Study Finds Fat Smokers Age Faster

A study from London shows that women who are overweight or who smoke age faster, as measured by the length of remaining telomeres in their cells. Both smokers and obese subjects had shorter telomeres, which the study authors attributed to oxidative stress. MORE...

Protandim: Anti-Aging Miracle or a Scam?

A doctor from Colorado has produced a pill he claims will reduce oxidative stress levels and help people live longer, healthier lives. You can buy into this dream for just $50 a month -- odds are that will make the good Doctor live a longer, healthier life, but will it do anything for you? MORE...

Sugary Diet Increases Longevity

In a study that is bad news for adherents of the Atkins Diet and health-food advocates, most of the benefits of caloric restriction were found to be due to reduction of fats and proteins. The study, though, used fruit flies as subjects, so there is no proof yet that the same effect holds for mammals, particularly humans. MORE...

Stress and Aging

For the past half-century, doctors have been warning that stress shortens lifespan and leads to a variety of diseases and infirmities. Now a doctor specializing in aging tells us that stress, in moderation, is good for us and will extend our lives. These seemingly diametrically opposed views are not so far apart as they seem at first glance. MORE...

Rice Bran Oil Has Multiple Benefits

An antioxidant found in rice bran oil has been shown to lower cholesterol in rats, and may also have anti-cancer and anti-infection effects. A concentrated form of Vitamin E called tocotrienol rich fraction or TRF isolated from rice bran oil, lowered total cholesterol by 42 percent and LDL by as much as 62 percent in test animals. MORE...

Diabetes Drug May Help Prevent Cancer

A study of 6000 persons taking metformin, a drug used to treat type II diabetes since the late 1950s, found that the risk of cancerous tumours was reduced by 25% for those taking metformin, compared to those with diabetes taking other medications or no medication at all. MORE...

New Study Confirms Role of Antioxidents in Slowing Aging

Researchers used genetic engineering to produce mice that have high levels of catalase. Catalase removes hydrogen peroxide from cells, a source of oxygen free radicals. Mice with high levels of catalase in their mitochondria lived 20% longer than control animals. MORE...

TM Shown to Extend Lifespan

Transcendental Meditation (TM) reduces death rates by 23% according to a new study in the May 2, 2005 issue of American Journal of Cardiology. The relaxation technique was found to be more effective than other relaxation programs or health education. MORE...

Anti-Aging Scam

Whenever something as emotionally charged as longevity is involved, there will be scamsters ready to profit by exploiting the hopes and dreams of gullible victims. This scam by Anti-Aging Solutions promised the benefits of cosmetic surgery by self-applied laser treatments -- but the laser was just a weak laser-pointer type of light with no beneficial effects. MORE...

Studying the Genetic Component in Longevity

Scientists are reporting the results of a detailed study on the gene-expression patterns in C. elegans with and without mutated daf-2 genes, which affects longevity. The mutated daf-2 gene leads to a doubling in lifespan. The research shows that several metabolic processes are repressed by the presence of the mutated gene. MORE...

At One Extreme of the Aging Phenomena

Scientists have identified the pygmy goby as the shortest lived vertebrate animal, with a livespan of just 59 days. That creature, and another fish that was the previous record-holder for shortgevity, Nothobranchius furzeri, may shed light on why we age as we do. MORE...

Vitamin D and Calcium Supplements Failed to Prevent Fractures

In a blind study of more than 5,000 persons over the age of 70, researchers failed to find any significant effect from taking daily supplements of 1,000 mg calcium and/or 800 i.u. vitamin D3. The main thrust of the study was to examine the incidence of bone fractures due to osteoporosis, but they also looked at mortality, frequency of falling and quality of life. MORE...

Scientists put Mice in Hibernation-Like State

Scientists report the first successful attempts to induce a hibernation-like state in mice, and hope the simple process used will work on larger mammals and even humans. Simply spiking the air with a preponderance of hydrogen sulfide put the mice into a lowered metabolic state, and returning normal air revived them. If this process works on humans it could have numerous medical applications, allowing doctors to 'buy time' in crisis situations. MORE...

