Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 3/27/13.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

Explaining how extra virgin olive oil protects against Alzheimer's disease - Science Daily, 3/20/13 - "Newer research suggested that the actual protective agent might be a substance called oleocanthal, which has effects that protect nerve cells from the kind of damage that occurs in AD ... oleocanthal showed a consistent pattern in which it boosted production of two proteins and key enzymes believed to be critical in removing Aβ from the brain" - See olive leaf extract at Amazon.com.

Even a Little Pot Use Ups College Dropout Risk - WebMD, 3/22/13 - "students with high levels of marijuana use (more than 17 days a month) were twice as likely as those with minimal use (less than a day a month) to have an enrollment gap while in college. But even students who used pot less often, in the range of three to 12 days a month, were more likely to experience enrollment gaps"

Safety: Caffeine Leads to Fewer Driving Accidents - NYTimes.com, 3/21/13 - "After adjusting for age, driver experience, distance driven, hours of sleep, naps, night driving and other factors, they found that drivers who consumed caffeine were 63 percent less likely to be involved in a crash"

Potential immune benefits of strong vitamin D status in healthy individuals - Science Daily, 3/20/13 - "improvement in the vitamin D status of healthy adults significantly impacts genes involved with a number of biologic pathways associated with cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD), infectious diseases and autoimmune diseases. While previous studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk for the aforementioned diseases, these results go a step further and provide direct evidence that improvement in vitamin D status plays a large role in improving immunity and lowering the risk for many diseases" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

High-carb intake in infancy has lifelong effects, study finds - Science Daily, 3/19/13 - "Many American baby foods and juices are high in carbohydrates ... Our hypothesis has been that the introduction of baby foods too early in life increases carbohydrate intake, thereby boosting insulin secretion and causing metabolic programming that in turn, predisposes the child to obesity later in life ... the UB researchers administered to newborn rat pups special milk formulas they developed that are either similar to rat milk in composition, (higher in fat-derived calories) or enriched with carbohydrate-derived calories ... At three weeks of age, the rat pups fed the high-carbohydrate (HC) formula were then weaned onto rat chow either with free access to food or with a moderate calorie restriction, so that their level of consumption would be the same as pups reared naturally ... We found that when the HC rat undergoes metabolic reprogramming for development of obesity in early postnatal life, and then is subjected to moderate caloric restriction, similar to when an individual goes on a diet, the programming is only suppressed, not erased ... During this critical period, the hypothalamus, which regulates appetite, becomes programmed to drive the individual to eat more food. We found that a period of moderate caloric restriction later in life cannot reverse this programming effect ... solid foods should not be given before a baby is 4-6 months old"

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):

Vitamin D reduces deposition of advanced glycation end-products in the aortic wall and systemic oxidative stress in diabetic rats - Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2013 Mar 20 - "Vitamin D may have an important role in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) such as Ne-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML), have been implicated in diabetic vascular complications via oxidative stress-mediated pathways ... Untreated diabetes was associated with significantly elevated CML levels in the aortic wall (19.5+/-3.3 vs 10.2+/-4.7ng/mL), increased liver OSI (6.8+/-1.9 vs 3.1+/-0.7), and reduced serum TAC (0.4+/-0.1 vs 0.8+/-0.3mmol Trolox/L), in comparison with the control group. Cholecalciferol significantly blocked the accumulation of CML in the aortic wall (10.4+/-8.4 vs 19.5+/-3.3ng/mL), decreased liver OSI (4.2+/-1.4 vs 6.8+/-1.9), and improved serum TAC (1.0+/-0.2 vs 0.4+/-0.1mmol Trolox/L), compared with the untreated diabetic group" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Fish oil supplementation alters circulating eicosanoid concentrations in young healthy men - Metabolism. 2013 Mar 20 - "Fasted serum samples were collected from 10 young healthy males (23.4+/-1.7years) before and after a 3-month supplementation of fish-oil containing 2.0g EPA and 1.0g DHA ... A 3-month fish oil supplementation in young healthy men improved circulating triglyceride levels and the HDL-c ratio while, concomitantly, increasing the concentrations of two eicosanoids (prostaglandin-F2α and thromboxane-B2). This suggests that fish oil supplementation does have significant benefits in young healthy adults" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Clinical Evaluation of Blood Pressure Lowering, Endothelial Function Improving, Hypolipidemic and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Pomegranate Juice in Hypertensive Subjects - Phytother Res. 2013 Mar 21 - "Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) juice (PJ) contains different types of antioxidants and bioactive polyphenols and has been reported to promote cardiovascular health through several mechanisms. The present study aimed to examine the effects of 2-week intake of fresh PJ on blood pressure, flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), serum lipid profile and concentrations of inflammatory and endothelial function biomarkers. Twenty-one hypertensive patients (aged 30-67 years) were recruited into the trial and assigned to receive either PJ (150 ml/day in a single occasion between lunch and dinner; n = 11) or the same amount of water (n = 10) for a period of 2 weeks ... PJ consumption was associated with significant reductions in SBP (p = 0.002) and DBP (p = 0.038) but not FMD (p > 0.05)" - See pomegranate at Amazon.com.

