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Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 7/2/08.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

Post-exercise Caffeine Helps Muscles Refuel - Science Daily, 7/1/08 - "Recipe to recover more quickly from exercise: Finish workout, eat pasta, and wash down with five or six cups of strong coffee ... Athletes who ingested caffeine with carbohydrate had 66% more glycogen in their muscles four hours after finishing intense, glycogen-depleting exercise, compared to when they consumed carbohydrate alone" - Yeah, if you want to fell like crap for the rest of the day.  I drink by caffeine before the workout then again after a power nap. See:

• Extra Sleep Improves Athletic Performance - Science Daily, 6/9/08 - "Getting extra sleep over an extended period of time improves athletic performance, mood and alertness ... The athletes then extended their sleep to 10 hours per day for six to seven weeks ... After obtaining extra sleep, athletes swam a 15-meter meter sprint 0.51 seconds faster, reacted 0.15 seconds quicker off the blocks, improved turn time by 0.10 seconds and increased kick strokes by 5.0 kicks"

Low Levels Of Good Cholesterol Linked To Memory Loss, Dementia Risk - Science Daily, 6/30/08 - "Researchers defined low HDL as less than 40 mg/dL ... At age 60, participants with low HDL had a 53 percent increased risk of memory loss compared to the high HDL group" - [WebMD] - The best way to increase HDL is niacin.  See Twinlab niacin 1000mg at iHerb.  Start slow maybe even with the 100 mg capsules.  It took me about three months to get immune to the flush from 2000 mg per day.  Taking it with soup seems to be the best.

Single Mechanism For Hypertension, Insulin Resistance And Immune Suppression - Science Daily, 6/30/08 - "spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) ... protein receptors on the surface of SHR cells become clipped off as the animals develop hypertension. They used a novel visualization technique to show that after several weeks of ingesting doxycycline in their drinking water, the SHR rats developed cells that again bristled with normal CD18 and insulin receptors. The animals' metabolic conditions simultaneously improved; blood pressure normalized and symptoms of immune suppression disappeared" - Note: I was taking Periostat (low dose doxycycline, 20 mg) for two reasons, the help prevent gum disease and to lower CRP.  Now I have a third reason.  See doxycycline at OffshoreRx.com (you can use a pill cutter to quarter the pills).  See:

• Low-dose Periostat (Doxycycline) Shows Benefits in Patients with Heart Failure - Doctor's Guide, 11/20/02 - "At six-month follow-up, sub-antimicrobial dose doxycyline significantly reduced CRP levels by 45.8 percent compared to baseline values (p<0.05). The drug was also associated with a 33.5 percent reduction in interleukin-6 and a 50 percent reduction in metalloproteinase ... The findings are exciting, since research is now showing that CRP is both a key marker of inflammation leading to future acute coronary events, but also that CRP itself may contribute to the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis"
  • Blood Protein Predicts Stroke Risk - HealthDay, 6/23/03 - "whether the substance [CRP] is an independent risk factor for these episodes or merely a reflection of narrowed and crumbling arteries hasn't been entirely clear ... New research now suggests that the molecule, called C-reactive protein (CRP), is indeed its own oddsmaker ... The cholesterol-fighting drugs known as statins have been shown to lower CRP by about 25 percent or so, Stein says. However, it's not clear that that effect reduces cardiovascular trouble or increases survival"

Could Caffeine Stop MS in Its Tracks? - WebMD, 6/30/08 - "When consumed in large amounts in a newly reported study, caffeine was found to protect against multiple sclerosis by blocking key steps in the development of the disease"

Shiitake Mushrooms May Improve Human Immune Function, Especially If Grown On Old Oak Logs - Science Daily, 6/29/08 - "These mushrooms contain high-molecular-weight polysaccharides (HMWP), which some studies suggest may improve human immune function. Other research indicates that the shiitake compound eritadenine may help lower cholesterol levels" - See Shiitake products at iHerb.

