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News flashes are posted here frequently to keep you up-to-date with the latest advances in health and longevity. We have an unparalleled track record of breaking stories about life extension advances.

Intermittent fasting may be better than calorie restriction for weight loss

March 31 2025. A study reported March 31, 2025, in the Annals of Internal Medicine indicated that intermittent fasting, a practice whereby which people fast during given hours or days of the week, resulted in greater weight loss than daily calorie restriction.

The study included overweight or obese men and women among whom 68 completed a one-year period of intermittent fasting and 57 consumed daily calorie-restricted diets for a year. Participants in the intermittent fasting group were instructed to restrict their calorie intake by 80% on three nonconsecutive days per week and to eat as much as they liked during the remaining four days (described as 4:3 intermittent fasting). The calorie restricted group was asked to lower their daily calorie intake by 34.3% to match the weekly calorie deficit of the intermittently fasted group. All participants received behavioral support and guidance concerning physical diet and activity. Weight was measured at the beginning of the study and at one, three, six, nine and twelve months.

At the end of one year, participants assigned to intermittent fasting lost an average of 2.89 kilograms (6.37 pounds) more than those who practiced calorie restriction. Among those who practiced intermittent fasting, 58% lost at least 5% of their body weight, compared with 47% of the calorie restricted group. The intermittent fasting group also showed more favorable changes in systolic blood pressure, total and LDL cholesterol and fasting glucose.

"Long-term adherence to dietary calorie restriction is challenging for many people," authors Victoria A. Catenacci and colleagues noted. "Our results suggest that 4:3 intermittent fasting is an alternative dietary weight loss strategy that may produce modestly superior weight loss compared with daily calorie restriction at 12 months when provided in the context of a high-intensity, comprehensive behavioral weight loss program."

—D Dye

Glutamate supports liver regeneration

March 28 2025. A study conducted by the National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) in Spain revealed a mechanism involving glutamate, which is synthesized in the body from the amino acid glutamine, in liver regeneration. The findings were published March 26, 2025, in the journal Nature.

Poor dietary habits and alcohol use have contributed to diseases that involve liver damage. "Unhealthy diet and lifestyle can affect liver regeneration," senior author Nabil Djouder, PhD, of CNIO explained. "Our results describe a fundamental and universal mechanism that allows the liver to regenerate after acute damage. These results may also help improve liver regenerative capacity in patients with severe liver damage, such as cirrhosis, or those who have undergone partial resection in surgery to remove a tumor."

The research team found that a chain of events that regenerates the liver is triggered within minutes of acute liver damage. In this process, glutamate reprograms the metabolism of immune system cells known as macrophages, causing them to secrete a growth factor that increases the production of liver cells. In mice with cirrhosis of the liver that had low glutamate levels or that had 90% of their livers removed, glutamate enhanced the proliferation and survival of liver cells.

The discovery offers "a new, complex and ingenious perspective on how the liver stimulates its own regeneration," Dr Djouder stated. "Dietary glutamate . . . may simply be recommended in the future after liver extirpation, and also to reduce liver damage caused by cirrhosis, which is common in patients with poor diet or unhealthy lifestyle or other serious liver diseases."

A future research goal is "Exploring further the possibility of using glutamate . . . in humans who have undergone liver resection for tumor removal," first author María del Mar Rigual stated.

—D Dye

CoQ10, nicotinamide riboside improve blood markers in people with kidney disease

March 26 2025. The March 2025 issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology reported positive >findings from a pilot trial that evaluated the effects of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and nicotinamide riboside (a form of vitamin B3 that acts as a precursor to the energy molecule NAD+) in people with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease. Both compounds target metabolism of the mitochondria, the energy-producing organelles of our cells.

The current investigation analyzed secondary outcomes of a randomized, double-blind, crossover trial in which participants received 1,000 mg nicotinamide riboside, 1,200 mg of CoQ10 or a placebo for six weeks, followed by two six-week periods in which each remaining treatment was received. The treatment periods were separated by a week during which no treatments were given. Blood samples collected at the beginning of the study and after each treatment period were analyzed for changes in gene expression and markers of inflammation and oxidative stress.

