CONTEXT: B vitamins and factors related to 1-carbon metabolism help to maintain DNA integrity and regulate gene expression and may affect cancer risk. OBJECTIVE: To investigate if 1-carbon metabolism factors are associated with onset of lung cancer. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) recruited 519,978 participants from 10 countries between 1992 and 2000, of whom 385,747 donated blood. By 2006, 899 lung cancer cases were identified and 1770 control participants were individually matched by country, sex, date of birth, and date of blood collection. Serum levels were measured for 6 factors of 1-carbon metabolism and cotinine. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Odds ratios (ORs) of lung cancer by serum levels of 4 B vitamins (B(2), B(6), folate [B(9)], and B(12)), methionine, and homocysteine. RESULTS: Within the entire EPIC cohort, the age-standardized incidence rates of lung cancer (standardized to the world population, aged 35-79 years) were 6.6, 44.9, and 156.1 per 100,000 person-years among never, former, and current smokers for men, respectively.

The effect of age and gender on minor and trace element contents in the scalp hair of 80 relatively healthy 15- to 55-year-old women and men was investigated. Contents or upper limit of contents of 37 chemical elements in the scalp hair were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis. Mean values (M +/- SEpsilonMu) for the mass fraction of Ag, Au, Ba, Br, Ca, Ce, Cl, Co, Cr, Eu, Fe, Hf, Hg, I, K, La, Lu, Mg, Mn, Na, Rb, Sb, Sc, Se, Sm, Sr, Th, and Zn (milligrams per kilogram of dry hair) were 0.191 +/- 0.018, 0.0102 +/- 0.0014, 6.33 +/- 0.68, 3.59 +/- 0.26, 1320 +/- 110, 0.369 +/- 0.055, 1245 +/- 133, 0.0707 +/- 0.0054, 2.78 +/- 0.22, 0.0082 +/- 0.0021, 88.2 +/- 6.7, 0.040 +/- 0.012, 0.145 +/- 0.009, 6.93 +/- 1.05, 146 +/- 14, 0.238 +/- 0.025, 0.0030 +/- 0.0007, 163 +/- 17, 2.29 +/- 0.30, 344 +/- 31, 0.65 +/- 0.10, 0.062 +/- 0.005, 0.0100 +/- 0.0012, 0.248 +/- 0.008, 0.0090 +/- 0.0010, 45.7 +/- 3.5, 0.0168 +/- 0.0019, and 154 +/- 3, respectively. The upper limits of contents of Cd, Cs, Gd, Nd, Ta, Tb, Tm, and Yb were <or=0.17, <or=0.013, <or=0.104, <or=0.19, <or=0.011, <or=0.0048, <or=0.0057, and <or=0.0047, respectively.

Earlier studies have shown that resveratrol could induce death in several human
cancer cell lines in culture. Here we report our observation that resveratrol
can also promote the growth of certain human cancer cells when they are grown
either in culture or in athymic nude mice as xenografts. At relatively low
concentrations (</=5 microM), resveratrol exerted a significant
growth-stimulatory effect in the MDA-MB-435s human cancer cells, but this effect
was not observed in several other human cell lines tested. Analysis of cell
signaling molecules showed that resveratrol induced the activation of JNK, p38,
Akt, and NF-kappaB signaling pathways in these cells. Further analysis using
pharmacological inhibitors showed that only the NF-kappaB inhibitor (BAY11-7082)
abrogated the growth-stimulatory effect of resveratrol in cultured cells. In
athymic nude mice, resveratrol at 16.5 mg/kg body weight enhanced the growth of
MDA-MB-435s xenografts compared to the control group, while resveratrol at the
33 mg/kg body weight dose did not have a similar effect. Additional analyses
confirmed that resveratrol stimulated cancer cell growth in vivo through

The study, presented in Boston at the annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science, analyzes data on empathy among almost 14,000 college students over the last 30 years.

"We found the biggest drop in empathy after the year 2000," said Sara Konrath, a researcher at the U-M Institute for Social Research. "

College kids today are about 40 percent lower in empathy than their counterparts of 20 or 30 years ago, as measured by standard tests of this personality trait."

