Recent Longevity News for the week ending 9/29/21

Intermittent fasting can help manage metabolic disease - Science Daily, 9/22/21 - "Eating your daily calories within a consistent window of 8-10 hours is a powerful strategy to prevent and manage chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease"

The Association Between Citrus Consumption and Melanoma Risk in the UK Biobank - Medscape, 90/22/21 - "After adjusting for potential confounders, participants in the highest category of total citrus intake (> 2 servings per day) had a significantly increased risk of melanoma (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.24–2.12) relative to those with no consumption. For individual citrus products, participants with the most orange and orange juice consumption (> 1 serving per day) had a significantly increased melanoma risk relative to those with no consumption (OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.07–2.78 and OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.10–2.10, respectively). Fair- or very fair-skinned participants with high citrus consumption had an even greater melanoma risk (OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.31–2.29)"

Empagliflozin's HFpEF Efficacy Catalyzes Redefinition of HF - Medscape, 9/22/21 - "This new consensus essentially throws out left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) as the key metric for matching patients to heart failure treatments. Experts have instead begun suggesting a more unified treatment approach for all heart failure patients regardless of their EF ... We encourage you to forget about ejection fraction ... We certainly encourage you to forget about an ejection fraction of less than 40%" as having special significance ... The 40% ejection fraction divide is artificial. It was created in 2003 as part of a trial design, but it has no physiological significance ... A much better way to distinguish systolic and diastolic heart failure is by strain assessment rather than by ejection fraction. "Strain is a measure of myocardial shortening, a measure of what the heart does. Ejection fraction is a measure of volume," ... Wouldn't it be easier if we said that every patient with heart failure needs to receive one agent from each of the four [pillar] drug classes, and put them in a polypill ... The four pillar drug classes, recently identified as essential for patients with HFrEF but until now not endorsed for patients with HFpEF, are the sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, such as empagliflozin (Jardiance); an angiotensin receptor blocker neprilysin inhibitor compound such as sacubitril/valsartan (Entresto); beta-blockers; and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists such as spironolactone and eplerenone ... The consequence is that clinicians should feel comfortable prescribing empagliflozin to most patients with heart failure without regard to EF, even patients with EF values in the mid-60% range ... The EMPEROR-Preserved results showed a clear signal of attenuated benefit among patients with an EF of 65% or greater "on a population basis," ... Recently, data from a third trial that tested sacubitril/valsartan in patients with HFpEF, PARAGON-HF, showed benefit among patients with EFs below the study median of 57%" -

MIND diet linked to better cognitive performance - Science Daily, 9/21/21 - "the MIND diet is a hybrid of the Mediterranean and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diets. Previous research studies have found that the MIND diet may reduce a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease dementia ... To adhere to and benefit from the MIND diet, a person would need to eat at least three servings of whole grains, a green leafy vegetable and one other vegetable every day -- along with a glass of wine -- snack most days on nuts, have beans every other day or so, eat poultry and berries at least twice a week and fish at least once a week. A person also must limit intake of the designated unhealthy foods, limiting butter to less than 1 1/2 teaspoons a day and eating less than a serving a week of sweets and pastries, whole fat cheese, and fried or fast food." -

Gut Health 'Vitally Important' for Mental Health - Medscape, 9/21/21 - "A meta-analysis of 59 studies, encompassing roughly 2600 patients with psychiatric conditions, showed a decrease in microbial richness in patients with psychiatric conditions vs controls." - See probiotic supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Probiotic-containing yogurt protects against microbiome changes that lead to antibiotic-induced diarrhea - Science Daily, 9/14/21 - "The study found that yogurt containing the probiotic Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12 worked better than a placebo at maintaining the community of bacteria in the colon" - See probiotic supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Body clock off-schedule? Prebiotics may help - Science Daily, 9/14/21 - "The animal study, published in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity, is the latest to suggest that prebiotics -- not to be confused with probiotics found in fermented foods like yogurt and sauerkraut -- can influence not only the gut, but also the brain and behavior ... Naturally abundant in many fibrous foods -- including leeks, artichokes and onions -- and in breast milk, these indigestible carbohydrates pass through the small intestine and linger in the gut, serving as nourishment for the trillions of bacteria residing there ... The authors' previous studies showed that rats raised on prebiotic-infused chow slept better and were more resilient to some of the physical effects of acute stress ... Rats that ate prebiotics more quickly realigned their sleep-wake cycles and core body temperature (which can also be thrown off when internal clocks are off) and resisted the alterations in gut flora that often come with stress ... Put simply: The animals that ingested the prebiotics hosted more good bacteria, which in turn produced metabolites that protected them from something akin to jet lag ... Why not just ingest the beneficial bacteria directly, via probiotic-rich foods like yogurt? ... That could also help, but prebiotics may have an advantage over probiotics in that they support the friendly bacteria one already has, rather than introducing a new species that may or may not take hold" - See prebiotic supplements at Amazon.com and prebiotic supplements at iHerb.