Total n-3 fatty acid and SFA intakes in relation to insulin resistance in a Canadian First Nation at risk for the development of type 2 diabetes - Public Health Nutr. 2013 Mar 21:1-5 - "Intake of dietary n-3 fatty acids may be protective against whereas SFA intake may promote insulin resistance in this high-risk Canadian First Nation sample. Reduced dietary SFA intake and greater n-3 fatty acid intake may assist the prevention of glycaemic disease among First Nations peoples" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Micronutrient intake and risk of prostate cancer in a cohort of middle-aged, Danish men - Cancer Causes Control. 2013 Mar 22 - "This study evaluates associations between intake of vitamin C, E, folate, and beta-carotene and prostate cancer risk ... Danish prospective cohort study of 26,856 men aged 50-64 years ... Supplemental folic acid was inversely associated with prostate cancer risk, notably on a continuous scale [HR 0.88 (95 % CI 0.79-0.98) per 100 μg increase/day]. The risk reduction was largely confined to non-aggressive tumors [HR 0.71 (0.55-0.93) per 100 μg increase/day]. No influence on prostate cancer risk was observed for dietary folate or for the other studied micronutrients, regardless of source" - See folic acid products at Amazon.com.

The anti-inflammatory potential of phenolic compounds in grape juice concentrate (G8000™) on 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid-induced colitis - Br J Nutr. 2013 Mar 22:1-8 - "Chronic inflammatory bowel disease is characterised by an up-regulation of the synthesis and release of a variety of pro-inflammatory mediators leading to excessive tissue injury. Flavonoids are able to inhibit enzymes and/or due to their antioxidant properties regulate the immune response. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the mechanisms of action of phenolic compounds present in grape juice on 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis. A total of forty-one male Wistar rats were randomised into seven groups: negative control group; TNBS non-treated induced colitis; 2 % grape juice control group; 1 % grape juice 24 h after TNBS colitis induction; 1 % grape juice on day 7 after colitis induction; 2 % grape juice 24 h after colitis induction; 2 % grape juice on day 7 after colitis induction. The 1 % grape juice-treated induced colitis group showed marked clinical improvement when compared with the TNBS-induced colitis group" - See Jarrow Formulas, OPCs + 95 at Amazon.com or Garden of Life, Radical Fruits Antioxidant Complex at Amazon.com.

Effect of β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) on lean body mass during 10 days of bed rest in older adults - Clin Nutr. 2013 Mar 4 - "Loss of muscle mass due to prolonged bed rest decreases functional capacity and increases hospital morbidity and mortality in older adults ... In healthy older adults, HMB supplementation preserves muscle mass during 10 days of bed rest" - See HMB at Amazon.com.

Short-term effects of fish-oil supplementation on heart rate variability in humans: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 Mar 20 - "systematic search of PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and references of related reviews and studies ... Short-term fish-oil supplementation may favorably influence the frequency domain of heart rate variability, as indicated by an enhanced vagal tone, which may be an important mechanism underlying the antiarrhythmic and other clinical effects of fish oil" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

DHA supplementation improved both memory and reaction time in healthy young adults: a randomized controlled trial - Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 Mar 20 - "Healthy adults (n = 176; age range: 18-45 y; nonsmoking and with a low intake of DHA) completed a 6-mo randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind intervention in which they consumed 1.16 g DHA/d or a placebo ... reaction time (RT) ... DHA supplementation improved memory and the RT of memory in healthy, young adults whose habitual diets were low in DHA. The response was modulated by sex" - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Intake of fiber and fiber-rich plant foods is associated with a lower risk of renal cell carcinoma in a large US cohort - Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 Mar 20 - "NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study (n = 491,841) ... Total dietary fiber intake was associated with a significant 15-20% lower risk of RCC in the 2 highest quintiles compared with the lowest (P-trend = 0.005). Intakes of legumes, whole grains, and cruciferous vegetables were also associated with a 16-18% reduced risk of RCC. Conversely, refined grain intake was positively associated with RCC risk in a comparison of quintile 5 with quintile 1 (HR: 1.19; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.39; P-trend = 0.04)" - See Garden of Life, RAW Fiber at Amazon.com.

