Resveratrol may boost blood flow in the brain

(resveratrol produced a dose-dependent increase in cerebral blood flow)

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A single dose of 250 or 500 milligrams of resveratrol was found to boost blood flow in the brain but did not affect cognitive performance, according to new findings published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. “The results of the current study provide the first indication in humans that resveratrol may be able to modulate cerebral blood flow variables,” wrote the researchers, led by David Kennedy from the Brain, Performance and Nutrition Research Centre at Northumbria University. “Thus, it seems reasonable to suggest that the potential effects of this molecule on brain function deserve a great deal more research attention with a clear focus on both healthy humans and pathologic groups,” they added.
Resveratrol, a powerful polyphenol and anti-fungal chemical, is often touted as the bioactive compound in grapes and red wine, and has particularly been associated with the so-called 'French Paradox'. The phrase, coined in 1992 by Dr Serge Renaud from Bordeaux University, describes the low incidence of heart disease and obesity among the French, despite their relatively high-fat diet and levels of wine consumption. Interest in the compound exploded in 2003 when research from David Sinclair and his team from Harvard reported that resveratrol was able to increase the lifespan of yeast cells. The research, published in Nature, was greeted with international media fanfare and ignited flames of hope for an anti-ageing pill. According to Sinclair’s findings, resveratrol could activate a gene called sirtuin1 (Sirt1 – the yeast equivalent was Sir2), which is also activated during calorie restriction in various species, including monkeys. Since then studies in nematode worms, fruit flies, fish, and mice have linked resveratrol to longer lives. Other studies with only resveratrol have reported anti-cancer effects, anti-inflammatory effects, cardiovascular benefits, anti-diabetes potential, energy endurance enhancement, and protection against Alzheimer’s. Bill Sardi, co-founder and president of Resveratrol Partners, says that: “Resveratrol has the biological effects of so many drugs wrapped up in one molecule.”. Read more: nutraingredients.com 

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Polish firm reformulating based on positive EFSA opinions

Poland’s Europharma Alliance said reformulation of its chewable products for children, which it will showcase at Vitafoods in Geneva, was informed by the positive opinions given to iron and iodine by the European Food Safety Authority. Read more: nutraingredients.com

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Omega-3 Modulates Initiation and Progression of Neurodegenerative Disease

(restoring neural and retinal cell integrity)

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The significance of the selective enrichment in omega-3 essential fatty acids in photoreceptors and synaptic membranes of the nervous system has remained, until recently, incompletely understood. While studying mechanisms of cell survival in neural degeneration, we discovered a docosanoid synthesized from unesterified docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) by a 15-lipoxygenase (15-LOX), which we called neuroprotectin D1 (NPD1; 10R,17S-dihydroxy-docosa-4Z,7Z,11E,13E,15E,19Z hexaenoic acid). This lipid mediator is a docosanoid because it is derived from the 22 carbon (22C) precursor DHA, unlike eicosanoids, which are derived from the 20 carbon (20C) arachidonic acid (AA) family member of essential fatty acids. We discovered that NPD1 is promptly made in response to oxidative stress, as a response to brain ischemia-reperfusion, and in the presence of neurotrophins. NPD1 is neuroprotective in experimental brain damage, in oxidative-stressed retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, and in human brain cells exposed to amyloid-beta (Abeta) peptides. We thus envision NPD1 as a protective sentinel, one of the very first defenses activated when cell homeostasis is threatened by imbalances in normal neural function. We provide here, in three sections, recent experimental examples that highlight the specificity and potency of NPD1 spanning beneficial bioactivity during initiation and early progression of neurodegeneration: (1) during retinal signal phototransduction, (2) during brain ischemia-reperfusion, and (3) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and stressed human brain cell models of AD. Read more: springerlink.com

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Folic acid may boost vascular function for females

Supplements of folic acid may boost heart function and improve athletic performance in young female runners, says a new study from the US. Read more: nutraingredients.com

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Platelet abnormalities in Alzheimer’s

(an excessive Aß production may contribute to the pathogenesis)

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Alzheimer's disease is an age-dependent neurodegenerative disorder characterized by loss of neurons, synaptic degeneration, senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Besides these hallmarks, increased accumulation of activated microglia, astrocytes and leukocytes adhering to postcapillary venules are observed in the affected brain areas, suggesting the presence of an ongoing inflammatory process. As neuroinflammation triggers the activation of peripheral immune system, many studies have analyzed circulating inflammatory biomarkers, including basal or stimulated levels of cytokines and related molecules in blood of Alzheimer's patients, but with conflicting results. Platelets are an important source of amyloid-ss (Ass) in the circulatory system and play an important pro-inflammatory role. Upon activation, they adhere to leukocytes and endothelial cells by means of adhesive proteins like P-selectin, platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and -2 (ICAM-1 and -2) and secrete inflammatory mediators (chemokines, interleukins). In addition, platelets contain important enzymes involved in inflammatory intermediary synthesis like phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and recent reports demonstrated significant changes in platelet levels and activities in Alzheimer's disease. Thus, as platelets represent an important link between Ass deposition and inflammatory reactions especially at endothelial level, they can be considered a valuable cellular model to evaluate potential peripheral inflammatory biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease. Read more: springerlink.com

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Not enough vitamin D may boost depression risk

They say sunshine can cheer you up, but insufficient levels of the sunshine vitamin may also increase your risk of developing depression, says a joint study from Italy and the US.  Read more: nutraingredients.com

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Cardiac procedure reduces risk of Alzheimer's

(Provided by Intermountain Medical Center)