Gut microbiota influences the ability to lose weight - Science Daily, 9/13/21 - "The researchers focused on 48 individuals who lost more than 1% of their body weight per month over a 6 to 12 month period and 57 individuals who did not lose any weight and had a stable body mass index (BMI) over the same period. The researchers relied on metagenomics, the study of genetic material recovered from blood and stool samples. The individuals analyzed blood metabolites, blood proteins, clinical labs, dietary questionnaires and gut bacteria in the two groups ... After controlling for age, sex and baseline BMI, the researchers identified 31 baseline stool metagenomic functional features that were associated with weight loss responses. These included complex polysaccharide and protein degradation genes, stress-response genes, respiration-related genes, cell wall synthesis genes and gut bacterial replication rates. A major finding was that the ability of the gut microbiome to break down starches was increased in people who did not lose weight. Another key finding was that genes that help bacteria grow faster, multiply, replicate and assemble cell walls were increased in people who lost more weight ... Research has already shown that if you change your diet, you can alter the composition of bacteria in your gut. According to Dr. Diener, if someone has a composition of gut bacterial genes that confers resistance to weight loss, then perhaps you can alter their diet to shift to a composition that would help them lose weight" - See probiotic supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Does Vitamin B6 Need a Warning Label? - WebMD, 9/20/21 - "And doses above 10 milligrams should be switched from over-the-counter to prescription status ... He wants the agency to regulate and revise industry guidance on high doses of over-the-counter vitamin B6, due to risks of severe ­toxic exposure that causes numbness and tingling of the hands and feet ... There is no need for a warning label on Vitamin B6, say spokespeople from two industry groups that issued statements in response to the petition." - Note:  I've been taking 25 mg/day since Moby Dick was a minnow without any problems.  This study recommends 20 mg:

• Brain atrophy in cognitively impaired elderly: the importance of long-chain ω-3 fatty acids and B vitamin status in a randomized controlled trial - Am J Clin Nutr. 2015 Apr 15 - "included 168 elderly people (≥70 y) with mild cognitive impairment, randomly assigned either to placebo (n = 83) or to daily high-dose B vitamin supplementation (folic acid, 0.8 mg; vitamin B-6, 20 mg; vitamin B-12, 0.5 mg) (n = 85). The subjects underwent cranial magnetic resonance imaging scans at baseline and 2 y later ... In subjects with high baseline ω-3 fatty acids (>590 μmol/L), B vitamin treatment slowed the mean atrophy rate by 40.0% compared with placebo (P = 0.023). B vitamin treatment had no significant effect on the rate of atrophy among subjects with low baseline ω-3 fatty acids (<390 μmol/L). High baseline ω-3 fatty acids were associated with a slower rate of brain atrophy in the B vitamin group but not in the placebo group"

Elevated stress hormones linked to higher risk of high blood pressure and heart events - Science Daily, 9/13/21 - "Adults with normal blood pressure and high levels of stress hormones were more likely to develop high blood pressure and experience cardiovascular events compared to those who had lower stress hormone levels ... Studies have shown that cumulative exposure to daily stressors and exposure to traumatic stress can increase cardiovascular disease risk. A growing body of research refers to the mind-heart-body connection, which suggests a person's mind can positively or negatively affect cardiovascular health, cardiovascular risk factors and risk for cardiovascular disease events, as well as cardiovascular prognosis over time ... Norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine are molecules known as catecholamines that maintain stability throughout the autonomic nervous system -- the system that regulates involuntary body functions such as heart rate, blood pressure and breathing. Cortisol is a steroid hormone released when one experiences stress and is regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which modulates stress response ... Over a median of 6.5-year follow-up period, every time the levels of the four stress hormones doubled was associated with a 21-31% increase in the risk of developing hypertension ... During a median of 11.2-years of follow-up, there was a 90% increased risk of cardiovascular events with each doubling of cortisol levels. There was no association between cardiovascular events and catecholamines"

Cholesterol drives Alzheimer’s plaque formation - Science Daily, 9/14/21 - "While cholesterol is often associated with clogged arteries and heart disease, it plays important roles in the healthy body. The body makes cholesterol naturally so it can produce hormones and carry out other important functions. The new discovery from Ferris and her collaborators adds a new entry to cholesterol's list of responsibilities ... Normally, cholesterol is kept quite low in neurons, limiting the buildup of amyloid beta. But in Alzheimer's, the neurons lose their ability to regulate amyloid beta, resulting in plaque formation ... If we can find strategies to prevent astrocytes from over-producing cholesterol, we might make a real impact on the development of Alzheimer's disease ... Once people start having memory problems from Alzheimer's disease, countless neurons have already died. We hope that targeting cholesterol can prevent that death from ever occurring in the first place"

