What's hot

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.

Meta-analysis of studies affirms curcumin improves symptoms in men with enlarged prostate

June 10 2026. A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that evaluated the effects of curcumin in men with benign prostate enlargement concluded that, compared with a placebo, curcumin significantly improved prostate symptoms, prostate specific antigen (PSA) and more.

Curcumin, a compound occurring in the spice turmeric, has been associated with benefits that include support of a healthy inflammatory response.

Diogo Souto Santana of Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil, and his colleagues analyzed six studies that included a total of 697 men with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) who were receiving treatment with alpha-blocker and/or 5-alpha reductase inhibitor medications. Three of the studies were randomized, controlled trials and the remainder were nonrandomized comparative studies. Trial duration ranged from three to twelve months.

Pooled analysis of study results showed that treatment with curcumin was associated with a significant reduction in International Prostate Symptom Scores in comparison with a placebo. Compared with participants in the placebo groups, there was an average 0.52 nanogram per milliliter reduction in PSA among curcumin-treated men. Prostate volume was lower among participants who received curcumin and maximum urinary flow rate increased. Because reductions in PSA and prostate volume were significant but "modest," the researchers suggested that curcumin's primary benefit is improvement of symptoms rather than structural modification of the prostate gland.

Further analysis revealed that benefits were greater among men who were treated with alpha-blockers alone than in those treated with both alpha-blockers and 5-alpha-reducase inhibitors.

Santana and colleagues remarked that the findings support the hypothesis that targeting inflammatory pathways may help improve the symptoms of BPH. They concluded that, "Curcumin supplementation was associated with a significant improvement in lower urinary tract symptoms, as reflected by clinically meaningful reductions in International Prostate Symptom Scores compared with placebo.

—D Dye

Creatine could boost cancer immunotherapy

June 08 2026. Research reported April 17, 2026, in iScience suggests a role for creatine in improving the activity of immune cells known as dendritic cells, whose actions include regulation of antitumor T cell immunity. "Bolstering the dendritic cells that train and activate T cells could potentially offer a way to bring the benefits of immunotherapy to more patients," authors Elliot Kang and colleagues at the University of California Los Angeles explained.

"Immunotherapy has shown remarkable promise, but it only works for a subset of patients," senior author Lili Yang elaborated. "What this study shows is that creatine doesn't just help the T cells fighting cancer — it also energizes the entire infrastructure supports and guides them. That makes creatine a promising supplement to holistically support the immune response that modern immunotherapies depend on."

By observing which metabolic genes were the most active in dendritic cells that had infiltrated mouse tumors, the research team observed an increase in the gene that encodes the creatine transporter that draws creatine into cells. They observed that creatine-deficient dendritic cells grown next to T cells resulted in T cells that had fewer divisions and less production of molecules needed to fight cancer.

In a mouse model of melanoma, daily creatine improved the activation and abundance of tumor-infiltrating dendritic cells while slowing tumor growth. In human cells, creatine enhanced the activation of a type of dendritic cell used in dendritic cell cancer vaccines, suggesting a use for creatine during vaccine production. "The potential we see here is that creatine could be used in two complementary ways: as a supplement to enhance the immune response of patients already receiving immunotherapy, and as a tool to improve the quality of dendritic cell-based vaccines before they're administered," co-first author James Elsten-Brown stated.

"Understanding how to metabolically support dendritic cells is about supporting the entire anti-tumor response, not just the killer T cells at the end of it," Kang noted.

—D Dye

Sunlight exposure not always adequate to support vitamin D sufficiency

June 05 2026. A study that included older adults and ethnic adults in Northern England found that the summer season was not associated with improvement of vitamin D insufficiency. The findings were reported May 19, 2026, in the European Journal of Clinical Medicine. "We need to be thinking about more consistent, year-round ways to support healthy vitamin D levels," co-lead researcher Bernard M. Corfe commented.

"Although vitamin D deficiency is commonly viewed as a seasonal issue due to reduced sunlight exposure during winter, emerging evidence suggests that some demographic groups remain at risk year-round. Within the UK, certain subpopulations including various ethnic groups are at greater risk," authors Alice Goddard and colleagues explained. "Likewise, deficiency is widespread among older adults globally, occurring irrespective of season reinforcing the need for targeted public health strategies addressing these vulnerable groups."

