Many articles recently have discussed the immune supporting benefits of vitamin D. But did you know there are also studies suggesting it supports muscle recovery too? There are vitamin D receptors on most cells of the body. So inadequate levels can affect many systems. There is disagreement on the ideal level of vitamin D. And, this week, we have a study suggesting that there may be benefits to supplementation even if blood levels are already high. In this case, "high" means above the 20 mg/ml level recommended by the Institute of Medicine, or the 30 mg/ml recommended by the Endocrine Society. Vitamin D Enhances Running Recovery New Study: The effect of vitamin D supplementation on serum total 25(OH) levels and biochemical markers of skeletal muscles in runners Eccentric muscle contraction is when tension is applied to a muscle as it lengthens. This occurs when walking down stairs or running downhill. Eccentric exercises increase the chance of muscle injury and delayed onset muscle soreness. Vitamin D is involved with muscles. A deficiency has been found to increase the risk of muscle myopathy, weakness, and fatigue. One goal of further research is to find ways to help muscle cells amplify recovery mechanisms. This study looked at the effect of vitamin D supplements on biomarkers of inflammation and injury. Twenty four male ultramarathon runners received a placebo or 1,000 IU vitamin D twice a day for 3 weeks. All had blood vitamin D levels above the recommended 30 mg/ml. The participants completed a standard treadmill test. Then they performed a 30-minute downhill run test, as the eccentric exercise. The supplement group experienced an increase in blood vitamin D levels by about 5 ng/ml, though the group still averaged less than 50 ng/ml. They also experienced a drop in muscle damage indicators, troponin and creatine kinase at rest. Their troponin was lower immediately after exercise. And their creatine kinase was lower 24 hours post exercise. Perhaps most notable, there was a significant negative association between vitamin D blood levels and myoglobulin and troponin levels 24 hours after exercise. This suggests that, when vitamin D blood levels were brought to a higher level, the skeletal muscles were quicker to heal. The researchers concluded, "Three weeks of supplementation had a beneficial effect on certain parameters of skeletal muscle function." And "lower serum levels of biomarkers of skeletal muscle damage and vitamin D status improvement might, in turn, have significantly decreased the individual recovery time from eccentric exercise." Combine B Vitamins for Cognitive Enhancement New Study: Effects of Folic Acid and Vitamin B12, Alone and in Combination on Cognitive Function and Inflammatory Factors in the Elderly with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Single-blind Experimental Design This study sought to determine whether folic acid and vitamin B12 supplements can help improve cognitive performance. The thought is that these vitamins are associated with reducing inflammation. And inflammation is suspected to impair cognitive function. The study involved 240 people with mild cognitive impairment. They took nothing, folic acid alone (400 micrograms), vitamin B12 alone (25 micrograms), or folic acid (400 micrograms) plus vitamin B12 (25 micrograms) for 6 months. After 6 months, the group that took both folic acid and vitamin B12 experienced greater improvements in serum folate and vitamin B12. They also had a greater reduction in the inflammatory markers homocysteine, IL-6, TNF-α, and MCP-1. The group with the combined supplement also showed improvement in full scale IQ, verbal IQ, information, and digit span scores. These results suggest memory benefits. The combination of folic acid and vitamin B12 was significantly superior to either folic acid or vitamin B12 alone. Similar Caffeine Effects for All CYP1A2 Genotypes New Study: CYP1A2 genotype and acute effects of caffeine on resistance exercise, jumping, and sprintin ...