CoQ10 Safety

In a three month study involving 2,664 patients taking from 50 mg to 150 mg of CoQ10 daily, no major adverse side effects were reported. About 1.5% of the patients reported minor adverse effects, though the researchers considered about 1/3 of those to be unrelated to the treatment. Of the remaining reports, epigastric discomfort, appetite suppression, nausea and diarrhea were most common. MORE...

Sirtuin Activation

Scientists have found a naturally occuring chemical called nicotinamide that interferes with the functioning of the sirtuin (also called Sir2) enzyme. Sirtuin has been shown to play a role in extending the lifespan of yeasts, worms and flies, and is known to have some effect on diabetes, inflammation and cancers in humans. Controlling sirtuin's functioning could lead to treatments for these diseases, and possibly even have anti-aging applications. MORE...

The Role of Telomeres in Aging and Cancer

Telomeres are small stretches of DNA at each end of every chromosome that shorten with each replication until the chromosome is unable to replicate further. This may be a cause of aging, since cells with chromosomes whose telomeres are depleted will not be able to replicate to replace dying cells. In cancer, a chemical called telomerase helps rebuild the telomeres, allowing the cells to reproduce out of control. MORE...

Cranberry Effects on Atherosclerosis

In animal studies, cranberry powder was found to have a positive effect on the health of blood vessels in animals bred to have high cholesterol and atherosclerosis. The study suggests that cranberries may not only help prevent heart disease by improving cholesterol levels, but may actually be beneficial to those who already have atherosclerosis. MORE...

Pregnenolone Description and Effects

Pregnenolone is an important precursor hormone that has been shown to have beneficial effects on memory and in allieving auto-immune illnesses. Although studies began in the 1940s there has been relatively few studies done in recent years, so the working of Pregnenolone is not fully understood. It may interfere with the action of drugs prescribed for seizures or depression, and its effects on dependant hormones has not been well studied. MORE...

IGF-1 and Growth Hormone - Good News - Bad News

In a study of laboratory rats, growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) deficiency was shown to reduce cancer and kidney disease, but increase cartilage degeneration and impaired memory and learning functions. Since many people seek to increase HGH (human growth hormone) and IGF-1 later in life, this study raises the fear that such supplementation could lead to higher cancer risk. MORE...

Another Study Confirms Mediterranean Diet Benefits

In a study of nearly 75,000 Europeans, a Greek researcher found that a Mediterranean style diet was positively correlated with a longer lifespan. The high levels of anti-oxidents in the diet was cited as the most likely reason for the life extending effect. MORE...

Memory Enhancement Study Results

Using mice that were given a compound to artificially induce Alzheimer-like symptoms, four chemicals were tested for their effect on the cognitive functions of the animals. An artificial compound PRE-084, and three naturally occurring hormones - DHEA, pregnenolone and progesterone were tested. All except the progesterone were found to help improve the impaired memory function, while progesterone was found to interfere with the beneficial effects of the other hormones. MORE...

Blueberries for Youthfulness

In laboratory studies, blueberries have been shown to have a profound effect on the health of older animals, presumably due to high concentrations of beneficial anti-oxidents. Test animals given blueberry supplementation to their normal feed showed improved memory and better balance than the control animals. MORE...

Description of L-Glutamine and its Biological Functions

L-Glutamine or simply Glutamine is one of the most prevalent amino acids in the body. It is synthesized by the body, but in times of stress, needs may exceed the available supply. Glutamine may be formed by the biosynthesis of glutamate and ammonia, a process that rids the body of excess ammonia. There are no known side-effects from glutamine supplementation in healthy persons, though certain illnesses that interfere with the functioning of the amino acid, such as diabetes, cancer or neurological diseases, may be exacerbated by exess glutamine. MORE...

Description of Coenzyme Q10

Description from the National Cancer Institute, which published a description of coenzyme Q10, describing its function in the body, and reviewing the sparse medical literature available on the chemical's effect on cancer. MORE...