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News flashes are posted here frequently to keep you up-to-date with the latest advances in health and longevity. We have an unparalleled track record of breaking stories about life extension advances.

“Superfood” grapes protect, improve skin

May 15 2026. Findings from a study reported May 13, 2026, in the American Chemical Society journal ACS Nutrition Science showed that grape consumption was associated with changes in gene expression in the skin that create a barrier against UV radiation.

"We are now certain that grapes act as a superfood and mediate a nutrigenomic response in humans," corresponding author John Pezzuto, PhD, of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Western New England University stated. "We observed this with the largest organ of the body, the skin. The changes in gene expression indicated improvements in skin health."

After consuming a restricted diet for two weeks, 29 study volunteers were exposed to a low dose of ultraviolet (UV) radiation followed by skin biopsy and blood sample collection the next day. The participants were then given grape powder that was the equivalent of three servings of whole grapes to be consumed daily for another two-week period, also followed by UV exposure, biopsy and blood collection.

Ultraviolet exposure induced higher blood levels of malondialdehyde, a marker of oxidative stress, which was lower after the period in which grapes were consumed. In participants who were not resilient to UV-exposure following grape consumption, UV-induced malondialdehyde was lower, lipids were modified and genes were induced in the skin that enhance keratinization and cornification which protect against environmental factors that include chemicals, UV radiation, and pathogens.

"Beyond skin, it is nearly certain that grape consumption affects gene expression in other somatic tissues of the body, such as liver, muscle, kidney and even brain," Dr Pezzuto commented. "This helps us to understand how consumption of a whole food, in this case grapes, affects our overall health. It's very exciting to be working in the postgenomics era where we can finally start to employ functional genomics and actually visualize complex matrices indicative of nutrigenomic responses."

—D Dye

Exercise could reduce adverse effects of mutated mitochondrial DNA

May 13 2026. Research conducted at the University of Rhode Island revealed a benefit for exercise in animals that were genetically modified to have mutated mitochondrial DNA that caused premature aging.

Mitochondria are organelles that act as power plants within cells. "We're trying to understand how mitochondria impairment affects aging and sets the tone for age-related disease onset," researcher Jaime Ross, PhD, of the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy stated. "Mitochondrial dysfunction has been associated not just with aging, but also age-related diseases. The potential of this model is huge."

Acting in collaboration with Giuseppe Coppotelli, PhD, Dr Ross observed that mice with mutated mitochondrial DNA rapidly developed signs of premature aging. The animals moved slowly and developed gray fur that began to fall out and until their death at approximately 40 weeks. However, when a hamster wheel was introduced to modified mice at 10 weeks of age, the exercised animals looked and acted younger than other genetically modified mice. Nevertheless, the animals died at around the same age.

"They looked beautiful," Dr Ross remarked. "Their fur wasn't graying; they weren't losing their hair; they were moving well. At first, we thought there was a mix-up in the cages, but we kept seeing the same thing time after time."

"Exercise is the only intervention that can dramatically improve the phenotype in these mice so that you cannot distinguish a mouse that has this mutation from a normal animal," Dr Coppotelli stated. "What we believe is that when mice exercise, their muscles require more energy and dysfunctional mitochondrial-carrying mtDNA mutations are now spotted and selectively labeled for removal, while new mitochondria are made. This has not been proven. How this is happening we don't know. Why this is happening is what we're investigating now."

—D Dye

Improved 28-day survival in sepsis patients given vitamin D

May 05 2026. A retrospective study affirmed that sepsis patients in an intensive care unit (ICU) who were given vitamin D had better 28-day survival compared with those who did not receive the vitamin. The findings were reported April 15, 2026, in Pathogens.

Sepsis is an abnormal response to infection in which patients experience fever or subnormal temperature, rapid breathing and heart rate, and impaired blood flow to internal organs. Sepsis can cause body-wide inflammation and can lead to life-threatening septic shock characterized by low blood pressure and organ dysfunction.

"Although findings from a recent study indicated that vitamin D treatment might decrease the mortality rate in patients with sepsis, its clinical efficacy is still a matter of debate," Xiaofei Huang of The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University and colleagues wrote. "Consequently, we employed extensive clinical data to clarify the connection between vitamin D3 therapy and sepsis patient outcomes."

The study included 4,856 men and women admitted to an ICU with sepsis. The researchers matched 2,428 patients who received vitamin D3 with an equal number of individuals who were not given the vitamin.

Analysis of sepsis patients after matching revealed that those who received vitamin D3 had a 34% lower adjusted risk of dying compared with matched participants who did not receive the vitamin. A high cumulative vitamin D dose of greater than 25,000 IU was associated with a 63% lower adjusted mortality risk compared with a low cumulative dose of 25,000 IU or lower. Those who received the vitamin had a lower requirement of mechanical ventilation and shorter ventilation duration.

"This retrospective cohort study suggests that vitamin D3 . . . is associated with lower 28-day ICU mortality and better outcomes in patients with sepsis," Huang and associates concluded. "Large-scale prospective randomized controlled trials are warranted to validate these observational associations and establish causal effects."