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According to two new studies by the Intermountain Medical Center research team presented Thursday (May 13) at the the national Heart Rhythm Society's 31st Annual Scientific Sessions, patients with atrial fibrillation treated with catheter ablation are less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia, and have a significantly reduced risk of stroke and death compared to A-fib patients with who are not treated with ablation.
During atrial fibrillation, the heart's two small upper chambers quiver instead of beating effectively. Blood isn't pumped completely out of them, so it may pool and clot. If a piece of a blood clot

in the atria leaves the heart and becomes lodged in an artery in the brain, a stroke results. A-fib is the most common heart disorder found in about 2.2 million Americans. Three to five percent of people over 65 have atrial fibrillation. Read more: physorg.com

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The way to healthy salt-free soy sauce

 Salt-free soy sauce may be attained by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus oryzae, and the resulting product may even be able to reduce blood pressure, says a new Japanese study. Read more: foodnavigator.com

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Biotech Company Developing Treatments for Alzheimer's

(phase II trials)

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BioCrossroads' Indiana Seed Fund, Indiana's only targeted life sciences seed stage investment fund, has invested $300,000 in AgeneBio, an Indianapolis-based biotechnology start-up company focused on the development of therapeutic products for Alzheimer's disease, dementia and other memory disorders.  More than 5 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease (AD), a number that is expected to grow exponentially over the next decade as a result of the aging population. Currently approved medications for AD treat only the clinical symptoms and have little impact on the progression of the disease. AgeneBio's research platform is based on intellectual property from Johns Hopkins University and has a number of new patents to broaden its approach to developing therapies. 
"AgeneBio's advancements in the treatment of memory-related conditions for the elderly could change the lives of millions of aging Americans and their families," said David Johnson, President and CEO of BioCrossroads. "The company's science is strong and the management team is comprised of seasoned executives from the pharmaceutical industry with highly applicable experience in the development and commercialization of drugs for psychiatric and neurological disorders." This is the tenth life sciences start up that has received funding from our Indiana Seed Fund.  Our fund has become a critical resource for Indiana's new companies holding great promise for the future of Indiana's economy and encouraging breakthrough innovation from Indiana's outstanding research community," continued Johnson. Read more: rehabpub.com

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Immediate effects of chocolate on experimentally induced mood

The present studies demonstrate that eating a small amount of sweet food improves an experimentally induced negative mood state immediately and selectively and that this effect of chocolate is due to palatability. It is hypothesized that immediate mood effects of palatable food contribute to the habit of eating to cope with stress. Read more: sciencedirect.com

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Genetic variations associated with Alzheimer's

(but do not help predict risk)

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Although genome-wide analysis identified two genetic variations associated with Alzheimer disease (AD), these variations did not improve the ability to predict the risk of AD, according to a study in the May 12 issue of JAMA. "One of every 5 persons aged 65 years is predicted to de­velop AD in their lifetime, and genetic variants may play an important part in the development of the disease. The apparent substantial heritability of late-onset AD is inadequately ex­plained by genetic variation within the well-replicated genes," the authors write.
Monique M. B. Breteler, M.D., Ph.D., of University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands and colleagues conducted a study to identify and strengthen associations of additional loci (the position of a gene on a chromosome) with AD and confirm these in an independent sample. The researchers also examined the contribution of recently identified genes to AD risk prediction in a 3-stage analysis of new and previously pub­lished genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on more than 35,000 persons (8,371 AD cases). After conducting various analyses from different AD patient and population groups, in the gene discovery phase, the researchers found genome-wide sig­nificance for 2 loci related to AD, one on chromosome 2 and a second locus on chromosome 19, that had not pre­viously been found to achieve genome-wide significance and that appear to be independent of the gene well established to be associated with AD, apolipoprotein E (APOE). "These findings were replicated in an independent popu­lation. Two recently reported associations were also confirmed. [In analyses including age, sex and APOE genotype], These loci did not im­prove AD risk prediction," the authors write. "The value of these associa­tions may lie in the insights they could provide for research into the pathophysiological mechanisms of AD." Read more: eurekalert.org

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Call for vitamin D level hikes for the elderly

Daily recommended intakes for older adults should be increased to 1,000 IU in order to ensure bone health and help reduce the risk of falls, says the International Osteoporosis Foundation. Read more: nutraingredients.com

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Drink could help patients fight Alzheimer's

(give an extra source of energy to brain cells)

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Alzheimer's patients are turning to a new product to help improve their memory. It's not a drug, but a different classification called medical food. And while the product has its supporters, others are expressing concerns. As an Alzheimer's patient, Charles Haight struggles to hold on to his memories. But his daughter Anna says, he's recently received a boost in that on-going fight.
"Within about a week, I noticed he had different stories, because he'd started repeating things, the same story or a few stories over and over, but he would reach and have a new story," she said. She says her dad's improvement started after she began mixing a powdered drink for him every morning. The drink is called Axona. It's available by prescription to Alzheimer's patients -- but it isn't a drug and instead, it's categorized as a medical food." It is supposed to help dementia patients to give an extra source of energy to brain cells," neurologist Dr. Ilkcan Cokgor said. Cokgor says Axona works by supplying a glucose-like substance to the brain cells, which lose their ability to process natural glucose as a result of the disease. Read more: abclocal.go.com

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The brain diet

It seems fatty and sugary snacks trigger the same pleasure centres in the brain as drugs - which could explain why many people just can't stop themselves bingeing on the stuff. It could also lie behind the obesity epidemic. But it's not just unhealthy food that has a significant effect on health and behaviour. Read more: dailymail.co.uk

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