The study enrolled 299 subjects that included adults aged 65 years and older and ethnic adults with dark pigmentation who provided blood samples that were analyzed for vitamin D during the screening phase of a clinical trial. Vitamin D levels categorized as insufficient or deficient at less than 20 ng/mL were detected in 54.8% of older adults and 72.1% of ethnic adults. In both groups, there was little variation in vitamin D insufficiency according to the month participants were screened. "What's striking about these findings is that vitamin D levels didn't improve, even in the summer months when we would usually expect them to recover," Professor Corfe stated. "For people living in places like the North of England, this shows that sunlight alone may not be enough, particularly for older adults and those from minoritized ethnic backgrounds. The message is simple but important. If you are in a higher-risk group, you can't assume that spending more time outdoors in summer will solve the problem."

—D Dye

D for depression

June 03 2026. A dose-response meta-analysis of clinical trials found an association between the addition of vitamin D to the diet and improvement in depressive symptoms. The results were reported March 16, 2026, in Frontiers in Nutrition.

The meta-analysis included 15 randomized, controlled trials that examined the effects of vitamin D on depression severity and other factors among a total of 962 men and women diagnosed with depressive disorders. Treatment groups received oral, parenteral, intravenous or intramuscular forms of the vitamin. Trial duration ranged from eight weeks to ten months.

The meta-analysis found significant improvement in depressive symptoms among individuals who received vitamin D compared with the control groups. Additionally, serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a) were lower in people who received vitamin D. Dose-response analysis of the trial findings revealed that higher daily vitamin D doses of up to 5,000 international units (IU) per day were associated with the greatest decrease in symptoms of depression.

"In this study, we aimed to consolidate all data from RCTs involving patients diagnosed with depression who received vitamin D," authors Hsuan-Hsien Li of Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan and associates wrote. "The observed reductions in serum PTH and TNFα levels suggest anti-inflammatory mechanisms underlying its antidepressant effects."

"This is the first meta-analysis employing dose–response analysis to evaluate the effect of vitamin D on depression," they announced. "Higher daily intakes, particularly around 5,000 IU, were associated with greater symptom improvement; however, further high-quality trials are required to confirm optimal dosing and long-term safety."

—D Dye

Fisetin combined with aerobic training boosts pro-resolving mediator, lowers inflammation

June 01 2026. A randomized, controlled trial reported in 2026 in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition resulted in reduced inflammation and an increase in the specialized pro-resolving mediator maresin-1 in obese men assigned to interval resistance-aerobic training plus 200 daily fisetin.

"Fisetin, a naturally occurring flavonoid, possesses antioxidant, anti‑inflammatory, and senolytic properties," Mehran Alipour and colleagues wrote. "In cellular and animal models, fisetin has been shown to inhibit inflammatory signaling pathways (including NF‑κB), reduce oxidative stress, and shift macrophage polarization toward reparative phenotypes; there is also preliminary evidence that fisetin may support the production or preservation of specialized pro-resolving mediators."

Pro-resolving mediators such as maresin-1 are made in the body from omega-3 fatty acids to promote a healthy post-inflammatory response.

The trial included 11 men who were given 200 mg fisetin per day without interval resistance-aerobic training, 11 assigned to interval training and a placebo, 11 assigned to 200 mg fisetin per day plus interval training and 11 who received a placebo and no training. Blood levels of maresin-1 and markers of inflammation and metabolism were measured at the beginning and end of the trial.

After 12 weeks, men who received fisetin alone had reductions in the inflammatory markers interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, as well as metabolic factors that included fasting blood glucose, insulin and insulin resistance. Men who were assigned to training with or without fisetin showed significant increases in maresin-1 in addition to the same improvements observed in the group that received fisetin without training. The greatest increase in maresin-1 and reductions in metabolic markers in comparison with the beginning of the trial occurred among men who were assigned to training plus fisetin. "The synergy between exercise‑induced adaptations and fisetin's anti‑inflammatory properties offers a promising nonpharmacological strategy for mitigating obesity‑related metabolic risk," the authors concluded.

—D Dye

What's Hot Archive