According to a new study out of the Cleveland Clinic, melatonin is associated with lower rates of infection with SARS-CoV-2, commonly known as coronavirus or COVID-19. Published in PLoS Biology, the study applies statistical techniques to large datasets in an effort to identify likely and promising therapies. The study belongs to the emerging discipline of bioinformatics. This is an emerging interdisciplinary field that sits at intersections of biology, computer science, and mathematics. The Cleveland Clinic study compares datasets of the proteins implicated in various diseases, including COVID-19. This allows the researchers to create a network map showing COVID-19’s pathological similarity or “proximity” to other diseases. The network map helps the researchers explain co-morbidities and identify drugs that might be repurposed to treat COVID-19. For instance, asthma is a major risk factor for COVID-19. Looking at their network map, the researchers see that asthma and COVID-19 target some of the same cells and increase expression of some of the same genes. COVID-19 also decreases levels of metabolites known to protect against asthma. These are thus the likely biological pathways of comorbidity between asthma and COVID-19. Network analysis also shows a significant proximity between COVID-19 and inflammatory bowel disease. IBD is not a significant risk factor for COVID-19 diagnosis. But apparently the two diseases operate on some of the same intestinal proteins, which helps explain why diarrhea is a common symptom of COVID-19. Network Analysis of Melatonin and COVID-19 Medical researchers working on COVID-19 have sought to find drugs already approved by the FDA to treat other diseases that might be repurposed to fight COVID-19. The Cleveland Clinic researchers reason that we should focus on drugs designated for those diseases with the highest network proximity to COVID-19. These are drugs and diseases that affect the same pathways and proteins as COVID-19. The researchers computationally analyzed 3,000 FDA-approved or investigational drugs. And they were able to identify 16 drug candidates and 3 drug combinations that should be given high priority as trial therapies for COVID-19. From a non-practitioner’s perspective, the most exciting part of the Cleveland Clinic study is its analysis of data on 26,779 individuals from a COVID-19 registry. The researchers find that melatonin usage in this population "is significantly associated with a 28% reduced likelihood of a positive laboratory test result for SARS-CoV-2." The association is particularly large among African Americans, "with a 52% reduced likelihood of a positive laboratory test result for SARS-CoV-2." No conclusions can be drawn about melatonin as a treatment for any disease. But this correlation in a large-scale patient dataset is promising. And it suggests that "randomized controlled clinical trials are urgently needed to test meaningfully the effect of melatonin for COVID-19." This is particularly urgent for older patients. The body produces melatonin naturally in the pineal gland and throughout the gastrointestinal tract. But melatonin levels decrease with age. And older patients are at particular risk from COVID-19. Fortunately, several randomized controlled trials testing melatonin’s effect on COVID-19 are already under way. Hopefully, we'll soon have a better idea of whether increased melatonin use can help. And ideally, we'll learn more about the amount of melatonin and the method of administration that would be required. Health Benefits of Melatonin Supplements Although melatonin is not a treatment for any disease, research does point to a role for melatonin supplements in support of healthy immune system function. According to the Cleveland Clinic, studies showed that "melatonin suppresses NLRP3 inflammasome activation induced by cigarette smoking and attenuates pulmonary inflammation." Another study observes that "melatonin enhances both innate and cellular i ...

Psychologists at University of British Columbia have analyzed how people use three major social platforms: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. And they analyzed how that use can impact a person's overall well-being. A study is published in Journal of Happiness Studies. It argues that, while most people gain happiness from interacting with others face-to-face, some come away from using social media with a feeling of negativity, for a variety of different reasons. For example, many social media users report that the more they compare themselves to others while using social media, the less happy they feel. But the study also reveals how people can use social media positively. According to Associate Professor Derrick Wirtz, people should avoid passively scrolling and resist comparing themselves to other social media users. Instead, people should use social media "to enable direct interactions and social connectedness - for example, talking online synchronously or arranging time spent with others in-person, when possible and with proper precautions." "If we all remember to do that, the negative impact of social media use could be reduced - and social network sites could even have the potential to improve our well-being and happiness," adds Wirtz. "In other words, we need to remember how we use social media has the potential to shape the effects on our day-to-day happiness." Pfizer Announces Data for COVID-19 Vaccine “Drugmaker Pfizer said Monday an early look at data from its coronavirus vaccine shows it is more than 90 percent effective - a much better than expected efficacy if the trend continues,” CNN reports. A press release has been issued by Pfizer. It announces that the vaccine candidate BNT162b2 has demonstrated evidence of efficacy against COVID-19 in participants without prior evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection. This is based on the first interim efficacy analysis. It was conducted on November 8, 2020 by an external independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) from