PRESERVED-HF: Dapagliflozin Improves Physical Limitations in Patients With HFpEF - Medscape, 9/14/21 - "These results in the PRESERVED-HF study follow closely on the heals of the initial report from the EMPEROR-Preserved trial that showed a benefit from a different sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, empagliflozin (Jardiance) in nearly 6,000 randomized patients for the primary endpoint of preventing cardiovascular death or hospitalizations for heart failure ... In PRESERVED-HF, patients with HFpEF who received a standard, once-daily dose of dapagliflozin (Farxiga) had an average 5.8-point improvement in their condition as measured by the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire clinical summary score (KCCQ-CS), the study's primary endpoint ... The impact of empagliflozin on KCCQ clinical summary score in EMPEROR-Preserved showed an average incremental improvement of 1.32 points compared with placebo, a significant difference, but more modest than the increment from dapagliflozin treatment seen in PRESERVED-HF. Kosiborod hypothesized that this difference might be mostly because of the different patient populations enrolled in the two studies" - See dapagliflozin at reliablerxpharmacy.com.

Abstracts from this week:

Lutein supplementation combined with a low-calorie diet in middle-aged obese individuals: effects on anthropometric indices, body composition and metabolic parameters - Br J Nutr 2021 Oct 14 - "After 10 weeks, body weight and waist circumference significantly decreased in both groups, although between-group differences were not significant. There was more of a decrease in the percentage of body fat in the lutein group v. the placebo group. Moreover, the placebo group experienced a significant reduction in fat-free mass (FFM), whereas the lutein group preserved FFM during calorie restriction, although the between-group difference did not reach statistical significance. Visceral fat and serum levels of total cholesterol (TC) and LDL-cholesterol were significantly decreased only in the lutein group, with a statistically significant difference between the two arms only for TC" - [Nutra USA] - See lutein at Amazon.com.

Intake of Nuts and Seeds Is Associated with a Lower Prevalence of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in US Adults: Findings from 2005-2018 NHANES - J Nutr 2021 Sep 15 - "Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease globally. Nuts and seeds, due to their unique nutrient composition, may provide health benefits for the prevention of NAFLD ... Daily consumption for nuts and seeds was associated with a lower prevalence of NAFLD in non-Mediterranean, US adults, although the benefits seem to be greater in females across all categories of nut and seed consumption groups compared with nonconsumers. Both males and females presented with lower prevalence of NAFLD with intakes of 15-30 g/d"

Effects of Fermented Wheat Germ Extract on Oral Cancer Cells: An In Vitro Study - Nutr Cancer 2021 Sep 12 - "Oral carcinoma is one of the most aggressive cancers, and despite the advances in the therapy, its mortality is still high. An attention in cancer treatment has focused on natural compounds due to their potential beneficial effects on human health. In this study, the effects of dietary supplement Fermented Wheat Germ Extract (FWGE) on oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) cells were investigated In Vitro using three cell lines (HSC-3, SAS, SCC-25) with variable aggressiveness. The cell viability was significantly decreased by the treatment with high concentration of FWGE in every cell line ... Chemotherapeutic compounds (cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil) significantly reduced all OTSCC cells viability. Importantly, combination of these drugs with 10 mg/ml FWGE significantly decreased the cell viability compared to the treatment with the chemotherapeutics or FWGE alone. Based on these In Vitro experiments, the use of FWGE seems to improve the anticancer effects on OTSCC cells" - See fermented wheat germ extract at Amazon.com.

Efficacy of black rice extract on obesity in obese postmenopausal women: a 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled preliminary clinical trial - Menopause 2021 Sep 20 - "Postmenopausal obesity is a paramount health concern among older women. Black rice is a well-known pigmented rice variety with a higher anthocyanin content. Both in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated the effects of black rice on obesity ... BRE supplementation for 12 weeks seems to be effective in reducing fat accumulation in postmenopausal women" - See black rice extract at Amazon.com.

Association between folic acid, homocysteine, vitamin B12 and erectile dysfunction-A cross-sectional study - Andrologia 2021 Sep 9 - "FA decreased with the severity of ED (7.52 versus 6.15 versus 5.49 versus 3.97; p < .001), while HCY increased (10.35 versus 11.8 versus 12.9 versus 15; p < .001). Smoking and shift work were associated with lower FA levels. Multivariate analysis showed that serum FA and HCY revealed significant relation with ED. ROC analysis showed that FA ≤ 8.84 and HCY ≥ 10.35 were the best cut-off values for ED diagnosis. Both FA (r = -0.703, p < .001) and B12 (r = -0.576, p < .001) were negatively correlated with HCY. In conclusion, low FA levels and high HCY levels might be independent risk factors for ED. Low serum FA and B12 levels might co-cause high HCY levels and lead to ED" - See Jarrow Formulas Methyl B-12 & Methyl Folate at Amazon.com.