Calcium Alone Does Not Reduce Hip Fracture Risk - Science Daily, 6/29/08 - "a recent analysis of several studies found no reduction in risk of hip fracture with calcium supplementation ... Future studies of fracture prevention should focus on the best combination of calcium plus vitamin D, rather than on calcium supplementation alone"

Israeli Study: Drinking Red Wine May Improve Meat's Healthfullness - Science Daily, 6/27/08 - "The rats that had eaten the turkey meat without the wine had high levels of chemicals that promote oxidation, which has been linked to cancer, atherosclerosis, and other serious disease ... the rats that got the turkey meat and the red wine had less of those oxidation chemicals in their stomach and blood after their meal"

Higher Coffee Consumption Associated With Lower Liver Cancer Risk - Science Daily, 6/26/08 - "0-1 cup, 2-3 cups, 4-5 cups, 6-7 cups, and 8 or more cups per day ... The researchers noted a significant inverse association between coffee drinking and the risk of primary liver cancer. They found that the multivariable hazards ratio of liver cancer dropped for each group that drank more coffee. It fell from 1.00, to .66, to .44, to .38 to .32 respectively"

Potential Role Of Fish-based Fatty Acids In Resolving, Preventing Asthma - Science Daily, 6/24/08 - "a molecule produced by the body from omega-3 fatty acids helps resolve and prevent respiratory distress in laboratory mice" - See Mega Twin EPA at iHerb.

Abstracts from this week's Doctor's Guide Nutrition/Dietetics plus abstracts from my RSS feeds (Click here for the journals, the PubMed ones at the top):

Advanced glycation end products and diabetic foot disease - Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2008 May-Jun;24 Suppl 1:S19-24 - "recent clinical studies have shown that the AGE-breakers may be able to decrease adverse vascular effects of glycation with few side effects"

Resveratrol reduces endothelial progenitor cells senescence through augmentation of telomerase activity by Akt-dependent mechanisms - Br J Pharmacol. 2008 Jun 30 - "Resveratrol significantly increased telomerase activity and Akt phosphorylation ... Resveratrol delayed the onset of EPC senescence and this effect was accompanied by activation of telomerase through the PI3K-Akt signalling pathway. The inhibition of EPCs senescence by resveratrol might protect EPCs against dysfunction induced by pathological factors in vivo and improve EPC functional activities in a way that may be important for cell therapy" - See Jarrow Resveratrol 100 at iHerb.

Assessing the effect of docosahexaenoic acid on cognitive functions in healthy, preschool children: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study - Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2008 May;47(4):355-62 - "Regression analysis, however, yielded a statistically significant positive (P = .018) association between the blood level of docosahexaenoic acid and higher scores on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, a test of listening comprehension and vocabulary acquisition" - See Jarrow Max DHA at iHerb.

Panax Ginseng Enhances Cognitive Performance in Alzheimer Disease - Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord. 2008 Jun 17 - "ginseng group was treated with Panax ginseng powder (4.5 g/d) for 12 weeks ... After ginseng treatment, the cognitive subscale of ADAS and the MMSE score began to show improvements and continued up to 12 weeks (P=0.029 and P=0.009 vs. baseline, respectively). After discontinuing ginseng, the improved ADAS and MMSE scores declined to the levels of the control group. These results suggest that Panax ginseng is clinically effective in the cognitive performance of AD patients" - See Ginseng products at iHerb.

Neat Tech Stuff :

• Andy Grove Offers an Energy Solution - New York Times Blog, 6/27/08 - "Pickups, SUVs, vans, and the like represent about 80 million vehicles, with mileage of perhaps 13 to 16 miles per gallon,” he writes. “Converting those should be our first priority ... A modest change in the worst offenders from an energy efficiency point of view, would have the biggest impact: Converting the worst gas guzzlers to use electricity even for as little as 50 miles of driving range on a daily basis could cut petroleum imports by 50 to 60 percent, Mr. Grove states"
• Click here for an Energy Information Agency graph forecasting gasoline prices.
• Click here for a picture of my Phill garage refueler.
• Click here to embarrass people not to buy gas guzzlers.

Supplement Focus (ginseng):

Specific Ginseng Recommendations:

• Ginseng products at iHerb

Ginseng News:

• I am currently under a lot of stress. Is there an herb that I can take to help me deal with this stressful time in my life - Dr. Murray
• Ginseng May Help Treat Schizophrenia - WebMD, 5/8/08 - "In a small study, patients had fewer negative symptoms -- such as lack of motivation and a severe reduction in emotional expression known as "flat affect" -- when they took Panax ginseng than when they took a placebo ... patients were 50% less likely to have flat affect when taking the higher, 200-milligram dose of ginseng than when taking placebo"
• Ginseng May Relieve Cancer Fatigue - WebMD, 6/4/07
• Herb Shows Potential To Reduce Cancer-related Fatigue - Science Daily, 6/3/07 - "Of the four treatment arms, patients receiving the placebo and the lowest dose of ginseng reported very little improvement in fatigue or other areas of physical or psychological well-being. The patients receiving the larger doses showed improvements in overall energy levels, reporting higher vitality levels and less interference with activity from fatigue. They also reported an improvement in overall mental, physical, spiritual and emotional well-being"
• Ginseng, Ginko Biloba Do Not Interfere With Drug Absorption If Taken At Recommended Doses - Science Daily, 5/1/07 - "found daily use of ginseng or ginkgo biloba supplements at the recommended doses, or the combination of both supplements, are unlikely to alter the pharmacokinetics - by which drugs are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and eliminated by the body - of the majority of prescription or over-the counter drugs"
• Ginseng linked to improved breast cancer outcomes - Nutra USA, 8/17/06
• Product Review of Ginseng Supplements - ConsumerLab.com, 5/12/06
• Researchers Find Ginseng May Improve Breast Cancer Outcomes - Science Daily, 3/16/06 - "They also found significant improvements in both survival and quality of life measures in patients who used ginseng"
• Cortisol, Stress, and Health - Life Extension Magazine, 12/05 - "Supplements to reduce high cortisol levels secondary to stress ... Vitamin C: 1000-3000 mg/day ... Fish oil (omega-3 fatty acids):1-4 gm/day ... Phosphatidylserine: 300-800 mg/day ... Rhodiola rosea: 100-200 mg/day, standardized extract ... Ginseng: 100-300 mg/day, standardized extract ... Ginkgo biloba: 100-200 mg/day, standardized extract ... DHEA: 25-50 mg/day (any hormone supplementation should be monitored by your physician)"
• Ginseng May Reduce Number and Severity of Colds - New York Times, 11/1/05
• Ginseng for Gesundheit? Latest Study on Colds - WebMD, 10/24/05 - "one in 10 people in the ginseng group reported having two or more colds that winter, compared with about 23% of those taking the placebo ... Colds lasted about 11 days for the ginseng group and 16.5 days for the placebo group"
• MIT Team Explains Yin-yang Of Ginseng; Work Emphasizes Need For Stronger Regulations Of Herbal Drugs - Science Daily, 9/1/04
• Ginseng a No-No for Patients on Coumadin - WebMD, 7/6/04
• Herbal Supplement Ginseng Reduces Effects Of Warfarin - Doctor's Guide, 7/6/04
• Natural Sex Boosters Gaining Ground - WebMD, 5/5/04
• Early Pregnancy Risk With Ginseng - WebMD, 9/24/03
• Ginseng review - ConsumerLab.com, 8/29/03 - "A high amount of the pesticide hexachlorobenzene — a potential human carcinogen — was found in one of five products labeled as containing "Korean Ginseng." Levels of two other pesticides, quintozene and lindane — were also above acceptable levels. Another product that failed the new testing was a liquid "Chinese Ginseng" sold in single-dose bottles. Despite being labeled "EXTRA STRENGTH" this product contained less than 10% of the expected ginsenosides"
• Ginseng May Improve Glucose Control - Doctor's Guide, 6/18/03
• Ginseng May Help Treat Diabetes - WebMD, 6/16/03 - "There are two reasons blood sugar can be out of control in [people with diabetes] ... Your body's tissues are not responsive enough to insulin so they don't process it properly and/or you don't make enough insulin to begin with ... Ginseng, he said, appears to help the patients both to secrete more insulin and to process better the insulin they have" - See iHerb or Vitacost American ginseng products.
• Korean Red Ginseng Benefits Men with Impotence - New Hope Natural Media, 1/2/03 - "Men experiencing sexual difficulties due to inability to achieve erection may be helped by Korean red ginseng (Panax ginseng), according to a study published in the Journal of Urology ... It is a problem that affects nearly half of men over age forty worldwide ... Some 60% of participants reported improved erections while receiving ginseng. Improved sexual desire was also reported during ginseng treatment. Testosterone levels did not change with treatment, leading the researchers to conclude that improvements observed with ginseng are not due to hormonal effects" - See iHerb or Vitacost Korean (Panax) ginseng.
• Ginseng May Help Regulate Blood Glucose - Natural Foods Merchandiser, 8/02 - "Three new studies, performed jointly by researchers at the University of Toronto, St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto and the University of Ottawa, show that American ginseng can lower blood-sugar levels in diabetic and nondiabetic patients" - See iHerb and Vitacost American ginseng products.
