Astaxanthin protects against environmentally persistent free radical-induced oxidative stress in well-differentiated respiratory epithelium
Environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) are combustion products present in substantial numbers on atmospheric particulate matter with half-li…
The Sleep-Promoting and Hypothermic Effects of Glycine are Mediated by NMDA Receptors in the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus
The use of glycine as a therapeutic option for improving sleep quality is a novel and safe approach. However, despite clinical evidence of its efficacy, the details of its mechanism remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the site ...
The effects of supplementation with L-arginine on anthropometric indices and body composition in overweight or obese subjects: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Animal studies have shown that L-Arginine can affect anthropometric and body composition indices favorably, while results of human studies are contrad…
It can be concluded that supplementation with L-arginine leads to a reduction in adipose tissue weight and an increase in muscle mass weight without affecting overall body weight. In other words, due to the overlapping effect of FM decrease with increasing FFM, supplementation with L-arginine would not have a significant effect on overall body weight. Even in an animal study by Tan, Bie, et al. (Tan et al., 2009) it was found that supplementation with L-arginine resulted in body weight gain at the end of the study due to the greater effect of muscle gain than FM reduction.
This epidemiologic follow-up study investigates the long-term findings of the Age-Related Macular Degeneration Study 2 (AREDS2) trial regarding lung cancer development and progression to age-related macular degeneration.
Comparative Efficiency of Lutein and Astaxanthin in the Protection of Human Corneal Epithelial Cells In Vitro from Blue-Violet Light Photo-Oxidative Damage
The aim of this study was to compare in vitro the protective and antioxidant properties of lutein and astaxanthin on human primary corneal epithelial cells (HCE-F). To this purpose, HCE-F cells were irradiated with a blue-violet light lamp (415–420 nm) at different energies (20 to 80 J/cm2). Lutein and astaxanthin (50 to 250 μM) were added to HCE-F right before blue-violet light irradiation at 50 J/cm2. Viability was evaluated by the CKK-8 assay while the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by the H2DCF-DA assay. Results have shown that the viability of HCE-F cells decreased at light energies from 20 J/cm2 to 80 J/cm2, while ROS production increased at 50 and 80 J/cm2. The presence of lutein or astaxanthin protected the cells from phototoxicity, with lutein slightly more efficient than astaxanthin also on the blunting of ROS, prevention of apoptotic cell death and modulation of the Nrf-2 pathway. The association of lutein and astaxanthin did not give a significant advantage over the use of lutein alone. Taken together, these results suggest that the association of lutein and astaxanthin might be useful to protect cells of the ocular surface from short (lutein) and longer (astaxanthin) wavelengths, as these are the most damaging radiations hitting the eye from many different LED screens and solar light.
Clinical Applications of Astaxanthin in the Treatment of Ocular Diseases: Emerging Insights
Astaxanthin is a naturally occurring red carotenoid pigment belonging to the family of xanthophylls, and is typically found in marine environments, especially in microalgae and seafood such as salmonids, shrimps and lobsters. Due to its unique ...
Effects of Astaxanthin, Lutein, and Zeaxanthin on Eye–Hand Coordination and Smooth-Pursuit Eye Movement after Visual Display Terminal Operation in Healthy Subjects: A Randomized, Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Intergroup Trial
(1) Background: The impairment of eye–hand coordination and smooth-pursuit eye movement caused by visual display terminal (VDT) operation is thought to impair daily living activities, for which no effective methods are currently known. On the other ...
Berberine Benefits, Supplement Dosage and Side Effects - Dr. Axe
Berberine is a natural alkaloid found in a variety of herbs, and it can help naturally treat certain conditions, including diabetes and digestive problems. Learn about supplement dosage and more.
VAT=TAAT-SAAT: Innovative Anthropometric Model to Predict Visceral Adipose Tissue Without Resort to CT-Scan or DXA
To investigate whether a combination of a selected but limited number of anthropometric measurements predicts visceral adipose tissue (VAT) better than other anthropometric measurements, without resort to medical imaging. Abdominal anthropometric ...
Potassium Intake and Blood Pressure: A Dose‐Response Meta‐Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Epidemiologic studies, including trials, suggest an association between potassium intake and blood pressure (BP). However, the strength and shape of this relationship is uncertain. We performed a meta‐analysis to explore the dose‐response ...
Beyond Muscles: The Untapped Potential of Creatine
Creatine is widely used by both elite and recreational athletes as an ergogenic aid to enhance anaerobic exercise performance. Older individuals also use creatine to prevent sarcopenia and, accordingly, may have therapeutic benefits for muscle ...
There is a robust and compelling body of evidence supporting the ergogenic and therapeutic role of creatine supplementation in muscle. Beyond these well-described effects and mechanisms, there is literature to suggest that creatine may also be ...
The effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive performance—a randomised controlled study - BMC Medicine
Background Creatine is an organic compound that facilitates the recycling of energy-providing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in muscle and brain tissue. It is a safe, well-studied supplement for strength training. Previous studies have shown that supplementation increases brain creatine levels, which might increase cognitive performance. The results of studies that have tested cognitive performance differ greatly, possibly due to different populations, supplementation regimens, and cognitive tasks. This is the largest study on the effect of creatine supplementation on cognitive performance to date. Methods Our trial was preregistered, cross-over, double-blind, placebo-controlled, and randomised, with daily supplementation of 5 g for 6 weeks each. We tested participants on Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices (RAPM) and on the Backward Digit Span (BDS). In addition, we included eight exploratory cognitive tests. About half of our 123 participants were vegetarians and half were omnivores. Results Bayesian evidence supported a small beneficial effect of creatine. The creatine effect bordered significance for BDS (p = 0.064, η2P = 0.029) but not RAPM (p = 0.327, η2P = 0.008). There was no indication that creatine improved the performance of our exploratory cognitive tasks. Side effects were reported significantly more often for creatine than for placebo supplementation (p = 0.002, RR = 4.25). Vegetarians did not benefit more from creatine than omnivores. Conclusions Our study, in combination with the literature, implies that creatine might have a small beneficial effect. Larger studies are needed to confirm or rule out this effect. Given the safety and broad availability of creatine, this is well worth investigating; a small effect could have large benefits when scaled over time and over many people. Trial registration The trial was prospectively registered (drks.de identifier: DRKS00017250, https://osf.io/xpwkc/ ).
Effects of Lutein and Astaxanthin Intake on the Improvement of Cognitive Functions among Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials
Background: Fruits and vegetables are generally rich in antioxidants such as carotenoids. Consumption of carotenoids is expected to have benefits on cognitive functions in humans. However, previous randomized controlled trials (RCT) using ...
Association between ultra-processed food consumption and lung cancer risk: a population-based cohort study
Background The evidence on associations between ultra-processed foods (UPF) and lung cancer risk is limited and inconsistent.
Research question Are UPF associated with an increased risk of lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC)?
Methods Data of participants in this study were collected from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial. Dietary intakes were assessed through a validated diet history questionnaire. These foods were categorised using the NOVA classification according to the degree of processing in the PLCO Cancer Screening Cohort. All cases of incident lung cancer were pathologically verified. Multivariable Cox regression was used to assess the association between consumption of UPF and lung cancer after adjustment for various potential confounders, including key risk factors related to lung cancer and overall diet quality.
Results A total of 1706 cases of lung cancer cases, including 1473 NSCLC and 233 SCLC, were identified during a mean follow-up of 12.2 years among 101 732 adults (mean age 62.5 years). After multivariable adjustments, individuals in the highest quarters for UPF consumption had a higher risk of lung cancer (HR=1.41, 95% CI 1.22 to 1.60), NSCLC (HR=1.37, 95% CI 1.20 to 1.58) and SCLC (HR=1.44, 95% CI 1.03 to 2.10) compared with those in the lowest quarter. These results remained statistically significant after a large range of subgroup and sensitivity analyses.
Conclusions Higher consumption of UPF is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer, NSCLC and SCLC. Although additional research in other populations and settings is warranted, these findings suggest the healthy benefits of limiting UPF.
Data may be obtained from a third party and are not publicly available. Data described in the manuscript, code book and analytic code will not be made available because the authors are prohibited from distributing or transferring the data and code books on which their research was based to any other individual or entity under the terms of an approved NCI Research Proposal and Data and Materials Distribution Agreement through which the authors obtained these data.
Astaxanthin, a Natural Antioxidant, Lowers Cholesterol and Markers of Cardiovascular Risk in Individuals with Prediabetes and Dyslipidemia
Astaxanthin is a natural carotenoid with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. We conducted a double blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial to determine the effects of astaxanthin treatment on lipids, CVD markers, glucose tolerance, ...
Nanocarrier System: State-of-the-Art in Oral Delivery of Astaxanthin
Astaxanthin (3,3′-dihydroxy-4,4′-diketo-β-β carotene), which belongs to the xanthophyll class, has shown potential biological activity in in vitro and in vivo models including as a potent antioxidant, anti-lipid peroxidation and cardiovascular ...