the Phase 3 clinical study. The case split between vaccinated individuals and those who received the placebo indicates a vaccine efficacy rate above 90 percent. Llama Antibodies as Weapon Against COVID-19 Researchers at University of Pittsburgh have developed a new method to extract tiny but extremely powerful SARS-CoV-2 antibody fragments from llamas. A study is published in Science. The study indicates that these special llama antibodies, called "nanobodies," are much smaller than human antibodies and many times more effective at neutralizing the SARS-CoV-2 virus. They're also much more stable. A llama was infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. After two months, the animal's immune system produced mature nanobodies against the virus. The nanobodies could be fashioned into inhalable therapeutics with the potential to prevent and treat COVID-19. New Promising Treatment for Alzheimer's Disease Scientists at Uppsala University have described a new treatment method for Alzheimer's disease. In this disease, a protein forms clumps in the brain and causes sufferers to lose their memory. The new treatment is detailed in a research paper published in Theranostics. It increases the body's ability to degrade the building blocks that lead to these protein clumps. The scientists fused somatostatin to a brain transport protein which allows the somatostatin to enter the brain. Somatostatin is known to improve the body’s ability to degrade the harmful protein clumps. This has proven very effective in laboratory mice. “Ultrapotent” Candidate Vaccine Against COVID-19 Researchers at University of Washington have developed an “ultrapotent” nanoparticle candidate vaccine against COVID-19. The new candidate vaccine was developed using computer-based vaccine design techniques invented at University of Washington. It is described in a paper published in Cell. The vaccine is based on a self-assembling protein nanoparticle loaded with the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. Man ...

The dietary supplement, SF 180 Brain Pills, claims to be a proven dietary formula to boost blood circulation and increase oxygen levels sent to the brain. SF 180 further claims to boost brain power, to help people think faster, focus better, reduce brain fog, enhance memory, and more. But it’s just another scam. SF 180 does cite a study to back up their claims. The study states that ginkgo biloba, an ingredient in SF 180, will increase blood flow and hence oxygen saturation to brain cells. An ad in eturbonews.com informs consumers that it takes a period of time from 2 to 3 months to possibly see the maximum brain enhancement benefit of taking SF 180's smart pill daily as directed on the label. However, for maximum brain function, 120-240 mg of ginkgo biloba should be taken 1-4 hours before desired cognitive performance. For adults suffering short term memory decline, 40-120 mg should be taken three times daily. When taken as directed, SF 180 only provides 100 mg of ginkgo biloba daily. The etrubonews.com ad states no negative side effects have been seen. This statement is followed by, “should you have any suspicions, click on any button or picture on this page to see if there is a free trial.” The repeated offers of a free trial on SF 180's website are reminiscent of Amazin Brain. SF180 Brain Supplement Website SF180 Brain Supplement Reviews The Better Business Bureau (BBB) does not have information for the vendor SF 180 Brain. However, it does have a listing for Natural Cleanse Plus SF 180, which happens to have the same Florida address as the vendor Amazin Brain. The Natural Cleanse Plus SF 180 vendor shows a pattern of complaints of continued billing without customer knowledge. A customer review on Amazon informs the public how SF 180 operates their 30-day free trial. The customer pays for the shipping of their free trial with a bank card. If the customer does not request a free extension within fourteen days after ordering at SF 180's toll-free number, SF 180 will automatically enroll the user in a subscription and charge the card accordingly. The most troubling thing about SF180 is its similarity to other supplement scams that Thrivous has reviewed in the past. They use similar websites, with the same fake reviews. And they employ similar manipulative and deceptive marketing and sales tactics. Check out our review of Apollo Mental Clarity for several examples. SF180 Brain Formula Ingredients Along with ginkgo biloba, SF 180 brain formula contains: B Vitamins (6.6 mg Vitamin B6, 266.66 mcg Folic Acid, 20 mcg Vitamin B12) – Deficiencies can lead to cognitive impairment. Bacopa Monnieri (300 mg) – Bacopa is used as a memory enhancer and to alleviate stress and anxiety. Eleutherococcus Senticosus (150 mg) – There’s some evidence for a minor benefit to the body's natural ability to handle stress. GABA (66.6 mg) – GABA regulates downers in the brain, but doesn’t have much effect when taken orally. Alpha Lipoic Acid (33.4 mg) – This is far below a standard dose of 300-600 mg, which can support brain health. Amazon sells SF 180 Brain for $36.40 per bottle containing 60 capsules. Slimfit180.com sells the same 60 capsules for $72.00. Thrivous Offers Superior Options If you’re looking for a healthy brain supplement, Thrivous offers far superior options without the scam. All of the product reviews on our website are from real customers with verified purchases. We never charge our customers without their consent. And we have an A+ rating at the BBB. The science that backs Thrivous formulas is exceptional. In consultation with our science advisor board, we review decades of clinical research from scientists around the world. Our algorithms rank hundreds of nutrients according to evidence, efficacy, and safety. And our formulas include only the best nutrients, with doses that reflect multiple human studies. The quality of Thrivous formulas is also exceptional. Our supplements pass through multiple rounds of rigorous quality control. ...