Preclinical and clinical evidence of NAD + precursors in health, disease, and ageing - Mech Ageing Dev 2021 Sep 10 - "NAD+ is a fundamental molecule in human life and health as it participates in energy metabolism, cell signalling, mitochondrial homeostasis, and in dictating cell survival or death. Emerging evidence from preclinical and human studies indicates an age-dependent reduction of cellular NAD+, possibly due to reduced synthesis and increased consumption. In preclinical models, NAD+ repletion extends healthspan and / or lifespan and mitigates several conditions, such as premature ageing diseases and neurodegenerative diseases. These findings suggest that NAD+ replenishment through NAD+ precursors has great potential as a therapeutic target for ageing and age-predisposed diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. Here, we provide an updated review on the biological activity, safety, and possible side effects of NAD+ precursors in preclinical and clinical studies. Major NAD+ precursors focused on by this review are nicotinamide riboside (NR), nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), and the new discovered dihydronicotinamide riboside (NRH)" - See nicotinamide riboside at Amazon.com and nicotinamide mononucleotide at Amazon.com.

The balance between NAD + biosynthesis and consumption in ageing - Mech Ageing Dev 2021 Sep 9 - "Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is a vital coenzyme in redox reactions. NAD+ is also important in cellular signalling as it is consumed by PARPs, SARM1, sirtuins and CD38. Cellular NAD+ levels regulate several essential processes including DNA repair, immune cell function, senescence, and chromatin remodelling. Maintenance of these cellular processes is important for healthy ageing and lifespan. Interestingly, the levels of NAD+ decline during ageing in several organisms, including humans. Declining NAD+ levels have been linked to several age-related diseases including various metabolic diseases and cognitive decline. Decreasing tissue NAD+ concentrations have been ascribed to an imbalance between biosynthesis and consumption of the dinucleotide, resulting from, for instance, reduced levels of the rate limiting enzyme NAMPT along with an increased activation state of the NAD+-consuming enzymes PARPs and CD38. The progression of some age-related diseases can be halted or reversed by therapeutic augmentation of NAD+ levels. NAD+ metabolism has therefore emerged as a potential target to ameliorate age-related diseases. The present review explores how ageing affects NAD+ metabolism and current approaches to reverse the age-dependent decline of NAD+" - See nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide at Amazon.com.

NAD + improves cognitive function and reduces neuroinflammation by ameliorating mitochondrial damage and decreasing ROS production in chronic cerebral hypoperfusion models through Sirt1/PGC-1α pathway - J Neuroinflammation 2021 Sep 16 - "Microglial-mediated neuroinflammation plays an important role in vascular dementia, and modulating neuroinflammation has emerged as a promising treatment target. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) shows anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects in many neurodegenerative disease models, but its role in the chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) is still unclear ... NAD+ ameliorated cognitive impairment and dampened neuroinflammation in CCH models in vivo and in vitro, and these beneficial effects were associated with mitochondrial protection and ROS inhibition via activating Sirt1/PGC-1α pathway" - See nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide at Amazon.com.

C-reactive protein and risk of Alzheimer's disease - Neurobiol Aging 2021 Aug 21 - "This study indicates that genetically predicted elevated CRP levels may be a causal risk factor for AD" -

The Effect of Probiotics (MCP® BCMC® Strains) on Hepatic Steatosis, Small Intestinal Mucosal Immune Function, and Intestinal Barrier in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - Nutrients 2021, 13(9) - "Treatment for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) currently consists of lifestyle modifications such as a low-fat diet, weight loss, and exercise. The gut microbiota forms part of the gut–liver axis and serves as a potential target for NAFLD treatment ... This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving ultrasound-diagnosed NAFLD patients (n = 39) who were supplemented with either a probiotics sachet (MCP® BCMC® strains) or a placebo for a total of 6 months. Multi-strain probiotics (MCP® BCMC® strains) containing six different Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species at a concentration of 30 billion CFU were used ... In this pilot study, the use of probiotics did not result in any significant clinical improvement in NAFLD patients. However, at the microenvironment level (i.e., the small intestinal mucosa), probiotics seemed to be able to stabilize the mucosal immune function and to protect NAFLD patients against increased intestinal permeability. Therefore, probiotics might have a complementary role in treating NAFLD" - [Nutra USA] - See probiotic supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb. 

Fisetin Improves Hyperuricemia-Induced Chronic Kidney Disease via Regulating Gut Microbiota-Mediated Tryptophan Metabolism and Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Activation - J Agric Food Chem 2021 Sep 22 - "The intestinal flora serves a critical role in the development of hyperuricemia-induced chronic kidney disease (CKD). We previously found that natural flavonol fisetin exhibited nephroprotective effects in hyperuricemic mice ... aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) ... These results highlighted that fisetin protected against hyperuricemia-induced CKD via modulating gut microbiota-mediated tryptophan metabolism and AHR activation" - See fisetin at Amazon.com.

The impact of plasma vitamin C levels on the risk of cardiovascular diseases and Alzheimer's disease: A Mendelian randomization study - Clin Nutr 2021 Sep 4 - "Mendelian randomization (MR) ... Our MR study provided suggestive evidence that higher vitamin C levels were casually associated with a decreased risk of cardioembolic stroke and AD" - See vitamin C products at Amazon.com and iHerb.com.

