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.

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).

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in chronic kidney disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of oral cholecalciferol supplementation on mineral metabolism, inflammation, and cardiac dimension parameters in long-term hemodialysis (HD) patients. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: This 1-year prospective study included 158 HD patients. Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)(2)D], intact parathyroid hormone, and plasma brain natriuretic peptide as well as circulating bone metabolism and inflammation parameters were measured before and after supplementation. Baseline 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)(2)D levels were measured twice (end of winter and of summer, respectively). Therapy with paricalcitol, sevelamer, and darbepoietin was evaluated. RESULTS: There was an increase in serum 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)(2)D levels after supplementation. Conversely, serum calcium, phosphorus, and intact parathyroid hormone were decreased. There was a reduction in the dosage and in the number of patients who were treated with paricalcitol and sevelamer.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the amount, type, and tissue distribution of vitamin D in the adult body under typical inputs. METHODS: Review and reanalysis of published measurements and analysis of tissue samples from growing pigs raised in confinement on diets providing about 2000 IU vitamin D/day. Cholecalciferol and 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration measured by HPLC. RESULTS: Mean serum 25(OH)D in all studies combined was 45 nmol/L. At the level of vitamin D repletion represented by this concentration, total body vitamin D would be 14,665 IU for a 70 kg adult woman. 65% of this total was present as native cholecalciferol and 35% as 25(OH)D. Nearly three-quarters of the cholecalciferol was in fat, while 25(OH)D was more evenly distributed throughout the body (20% in muscle, 30% in serum, 35% in fat, and 15% in all other tissues). At the daily vitamin D consumption rates in these animals total body stores provided only a approximately 7-day reserve. CONCLUSIONS: At total intakes on the order of 2000 IU/day, an adult has very little vitamin D reserve, despite intakes 10x the current recommendations.

Genescient is the world's first computational biology company founded on the use of artificial biological selection to cure the diseases of aging. Our laboratory animals have been selected for longevity through 750 generations for the equivalent of 15,000 human years. I will describe Genescient's multiple pathways toward accelerating human longevity, with parallel enhancements of vigor and function. Genescient applies 21st century genomic technology to identify, screen and develop benign therapeutic substances at precise doses, to defeat the diseases of aging. Our singular approach addresses the complex genomic networks that underlie aging and aging-associated diseases such as cardiovascular disease, Type II diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. I shall display some results and our first product, due in 2009.

Low levels of vitamin D are known to nearly double the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with diabetes, and researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis now think they know why. They have found that diabetics deficient in vitamin D can't process cholesterol normally, so it builds up in their blood vessels, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. The new research has identified a mechanism linking low vitamin D levels to heart disease risk and may lead to ways to fix the problem, simply by increasing levels of vitamin D. "Vitamin D inhibits the uptake of cholesterol by cells called macrophages," says principal investigator Carlos Bernal-Mizrachi, M.D., a Washington University endocrinologist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. "When people are deficient in vitamin D, the macrophage cells eat more cholesterol, and they can't get rid of it. The macrophages get clogged with cholesterol and become what scientists call foam cells, which are one of the earliest markers of atherosclerosis." Macrophages are dispatched by the immune system in response to inflammation and often are activated by diseases such as diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Reduced serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D) levels are associated with an increased incidence and an unfavorable outcome of various types of cancer. However, the influence of serum 25(OH)D on the incidence and outcome of patients with malignant melanoma is unknown. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The association between serum 25(OH)D levels and clinical and histopathological data among 205 patients with malignant melanoma was examined. Additionally, 141 healthy controls were investigated. All the blood samples were taken between October and April to minimize seasonal variations; basal serum 25(OH)D levels were analyzed using the LIAISON 25-OH Vitamin D-Assay (DiaSorin, Dietzenbach, Germany). The study started in 1997. The patients were observed until death or March 2007, whichever came first. RESULTS: Serum 25(OH)D levels were significantly reduced in stage IV melanoma patients as compared to stage I melanoma patients (p=0.006).

Readers of this blog are likely to take the value of antioxidants for granted. And indeed, a part of my overall anti-aging regimen is the firewall against oxidative damage which includes a number of antioxidants.

Research studies supporting the value of antioxidants are frequently cited both in this blog and in my longevity treatise. However, serious research publications also appear from time to time that question the value or even the safety of antioxidant consumption.

I cite and comment on two of these here. One such study, published in 2007 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), is entitled Mortality in Randomized Trials of Antioxidant Supplements for Primary and Secondary Prevention.

Judging from what we know about vitamin D, it is highly probable that it confers substantial protection from viral infections, including swine flu.

Dr. John Cannell of the Vitamin D Council (www.vitamindcouncil.com) first connected the dots, identifying the possibility of an influence of vitamin D on incidence of flu.

In 2006, Dr. Cannell reports noticing that the patients in his psychiatric ward in northern California were completely spared from the influenza epidemic of that year, while plenty of patients in adjacent wards were coming down with flu. Dr. Cannell proposed that the apparent immunity to flu in his patients may have been due to the modest dose of 2000 units vitamin D per day he had prescribed that the patients in other wards had not been given. (Since the hospital was run by the state of California, Dr. Cannell apparently had only so much leeway with vitamin D dosing.) While it’s not proof, it’s nonetheless a fascinating and compelling observation.