Amazin Brain is a dietary supplement that claims to boost memory and brain power while reducing stress and anxiety. They promote this product as giving the user a genius-level boost when tired, when having symptoms of brain fog, or even after a hard night drinking. But watch out! It may be dangerous and has all the signs of a scam. Amazin Brain paid for a product review ad with AP News. In the ad, they claim the supplement “keeps your brain focused and healthy always and prevents brain cells damages due to free radicals.” However, nowhere in the ad or on Amazin Brain's website do they give evidence for their claims. In the ad, they state that overdosing on the formula must be avoided due to negative health effects, but they don’t identify possible side effects. Amazin Brain Ingredients The supplement facts label is available on Amazon. It says that Amazin Brain pills contain 2 mg of Folic Acid. Folic Acid helps manage depression and memory loss associated with aging. However, the Amazin Brain product uses 500% of the recommended daily amount (RDA) of folic acid. The RDA of folic acid is 400 mcg. Prolonged exposure at 250% of folic acid's RDA has been linked to an increased rate of cancer, especially colon cancer. Amazin Brain also contains 50 mcg of vitamin B12. Studies estimate 5-60% of people over age 65 are deficient in vitamin B12. A vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to anemia, damage to peripheral nerves, and cognitive impairment. Amazin Brain also contains eight ingredients lumped together inside 640 mg. Because the individual amount of each of these eight ingredients is unknown, safe dosages cannot be determined. These eight ingredients include: Bacopa Monnieri is used in Ayurvedic medicine to boost brain function and improve memory power. Ginkgo Biloba helps improve blood flow to the brain. And studies suggest that it may support brain health during aging. DMAE is found in fish oil and is a natural fatty acid. A study of DMAE found that it did little to improve cognitive function for aging persons. Phosphatidylserine is a fatty substance that covers and protects brain cells along with transmitting messages between brain cells. Amazon sells Amazin Brain for $29.97 per a bottle containing 60 capsules. The label instructs users to take two capsules per day or as directed by your medical provider. If taking two capsules per day, as recommended, this supplement costs a dollar a day. Amazin Brain Website Amazin Brain Reviews The Better Business Bureau (BBB) reports a pattern of complaints against the vendor of Amazin Brain. The complaints are twofold. First, consumers signed up for what was promoted as a free trial to find unexpected charges on their credit card. Second, Amazin Brain is using fake celebrity endorsements in its advertising on Facebook and Costco. The BBB contacted Amazin Brain in March 2020 to address these complaints. They have not yet received a response. The Amazin Brain website design looks a lot like the designs of scam websites that Thrivous has reviewed in the past. It contains similar fake reviews. And the AP News ad is similar to the use of fake news to promote other scam websites. For an example, take a look at the review of Apollo Mental Clarity. Thrivous Is Better If you’re looking for science-backed health supplements, Thrivous is a far better alternative. We develop nootropic supplements to enhance mental ability and geroprotector supplements to promote healthy aging. Each ingredient and each dose is based on multiple human studies. And each ingredient and their combination passes through multiple rounds of rigorous quality control. Notably, Thrivous is completely transparent about science and quality. For each product, we publish a summary of clinical studies that provides citations and links to primary research. And we publish a certificate of analysis and quality that provides all test results from our suppliers, manufacturing, and third-parties. These are exceptional practices in the suppl ...

