 mg/day supplementation improves the levels of CRP, but not hs-CRP. This meta-analysis demonstrates that resveratrol consumption is effective in lowering the levels of CRP and hs-CRP in inflammatory conditions, especially if supplementation takes place for ≥10 weeks with ≥500 mg/day" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com and resveratrol at iHerb.

Efficacy and Safety of Resveratrol Supplements on Blood Lipid and Blood Glucose Control in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials - Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2021 Aug 24 - "Diabetes is a major public health concern. Resveratrol has shown great beneficial effects on hyperglycemia and insulin resistance and as an antioxidant ... Based on the current evidence, resveratrol may improve insulin resistance, lower fasting blood glucose and insulin levels, and improve oxidative stress in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com and resveratrol at iHerb.

Quercetin Protects H9c2 Cardiomyocytes against Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation/Reoxygenation-Induced Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial Apoptosis by Regulating the ERK1/2/DRP1 Signaling Pathway - Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2021 Aug 19 - "these results suggested that low concentrations of QCT might alleviate I/R injury by suppressing oxidative stress and improving mitochondrial function through the regulation of ERK1/2-DRP1 signaling, providing a potential candidate for I/R injury prevention" - See quercetin at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Outcome Benefits Seen With 1 Year of Optimized Sacubitril/Valsartan for the Treatment of Systolic Heart Failure Managed by Pharmacists in a Cardiology Practice - Ann Pharmacother 2021 Aug 28 - "patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) on angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNi) therapy optimized within a pharmacist clinic ... Retrospective chart review of patients with HFrEF on sacubitril/valsartan ... For the primary outcome analysis, 70 patients with pre/post hospitalization data had a reduction in the rate of all-cause hospitalization from 45.7% in the 12 months prior to ARNi therapy initiation to 24.3% during the first year on optimized ARNi therapy (P = 0.004). The rate of hHF reduced from 24.3% to 8.6% (P = 0.003). For the secondary outcome analyses at the 6-month assessment point, which included 104 patients, ejection fraction improved from 26% to 34% (P < 0.001), NYHA FC improved or remained unchanged in 86.6% of patients, and weekly loop diuretic dosing requirements were significantly reduced"

Effects of Betaine Supplementation on Markers of Metabolic Flexibility, Body Composition, and Anaerobic Performance in Active College-Age Females J Diet Suppl 2021 Sep 3 - "Betaine (BET) has shown to be effective in improving body composition and performance, although research in women is lacking ... only the BET group experienced a significant increase in fat free mass (p < 0.01; ∼3%). Further, only the BET group experienced improvements to performance such as a higher mean power output during the final sprint (p = 0.02; ∼3%) and a lower RPE during the final stage of the graded exercise test (p = 0.02). Results from this study suggest BET supplementation may improve body composition and some markers of performance during exercise in collegiate women" - [Nutra USA] - Note: I assume RPE is "Rating of Perceived Exertion". Is the average Joe supposed to know that? - See betaine anhydrous (TMG) at Amazon.com.

Oral Supplementation with Hydrolyzed Fish Cartilage Improves the Morphological and Structural Characteristics of the Skin: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study - Molecules 2021 Aug 12 - "A total of 46 healthy females aged 45 to 59 years were enrolled and divided into two groups: G1—placebo and G2—oral treatment with hydrolyzed fish cartilage ... A significant reduction in wrinkles and an increase of dermis echogenicity were observed after a 90-day period of treatment with hydrolyzed fish cartilage compared to the placebo and baseline values. In addition, reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) image analysis showed improved collagen morphology and reduced elastosis after treatment with hydrolyzed fish cartilage. The present study showed the clinical benefits for the skin obtained with oral supplementation with a low dose of collagen peptides from hydrolyzed fish cartilage" - [Nutra USA] - See hydrolyzed fish cartilage at Amazon.com.

• Cartilage and Collagen - peacehealth.org

Neat Tech Stuff / "How To's":

My Tesla referral link: http://ts.la/bernard39137

We picked up the Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus on September 6, 2021 at 10 AM and it was already about 100 degrees in Temecula.

Health Focus (HDL Cholesterol):