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Kristin's Green Soup

The CR Way — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 20:00:00 GMT

One of our new CR Way friends recently wowed us with "Green Soup - Kristin," a recipe that was so extraordinary we asked if we could share it.

Great recipes like this exemplify what traveling the CR Way is all about. CR Way travelers love life and want to enjoy everything it has to offer - including food and all the benefits we can get from it. Delicious, satisfying taste to savor in every bite is a starting point. We also want it to be nutrient dense - chocked full of nutrients per calorie. Heart-healthy, low-GI, high in beneficial phytochemicals, low in AGE (advanced glycation endproducts), and free of harmful pesticides and other dangerous chemicals are other characteristics we demand. And we often want it to enhance our functionality - that is, to increase our cognitive capabilities or to help us relax (See CR Way to Peak Performance).

That's a lot to ask, but so what? You are worth it, and so are we. Some might be daunted by such requirements, but most CR recipes are quite easy - taking just a few minutes to prepare. For some examples visit Delicious Foods (accessible to Longevity Level members) and take a look at the dozens of recipes all ready for you. Also be sure to make use of the revolutionary online CR guide - CR Way to Happy Dieting for meal plans and a whole new way to think about how food can affect your mood.

But before you link away, take a look at "Green Soup - Kristin" from our friend in Texas:

The avocado gives the silky texture that a cold soup should have - never slimy or thin. "I use my smoothie maker to combine all the ingredients and top it with edamame (out of the shell) for a little crunch."

� Cucumber

� Red bell pepper

A few handfuls Spinach, kale, romaine

1 clove Garlic

� Avocado

Juice of a small lemon

� tsp Ginger

A few sprigs Coriander and parsley

Enough water to thin -

Now look at this nutritional analysis from the NutriBase CR Way Edition Software.

Splitting the recipe into two 295-gram (10-ounce) servings yields a grand total of 166 calories per serving. It's high in complex carbs, low in simple sugars, high in healthful fat, and high in fiber - all of which help to keep a lid on the speed of glucose, getting to the blood. With all that nutrition and so few calories, you might not want much else to eat at that meal.

And look at how nutrient-dense it is. It supplies a whopping 200% of vitamin A RDA , 255% vitamin C RDA , and generous amounts of the B vitamins. It is also high in vitamin K, calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, and manganese.

The phytosterols (plant chemicals with structures similar to cholesterol) and related beta-sitosterols (?-Sitosterols) are also high, which may help reduce LDL levels. FYI:

Hide

?-Sitosterol is one of several phytosterols. Sitosterols are white, waxy powders with a characteristic odor. They are insoluble in water but soluble in alcohols.

Alone and when combined with similar phytosterols, ?-sitosterol reduces blood levels of cholesterol, and is sometimes used to treat hypercholesterolemia. ?-Sitosterol inhibits cholesterol absorption in the intestine. When the sterol is absorbed in the intestine, it is transported by lipoproteins and incorporated into the cellular membrane. Phytosterols and their saturated forms, phytostanols, both inhibit the uptake of dietary and biliary cholesterol, decreasing the levels of serum total cholesterol and of LDL. Because ?-sitosterol's structure is very similar to cholesterol, ?-sitosterol takes the place of dietary and biliary cholesterol in micelles produced in the intestinal lumen. This causes less cholesterol to be absorbed.

Beta-sitosterol is also known as a phytoestrogen, (a plant-derived estrogen). Some phytoestrogens seem to play a role in inhibiting the body's absorption of cholesterol. There is also some evidence (although inconclusive) to suggest that phytoestrogens may fight certain types of cancer.

Here is a research report, outlining some other potential benefits of the veggies used in Kristin's recipe:

Antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of common vegetables.

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2002 Nov 6;50(23):6910-6.

Chu YF, Sun J, Wu X, Liu RH.