Konrath conducted the meta-analysis, combining the results of 72 different studies of American college students conducted between 1979 and 2009, with U-M graduate student Edward O'Brien and undergraduate student Courtney Hsing.

BACKGROUND: Calorie Restriction (CR) research has expanded rapidly over the past
few decades and CR remains the most highly reproducible, environmental
intervention to improve health and extend lifespan in animal studies. Although
many model organisms have consistently demonstrated positive responses to CR, it
remains to be shown whether CR will extend lifespan in humans. Additionally, the
current environment of excess caloric consumption and high incidence of
overweight/obesity illustrate the improbable nature of the long-term adoption of
a CR lifestyle by a significant proportion of the human population. Thus, the
search for substances that can reproduce the beneficial physiologic responses of
CR without a requisite calorie intake reduction, termed CR mimetics (CRMs), has
gained momentum. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Recent articles describing health and
lifespan results of CR in nonhuman primates and short-term human studies are
discussed. Additional consideration is given to the rapidly expanding search for
CRMs. RESULTS: The first results from a long-term, randomized, controlled CR
study in nonhuman primates showing statistically significant benefits on

Researchers in The Netherlands found:

• Drinking more than six cups of tea per day was associated with a
  36 percent lower risk of heart disease compared to those who drank less
  than one cup of tea per day.
• Drinking three to six cups of tea per day was associated with a
  45 percent reduced risk of death from heart disease, compared to
  consumption of less than one cup per day.

And for coffee they found:

• Coffee drinkers with a modest intake, two to four cups per day,
  had a 20 percent lower risk of heart disease compared to those drinking
  less than two cups or more than four cups.
• Although not considered significant, moderate coffee consumption
  slightly reduced the risk of heart disease death and deaths from all
  causes.

Researchers also found that neither coffee nor tea consumption
affected stroke risk.

Dry-weight is a kidney disease patient's weight immediately after
dialysis, when he or she does not carry the excess fluid that builds up
between dialysis treatments. Dry-weight is the lowest weight one can
safely reach after dialysis without developing symptoms of low blood
pressure such as cramping, which can occur when too much fluid is
removed. If a patient lets too much fluid build up between sessions, it
is harder to get down to a proper dry-weight. Achieving and maintaining
dry-weight can improve blood pressure between dialysis sessions and
limit hospitalizations. This appears to be an effective but forgotten
strategy in controlling and maintaining blood pressure control among
hypertensive patients on dialysis.

Rajiv Agarwal, MD (Indiana University School of Medicine and
Roudebush VA Medical Center) and Matthew Weir, MD (University of
Maryland Medical Center) looked to see what information is available in
the medical literature related to dry-weight and its use in achieving
blood pressure control. Their goal was to provide an overview of the
concept of dry-weight: how to assess it and how to achieve it.

The consumption of green tea has been generally associated with beneficial effects on human whole-body metabolism and recent investigations with animals indicate favorable effects of green tea extracts (GTE) on energy metabolism during exercise and aerobic exercise performance. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a three-week supplementation with GTE on human energy metabolism during submaximal cycling exercise. In a randomized, double-blind crossover setting, ten healthy endurance-trained men exercised for 2 hours at 50 % W(max) before and after three weeks of placebo or GTE supplementation (GTE containing about 160 mg x day(-1) total catechins, of which about 70 mg x day(-1) was epigallocatechin-3-gallate).

To maximize training quality, athletes have sought nutritional supplements that optimize recovery. This study compared chocolate milk (CHOC) with a carbohydrate replacement beverage (CRB) as a recovery aid after intense exercise, regarding performance and muscle damage markers in trained cyclists. Ten regional-level cyclists and triathletes (maximal oxygen uptake 55.2 +/- 7.2 mL.kg(-1).min(-1)) completed a high-intensity intermittent exercise protocol, then 15-18 h later performed a performance trial at 85% of maximal oxygen uptake to exhaustion. Participants consumed 1.0 g carbohydrate.kg-1.h-1 of a randomly assigned isocaloric beverage (CHOC or CRB) after the first high-intensity intermittent exercise session. The same protocol was repeated 1 week later with the other beverage. A 1-way repeated measures analysis of variance revealed no significant difference (p = 0.91) between trials for time to exhaustion at 85% of maximal oxygen uptake (CHOC 13 +/- 10.2 min, CRB 13.5 +/- 8.9 min).