Dairy protein intake is inversely related to development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease - Clin Nutr 2021 Aug 25 - "Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease and is closely related to metabolic dysfunction, including insulin resistance, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. Dairy protein, rich in casein and whey protein, could help to reduce metabolic diseases ... We found that higher dairy protein intake was significantly and inversely associated with the risk of incident NAFLD in men and women aged ≥50 years. Consumption of milk and other dairy products could help prevent the development of NAFLD"

One-Year Committed Exercise Training Reverses Abnormal Left Ventricular Myocardial Stiffness in Patients With Stage B Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction - Circulatio 2021 Sep 21 - "In patients with LV hypertrophy and elevated cardiac biomarkers (stage B heart failure with preserved ejection fraction), 1 year of exercise training reduced LV myocardial stiffness. Thus, exercise training may provide protection against the future risk of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in such patients"

Plasma selenium and the risk of first stroke in adults with hypertension: a secondary analysis of the China Stroke Primary Prevention Trial - Am J Clin Nutr 2021 Sep 21 - "Previous studies indicated that selenium (Se) may play an important role in cardio-cerebrovascular disease. However, the relationship between circulating selenium and risk of first stroke remains inconclusive ... In summary, there was a significant inverse association between plasma Se and risk of first stroke in Chinese adults with hypertension, especially among those with higher baseline folate concentrations and those with higher time-averaged SBP over the treatment period" - See se-methyl l-selenocysteine at Amazon.com and iHerb.

International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: sodium bicarbonate and exercise performance - J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2021 Sep 9 - "Combining sodium bicarbonate with creatine or beta-alanine may produce additive effects on exercise performance. It is unclear whether combining sodium bicarbonate with caffeine or nitrates produces additive benefits. 10. Sodium bicarbonate improves exercise performance primarily due to a range of its physiological effects. Still, a portion of the ergogenic effect of sodium bicarbonate seems to be placebo-driven"

The effects of co-administration of artichoke leaf extract supplementation with metformin and vitamin E in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A randomized clinical trial - Phytother Res 2021 Sep 17 - "Medicinal plants are widely used as a complementary therapy to treat complex diseases, such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Therefore, this study was done to investigate the effect of co-administration of artichoke leaf extract supplement (ALES) with conventional medicines on patients with NAFLD ... In summary, the results of the present study showed that the concomitant use of ALES with metformin and vitamin E can have beneficial effects on amelioration of complications in patients with NAFLD" - See artichoke extract at Amazon.com, vitamin E at Amazon.com and iHerb and metformin at ReliableRX.

Metformin ameliorates maternal high-fat diet-induced maternal dysbiosis and fetal liver apoptosis - Lipids Health Dis 2021 Sep 8 - "The deleterious effect of maternal high-fat diet (HFD) on the fetal rat liver may cause later development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) ... This study demonstrated the beneficial effects of prenatal metformin on maternal liver steatosis, focusing on the gut-liver axis. In addition, the present study indicates that prenatal metformin could ameliorate maternal HFD-induced inflammation and apoptosis in the fetal liver and intestines" - See metformin at ReliableRX.

Potential Interaction of Fresh Garlic with Metformin during Ischemia-Reperfusion Induced Cardiac Injury in Diabetic Rats - Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2021 Sep 4 - "The combined therapy of MET and garlic provided synergistic cardioprotection, implying that garlic seems to possess promise in lowering toxic parameters by protecting diabetic induced myocardial injury" - See garlic supplements at Amazon.com and garlic at iHerb.com and metformin at ReliableRX.

Quercetin and its role in modulating endoplasmic reticulum stress: A review - Phytother Res 2021 Sep 15 - "Quercetin is a plant-derived metabolite belonging to the flavonoids class which presents a range of beneficial effects including anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, anti-oxidant, anti-obesity, anti-carcinogenic, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-diabetic, anti-hypercholesterolemic, and anti-apoptotic activities. Quercetin also has anti-cancer activity, and can be used as an adjuvant to decrease resistance to cancer chemotherapy. Furthermore, the effect of quercetin can be increased with the help of nanotechnology" - See quercetin at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Quercetin Antagonizes Esophagus Cancer by Modulating miR-1-3p/TAGLN2 Pathway-Dependent Growth and Metastasis - Nutr Cancer 2021 Sep 9 - "The progression of esophagus cancer (EC) is associated with the alterative expressions of multiple microRNAs (miRs). MiR-1-3p is reported to inhibit the development of EC by targeting TAGLN2. Quercetin (Que) is a natural compound capable of antagonizing esophagus carcinoma (EC) ... Collectively, the current study demonstrated that Que exerted inhibitory effects on EC cells by inducing miR-1-3p" - See quercetin at Amazon.com and iHerb.