Epidemiological studies have shown that consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with reduced risk of chronic diseases. Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables containing high levels of phytochemicals has been recommended to prevent chronic diseases related to oxidative stress in the human body. In this study, 10 common vegetables were selected on the basis of consumption per capita data in the United States. A more complete profile of phenolic distributions, including both free and bound phenolics in these vegetables, is reported here using new and modified methods. Broccoli possessed the highest total phenolic content, followed by spinach, yellow onion, red pepper, carrot, cabbage, potato, lettuce, celery, and cucumber. Red pepper had the highest total antioxidant activity, followed by broccoli, carrot, spinach, cabbage, yellow onion, celery, potato, lettuce, and cucumber. The phenolics antioxidant index (PAI) was proposed to evaluate the quality/quantity of phenolic contents in these vegetables and was calculated from the corrected total antioxidant activities by eliminating vitamin C contributions. Antiproliferative activities were also studied in vitro using HepG(2) human liver cancer cells. Spinach showed the highest inhibitory effect, followed by cabbage, red pepper, onion, and broccoli. On the basis of these results, the bioactivity index (BI) for dietary cancer prevention is proposed to provide a simple reference for consumers to choose vegetables in accordance with their beneficial activities. The BI could be a new alternative biomarker for future epidemiological studies in dietary cancer prevention and health promotion.

PMID: 12405796

The citation and abstract, presented here, are from the National Library of Medicine's database of published medical literature (PubMed.gov).

Some of the ingredients' special benefits, such as fighting cancer, are reviewed in The CR Way: "Many Foods Fight Cancer," pages 160 to 162.

This recipe uses almost all raw ingredients, so formation of AGEs is minimized.

And what about the taste? We loved it! Avocado and garlic are always winners for adding delicious savory richness to recipes. And Kristin went even further - nuancing the basic flavors with sprigs of parsley and coriander and adding edamame for contrasting texture that makes eating the dish even more fun. Three cheers for Kristin's ingenuity!

If you have recipes you would like to share, please send them to info@LivingTheCRWay.com.

Ketosis Improves Cognition

The CR Way — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 15:21:18 GMT

One of the most important innovations of the CR Way is to provide a method for improving cognitive performance. An important study established that CR by itself could produce significant memory improvements:.

Caloric restriction improves memory in elderly humans.

Witte AV, Fobker M, Gellner R, Knecht S, Fl�el A.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U.S.A. 2009 Jan 27;106(4):1255-60

Animal studies suggest that diets low in calories and rich in unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) are beneficial for cognitive function in age. Here, we tested in a prospective interventional design whether the same effects can be induced in humans. Fifty healthy, normal- to overweight elderly subjects (29 females, mean age 60.5 years, mean body mass index 28 kg/m(2)) were stratified into 3 groups: (i) caloric restriction (30% reduction), (ii) relative increased intake of UFAs (20% increase, unchanged total fat), and (iii) control. Before and after 3 months of intervention, memory performance was assessed under standardized conditions. We found a significant increase in verbal memory scores after caloric restriction (mean increase 20%; P < 0.001), which was correlated with decreases in fasting plasma levels of insulin and high sensitive C-reactive protein, most pronounced in subjects with best adherence to the diet (all r values < -0.8; all P values <0.05). Levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor remained unchanged. No significant memory changes were observed in the other 2 groups.

This interventional trial demonstrates beneficial effects of caloric restriction on memory performance in healthy elderly subjects. Mechanisms underlying this improvement might include higher synaptic plasticity and stimulation of neurofacilitatory pathways in the brain because of improved insulin sensitivity and reduced inflammatory activity. Our study may help to generate novel prevention strategies to maintain cognitive functions into old age.

PMID: 19171901

While it was nice to see that CR could improve memory, we wanted more. We wanted to reverse age-related mental decline - something that seemed like mere fantasy before we created Daily Limited Fasting, which, under low glucose and low insulin conditions, activates ketone production. (For more see: Forum: Ketones and Daily Limited Fasting)

So imagine how delighted we were when a new mouse study showed that even old mice could make significant positive changes by following a ketogenic form of CR. In the following excerpts, we have annotated specific text by indicating it with an asterisk (*).

Diet-Induced Ketosis Improves Cognitive Performance in Aged Rats
Xu K, Sun X, Eroku BO, Tsipis CP, Puchowicz MA, LaManna JC.

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology. 2010;662:71-5. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2010 May 22.