BACKGROUND: Increased consumption of n-3 (omega-3) long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC PUFAs), especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), may maintain cognitive function in later life. OBJECTIVE: We tested the hypothesis that n-3 LC PUFA supplementation would benefit cognitive function in cognitively healthy older people. DESIGN: At total of 867 cognitively healthy adults, aged 70-79 y, from 20 general practices in England and Wales were randomly assigned into a double-blind controlled trial of daily capsules providing 200 mg EPA plus 500 mg DHA or olive oil for 24 mo. Treatment-allocation codes were obtained from a central computerized randomization service. Trained research nurses administered a battery of cognitive tests, including the primary outcome, the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT), at baseline and 24 mo. Intention-to-treat analysis of covariance, with adjustment for baseline cognitive scores, age, sex, and age at leaving full-time education, included 748 (86%) individuals who completed the study. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 75 y; 55% of the participants were men.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D has been added to calcium-fortified orange juice. It is unknown whether vitamin D is as bioavailable from orange juice as it is from supplements. OBJECTIVES: The objective was to compare the bioavailability of vitamin D(2) and vitamin D(3) from orange juice with that from vitamin D(2) and vitamin D(3) supplements. A secondary aim was to determine which form of vitamin D is more bioavailable in orange juice. DESIGN: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study was conducted in healthy adults aged 18-84 y (15-20/group) who received 1000 IU vitamin D(3), 1000 IU vitamin D(2), or placebo in orange juice or capsule for 11 wk at the end of winter. RESULTS: A total of 64% of subjects began the study deficient in vitamin D (ie, 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]) concentrations <20 ng/mL). Analysis of the area under the curve showed no significant difference in serum 25(OH)D between subjects who consumed vitamin D-fortified orange juice and those who consumed vitamin D supplements (P = 0.084). No significant difference in serum 25(OH)D(3) was observed between subjects who consumed vitamin D(3)-fortified orange juice and vitamin D(3) capsules (P > 0.1).

Quercetin, a natural polyphenolic flavonoid substance present in a variety of food plants, has been shown in vitro and in animal studies to have widespread health and performance benefits resulting from a combination of biological properties, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, as well as the ability to increase mitochondrial biogenesis. Little is known about these effects in humans, however, especially with respect to exercise performance. The authors determined whether quercetin ingestion would enhance maximal aerobic capacity and delay fatigue during prolonged exercise in healthy but untrained participants. Twelve volunteers were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments: (a) 500 mg of quercetin twice daily dissolved in vitamin-enriched Tang or (b) a nondistinguishable placebo (Tang). Baseline VO2max and bike-ride times to fatigue were established. Treatments were administered for a period of 7 days using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study design. After treatment both VO2max and ride time to fatigue were determined. Seven days of quercetin feedings were associated with a modest increase in VO2max (3.9% vs.

Cancer Research UK is more forthright in condemning those who hype resveratrol for its cancer- inhibiting properties. "Many vitamin and mineral supplements were believed to be potent cancer fighters until trials and large studies showed they are usually ineffective and can even increase the risk of cancer in some cases," says the charity's Yinka Ebo. "Resveratrol has a few anticancer properties when tested in animals or cells grown in a lab. But, to date, there is no strong evidence that resveratrol supplements can prevent cancer in people."

Read the whole story at Wired

Since an article appeared in "Nature" in 2003 about the potential life-extension capabilities of resveratrol, many people both in and out inside of the life-extension community have been interested in this supplement. Red wine became touted even more as a heath drink due to its (meager) resveratrol content, and people began to have hope in this as a potential CR mimetic. The possibility to obtain the benefits of CR with out the actual calorie restriction made the ears of the nation perk.

By 2006 and 2007, the results from different groups were beginning to conflict. Studies began to indicate that while resveratrol had health benefits in elderly and obese mice, the longevity effects were not consistently observed in ad lib fed mice stared on the supplement midlife. However, a very interesting observation showed that resveratrol could improve insulin and glucose levels in mice on a high-fat (over-consumption) diet, but note that cholesterol and free fatty acid levels did not improve.