The research team observed beneficial changes in gene expression in association with nicotinamide riboside as well as CoQ10. Compared with the placebo, nicotinamide riboside was associated with an increase in plasma interleukin-2, which supports immune function and has both proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory properties. Nicotinamide riboside as well as CoQ10 were associated with reductions in the proinflammatory protein C-reactive protein as well as interleukin-13, which has both proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory effects. Both nicotinamide riboside and CoQ10 lowered a type of F2-isoprostanes, which are markers of damaging oxidative stress. The Bioenergetic Health Index, which is an index of mitochondrial function, increased following the intake of nicotinamide riboside.

"Six weeks of nicotinamide riboside and CoQ10 supplementation have distinct beneficial effects on whole-blood transcriptome, inflammatory cytokines, and oxidative stress," authors Amin Ahmadi and colleagues concluded. Since NAD+ and CoQ10 bioavailability decrease with aging and chronic kidney disease, they recommend further studies in kidney disease patients.

—D Dye

Factors that lower magnesium associated with reduced anti-aging enzyme

March 24 2025. Research reported this year in Frontiers in Nutrition found that low magnesium status, as ascertained by higher magnesium depletion scores, was associated with decreased levels of an anti-aging protein known as Klotho, named after one of the Fates in Greek Mythology.

The study included 11,387 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2016. Magnesium depletion scores were calculated based on the use of diuretics, proton pump inhibitor use, low glomerular filtration rates (indicating diminished kidney function) and heavy drinking (defined as more than two drinks per day for men and more than one drink per day for women), all of which are associated with decreases in the body's magnesium. The Magnesium Depletion Score is acknowledged as a more reliable predictor of magnesium status than more common assessments, including urine and serum magnesium, according to authors Shuangming Cai and colleagues. Levels of klotho were measured in serum.

Magnesium depletion Scores were divided into low, middle and high groups, meaning that those whose scores were low were less likely to be depleted of this critical mineral. Men and women whose Magnesium Depletion Scores were among the middle and high groups had significantly lower Klotho levels than participants who scores were among the low group. Particularly strong associations were seen among people with a low body mass index, those who were smokers and those that were low-income.

"This study provides novel evidence of an inverse association between magnesium depletion score, a new valuable indicator of magnesium status, and serum Klotho levels in a large, representative sample of US adults," Cai and colleagues concluded. "These findings suggest that monitoring magnesium status via magnesium depletion score could help identify individuals at risk of accelerated aging, prompting interventions such as dietary adjustments or magnesium supplementation in high-risk populations."

—D Dye

Lack of prostate cancer screening associated with increased risk of prostate cancer mortality

March 21 2025. Results from the European Randomized study of Screening for Prostate Cancer showed that men who declined invitations for prostate cancer screening with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test had a significantly greater risk of dying from the disease compared with men who were screened.

Findings from the investigation, which is the world's largest prostate cancer screening study to date, are scheduled for presentation on March 22, 2025, at the European Association of Urology Congress in Madrid.

The study included 72,460 men who were invited to receive a blood test that measures PSA, a protein which, when elevated, indicates a need for follow-up to determine whether prostate cancer is present. High PSA levels are not used to diagnose prostate cancer and can have other causes. Testing for PSA can help detect prostate cancer earlier, when it is less likely to spread.

The researchers observed that approximately one in six men who were invited to be screened skipped every appointment. These men had a 45% greater risk of dying from prostate cancer compared with those who attended screening. "We need to better understand who these men are, why they choose not to attend appointments, and how to motivate them," researcher Renée Leenen, MD, PhD, remarked. "This will help us to design population-based prostate cancer screening programs that encourage higher rates of informed participation. Tackling attendance rates in this way could be a big factor in the long-term success of a national prostate screening program."

"It may be that men who opted not to attend a screening appointment are care avoiders, meaning they're less likely to engage in healthy behaviors and preventative care in general," she noted. "This is the opposite behavior of people who are perhaps more health conscious and are more likely to attend a screening appointment."

—D Dye

Glucosamine slows liver disease

March 19 2025. The April 2025 issue of Clinical Nutrition reported the finding of a lower risk of progression of steatotic (fatty) liver diseases that included metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and metabolic dysfunction and alcohol-associated liver disease (MetALD), as well as a lower risk of mortality from all causes during follow-up among people who used glucosamine.