Psychologists have found that people who feel enthusiastic and cheerful are less likely to experience memory decline as they age. Psychologists call this "positive affect." The findings are published in Psychological Science. And they add to a growing body of research on positive affect's role in healthy aging. The psychologists analyzed data from 991 middle-aged and older U.S. adults. They participated in national studies conducted during three time periods: 1995 to 1996, 2004 to 2006, and 2013 to 2014. The psychologists examined the association between positive affect and memory decline. And they accounted for age, gender, education, depression, negative affect, and extraversion. "Our findings showed that memory declined with age," said senior author Claudia Haase, an associate professor at Northwestern University, in a press release issued by Association for Psychological Science. "However, individuals with higher levels of positive affect had a less steep memory decline over the course of almost a decade," added lead author Emily Hittner, a PhD graduate of Northwestern University. This is good news for those people who tend to feel enthusiastic and cheerful. But what about other people? One could think that this is a basic temperamental trait that can’t be "fixed." But I think a positive outlook can be encouraged and fostered. That certainly seems to be the case for children, and probably also for adults to a more limited degree. This would have an important positive impact on healthy aging. Ultra-fast Radiation to Treat Cancer Better Scientists at UC Irvine and Lausanne University Hospital are developing ways to treat cancer without debilitating side effects. A research paper is published in Clinical Cancer Research. It reports that the scientists used an ultra-high dose rate of “Flash” radiation therapy (Flash-RT) to eliminate brain tumors in mice. The new therapy bypasses key side effects usually caused by cranial irradiation. Traditional radiation therapy exposes a tumor and nearby normal tissue to radiation for several minutes at a time. But Flash-RT allows delivery of the same dose in only tenths of seconds. This significantly decreases side effects. Flash-RT has also been used to treat lung, skin, and intestinal cancers. The scientists think that, in 10 years, Flash-RT may become a widespread option for radiotherapy patients worldwide. Exercise Boosts Body's Ability to Inhibit Cancer Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have found a likely explanation of why exercise helps slow down cancer growth in mice. There are many indications that physical activity activates the immune system and thereby bolsters the body's ability to prevent and inhibit cancer growth. But how this works in detail is unknown. Now a new study is published in eLife. It indicates that physical activity changes the metabolism of cytotoxic T cells. These are the immune system’s cells that kill cancer cells. And this change in metabolism improves their ability to attack cancer cells. Exercise affects the production of several molecules and metabolites that activate cancer-fighting immune cells and thereby inhibit cancer growth. The researchers are persuaded that these research results could inform the development of new immunotherapies against cancer. Cells From COVID-19 Patients May Protect Others Scientists led by Children's National Hospital have found that immune T cells, taken from the blood of people who recovered from a COVID-19 infection, can help treat other COVID-19 patients. A research paper is published in Blood. It shows that these T cells can be successfully multiplied in the lab. And they maintain the ability to effectively target proteins that are key to the virus's function. The scientists are persuaded that this can be an effective way to protect vulnerable people with compromised immune systems from COVID-19. And they are seeking approval from the U.S. FDA for a clinical trial. In the trial, COVID-19-specific T-cells would be ...

