High levels of serum vitamin D are associated with significantly reduced risks of developing colorectal, breast, and other cancers, according to several recently published reports.1-4 These findings support previous studies showing an apparent relationship between exposure to vitamin D-generating sunlight and cancer risk.5,6 According to a meta-analysis of five studies, serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D greater than or equal to 33 ng/mL (82 nmol/L) were associated with a 50% lower risk of colorectal cancer, compared with vitamin D levels of less than or equal to 12 ng/mL (30 nmol/L).2

In one study, leading vitamin D researcher Cedric F. Garland and his colleagues concluded: “The evidence to date suggests that daily intake of 1,000-2,000 IU/day of vitamin D(3) could reduce the incidence of colorectal [cancer] with minimal risk.”2 Similar findings have been published regarding vitamin D levels and risk of developing ovarian and breast cancers.3,4

—Dale Kiefer

A low glycemic-index diet, which suppresses the release of blood sugar, may reduce the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, according to a recent report.*

Researchers gathered data from more than 4,000 participants in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS). The study revealed that individuals with the lowest dietary glycemic index had the lowest prevalence of macular degeneration, which is a major cause of irreversible blindness and appears to be linked to several diabetes-related diseases including those of the eyes and heart. Furthermore, the scientists estimated that as many as 20% of cases of macular degeneration could have been prevented if the study participants had consumed diets with a glycemic index below the median.

“These cross-sectional analyses suggest that poor dietary carbohydrate quality as defined by dietary glycemic index, a modifiable risk factor, may increase the risk of [macular degeneration] through several common etiologic factors of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, including the formation of advanced glycation end products and increases in oxidative stress, inflammation, and hyperlipidemia,” wrote the researchers.

—Marc Ellman, MD

A higher dietary intake of vitamin C and linoleic acid, combined with lower intakes of fats and carbohydrates, is associated with skin that retains a more youthful appearance, despite advancing age, British researchers reported recently.*

The investigators used dietary intake data gathered from more than 4,000 women, ranging in age from 40 to 74 years. Subjects received clinical examinations by dermatologists, who graded skin-aging appearance according to several criteria, including wrinkling, senile dryness, and skin atrophy.

Higher vitamin C intakes were associated with a lower likelihood of a wrinkled appearance and senile dryness, while higher intakes of linoleic acid were associated with decreased likelihood of senile dryness and skin atrophy. These associations were independent of age, race, sunlight exposure, and menopausal status.

Vitamin C is present in many fruits and vegetables, while linoleic acid occurs naturally in sunflower and safflower oils.

—Dale Kiefer

Derived from the curry spice turmeric, curcumin may be a useful adjuvant therapy in the treatment of glioblastoma, an often difficult-to-treat form of brain cancer.* Malignant gliomas are aggressive, often-fatal tumors, due to their resistance to chemotherapy and/or radiation. Their survival is enhanced by over-expression of transcription factors such as nuclear factor-kappa B (NFkB) and activator protein-1 (AP-1).

Previous research has shown that curcumin exerts some of its anticancer activity by inhibiting these survival pathways. The researchers of the current study therefore examined its effects on various human and rodent glioma cell lines in the laboratory. Curcumin reduced survival of cancerous cells as well as sensitizing these cells to several existing chemotherapy agents, including cisplatin and doxorubicin, and to radiation. “These findings support a role for curcumin as an adjunct to traditional chemotherapy and radiation in the treatment of brain cancer,” the investigators concluded.

—Dale Kiefer

Chinese scientists presented the results of anti-aging research at the third biennial Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence (SENS) conference held this fall in Cambridge, England.* They reported using Life Extension’s highly purified acetyl-L-carnitine in experiments on specially bred mice, which exhibit signs of cognitive impairment associated with oxidative stress and decreased life span.

The experiments were designed to test the hypothesis that acetyl-L-carnitine, a mitochondrial antioxidant and brain nutrient, could improve the efficacy of donepezil (Aricept®), a drug commonly prescribed for the treatment of dementia related to Alzheimer’s disease. The drug works by blocking the enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine, an important neurotransmitter that decreases precipitously in the brains of dementia patients.

Mice treated with both acetyl-L-carnitine and donepezil experienced a greater reduction in the undesirable enzyme than mice that received donepezil alone. Researchers speculated that acetyl-L-carnitine may work by enhancing the production of neurotransmitters, while also possibly improving the bioavailability of donepezil.