"Early-stage MASLD can be reversed with lifestyle changes and correction of underlying causes, however, if MASLD progresses to fibrotic stages, it significantly increases the risk of liver-related and overall mortality," Tom Ryu of Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine in Seoul, Korea, and colleagues explained. They noted that glucosamine may induce metabolic effects and support a healthy inflammatory response that could be beneficial in liver disease, and control oxidative stress involved in alcohol-associated disease.

The study included 455, 870 participants in the UK Biobank, a medical database of UK residents. Among these participants, 236,658 had MASLD, 53,394 had MetALD and 165,818 did not have steatotic liver disease.

After statistical adjustment, the team observed a lower adjusted risk of mortality from all causes during follow-up among men and women who used glucosamine compared with nonusers. Progression to liver cirrhosis and the development of cardiovascular disease was reduced among men and women with MASLD and MetALD who used glucosamine; however, glucosamine was not associated with cerebrovascular disease risk. People with MASLD who used glucosamine also had a lower risk of developing chronic kidney disease than those who did not use glucosamine.

"The findings suggest that glucosamine could be a beneficial . . . therapy for managing steatotic liver diseases, particularly for patients at high risk for cardiovascular and renal complications," the authors concluded.

—D Dye

L-carnitine, alpha-linolenic acid improve migraine frequency, severity in women

March 17 2025. A randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial that included women who suffered from migraine found that L-carnitine and the plant-derived omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) lowered migraine frequency, severity and duration, and enhanced mental health and quality of life in comparison with a placebo.

The study included 40 women who received 500 milligrams L-carnitine plus 1,000 milligrams ALA and 40 women who received a placebo daily for 12 weeks. The participants' migraine frequency, severity and duration, mental health (anxiety, depression and stress), quality of life, and headache impact (another quality of life assessment) were rated at the beginning and end of the study.

After 12 weeks, women who received L-carnitine and ALA experienced a significant reduction in migraine frequency of approximately three per month versus almost no reduction in the placebo group. Migraine severity and duration were also significantly reduced, and depression and anxiety scores improved compared with the placebo. Furthermore, migraine-specific quality of life and headache impact scores improved in the group that received L-carnitine and ALA in comparison with the placebo group. Authors Sahar Golpour-hamedani and colleagues of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences suggested a synergistic effect between the two nutrients.

"To our knowledge, this is the first study evaluating the concurrent supplementation of ALA and L-carnitine on clinical features and subsequent outcomes of migraine attacks," they announced. "The potential therapeutic effects of ALA and L-carnitine co-supplementation in migraine management can be attributed to their multifaceted cellular mechanisms addressing key pathophysiological processes of migraine, including mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, and oxidative stress."

"This study provides evidence that co-supplementation with ALA and L-carnitine may offer a promising adjunct therapeutic approach to migraine management, addressing both the physical symptoms and the psychological burden of the disorder," they concluded.

—D Dye

CoQ10 may help prevent diabetes in statin-treated individuals

March 14 2025. A study reported February 19, 2025, in Reviews in Cardiovascular Medicine uncovered a link between the use of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) among people who used statin drugs and a lower risk of new-onset diabetes. Statins, which lower elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, are associated with an increased risk of developing the disease.

The study included 4,394 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2018. The investigation was limited to men and women being treated with statins, among whom 3.8% reported using CoQ10. During a median follow-up period of 86 months, 6.6% of the current study's subjects developed new-onset diabetes.

Study subjects who used CoQ10 had a significantly lower adjusted risk of developing diabetes compared with those who did not use CoQ10. People who developed diabetes after statin initiation survived an average of 27 months less than subjects who did not develop the disease. The protective effect of CoQ10 was not dependent upon the dose, although authors Xiaorong Han and colleagues at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College noted that the study relied on the average CoQ10 dose reported for the month prior to obtaining dosage information, which may not reflect long-term CoQ10 dosages.

"CoQ10 deficiencies can lead to impaired mitochondrial function and reduced antioxidant capacity, further decreasing insulin secretion and sensitivity, which may contribute to new onset diabetes development," they wrote. "In addition, studies have confirmed that . . . CoQ10 improves mitochondrial metabolism, which plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus."