Abstract

Aging is associated with increased susceptibility to hypoxic/ischemic insult and declines in behavioral function which may be due to attenuated adaptive/defense responses. We investigated if diet-induced ketosis would improve behavioral performance in the aged rats. Fischer 344 rats (3- and 22-month-old) were fed standard (STD) or ketogenic (KG) diet for 3 weeks and then exposed to hypobaric hypoxia. Cognitive function was measured using the T-maze and object recognition tests. Motor function was measured using the inclined-screen test. Results showed that KG diet significantly increased blood ketone levels in both young and old rats. In the aged rats, the KG diet improved cognitive performance under normoxic and hypoxic conditions; while motor performance remained unchanged. Capillary density and HIF-1?* levels were elevated in the aged ketotic group independent of hypoxic challenge. These data suggest that diet-induced ketosis may be beneficial in the treatment of neurodegenerative conditions.

* The protein encoded by HIF1 is found in mammalian cells growing at low oxygen concentrations. It plays an essential role in cellular and systemic responses to hypoxia.

1 Introduction

The brain, unlike other organs, is normally completely dependent on glucose, but is capable of using ketones as an alternate energy source, as occurs with prolonged starvation or chronic feeding of a high fat-low carbohydrate (ketogenic, KG) diet. The aging population is subject to increased rates of morbidity and mortality as a result of ischemic and hypoxic events related to stroke and neurodegenerative disease. There are many physiological factors that play a role in recovery and survival. These include those related to stabilization of energy metabolism, the ability to defend against oxidative stress and maintain vascular integrity and density [1].

We have previously shown that diet-induced ketosis increased cortical capillary density [2] and reduced CMRglu (cerebral glucose metabolism) in the young rats [3], and was neuroprotective against focal ischemic insult [4]. One mechanism related to ketotic-induced neuroprotection may be through the upregulation of hypoxic inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1?) [4, 5]. Aging is associated with increased susceptibility to ischemic/hypoxic insult [6] and cognitive decline [7]. In this study, we investigated if diet-induced ketosis improves behavioral performance in the aged rats. Capillary density and HIF-1?responses were determined in the young and aged rats fed a STD or KG diet under normoxic and hypoxic conditions.

3 Results

3.1 Physiological Variables

During the 3-week diet period, the body weight gain was 12-20% in the aged and young, respectively. Hematocrits were similar between the two diet groups (47 � 2, n = 6) in the young. However, hematocrit was elevated in the KG-diet aged group (57 � 4, n = 12) prior to hypoxic exposure. After 3-week hypoxia, hematocrit* (%) reached about 70 in both diet groups young and old. Ketosis as measured by blood ketone levels (mM) ranged 0.8-2.8 following 3 weeks of KG diet in young and old and remained unchanged during hypoxic exposure.

* Hematocrit is the ratio of the volume occupied by packed red blood cells to the volume of the whole blood as measured by a hematocrit, which is a measuring instrument to determine (usually by centrifugation) the relative amounts of corpuscles and plasma in the blood.

3.2 Behavioral Performance

Cognitive function was assesses by a T-maze test and an object recognition test. In the T-maze test, a high alternation rate and quick decision on choosing which arm to enter are indicatives of sustained cognition as the animals must remember which arm was entered last to not re-enter it. In the young rats, the STD and KG rats had similar alternation rate (~53%) and time on choosing arms (~ 30 s). Compared to the young rats, the STD-diet aged rats had lower alternation rate and longer time to choose arms; however, the KG-diet aged group had similar performance compared to the young. In the aged rat, the KG-diet group had a significantly higher alternation rate (%, 63 � 21 vs. 37 � 21, n = 7 each) and significantly shorter time on choosing arms (seconds, 28 � 15 vs. 48 � 7, n = 7 each) than that of the STD-diet group. In the object recognition test, the percent of new object exploration is higher with good cognitive function. Under normoxic conditions, on either diet, the younger rats had significantly higher new object exploration compared to the aged rats. Yet, in the aged rats, the new object exploration was significantly increased in the KG-diet group compared to the STD-diet group under normoxic condition ... and at 1 day hypoxia (%, 80 � 17 vs. 55 � 29, n = 7 each).