Resveratrol Inhibits IgE-Mediated Basophilic Mast Cell Degranulation and Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis in Mice - J Nutr. 2013 Mar 20 - "Resveratrol inhibited mast cell-derived, immediate-type allergic reactions, and these responses of resveratrol suggest possible therapeutic strategies in preventing allergic inflammatory diseases" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.

Liver enzymes, race, gender and diabetes risk: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study - Diabet Med. 2013 Mar 20 - "Compared with aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase was more strongly associated with diabetes risk. Our findings suggest that abnormalities in liver enzymes precede the diagnosis of diabetes by many years and that individuals with elevated liver enzymes, even within the normal range as defined in clinical practice, are at high risk for diabetes"

Extra-virgin olive oil consumption reduces the age-related decrease in HDL and paraoxonase 1 anti-inflammatory activities - Br J Nutr. 2013 Mar 19:1-13 - "EVOO consumption increased the anti-inflammatory effect of HDL and reduced the age-related decrease in anti-atherogenic activity" - See olive leaf extract at Amazon.com.

Supplement Focus (SAM-e):

Related Topics:

• St. John's wort / 5-HTP / SAMe / NADH / Omega-3 / tyrosine / acetyl-l-carnitine / DHEA / phenylalanine / ginkgo / phosphatidylserine / folate / antidepressants
• TMG / antidepressants / arthritis / St. John's wort

Specific Recommendations:

• SAM-e at Amazon.com

News & Research:

• Adding Nutritional Supplement to Antidepressant Therapy May Boost Response in Refractory Depression - Medscape, 8/18/10 - "significantly more SAMe-treated than placebo-treated patients (36.1% vs 17.6%) experienced a clinical response on the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), which was the primary study outcome. Remission rates (ie, HAM-D score of ≤7) were also higher with SAMe than with placebo (25.8% vs 11.7%)"
• Nutritional Supplement, SAMe, Effective In Preventing Formation Of Primary Liver Cancer In Rats - Science Daily, 7/30/09 - "A new study investigated the effectiveness of S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) in the prevention and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or primary liver cancer. SAMe, a widely available nutritional supplement, with little known side effects, was found to be effective in preventing the formation of HCC in rats" - [Abstract]
• Can SAM-e Hurt My Heart? - Dr. Weil, 10/10/08 - "Since SAM-e is ultimately converted in the body to homocysteine, it is theoretically possible that taking it could elevate homocysteine levels. But that doesn't happen. In fact, SAM-e actually appears to lower homocysteine by helping the body metabolize it"
• SAMe review - ConsumerLab.com, 4/26/07
• Report: Same - Life Extension Magazine, 4/07
• Improvement of aggressive behavior and quality of life impairment following S-Adenosyl-Methionine (SAM-e) augmentation in schizophrenia - Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2008 Sep 26 - "Eighteen patients with chronic schizophrenia were randomly assigned to receive either SAM-e (800 mg) or placebo for 8 weeks in double-blind fashion. Results indicated some reduction in aggressive behavior and improved quality of life following SAM-e administration. Female patients showed improvement of depressive symptoms"
• 8 natural pain relievers - MSNBC, 9/14/08 - "Capsaicin: For arthritis, shingles, or neuropathy ... InflaThera or Zyflamend: For arthritis ... Aquamin: For osteoarthritis ... SAM-e (S adenosylmethionine): For osteoarthritis ... Fish oil: For joint pain from arthritis or autoimmune disorders ... Methylsulfonyl-methane (MSM): For osteoarthritis"
• Patients Seek Natural Alternatives to NSAIDs - Clinical Psychiatry News, 7/05 - "SAMe appeared to be as effective as NSAIDs in reducing pain and improving functionality with fewer adverse effects than NSAIDS"
• SAMe - A Natural Compound that Offers Safe, Effective Relief from Depression, Osteoarthritis, and Liver Disease - Life Extension Magazine, 1/05 - "SAMe offers arthritis relief without the side effects associated with NSAIDs. Given its safety and tolerability record, SAMe supplementation is recommended for anyone interested in maintaining optimal liver function. Finally, SAMe is a valuable and effective tool for managing depression, offering a safe, effective alternative to prescription medications"
• SAMe Bioavailability and Lack of Toxicity in Humans - Medscape, 12/16/04
• Small Study Shows SAMe May Improve Treatment Of Depression - Science Daily, 12/9/04
• Dietary Supplement Ups Antidepressant Effect - WebMD, 12/2/04 - "Half the patients in the study reported significant improvement in symptoms when they took SAMe along with their prescription antidepressant for six weeks. Forty-three percent reported having no depression symptoms at all six weeks after adding the dietary supplement to their treatment"
• S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe) - A Very Important Natural Product - Dr. Murray's Natural Facts, 6/2/04 - "SAMe is perhaps the most effective natural antidepressant (although a strong argument could be made for the extract of St. John's wort standardized to contain 0.3% hypericin)" - See iHerb SAMe products.
• Supplement SAM-e Helps Beat Depression - WebMD, 5/5/04 - "When SAM-e was added to their usual medication, half of the patients improved and 43% went into remission, Alpert reports. "These are quite strong responses and remission rates for a population that failed traditional therapy.""
• S-Adenosyl Methionine May Be As Efficacious As Celecoxib in Management of Knee Osteoarthritis, But Onset of Action Is Slower - Doctor's Guide, 5/4/04 - "During the first month of phase 1, celecoxib was significantly more effective in reducing pain than was SAMe (P= .024); however, by the second month of phase 1, patients in both groups had significant pain improvement from baseline (PS</i>] < .01), and no significant difference in pain was observed between groups"
• A New Era for SAMe - Life Extension Magazine, 6/03
• Cirque choreographer promotes new twist on joint health - USA Today, 9/9/03
• S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine Results Similar to Imipramine in Major Depression - Doctor's Guide, 12/30/02 - "A total of 146 patients received 400 milligrams per day of intramuscular SAMe and 147 received 150 mg/d of oral imipramine ... SAMe and imipramine did not differ significantly on any efficacy measure, either main or secondary ... Adverse events were significantly less in patients treated with SAMe compared to those treated with imipramine" - Note:  There seems to be conflicting studies on whether oral SAMe is poorly absorbed.  I've added absorption studies near the bottom of my SAMe page.  Maybe the difference is "Enteric coating" tablets.
• SAMe Beneficial in Treating Osteoarthritis, Depression, and Liver Disease - New Hope Natural Media, 12/12/02 - "More than 100 human studies have been published in medical journals showing that SAMe is a safe, effective treatment and, in the cases of depression and osteoarthritis, works as well as conventional medications"
• SAM-e Same As Drugs - Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals, 12/02
• Supplement [SAM-e] Found Effective As Antidepressant - Intelihealth, 11/6/02 - "The dietary supplement SAMe is about as effective as older, conventional antidepressants in treating depression, a preliminary, government-funded study says. It also finds SAMe to be comparable to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications in treating the pain of osteoarthritis. Such drugs include aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen"
• Expert Panel Finds SAMe Promising - WebMD, 10/10/02 - "As a treatment for depression, SAMe was shown to be as effective as antidepressants, and more effective than placebo. SAMe also had fewer side effects when compared with standard antidepressants ... As a treatment for osteoarthritis, SAMe had fewer digestive side effects than anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, yet was effective in relieving pain ... SAMe is a natural substance for the body, it's not a designer drug, and therefore can be carried in, absorbed into pathways," ... The L-dopa medication that patients take for Parkinson's makes them unusually SAMe-deficient "because L-dopa consumes vast quantities of SAMe, like a sponge, it mops up all the SAMe in the body." - See iHerb SAMe products.
• SAMe aids arthritis without side effects - Life Extension Magazine, 10/02
• The Wizard is Oz - Life Extension Magazine, 11/01 - "Best-selling author and nutritional guru to the rich and famous, Oz Garcia is singing the praises of the Life Extension Foundation and its products in his newest book, The Healthy High Tech Body, published in September 2001 ... Supplements at the top of Garcia's list of recommendations ... DHA ... NADH ... Alpah Lipoic Acid ... Acetyl-L-Carnitine ... An expanded list of his recommendations includes lycopene, gamma tocopherol, vinpocetine, SAMe, folic acid, carnosine, glutathione, DMAE, Huperzine A, probiotics, MSM, secretagogues, arginine pyroglutamate, IP-6, bioflavonoid formulas and grape skin/seed extracts"
• Some SAMe Supplements Found Lacking, About Half Had Less of the Active Ingredient Than Labels Implied - WebMD. 5/29/01 - "ConsumerLab.com found that about half the 13 products it tested were accurately labeled as to their SAMe content. Some brands alleged to contain 200 mg actually had about half that, because manufacturers factored in not just the weight of "free" SAMe -- the "therapeutic" portion -- but also an inactive SAMe ingredient"
• Caution in Treating PD Depression - Nutrition Science News, 5/01 - "SAMe depletes dopamine and can produce PD-like changes in animals, causing cell degeneration in the nigra and striatum areas of the brain"
• Diet, Supplements, Exercise and Sauna - Life Extension Magazine, 9/99 - "TMG, on the other hand, is very effective at raising the levels of SAMe and lowering homocysteine."
• SAMe Needs The B's - Nutrition Science News, 7/00 - "users of this wonder pill should be aware that through the natural metabolism of SAMe, the amino acid homocysteine is created--a situation that can lead to artery damage and even heart disease. . . . .others have demonstrated that by simply upping one's intake of the vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid, this potential hazard can be avoided." - Note:  TMG is a precursor to SAM-e and lowers homocysteine instead of raising it.
• Depression Protocol - Life Extension Foundation
• Newsweek magazine, 3/22/99
  "...SAM-e appears comparable to state-of-the-art treatments for both conditions [arthritis and depression]. And unlike the leading drug therapies, it lacks significant side effects. Dr. Richard Brown [co-author of "Stop Depression Now"] a Columbia University Psychiatrist describes it as the 'best anti-depressant I've ever prescribed." "...it's cheaper than many prescription remedies. And if it lives up to its promise, it may be more valuable."