It was previously thought that brain cell creation stops once we reach adulthood, but exciting new developments show that brain cells continue to regenerate thought your adult life. Not only is neurogenesis possible, but researchers have identified methods you can use to actively promote new brain cell growth. All the original neurons in your brain will be replaced by the time you turn 50. Adult neurogenesis was initially thought to occur only the striatum and the hippocampus, but there is evidence that suggests brain cells can grow in other parts of the brain like the hypothalamus, the amygdala, and maybe even the cerebral cortex. Many neurotransmitters are involved in adult neurogenesis, but the most important chemicals for inducing brain cell regeneration are the nerve growth factor (NGF) and the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). NGF has the power to protect nerve cells and stimulate the growth of new cells in the nervous system and the brain. And BDNF has been called “Miracle-Gro” for the brain because it encourages growth through a variety of mechanisms. Normal stress can lead to a decrease in BDNF. So we can probably all benefit from techniques that may help us regenerate brain cells. How to Boost Brain Cell Production with Diet Researchers have discovered that diet affects brain cell regeneration. Eating less often and eating fewer calories can increase neurogenesis by increasing BDNF and decreasing inflammation. These benefits can be achieved by practicing intermittent fasting, where you restrict eating times to certain eating windows. It has also been found that foods that make you chew more vigorously can increase brain cell formation. An increase in Omega-3 fatty acids can help promote new neuron growth. And while fats are essential for a healthy brain, diets that contain high levels of saturated fat can impede neurogenesis. Flavonoids, the potent antioxidant found in blueberries, green tea, and cocoa are very effective at promoting the formation of brain cells. And curcumin, the main component in the spice turmeric can increase BDNF and stimulate cell growth in the hippocampus. Staying Mentally Active to Grow New Brain Cells It turns out London cab drivers have been able to boost neurogenesis with mental workouts. Using MRIs, researchers found that cabbies who give their brain a super workout with street memorization have a significantly larger hippocampus than non-taxi drivers in London. Fortunately, you don’t have to memorize 30,000 streets to pump-up your hippocampus. Challenging your brain with any new complex information can help stimulate new brain cells. Sleep and Brain Cell Regeneration Getting regular restful sleep is one of the best things you can do for your mental well-being and brain health. Sleeping clears away debris and helps the brain repair, reorganize, and grow new brain cells. While the occasional sleepless night doesn’t affect brain cell regeneration, chronic lack of sleep has the power to stop the formation of new brain cells. So, make sure to get your rest. Final Thoughts Not very long ago we thought that new brain cell growth didn’t occur after we reached adulthood, but now we know that the brain constantly regenerates itself. There is a lot you can do to stimulate the process, and it can benefit everyone. If you want to make the most of your brain power, take the time to give your body and your mind regular workouts, get enough sleep, and eat healthy foods that promote growth factors like NGF and BDNF. Take care of your brain and it will take care of you.

Scientists at University of Glasgow have developed a universal approach to digitizing chemistry. According to CNBC, this is a “digital breakthrough in chemistry that could revolutionize the drug industry.” Digital chemistry “could lead to safer drugs, more efficient solar panels, and a disruptive new industry.” In a research paper published in Science, the scientists describe a programming system which could remove the vast majority of the effort required to program chemical robots - automatic systems that produce chemicals on demand. The scientists have found a way to use natural language processing to create instructions for chemical robots. A program, called SynthReader, scans scientific papers and recognizes procedures for organic and inorganic chemical synthesis. Synthreader automatically breaks those procedures down to simple instructions. Then it stores the instructions in a format called Chemical Description Language, or XDL. XDL is a new open source language for describing chemical and material synthesis. The scientists have also developed a chemical robot, called Chemify. It can read and run XDL files that have been shared among users. According to the scientists, Chemify is an order of magnitude cheaper than other chemical robots. This “could help doctors make drugs on demand in the future,” said research leader Lee Cronin. “It could even mean that future manned missions to Mars could take raw chemical materials with them and make whatever they need right there on the red planet.” Daily Aspirin Against COVID Complications Researchers at the University of Maryland have suggested that daily aspirin could help prevent severe complications from COVID-19. Aspirin is an inexpensive, accessible medication with a well-known safety profile. A study is published in Anesthesia and Analgesia. It reports that hospitalized COVID-19 patients who were taking a daily low-dose aspirin to protect against cardiovascular disease had a significantly lower risk of complications and death compared to those who were not taking aspirin. Aspirin takers were less likely to be placed in the intensive care unit (ICU). They were less likely to be hooked up to a mechanical ventilator. And they were more likely to survive the infection, compared to hospitalized patients who were not taking aspirin. CRISPR Editing Tech for Larger Pieces of DNA Scientists at UC San Francisco have developed a new technology for cutting larger pieces of DNA out of a cell's genome. A research paper is published in Nature Methods. It describes a new CRISPR-Cas3 system. Recently, the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to the main developers of the related CRISPR-Cas9 technology. Using the Cas3 enzyme permits removing much longer stretches of DNA quickly and accurately, compared to using the Cas9 enzyme. According to the scientists, CRISPR-Cas3 should also allow entire genes to be inserted into the genome. And it would have industrial, agricultural, and even human gene therapy applications. Gene Therapy restores Visual Function in Mice Using gene editing technology, researchers led by UC Irvine have restored retinal and visual functions in laboratory mice. The mice were suffering from inherited retinal disease. A study is published in Nature Biomedical Engineering. It illustrates the use of a new generation of CRISPR technology, referred to as “base editing.” It can be used as a treatment for inherited retinal diseases. According to the researchers, the study lays the foundation for the development of a new therapeutic modality. And it could be applied to a wide range of inherited ocular diseases caused by different gene mutations.