The clinical use of curcumin on neurological disorders: An updated systematic review of clinical trials - Phytother Res 2021 Sep 15 - "Neuroprotective effects of curcumin have been shown in previous studies ... Curcumin supplementation may have favorable effects on inflammatory status and clinical outcomes of patients with neurological disease, although the results were not consistent" - See curcumin at Amazon.com and iHerb.

The effects of curcumin as dietary supplement for patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials - Phytother Res 2021 Sep 13 - "Those findings suggest that CUR confers clinical benefits in patients with PCOS. However, due to the limited number of the included studies, further high-quality studies are needed to establish the clinical efficacy of the CUR" - See curcumin at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Curcumin Reduces Adipose Tissue Inflammation and Alters Gut Microbiota in Diet-Induced Obese Male Mice - Mol Nutr Food Res 2021 Sep 12 - "Curcumin exerts protective metabolic effects in dietary obesity, in part through downregulation of adipose tissue inflammation, which may be mediated by alterations in composition of gut microbiota, and metabolism of curcumin into curcumin-o- glucuronide" - See curcumin at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Current clinical developments in curcumin-based therapeutics for cancer and chronic diseases - "Phytother Res 2021 Sep 8 - "Curcumin, a natural compound extracted from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa, has been under intense scrutiny for its wide medicinal and biological properties. Curcumin is known to manifest antibacterial, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, antifungal, antineoplastic, antifungal, and proapoptotic effects. A plethora of literature has already established the immense promise of curcuminoids in the treatment and clinical management of various chronic diseases like cancer, cardiovascular, metabolic, neurological, inflammatory, and infectious diseases. To date, more than 230 clinical trials have opened investigations to understand the pharmacological aspects of curcumin in human systems" - See curcumin at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Kaempferol 3-O-gentiobioside, an ALK5 inhibitor, affects the proliferation, migration, and invasion of tumor cells via blockade of the TGF-β/ALK5/Smad signaling pathway - Phytother Res 2021 Sep 12 - "This study provided novel insight into the anticancer effects of KPF-3-O-G and indicated that KPF-3-O-G might be developed as potential therapeutics for cancer treatment after further validation" - See kaempferol at Amazon.com.

The anticarcinogenic and anticancer effects of the dietary flavonoid, morin: Current status, challenges, and future perspectives - Phytother Res 2021 Sep 8 - "Flavonoids constitute one of the most important classes of polyphenols, which have been found to have a wide range of biological activities such as anticancer effects. A large body of evidence demonstrates that morin as a pleiotropic dietary flavonoid possesses potent anticarcinogenic and anticancer activities with minimal toxicity against normal cells. The present review comprehensively elaborates the molecular mechanisms underlying antitumorigenic and anticancer effects of morin. Morin exerts its anticarcinogenic effects through multiple cancer preventive mechanisms, including reduction of oxidative stress, activation of phase II enzymes, induction of apoptosis, attenuation of inflammatory mediators, and downregulation of p-Akt and NF-κB expression. A variety of molecular targets and signaling pathways such as apoptosis, cell cycle, reactive oxygen species (ROS), matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and microRNAs (miRNAs) as well as signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), NF-κB, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and Hippo pathways have been found to be involved in the anticancer effects of morin" - See flavonoids at Amazon.com and flavonoids at iHerb.com.

The effect of pomegranate extract on anthropometric indices, serum lipids, glycemic indicators, and blood pressure in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A randomized double-blind clinical trial - Phytother Res 2021 Sep 8 - "Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease. The beneficial effects of pomegranate have been shown on insulin resistance and obesity, which are linked to NAFLD pathogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of pomegranate extract in patients with NAFLD. Forty-four NAFLD patients were randomly assigned to receive two pomegranate extract tablets or placebo for 12 weeks. Anthropometric measurements, serum lipids, glycemic indicators, and blood pressure were assessed at baseline and the end of the study. Pomegranate was associated with a reduction in the total cholesterol (p ˂ .001), triglyceride (p ˂ .001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio (p ˂ .003), fasting blood sugar (p ˂ .001), homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (p = .02), diastolic blood pressure (p = .04), weight (p ˂ .001), body mass index (p ˂ .001), and waist circumference (p = .002), as compared to placebo. A significant increase was observed in serum HDL-C (p ˂ .001) after intervention with the pomegranate extract. However, no significant difference was shown between the two groups in serum insulin and LDL-C" - See pomegranate extract at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Dietary Naringenin Preserves Insulin Sensitivity and Grip Strength and Attenuates Inflammation but Accelerates Weight Loss in a Mouse Model of Cancer Cachexia - Mol Nutr Food Res 2021 Sep 9 - "Cancer cachexia is characterized by the loss of skeletal muscle resulting in functional impairment, reduced quality of life and mortlity. Naringenin, a flavonoid found in citrus fruits, improves insulin sensitivity and reduces inflammation and tumor growth in preclinical models ... Dietary supplementation of naringenin improved multiple aspects of metabolic disturbance and inflammation during cancer cachexia progression in [C-26 tumor-bearing] mice. However, the acceleration of anorexia and weight loss was also observed. These findings emphasize the link between inflammation and insulin resistance as a basis for understanding their roles in the pathogenesis of cancer cachexia" - See naringenin at Amazon.com.