"In individuals taking statins, CoQ10 . . . is associated with a reduced risk of developing new-onset diabetes," they concluded. "Interestingly, the effect of CoQ10 on reducing new-onset diabetes risk does not appear to be influenced by the dosage of CoQ10."

—D Dye

Aspirin prevents cancer spread in preclinical research

March 12 2025. New research suggests a use for aspirin to protect against the spread of cancer (metastasis). The finding was reported March 5, 2025, in the journal Nature.

"Despite advances in cancer treatment, many patients with early-stage cancers receive treatments, such as surgical removal of the tumor, which have the potential to be curative, but later relapse due to the eventual growth of micrometastases–̶ cancer cells that have seeded other parts of the body but remain in a latent state," lead researcher Rahul Roychoudhuri observed.

The discovery was the outcome of an investigation by a team at the University of Cambridge into how the immune system responds to metastasis. "Metastasizing cancer cells are uniquely vulnerable to immune attack, as they are initially deprived of the immunosuppressive microenvironment found within established tumors," authors Jie Yang and colleagues wrote. "There is interest in therapeutically exploiting this immune vulnerability to prevent recurrence in patients with early cancer at risk of metastasis."

The team discovered that mice lacking a gene that produces a protein known as ARHGEF1 had less metastasis. This gene suppresses T cells, a type of immune cell that can combat metastatic cancer cells. They further determined that ARHGEF1 is switched on by exposure to the clotting factor thromboxane A2. Decreasing thromboxane A2 production is one of the actions of aspirin. Mice with cancer that were given aspirin had fewer metastases than mice that did not receive aspirin.

"It was a Eureka moment when we found thromboxane A2 was the molecular signal that activates this suppressive effect on T cells," first author Jie Yang enthused. "Before this, we had not been aware of the implication of our findings in understanding the antimetastatic activity of aspirin."

"Aspirin, or other drugs that could target this pathway, have the potential to be less expensive than antibody-based therapies, and therefore more accessible globally," Dr Yang added.

—D Dye

Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil improve markers of inflammation in obese men and women

March 10 2025. A randomized placebo-controlled trial resulted in beneficial changes in inflammatory markers among obese individuals who received omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) from fish oil in addition to a diet with a low omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. Fish oil contains the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA which, unlike plant-based omega-3, support a healthy inflammatory response.

The findings were reported January 8, 2025, in the journal Healthcare.

"Currently, a low intake of PUFAs, accompanied by an imbalance in the omega-6/omega-3 ratio, has been associated with many proinflammatory conditions and a worse metabolic health," authors Joel Torres-Vanegas and colleagues explained.

The trial included 40 obese individuals, among whom 21 received 1080 mg EPA plus 720 mg DHA from fish oil and 19 were given a placebo that contained 1600 mg of the plant-based omega-3 fatty acid ALA for eight weeks. Both groups were assigned to reduced calorie diets designed to maintain a 5:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 PUFAs. According to some research, a healthy ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 should be 5:1 or lower; however, a typical Western diet may provide a ratio as high as 20:1.

At the end of the trial, both groups experienced significant improvement in their omega-6/omega-3 ratios. Compared with the placebo group, participants who received omega-3 showed a significant increase in plasma resolvin D1, a specialized pro-resolving lipid mediator derived from the omega-3 fatty acid DHA that supports a healthy inflammatory response. They additionally experienced an increase in interleukin-10, which also supports a healthy level of inflammation, while showing declines in proinflammatory interleukin-6 as well as MCP-1, which plays a role in inflammation and tissue injury. Furthermore, participants who received EPA and DHA had a greater reduction in abdominal obesity compared with the placebo group.

"These results could provide a guide for future nutritional intervention strategies aimed to improve metabolic health and reduce chronic low-grade inflammation by considering the omega-6/omega-3 PUFA ratio content as a necessary calculation for a proper diet," the authors concluded.

—D Dye

Lutein improves lipids, AGEs in people with central obesity

March 07 2025. A randomized, double-blind, controlled trial resulted in reductions in cholesterol and other factors among people with central (abdominal) obesity who were given lutein, a pigment found in vegetables, fruits and egg yolk. Central obesity is a component of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of factors that increase the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The findings were reported in the March 7, 2025, issue of Food & Function.