The motor function was assessed by an inclined screen test (60 and 90�). Latency to climb to the top and/or latency to fall was recorded, and overall score was calculated using a scoring system as following: 2=climb to the top; 1=fail to climb to the top but stay on the screen; 0=fall. Under normoxic conditions, the aged rats had significantly lower scores (2.0 � 1.4 and 2.6 � 1.8, STD and KG groups respectively, n=11 each) for 60-degree incline compared to the young rats with the same diet (4.5 � 1.3 and 5.0 � 1.0, STD and KG groups, respectively, n=4 each). Similar trends were found in the 90-degree incline test, with lower scores in each group. There was no significant difference between the KG-diet group and the STD diet group in any age group under normoxic or hypoxic conditions.

3.3 Detection of HIF-1? Protein in Brain Cortex

Levels of HIF-1? in brain cortex were detected using Western blot analysis . The data show an upregulation of HIF-1with ketosis in the young and old brain under normoxic conditions (STD vs. KG), similar to what we have previously reported in the young adult [4].

3.4 Capillary Density: GLUT-1 Immunoreactivity

Increase in capillary counts as measured by GLUT-1 immunoreactivity in coronal-cortical sections of aged rat brain after 3 weeks of feeding diets (STD and KG diets. Following hypoxic exposure, capillary density increased 40% in the aged and 60% in the young fed STD diet compared to normoxia. In the KG-diet aged group the capillary density increased similar to what was observed with hypoxic exposure. There was no additive effect of hypoxia with KG diet.

4 Discussion

The key findings derived from this study are that there are quantifiable declines in cognitive and motor skills with aging in the Fisher 344 rat model, and that at least the cognitive deficits can be overcome through dietary intervention. These studies also show that a KG diet can be tolerated in both young and aged Fischer rats, consistent with what we have previously reported [2]. Moderate ketosis was observed following 3-wk feeding of the KG diet in both age groups. Cognitive function was improved with ketosis in the aged rat under normoxic conditions and when challenged by environmental hypoxia. The data also show that brain capillary density was lower and its responsiveness to hypoxia was attenuated compared to young rats. In the aged rats, ketosis induced angiogenesis and increased capillary density equivalent to that observed after hypoxic exposure in young rats. We speculate that the KG diet revitalized the neurovascular unit in the older rats helping to support cognitive function. Thus, diet-induced ketosis may improve adaptation process to hypoxia through elevated HIF-1? and increased capillary density.

References

1. Prins ML. Cerebral metabolic adaptation and ketone metabolism after brain injury. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2008;28(1):1-16. [PMC free article] [PubMed]

2. Puchowicz MA, Xu K, Sun X, Ivy A, Emancipator D, LaManna JC. Diet-induced ketosis increases capillary density without altered blood flow in rat brain. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2007;292(6):E1607-E1615. [PubMed]

3. Koppaka SS, Puchowicz MA, LaManna JC, Gatica JE. Effect of alternate energy substrates on mammalian brain metabolism during ischemic events. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2008;614:361-370. [PubMed]

4. Puchowicz MA, Zechel JL, Valerio J, Emancipator DS, Xu K, Pundik S, LaManna JC, Lust WD. Neuroprotection in diet-induced ketotic rat brain after focal ischemia. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2008;28(20):1907-1916. [PubMed]

5. Chavez JC, LaManna JC. Activation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 in the rat cerebral cortex after transient global ischemia: potential role of insulin-like growth factor-1. J Neurosci. 2002;22(20):8922-8931. [PubMed]

6. Xu K, Sun X, Puchowicz MA, LaManna JC. Increased sensitivity to transient global ischemia in aging rat brain. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2007;599:199-206. [PubMed]

7. Schulz D, Kouri C, Huston JP. Behavior on the water maze platform: relationship to learning and open field exploration in aged and adult rats. Br Res Bull. 2007;74(4):206-215.

8. Xu K, Puchowicz MA, LaManna JC. Renormalization of regional brain blood flow during prolonged mild hypoxic exposure in rats. Br Res. 2004;1027(1-2):188-191.