—Dale Kiefer

Life Extension’s concentrated green tea extract reduces stress-induced neuronal degeneration in rodents, according to a recent presentation from Beijing-based scientists.* Noting that aging and stress are both implicated in neurodegenerative disorders, the scientists investigated the effects of green tea extract on stress-induced changes in rats’ brains. Some rats received green tea extract before enduring long-term stressful confinement, while a second stressed confined group of rats did not receive the supplement.

Subsequent examination of the animals’ brains revealed control rats experienced “significant neuronal degeneration” in the hippocampus, an area of the brain that commonly exhibits significant degeneration among human Alzheimer’s disease patients. Rats pre-treated with green tea extract experienced far less hippocampal damage than control rats. Control rats also exhibited decreased antioxidant concentrations, and increased markers of oxidative stress, while these changes were “almost totally prevented” in test rats.

—Dale Kiefer

An increased intake of omega-3 fatty acids may decrease the risk of developing type 1 diabetes, according to a study published in JAMA.*

Scientists examined omega-3 fatty acid consumption in children at increased genetic risk for type 1 diabetes and compared it with their risk of developing pancreatic islet autoimmunity, which is linked to diabetes. The researchers assessed omega-3 fatty acid intake using a dietary questionnaire in all 1,770 participants, and they measured omega-3 fatty acid content of red blood cell membranes in a subset of the children.

“Our study suggests that higher consumption of total omega-3 fatty acids is associated with a lower risk of diabetes autoimmunity in children at an increased genetic risk of type 1 diabetes,” lead researcher Dr. Jill Norris told Life Extension. A higher proportion of omega-3 fatty acids in the red blood cell membranes was also associated with a decreased risk of diabetes.

—Marc Ellman, MD

A newly published European study indicates that men with the highest blood levels of lycopene are 60% less likely to develop advanced prostate cancer, compared with men who have the lowest levels of the phytochemical.* Lycopene is a carotenoid compound abundantly present in tomatoes.

The study followed more than 137,000 men from eight European countries for approximately six years. Blood levels of vitamin A, various forms of vitamin E, and several carotenoids, including lycopene, were assessed for nearly 1,000 subjects who developed prostate cancer, and a comparable group of control subjects.

High blood concentrations of both total carotenoids and lycopene alone were associated with a 65% and a 60% reduction, respectively, in risk of developing the advanced form of prostate cancer. In this study, carotenoids did not appear to reduce the overall risk of developing prostate cancer.

—Dale Kiefer

Scientists have long known that too little sleep is bad for your health.1,2 But according to a study reported recently at the annual conference of the British Sleep Society, insufficient sleep increases the risk of premature mortality, particularly from heart disease.3 While prior studies have examined the effects of disrupted sleep patterns, this is the first large-scale study to investigate the link between sleep duration and mortality.

The 17-year study of more than 10,000 British subjects revealed that people who decreased sleep time from seven to five or fewer hours per night experienced a 1.7-fold increase in mortality from all causes, while their risk of dying from heart disease more than doubled.3 Inadequate shut eye appears to be related to elevated blood pressure, which is associated with an increased risk of stroke and heart attacks.

Too much sleep may also be unhealthy. Investigators also reported a correlation between sleeping more than eight hours nightly and increased mortality risk.3

—Dale Kiefer

Coenzyme Q10 supplementation may prevent migraine headaches in those who are deficient in this nutrient.* Researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center assessed CoQ10 levels among more than 1,500 children and adolescents visiting a neurology clinic due to frequent headaches. Those with low CoQ10 levels were started on a program of CoQ10 supplementation. Their subsequent headaches and CoQ10 levels were monitored.

About one third of the children and adolescents referred to the clinic for frequent headaches were CoQ10 deficient. A subset of patients who were seen in follow-up after about three months had normalized CoQ10 levels. The normalized CoQ10 patients reported fewer headaches, while headache disability scores decreased by more than half, overall. “Deficiency of CoQ10 may be common in…migraine…,” investigators concluded, “…supplementation may result in clinical improvement.”

—Dale Kiefer

Folic acid supplementation can significantly lower blood levels of arsenic, a toxic element found in contaminated water.* Chronic exposure to arsenic affects more than 100 million individuals worldwide and is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, skin, liver, and bladder cancer, and other health conditions.

In this randomized, double-blind trial, researchers at Columbia University gave 400 mcg/day of folic acid or placebo to 130 folate-deficient participants in Bangladesh, where arsenic exposure is prevalent. After 12 weeks, they found that folic acid dramatically reduced blood arsenic levels by 14%.