The trial included 47 men and women with central obesity who received 10 milligrams per day of lutein and 47 participants who received a placebo for 32 weeks. Body mass index and other anthropometric markers, and clinical indicators that included cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein A1, apolipoprotein B, fasting blood glucose, insulin and insulin resistance, hemoglobin A1c, malondialdehyde (a marker of damaging oxidative stress) and C-reactive protein were measured at the beginning and end of the trial.

At the end of 32 weeks, diastolic blood pressure, total and LDL cholesterol, apolipoprotein B (a marker of cardiovascular disease risk) and malondialdehyde significantly declined among participants who received lutein compared with the placebo group. The lutein group showed an increase in plasma lutein and a decline in plasma advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), a marker of elevated glucose associated with signs of aging. This suggests that lutein may help protect against cardiovascular disease and other conditions related to obesity.

"The main strength of our study lies in its focus on adults with central obesity, a population that has been underrepresented in previous research," authors Juan Zhou and colleagues remarked. "Regular lutein intake can improve metabolic health in adults with central obesity by increasing plasma lutein concentrations, reducing oxidative stress, lowering plasma total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B levels, and downregulating AGEs," they concluded.

—D Dye

Umbrella review shows association of vitamin D intake with lower risk of several cancers

March 05 2025. An umbrella review of 21 systematic reviews and meta-analyses that investigated the association between the intake of vitamin D and cancer found protective effects for the vitamin against the risk of breast, colorectal and lung cancers and mortality from colorectal cancer.

The review was published in the March 2025 issue of Anticancer Research.

Researchers selected six meta-analyses concerning the effects of vitamin D intake in breast cancer, six concerning colorectal cancer, two concerning lung cancer, three concerning pancreatic cancer and four concerning prostate cancer.

One of the meta-analyses concerning vitamin D and breast cancer incidence revealed a significant 9% lower risk of breast cancer for people whose vitamin D intake was among the highest compared with the lowest vitamin D intake.

Among the six meta-analyses that evaluated the effects of colorectal cancer and vitamin D intake, three found a lower risk between high intake and colorectal cancer incidence. The only included meta-analysis concerning the relationship between vitamin D intake and colorectal cancer mortality found a significantly lower risk in overall mortality and cancer-specific mortality in association with increased intake of vitamin D.

For lung cancer, one of two meta-analyses showed a significant protective effect for vitamin D.

Results of meta-analyses concerning pancreatic cancer showed no associations and those for prostate cancer were described by the authors of the report as inconclusive. They wrote that "Methodological challenges related to vitamin D metabolism and study designs contribute to the inconclusive nature of the data."

"This umbrella review provides an overview on the broad field of research on vitamin D intake and five of the most important cancer types," they concluded. "The results show that vitamin D intake might help prevent breast, colorectal and lung cancer, and reduce colorectal cancer mortality."

—D Dye

Nutrients boost exercise benefits for people with arthritis

March 03 2025. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that evaluated the effects of exercise in people with knee osteoarthritis found greater improvement among participants who received glucosamine sulfate, chondroitin sulfate, calcium carbonate, casein phosphopeptides and the herb Drynaria roosii Nakaike compared with those who engaged in exercise alone. The findings were reported in the February 2025 issue of Age and Ageing.

Thirty-two participants were assigned to exercise plus the nutrient combination and 26 were assigned to exercise and a placebo for six months. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC, which evaluates pain, stiffness and physical function) and other assessments were used to evaluate osteoarthritis symptoms before and after the treatment period.

After three months, 63.3% of participants who received the nutrient combination in addition to exercise had minimum clinically important differences in overall WOMAC scores compared with the beginning of the study, in contrast with 30.8% of the placebo plus exercise group. While both groups showed improvements in overall WOMAC scores and other evaluations of pain and function at six months, these indicators improved at three months in the group that received the nutrients.

In their discussion of the findings, authors Wu Liu of Peking University and colleagues remarked that The European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases suggested that slow-acting treatments for osteoarthritis, including glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate, should be introduced early. They added that calcium carbonate, casein phosphopeptides and Drynaria roosii Nakaike are known to benefit bone health.

"The improvement effects of nutrition . . . plus exercise were superior to those of exercise alone, and the improvement occurred earlier," the authors concluded.

—D Dye

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