• Ginseng's New Powers - HealthScout, 5/24/02
• Ginseng Berry Shows Promise for Diabetes - WebMD, 5/24/02
• Ginseng: Fewer Adverse Events if Used Alone - Clinical Psychiatry News, 4/02
• Ginseng Helps Regulate Blood Glucose - Nutrition Science News, Spring '02 - "Three new studies, performed jointly by researchers at the University of Toronto, St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, and the University of Ottawa, show that American ginseng can lower blood-sugar levels in diabetic and nondiabetic patients ... They found no significant differences between the three doses—each lowered postprandial glucose levels an average of 11.4 percent"
• Some Herbs Boost Breast Cancer Risk - WebMD, 3/26/02 - "Our studies show that dong quai and ginseng stimulate the growth of [breast cancer] cells"
• Notoginseng Cuts Bleeding Time in Half - Nutrition Science News, 12/01
• Bright Future For Chinese Mountain Herb - Natural Foods Merchandiser, 9/01
• Ginseng Lowers Blood Glucose - Nutrition Science News, 7/01
• Not All Ginseng Supplements Are Alike - WebMD, 6/26/01 - "a new analysis of 25 commercial ginseng products suggests that the actual concentration of ginseng is lower than the label says about half the time and in six products the concentration was only 1%"
• Study: Supplement Can Help Take the 'Dys' Out of Female Sexual Dysfunction, Researchers Promote Idea of 'Sexual Wellness' - WebMD, 6/5/01 - "ArginMax -- a dietary cocktail consisting of ginseng, ginkgo, B vitamins, calcium, folic acid, and other vitamins and minerals -- is being heralded as one component of a lifestyle that improves sexual performance and helps prevent problems associated with intimacy"
• Sustain the Brain - Nutrition Science News, 2/01
• Beyond the Label: American Ginseng Protects - Nutrition Science News, 2/01 - "American ginseng has been shown to display synergistic effects against breast cancer cell growth when combined with chemotherapy. From the protective perspective, American ginseng displays potent antioxidant defenses against free radical damage to human LDL cholesterol, which is reinforced by the vitamin C that inhabits LDL. The most striking results attributable to this American root are found in its ability to smooth out post-meal blood-sugar surges and carbohydrate metabolism in both nondiabetics and type II diabetics."
• American Ginseng Protects - Nutrition Science News, 2/01
• Ginseng Laced With Pesticides - Nutrition Science News, 9/00
• Saving Yourself from AGE - Life Enhancement Magazine, 8/00 - with American Ginseng, "The researchers found a reduction in plasma prolactin, a hormone connected with passive "nesting" behavior, suggesting that this may play a role in the ability of American ginseng to stimulate sexual activity in the male rat." (see prolactin)
• Want a love potion? What to know before you try - CNN, 6/15/00 - "Tissue and animal studies of one form of ginseng, called panax, give some credence to the root's sexy reputation. A study published in the May 1995 issue of the journal British Pharmacology, for instance, concluded that substances in ginseng extract known as ginsenosides may work in a similar way to Viagra. Viagra enhances the effects of nitric oxide, which helps relax artery walls, allowing more blood flow into the penis. Ginsenosides may encourage the release of more nitric oxide."
• Ginseng May Enhance Immune Function - WebMD, 6/5/00
• Stress: The Hidden Factor For Weight Gain - Nutrition Science News, 4/01
• Ergogenics for Endurance Athletes - Nutrition Science News, 3/00
• Herbal Aids for Cancer - Nutrition Science News, 3/00
• Be All That You Can Be - Life Enhancement Magazine, 7/99
• Chinese Herbs Enhance Sexual Vitality - Nutrition Science News, 3/99

Ginseng Abstracts:

• Panax Ginseng Enhances Cognitive Performance in Alzheimer Disease - Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord. 2008 Jun 17 - "ginseng group was treated with Panax ginseng powder (4.5 g/d) for 12 weeks ... After ginseng treatment, the cognitive subscale of ADAS and the MMSE score began to show improvements and continued up to 12 weeks (P=0.029 and P=0.009 vs. baseline, respectively). After discontinuing ginseng, the improved ADAS and MMSE scores declined to the levels of the control group. These results suggest that Panax ginseng is clinically effective in the cognitive performance of AD patients" - See Ginseng products at iHerb.
• Combined effects of swim training and ginseng supplementation on exercise performance time, ROS, lymphocyte proliferation, and DNA damage following exhaustive exercise stress - Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2007 Jul;77(4):289-96 - "These findings suggest that the combined effect of swim training and ginseng supplementation sustain lymphocyte function in the presence of reduced ROS production and DNA damage following acute exercise stress"
• Botanical and dietary supplements for mood and anxiety in menopausal women - Menopause. 2006 Dec 28 - "The one randomized, controlled trial of ginseng in postmenopausal women reported improvements in mood and anxiety"

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