Astaxanthin (found in salmon & krill) increased the activation of the longevity gene Foxo3 by 90%. sciencedaily.com/releases/20…

People that supplemented with a bioavailable type of curcumin had a 28% improvement in memory and attention abilities, improvements in mood, and less amyloid and tau signals in the brain compared to those taking a placebo (randomized, controlled trial). newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/c…

A high salt challenge (~2.36 g of sodium per day) reduced survival of various Lactobacillus species of gut bacteria, increased the number of autoimmune precursor cells, and elevated blood pressure in healthy males after 2 weeks. nature.com/articles/nature24…

Added sugars increase cardiovascular disease risk factors among U.S. children at levels below the current consumption rate. Children in the U.S. consume ~95g of added sugar daily, almost 4 times what the World Health Organization recommends. circ.ahajournals.org/content…

Injection with a specific probiotic strain of bacteria (called Mycobacterium vaccae) prevents inflammation in the brain caused by stress and reduces stress-induced anxiety behavior in mice. genengnews.com/gen-news-high…

Daily stretching exercises in a mouse model of breast cancer slowed tumor growth by more than 50%, without any other form of treatment. genengnews.com/gen-news-high…

Vitamin D found to be the only dietary supplement that shows significant evidence of benefiting individuals with multiple sclerosis. Supplementation with 14,000 IU/d resulted in a 32% reduction in new brain lesions detected by MRI compared to placebo. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam…

Another reason why exercise is beneficial: it stimulates the heart to make new muscle cells, both under normal conditions and after a heart attack. nature.com/articles/s41467-0…

A small pilot clinical trial shows dark chocolate consumption increases neuroplasticity, improves memory and mood, reduces stress and inflammation. news.llu.edu/for-journalists…

A new study shows the "obesity paradox,” the idea that obese people live longer than those of normal weight, may be explained by muscle mass. After accounting for muscle mass, high BMI no longer associates with greater survival. journals.plos.org/plosone/ar…

Pilot study finds supplementation with nicotinamide riboside improves blood pressure and arterial health particularly in individuals with mild hypertension. The decrease in blood pressure could translate to a 25% reduction in heart attack risk. genengnews.com/gen-news-high…

To resurrect an old twitter tradition, today's "Follow Friday" is scientist @William_Mair. Will is trying to build his Twitter presence: please give him a follow if you have any interest in aging and particularly dietary restriction, which is a special focus of the @TheMairLab. xitter.cf/HarvardChanSPH/status/…

Eating out at restaurants and fast food chains may increase our exposure to phthalates, a chemical in plastics thought to disrupt hormones. Phthalates were 35% higher in participants who had eaten out the previous day compared with those who ate at home. theguardian.com/society/2018…