In a series of 10 clinical studies, scientists at McMaster University have repeatedly demonstrated that a multi-ingredient dietary supplement can dramatically enhance the cognition and longevity of mice. I contacted one of the scientists, Jennifer Lemon, to ask if and when they plan to proceed with human studies. She assured me that they're preparing to do that soon. I look forward to the results. But wouldn't it be nice if we knew, today, what an equivalent complex nutraceutical supplement for humans might consist of? Well, you're in luck. I have that information for you. Before I share the formula, note that humans are not mice. What works in mice doesn't always work in humans (and sometimes hurts humans). However, in this case, the formula consists mainly of well-known nutrients that other scientists have independently tested in multiple (generally many) human studies. And those studies have demonstrated that at least some of those nutrients, on their own, can provide significant nootropic and geroprotective benefits to humans. So it wouldn't surprise me if scientists end up demonstrating reliable additive or multiplicative benefits from this combination of nutrients in human studies. But of course the question remains open. Science is never finished. With that in mind, I'll share with you the formula. It's an approximation, which I have derived from the published mouse doses, converted to human doses. After sharing the formula, I'll share my thoughts on the efficacy of the derived human doses for the individual ingredients. Here's the formula: Nutrient Mouse Dose Human Dose Acetyl L Carnitine 14.4000000 1000.000 Alpha Lipoic Acid 0.7200000 50.000 Aspirin 2.5000000 173.611 Bioflavonoids 4.3200000 300.000 Chromium (Chelated) 0.0014400 0.100 Cod Liver Oil 5.04 IU? Coenzyme Q10 0.4400000 30.556 DHEA 0.1500000 10.417 Flax Seed Oil 21.6000000 1500.000 Garlic 0.0216000 1.500 Ginger 7.2000000 500.000 Ginkgo Biloba 1.4400000 100.000 Ginseng (Canadian) 8.6400000 600.000 Green Tea Extracts 7.2000000 500.000 L Glutathione 0.3600000 25.000 Magnesium 0.7200000 50.000 Melatonin 0.0100000 0.694 N Acetyl Cysteine 7.2000000 500.000 Potassium 0.3600000 25.000 Rutin 0.7200000 50.000 Selenium 0.0010800 0.075 Vitamin A (Beta Carotene) 0.0300000 2.083 Vitamin B1 0.7200000 50.000 Vitamin B12 0.0007200 0.050 Vitamin B3 0.7200000 50.000 Vitamin B6 0.7200000 50.000 Vitamin B9 0.0100000 0.694 Vitamin C 3.6000000 250.000 Vitamin D 0.0000625 0.004 Vitamin E 0.9648000 67.000 Zinc (Chelated) 0.1400000 9.722 The information in the "Nutrient" and "Mouse Dose" columns is from studies published by scientists at McMaster University. The information in the "Human Dose" column is generally calculated by multiplying the mouse dose by 69.44445. Unless otherwise specified, doses are in mg. Acetyl L Carnitine is in my list of top tier nootropics. It is well researched and may provide neuroprotective benefits. In this formula, the derived human dose of 1000 mg falls in the middle of the range of doses that other scientists have used in human studies of this nutrient. I supplement with 500 to 2000 mg of Acetyl L Carnitine daily. Alpha Lipoic Acid is well researched in relation to supporting healthy nerve function. And some studies have shown that it may complement the neuroprotective benefits of Acetyl L Carnitine. The derived human dose in this formula is lower than the dose that other scientists generally use in human studies of this nutrient. I would increase the dose to at least 150 mg. Judging from the most common doses in clinical studies, I would also aim for a 3:10 ratio between Alpha Lipoic Acid and Acetyl L Carnitine, which would mean increasing the Alpha Lipoic Acid dose to 300 mg or lowering the Acetyl L Carnitine dose to 500 mg. Aspirin has become somewhat controversial as a supplement. The latest advice from the American Heart Association is to avoid daily Aspirin unless your doctor prescribes it. The dose in this formula probably falls within the r ...