Comparative Pharmacokinetic Study of Standard Astaxanthin and its Micellar Formulation in Healthy Male Volunteers
Background and Objective Astaxanthin is a naturally occurring carotenoid with high anti-oxidant properties, but it is a very lipophilic compound with low oral bioavailability. This study was conducted to compare the pharmacokinetic parameters of a novel astaxanthin preparation based on micellar solubilization technology, NovaSOL® 400-mg capsules (Test product), and those of astaxanthin 400-mg capsules (reference product), after single oral dose administration to healthy male adults. Methods A single oral dose (400 mg equivalent to 8 mg astaxanthin) of test and reference astaxanthin were administered with 240 mL of water to 12 volunteers according to crossover design, in two phases, with a washout period of 1 week in between. Blood samples were collected at hourly intervals for the first 12 h, then at 24.0, 48.0, and 72.0 h after administration. Aliquots of plasma were centrifuged and the clear supernatant was injected into the high performance liquid chromatography–diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) system. Plasma concentration of astaxanthin versus time profiles were constructed, and the primary pharmacokinetic parameters, maximum concentration (Cmax), area under concentration time curve from time of administration (0) to time (t) [AUC0-t] or to infinity ∞, [AUC0-∞], half-life (T½) and time to reach Cmax (Tmax) were calculated. Results The test micellar astaxanthin reached a Cmax of 7.21 µg/ml after 3.67 h compared to only 3.86 µg/ml after 8.5 h for the reference native astaxanthin. Conclusion Micellar formulation of astaxanthin is capable of producing a high concentration of astaxanthin in plasma in a shorter time, thereby expected to provide faster potential therapeutic efficacy.
A randomized, double-blind, positive-controlled, prospective, dose-response clinical study to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of an aqueous extract of Terminalia bellerica in lowering uric acid and creatinine levels in chronic kidney disease subjects with hyperuricemia
Hyperuricemia is an independent risk factor in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Allopurinol and febuxostat are prescription medicines used to treat hyperuricemia but suffer side-effects. Earlier clinical study has shown that an aqueous extract of ...
An Update of the Promise of Glycine Supplementation for Enhancing Physical Performance and Recovery
Glycine, the simple amino acid, is a key component of muscle metabolism with proven cytoprotective effects and hypothetical benefits as a therapeutic nutrient. Cell, in vitro, and animal studies suggest that glycine enhances protection against muscle wasting by activating anabolic pathways and inhibiting proteolytic gene expression. Some evidence indicates that glycine supplementation may enhance peak power output, reduce lactic acid accumulation during high-intensity exercise, and improve sleep quality and recovery. This literature review critically explores glycine’s potential as an ergogenic aid and its relevance to muscle regeneration, muscle strength, endurance exercise performance, and sleep quality. It also underscores key areas for future research. It is concluded that more randomized controlled clinical trials in humans are needed to confirm glycine’s potential as a dietary supplement to support muscle function, recovery, and overall athletic performance as an ergogenic aid and to establish nutritional recommendations for athletic performance. Also, it is essential to consider that high doses (500 mg/kg of body mass) could induce cytotoxic effects and contribute to acute glutamate toxicity.
Keywords: human metabolism, physical exercise, sports medicine, athletic performance, oxidative stress, muscle function
The effects of Tai Chi exercise on body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness in Chinese university students with obesity: A quasi experiment study
Scientific Reports - The effects of Tai Chi exercise on body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness in Chinese university students with obesity: A quasi experiment study
Nattokinase Supplementation and Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
As a fibrinolytic enzyme from fermented soybean, nattokinase has been shown to be potentially beneficial for cardiovascular health, but current clinical evidences regarding the nattokinase supplementation on cardiovascular risk factors are various. ...
Ingwer und Kurkuma. Diese beiden Heilpflanzen haben mehr gemeinsam, als Sie denken, doch ihre Unterschiede in der Wirkung auf Gesundheit sind entscheidend.
Liver supplements may lower the risk of liver disease and improve or protect liver health if you have an existing condition. Learn if they can also detoxify.
Anti-Oxidant, Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Allergic Activities of Luteolin
Luteolin is a flavone which occurs in medicinal
plants as well as in some vegetables and spices.
It is a natural anti-oxidant with less pro-oxidant
potential than the flavonol quercetin, the best
studied flavonoid, but apparently with a better
safety profile. It displays excellent radical scav-
enging and cytoprotective properties, especially
when tested in complex biological systems
where it can interact with other anti-oxidants
like vitamins. Luteolin displays specific anti-in-
flammatory effects at micromolar concentrations
which are only partly explained by its anti-oxi-
dant capacities. The anti-inflammatory activity
includes activation of anti-oxidative enzymes,
suppression of the NF
κB pathway and inhibition
of pro-inflammatory substances. In vivo, luteolin
reduced increased vascular permeability and was
effective in animal models of inflammation after
parenteral and oral application. Although luteolin
is only a minor component in our nutrition (less
than 1 mg/day) epidemiological studies indicate
that it has the potential to protect from diseases
associated with inflammatory processes such as
cardiovascular disease. Luteolin often occurs in
the form of glycosides in plants, but these are
cleaved and the aglycones are conjugated and me-
tabolized after nutritional uptake which has to be
considered when evaluating in vitro studies. Some
data for oral and topical bioavailability exist, but
more quantitative research in this field is needed
to evaluate the physiological and therapeutical po-
tential of luteolin.