Low density lipoprotein cholesterol and all-cause mortality rate: findings from a study on Japanese community-dwelling persons - Lipids Health Dis 2021 Sep 12 - "Compared with individuals with LDL-C levels of 144 mg/dL or higher, the multivariable-adjusted Hazard ratio (and 95% confidence interval) for all-cause mortality was 2.54 (1.58-4.07) for those with LDL-C levels below 70 mg/dL, 1.71 (1.15-2.54) for those with LDL-C levels between 70 mg/dL and 92 mg/dL, and 1.21 (0.87-1.68) for those with LDL-C levels between 93 mg/dL and 143 mg/dL. This association was particularly significant among participants who were male (P for interaction = 0.039) and had CKD"

Inverted U-shaped correlation between serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and cognitive functions of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus - Lipids Health Dis 2021 Sep 12 - "Inverted U-shaped correlation was found between serum LDL-C and cognitive function in patients with T2DM. Despite that the mechanisms of different LDL-C levels involved in special cognitive dysfunctions remain incompletely clarified, excessive LDL-C damages executive function, while the deficient LDL-C impairs visual space function"

Vitamin D supplementation improves fasting insulin levels and HDL cholesterol in infertile men - J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2021 Sep 11 - "Vitamin D has been linked with glucose and lipid metabolism. Men with impaired gonadal function have a higher risk of metabolic syndrome and mortality, and vitamin D status may be a reversible modulator ... At end of trial, men receiving vitamin D supplementation had 13% lower fasting serum insulin concentrations compared with the placebo-treated group (65 vs. 74 pmol/L, P = 0.018) and 19% lower HOMA-IR (2.2 vs. 2.7, P = 0.025). Moreover, men in the vitamin D group had higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels (1.38 vs. 1.32 mmol/L, P = 0.008) compared with the placebo group" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com and vitamin D at iHerb.

Relationship between abdominal obesity (based on waist circumference) and serum vitamin D levels: a systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies - Nutr Rev 2021 Sep 19 - "This meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies confirmed that increased WC was related to the elevated risk of combined vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency in adults" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com and vitamin D at iHerb.

Vitamin D supplementation and cardiometabolic risk factors among diverse schoolchildren: a randomized clinical trial - Am J Clin Nutr 2021 Sep 22 - "Vitamin D supplementation demonstrated generally positive effects on HDLc, LDLc and cholesterol, especially at the lower dose of 600 IU, with several significant changes persisting during the post-supplementation period" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com and vitamin D at iHerb.

Higher intakes of dietary caffeine are associated with 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency - Int J Vitam Nutr Res 2021 Sep 20 - "In conclusion, higher dietary intakes of caffeine were associated with 25(OH)D deficiency in a representative sample of the American population, but further investigation is warranted to determine causation" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com and vitamin D at iHerb.

Synergistic Protective Effect of Curcumin and Resveratrol against Oxidative Stress in Endothelial EAhy926 Cells - Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2021 Sep 3 - "Curcumin (C) and resveratrol (R) are two well-known nutraceuticals with strong antioxidant activity that can protect cells from oxidative stress ... C and R as individual compounds as well as CR combinations at different ratios were screened for their protective effects against H2O2 (2.5 mM) induced cell death assessed by cell viability assays ... CR combinations produced a synergistic protection against that of H2O2-induced changes in cell viability, caspase-3 activity, and ROS production. The strongest effect was observed for CR with the ratio of 8 : 2. Further experiments showed that CR 8 : 2 exhibited significantly greater effects in increasing Nrf2 translocation and expressions of Nrf2 and HO-1 proteins, as well as SOD activity and total cellular NAD production, than that of C or R alone. The findings demonstrate that combination of C and R produced a strong synergy in activity against H2O2-induced oxidative stress in EAhy926 cells" - See curcumin at Amazon.com and iHerb and resveratrol products at Amazon.com and resveratrol at iHerb.

Protective and Recovery Effects of Resveratrol Supplementation on Exercise Performance and Muscle Damage following Acute Plyometric Exercise - Nutrients 2021, 13(9), 3217 - "Plyometric exercise (PE) is an effective training method to increase muscle mass and strength. However, excessive or inappropriate conditions might cause exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD). Resveratrol (RES) is a natural polyphenol plant antitoxin, which improves exercise performance, and exhibits anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer effects ... plyometric-exercise-induced muscle damage (PEIMD) ... Our results suggest that replenishing RES in advance could effectively reduce muscle pain, increase exercise performance, and decrease muscle damage indicators caused by PEIMD, and the recovery was faster. Therefore, plyometric exercises combined with suitable RES supplementation could be an effective candidate for controlling muscle damage, improving physical adaption, and recovering anaerobic capacity" - [Nutra USA] - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com and resveratrol at iHerb.