Abstracts:

• S-Adenosyl Methionine (SAMe) Augmentation of Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors for Antidepressant Nonresponders With Major Depressive Disorder: A Double-Blind, Randomized Clinical Trial - Am J Psychiatry. 2010 Jul 1 - "These preliminary results suggest that SAMe can be an effective, well-tolerated, and safe adjunctive treatment strategy for SRI nonresponders with major depressive disorder and warrant replication"
• S-adenosylmethionine in the chemoprevention and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma in a rat model - Hepatology. 2009 Apr 6 - "SAMe is effective in preventing HCC establishment but ineffective in treating established HCC because of induction of hepatic methyltransferases, which prevents SAMe level to reach high enough to kill liver cancer cells. SAMe's chemopreventive effect may be related to its proapoptotic action and its ability to inhibit angiogenes"
• Dietary Supplement S-Adenosyl-l-Methionine (AdoMet) Effects on Plasma Homocysteine Levels in Healthy Human Subjects: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized Clinical Trial - J Altern Complement Med. 2009 May 7 - "S-adenosyl-l-methionine (AdoMet), a commonly used nutritional supplement ... AdoMet at a daily dose of 800 mg for 4 weeks does not appear to significantly affect Hcy levels in the blood"
• Efficacy of a Vitamin/Nutriceutical Formulation for Early-stage Alzheimer's Disease: A 1-Year, Open-Label Pilot Study With an 16-Month Caregiver Extension - Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen. 2008 Dec 1 - "We examined the efficacy of a vitamin/nutriceutical formulation (folate, vitamin B6, alpha-tocopherol, S-adenosyl methionine, N-acetyl cysteine, and acetyl-L-carnitine) in a 12-month, open-label trial with 14 community-dwelling individuals with early-stage Alzheimer's disease. Participants improved in the Dementia Rating Scale and Clock-drawing tests (Clox 1 and 2). Family caregivers reported improvement in multiple domains of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) and maintenance of performance in the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living (ADL). Sustained performance was reported by caregivers for those participants who continued in an 16-month extension. Performance on the NPI was equivalent to published findings at 3 to 6 months for donepezil and exceeded that of galantamine and their historical placebos. Participants demonstrated superior performance for more than 12 months in NPI and ADL versus those receiving naproxen and rofecoxib or their placebo group. This formulation holds promise for treatment of early-stage Alzheimer's disease prior to and/or as a supplement for pharmacological approaches"
• S-adenosylmethionine blood levels in major depression: changes with drug treatment - Acta Neurol Scand Suppl. 1994;154:15-8
• S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAMe) as antidepressant: meta-analysis of clinical studies - Acta Neurol Scand Suppl. 1994;154:7-14
• Oral S-adenosylmethionine in depression: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial - Am J Psychiatry. 1990 May;147(5):591-5
• The antidepressant potential of oral S-adenosyl-l-methionine - Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1990 May;81(5):432-6

Absorption Information:

• Intestinal absorption of S-adenosyl-L-methionine - J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1979 Jun;209(3):323-6
• SAM-e (S-Adenosylmethionine) - James South - "Because SAMe tablets are enterically coated, they should NOT be cut in half to achieve a lower dose- the SAMe may then break down before absorption"

Note:  There seems to be conflicting studies on whether oral SAMe is poorly absorbed.  Maybe the difference is "Enteric coating" tablets.