—D Dye

Can a garlic compound support muscle health in aging?

May 08 2026. Research reported May 7, 2026, in Cell Metabolism revealed that a compound found in aged garlic improved muscle strength in aging mice, a finding that holds promise for older men and women.

"During my clinical experience as a physical therapist, I was often frustrated to see older adults lose physical function and vitality simply because they had no specific disease requiring medical treatment," first author Kiyoshi Yoshioka, PhD, remarked. "This gap in proactive care has driven my research. We hope our findings will help improve fitness and muscle strength in older individuals by the simple inclusion of a nutraceutical as part of the daily diet."

In the current research, Dr Yoshioka and his associates determined that the garlic compound S-1-propenyl-L-cysteine (S1PC) activates liver kinase B1 (LKB1), an enzyme that regulates cell metabolism. A subsequent chain of biochemical reactions leads to improved muscle function. In aging mice, administration of S1PC improved frailty, restored core body temperature and boosted skeletal muscle force. In humans, S1PC increased circulating levels of the enzyme eNAMPT, which is necessary for the synthesis of NAD+, a coenzyme needed for energy production and cell repair.

"Our findings present a previously unrecognized and unique function of S1PC in activating LKB1, and in promoting an inter-organ communication that ameliorates muscle frailty," corresponding author Dr Shin-ichiro Imai, who is chairman of the Institute for Research on Productive Aging, stated. "We anticipate that S1PC is likely to have a broader antiaging effect that warrants detailed investigation."

"Further research is needed to determine improvements in muscle function in humans and to evaluate the long-term effects of S1PC," he added. "The presence and possible role of LKB1 in the brain also needs evaluation."

—D Dye

Higher vitamin D levels associated with better ischemic stroke outcome

May 06 2026. Individuals who experienced ischemic stroke exhibited better cognitive improvement in association with higher serum levels of vitamin D, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published April 12, 2026, in the Journal of International Medical Research.

Ischemic stroke, caused by blockage of a blood vessel, is the world's leading cause of disability. Over 35% of ischemic stroke patients experience cognitive impairment that impacts quality of life.

"During cerebral ischemia, vitamin D markedly increases vitamin D receptor expression in the microglia and macrophages, suppressing proinflammatory cytokine secretion (e.g. tumor necrosis factor alpha and interferon gamma), thereby limiting neuronal injury," Yinjuan Zhou and colleagues at Lanzhou University explained.

The team analyzed 15 studies that included a total of 2,030 men and women hospitalized with ischemic stroke. Studies examined the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels obtained within 24 hours of hospital admission and cognitive function scores that included the Modified Rankin Scale score, the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, the Mini-Mental State Examination or the Modified Rankin Scale score at three months.

The researchers observed an association between higher serum vitamin D and decreased stroke severity and outcomes. "We conducted a meta-analysis involving 15 studies and found that higher vitamin D levels within 24 hours of hospital admission in ischemic stroke patients are associated with lower National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, baseline modified Rankin Scale Score, and three-month modified Rankin Scale scores, and better overall cognitive function," Zhou and associates reported.

"This meta-analysis indicates that higher serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels at stroke onset are associated with milder neurological deficits (lower National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale/modified Rankin Scale scores) and possibly, better cognitive outcomes, with benefits most evident within an optimal range of 30–50 nanograms/milliliter," they concluded.

—D Dye

Arginine plus vitamin C improves cancer-related fatigue

May 05 2026. Findings from a clinical study reported in the May 2026 issue of In Vivo revealed improvement in fatigue among cancer patients given a combination of the amino acid arginine and vitamin C.

"Patients with cancer commonly experience several symptoms linked to their disease and the side-effects of treatments, which negatively impact their quality of life," authors Vittorio Gebbia and colleagues wrote. "Cancer-related fatigue is one of the most common and debilitating symptoms reported by patients and can profoundly affect quality of life and physical functioning. Cancer-related fatigue is characterized by an overwhelming sense of tiredness and exhaustion that does not improve with rest or sleep."

Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid that is produced in the body from glutamine; however, the body may need additional arginine during stress or illness.

The study included 44 adults receiving chemotherapy or immunotherapy for cancer who were given 1.66 grams L-arginine and 500 milligrams vitamin C twice per day. Participants evaluated their fatigue prior to beginning the study and after 15, 30 and 60 days. Questionnaires completed at the beginning of the study and after 30 and 60 days assessed quality of life.

Fatigue significantly declined at 15, 30 and 60 days, with the greatest average improvement measured at the end of the study. No improvement in appetite was observed. While health-related quality of life remained mostly unchanged, the authors noted that quality of life did not deteriorate despite participants having advanced cancer and undergoing treatments that are associated with significant side effects.

"Our exploratory study suggests a positive effect of oral supplementation with L-arginine plus vitamin C on cancer-related fatigue without significant worsening of quality of life," they concluded. "Further studies are needed including more clinically homogenous groups of patients."

—D Dye

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