“Folic acid supplementation enhanced the detoxification of arsenic to a form that is more readily excreted in urine,” Dr Gamble, the study’s lead author, explained. “The results of this study suggest that a simple, low-cost nutritional intervention may help to prevent some of the long-term health consequences associated with arsenic exposure for the many populations at risk,” she concluded.

—Dayna Dye

Supplementing with creatine and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) enhances the beneficial effects of exercise training in older subjects.*

Researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, recruited 19 men and 20 women aged 65 and older to undergo twice-weekly resistance exercise training. The subjects were randomized to receive creatine, 5 g/day, and CLA, 6 g/day, or a placebo for six months.

At the end of treatment, functional capacity measures, such as walking, balance, sitting, standing, and stair climbing, improved in both groups, though the supplemented group experienced a greater benefit. Compared with placebo, this group also showed significantly better improvement in strength and muscle endurance and a significant increase in fat free mass and loss of body fat.

The researchers concluded that, “creatine monohydrate and CLA can enhance some of the beneficial effects of training over a six month period.”

—Dayna Dye

Consuming enough calcium may help strengthen bones so they are less likely to be penetrated by the spread of breast cancer (metastasis), according to a recent study.*

A team of researchers administered diets of low or normal calcium levels to female mice concurrently with osteoprotegerin, a drug that reduces bone-destructive activity. Breast cancer tumors were then implanted into the animals after three days. Just over two weeks later, the investigators found that the low-calcium group experienced a 43% increase in bone destruction and a 24% increase in cancer cell proliferation compared with animals whose calcium intake was normal.

“Many older women in our community are known to be calcium deficient due to low calcium dietary intake or due to vitamin D deficiency. These women could be at increased risk for the devastating effects of bone metastases,” the investigators concluded.

—Dayna Dye

New research has uncovered yet another benefit of red wine and resveratrol—that of combating potentially fatal food-borne illnesses.*

A team from the University of Missouri discovered that red wines, particularly Cabernet, Zinfandel, and Merlot, inhibited food-borne pathogens including E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria, and H. pylori, without harming beneficial probiotic bacteria. The most promising results were seen with H. pylori, which causes stomach ulcers.

Ethanol (the alcohol that occurs in wine), pH levels, and resveratrol were separately found to have similar effects. Grape juice was also effective, but not white wine.

The researchers stated that phytochemicals in red wine, resveratrol being the main one, play a role not just as antioxidants but also inhibit food-borne pathogens. They concluded, “Now, we’re concentrating mainly on the resveratrol effects on these pathogens.”

—Dayna Dye

Administering a 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor to prostate cancer cells promotes massive programmed cell death, according to a study from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.1

The enzyme 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) converts dietary arachidonic acid to 5-hydroperoxyarachidonate (5-HPETE), which is rapidly converted to 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (5-HETE), a survival factor for human prostate cancer cells.1,2 Arachidonic acid is an omega-6 fatty acid common in the Western diet. The same pathway that produces 5-HETE also leads to the production of pro-inflammatory leukotrienes, which have been implicated in a number of inflammatory conditions, including asthma, allergies, atherosclerosis, osteoporosis and, possibly, tumor formation.3,4

When scientists administered a 5-LOX inhibitor to prostate cancer cells growing in culture, 5-HETE production was completely blocked, inducing “massive apoptosis [programmed cell death] in both hormone-responsive and hormone-nonresponsive human prostate cancer cells.”1

The herb Boswellia serrata, in the form of 5-LoxinTM, provides a natural strategy for blocking the 5-LOX enzyme.5

—Dale Kiefer

A new study reveals that the amino acid N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) may help to curb addictive behavior in compulsive gamblers.*

Researchers from the University of Minnesota gave increasing doses of NAC to 27 pathological gamblers for eight weeks, with a mean dose of nearly 1,500 mg/day. At the end of treatment, 16 out of 27 (60%) participants reported a reduced urge to gamble. Of these 16 responders, 13 entered a placebo-controlled phase for a further six weeks. During this phase, 83% of those who received NAC responded favorably, compared with only 28.6% of the placebo group.

N-acetyl cysteine may help control addiction by its effect on glutamate, a brain chemical which is frequently associated with reward. “It looks very promising,” stated Dr. Grant, the study’s author. “We were able to reduce people’s urges to gamble… This research could be encouraging for a lot of addictions,” he concluded.

—Dayna Dye