I take antioxidant dietary supplements daily, so I was happy to accept when Thrivous founder Lincoln Cannon invited me to summarize 10 recent studies, performed by scientists at McMaster University, testing antioxidants’ beneficial effects on mice. I was eager to dig in and learn more about how antioxidants work. And besides, mice are cute. Aside from elephants, who doesn’t love mice? The mice in most of these studies have been genetically modified to produce more growth hormone, which causes them to age at an accelerated rate. This makes them useful as accelerated experimental models of aging and as test subjects for anti-aging treatments. For instance, modified mice have shorter life spans and experience more rapid cognitive decline in old age than unmodified mice. The cause of the modified mice’s rapid decline seems to be higher production of oxygen and nitrogen free radicals, which results in cellular damage and chronic inflammation. Free radicals also play a role in human aging and cognitive decline, so halting the damage caused by free radicals could have huge implications for human medicine. One promising approach is preventive antioxidant supplementation. In a 2003 study, researchers gave the modified mice a complex anti-aging supplement containing 31 ingredients, including flaxseed oil, Ginkgo biloba, and L-glutathione. The supplement completely halted age-related cognitive decline in the modified mice. In fact, older mice in the treatment group actually exhibited faster learning than young adult mice! Researchers replicated this result in a 2011 study, and found that supplemented elderly mice exhibited greater brain mass and increased mitochrondrial activity compared to unsupplemented mice. A 2016 replication showed that, whereas unsupplemented mice lost 50% of their midbrain cells as they aged, the antioxidant supplement completely prevented this brain cell loss. It also slowed degradation of the mice’s vision and their sense of smell by preventing cell loss in noses and eyes. A 2018 replication found that the supplement prevented impairments of working memory and spatial learning in elderly mice, but did not prevent impairments of mood or object recognition. A 2005 follow-up to the original study found that, in addition to slowing age-related cognitive decline, the supplement also extended the life span of modified mice by 28% and of unmodified mice by 11%. This suggests that antioxidant supplements may have broader anti-aging applications than simply staving off dementia. In particular, the supplement seemed to slow age-related degradation of livers and kidneys. Another follow-up study in 2008 found that the supplement protected male mice against cell death induced by radiation -- female mice proved naturally radiation-resistant and gained no additional resistance from the supplement. A 2014 study found that the supplement reduced onset of tumors in older mice by 30% and eliminated tumor metastasis in the treatment group. In addition to cognition and longevity, a reformulated version of the antioxidant supplement also improved elderly mice’s motor function and mobility in a 2010 study. The chemical mechanisms included preservation of Neuropeptide Y and of cellular mitochondria, which normally degrade with age. A 2015 study investigated the usefulness of antioxidant supplementation and of physical exercise for improving mood in chronically stressed mice. The study found that supplements and exercise improved the mice’s mood only when supplements and exercise were administered in combination with each other, not when each was administered alone. Examination of the mice’s brains showed that chronic stress had caused atrophy in the untreated mice’s hippocampi, whereas mice in the treatment group exhibited better hippocampal function. Critical to the success of these studies may be that they involved a cocktail of many different antioxidants. Individual antioxidants can sometimes have pro-oxidant effects when taken ...