Dietary Pterostilbene and Resveratrol Modulate the Gut Microbiota Influenced by Circadian Rhythm Dysregulation - Mol Nutr Food Res 2021 Sep 10 - "the possible impact of pterostilbene and resveratrol on the gut microbiota brought by chronic jet-lag in mice was investigated ... Our result suggested that supplementation of resveratrol and pterostilbene could potentially dampen some adverse effects of gut microbiota dysbiosis, and at the same time, re-composite and facilitate the growth of health beneficial microbiota" - See pterostilbene at Amazon.com and iHerb and resveratrol products at Amazon.com and resveratrol at iHerb.

Understanding the gut microbiota and sarcopenia: a systematic review - J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle 2021 Sep 14 - "Altering the gut microbiota through bacteria depletion, faecal transplantation, and various supplements was shown to directly affect muscle phenotypes. Probiotics, prebiotics, SCFAs, and bacterial products are potential novel therapies to enhance muscle mass and physical performance. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains restored age-related muscle loss. Potential mechanisms of microbiome modulating muscle mainly include protein, energy, lipid, and glucose metabolism, inflammation level, neuromuscular junction, and mitochondrial function. The role of the gut microbiota in the development of muscle loss during aging is a crucial area that requires further studies for translation to patients" - See probiotic supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb.

Leucine-enriched whey protein supplementation, resistance-based exercise, and cardiometabolic health in older adults: a randomized controlled trial - J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle 2021 Sep 14 - "Increasing protein intake (above the Recommended Dietary Amount) alone or with resistance-based exercise is suggested to improve cardiometabolic health ... Sixteen weeks of leucine-enriched whey protein supplementation alone and combined with resistance-based exercise improved cardiometabolic health markers in older adults" - See leucine products at Amazon.com and leucine at iHerb.

Glycine increases fat-free mass in malnourished haemodialysis patients: a randomized double-blind crossover trial - J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle 2021 Sep 14 - "chronic haemodialysis (HD) ... Branched-chain amino acid did not improve lean body mass as compared with glycine. Unexpectedly, glycine improved fat-free mass index in HD patients, as compared with BCAA. Whether long-term supplementation with glycine improves the clinical outcome remains to be demonstrated" - See glycine products at Amazon.com.

Palmitoylethanolamide for sleep disturbance. A double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled interventional study - Sleep Sci Pract 2021;5(1):12 - "compared the efficacy and tolerability of 8 weeks of daily supplemented PEA formulation (350 mg Levagen + ®) to a placebo ... At week 8, PEA supplementation reduced sleep onset latency, time to feel completely awake and improved cognition on waking. After 8 weeks, both groups improved their sleep quality and quantity scores similarly" - [Nutra USA] - See palmitoylethanolamide at Amazon.com.

Neuroprotective Potential of Non-Digestible Oligosaccharides: An Overview of Experimental Evidence - Front. Pharmacol., 23 August 2021 - "Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive and memory impairments (Kumar and Singh 2015). It also results in the formation of neurofibrillary tangles from abnormally phosphorylated tau and abnormal accumulation of amyloid plaques (Drummond and Wisniewski 2017). Animal models play a crucial role in defining disease-associated mechanisms and have been of prime importance in evaluating the effectiveness of novel therapeutic agents (Drummond and Wisniewski 2017). In a rodent model of AD, COS (chitosan oligosaccharides) (200, 400, or 800 mg/kg BW for 2 weeks) were found effective in reducing cognitive deficits in amyloid-β-1–42-induced rats ... A significant number of research findings have demonstrated the link between gut microbiota alterations on the onset of ASD. The beneficial effect of probiotic administration in ASD children is evaluated by many researchers as they are known to restore gut microbiota and downregulate ASD symptoms. Probiotic strains, viz., Lactobacillus acidophilus (Liu et al., 2017), Lactobacillus plantarum (Shaaban et al., 2018), Lactobacillus rhamnosus (Kałużna-Czaplińska and Błaszczyk, 2012), and Bifidobacterium longum (Niu et al., 2019) have shown therapeutic potential towards ASD" - [Nutra USA] - See fructo-oligosaccharides supplements at Amazon.com.

Neat Tech Stuff / "How To's":

Hey, I'm just trying to save the planet. Transportation is the largest contributor to global warming. SUVs are the greatest overindulgence in that area. Get a Tesla. Not only are they fun to drive but you're helping to save the environment. San Diego has become Phoenix, Phoenix has become Saudi Arabia and Saudi Arabia has become uninhabitable even 30 years ago when I was there. The entire west looks like Chernobyl due to wildfires and lack of rain.  Everything on my bucket list such as Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Sequoia, etc. has been destroyed. Personally, I have solar, a Tesla and six high efficiency (SEER of 28) heat pumps in my home. The 6K solar system covers them all.

Health Focus (BPH/Prostate Cancer):