9. Pichiule P, LaManna JC. Angiopoietin-2 and rat brain capillary remodeling during adaptation and deadaptation to prolonged mild hypoxia. J Appl Physiol. 2002;93(3):1131-1139. [PubMed]

PMID: 20204773

For suggestions on improving human brain power see: Getting Smarter.

Curcumin: Conflict with CR?

The CR Way — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:07:00 GMT

Ads for supplements and research about their effects are in our e-mail in-boxes and elsewhere on the Web all the time. To help people determine whether they want to add a supplement to their CR Way practice, we added "Essential Cell Signaling" on the Science Behind the Benefits page, accessible to all members of LivingTheCRWay.com. If the metabolic pathways of the supplement run counter to the pathways outlined in "Essential Cell Signaling," they will probably step counteract the CR benefits we are all seeking.

The study, abstracted below, about curcumin is an example of the continual opportunities to consider the desirability of taking specific supplements. We have excerpted a few sections that will help us make our decision. Text from this research paper as published is shown "in quotes." Statements that lead to considering whether or not to take curcumin as a supplement are bolded as this sentence is. Any text in [brackets] and any italics for emphasis are CR Way contributions. The occasional asterisk (*) refers you to a nearby note.

Read as much as you want: Even just the top-line detail-free text may help.
One further note - The citation and the abstract appear in PubMed, the National Library of Medicine's extensive database (www.PubMed.gov: Once in PubMed, the fastest way to gain access to the record is to use the PMID as the search criterion). Links from the PubMed entry allow for purchase of the full text as published. The British Journal of Nutrition is published on behalf of the Nutrition Society by CABI Publishing.

Curcumin as a therapeutic agent: the evidence from in vitro, animal and human studies
Epstein J, Sanderson IR, Macdonald TT.
British Journal of Nutrition. 2010 Jun;103(11):1545-57.
PMID: 20100380

Abstract

Curcumin is the active ingredient of turmeric. It is widely used as a kitchen spice and food colorant throughout India, Asia and the Western world. Curcumin is a major constituent of curry powder, to which it imparts its characteristic yellow colour. For over 4000 years, curcumin has been used in traditional Asian and African medicine to treat a wide variety of ailments. There is a strong current public interest in naturally occurring plant-based remedies and dietary factors related to health and disease. Curcumin is non-toxic to human subjects at high doses. It is a complex molecule with multiple biological targets and different cellular effects. Recently, its molecular mechanisms of action have been extensively investigated. It has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. Under some circumstances its effects can be contradictory, with uncertain implications for human treatment. While more studies are warranted to further understand these contradictions, curcumin holds promise as a disease-modifying and chemopreventive agent. We review the evidence for the therapeutic potential of curcumin from in vitro studies, animal models and human clinical trials.

"Dose and safety

There is some evidence that long-term, high-dose curcumin administration in rodents can be tumourigenic [cause tumors19,20). It has also been shown that curcumin's predominant activity switches from antioxidant to pro-oxidant with increasing concentration (21), which may provide an explanation for its seemingly opposing biological effects in vivo [in a living organism]. These apparent contradictory roles of curcumin, as both anti-cancer and pro-carcinogenic agent, are as yet unexplained, and epitomise the complexity and paradoxical nature of the compound. Nevertheless, there is good evidence from India, at a population level, about the safety of lifelong curcumin ingestion up to about 100 mg/d(22), and it is classified 'Generally Recognized As Safe' by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration."

"Transcription factors

Signal Transducer* and Activator of Transcription** (STAT)

Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)3 is a [genetic] transcriptional activator with a ubiquitous role in tumorigenesis.Curcumin reversibly inhibits STAT3 activation in human multiple myeloma cells and by this mechanism suppresses IL-6-induced*** cell proliferation (27)."

[ * Signal transduction, most basically, is any process in cells by which one kind of signal or stimulus converts into another. Its import can be better appreciated when we recognize it as the transmission of a signal across a barrier, usually a membrane. A bit more specifically, it is a sequence of reactions between molecules involved in forwarding signals from outside the cell and amplifying them within the cell. More on the why-it-matters-side: Not only is it the process by which extracellular signals are detected and converted into intracellular signals, but also it then generates specific cellular responses.

** Transcription is a word with many important applications. In genetics it is the conversion of genetic information in a strand of DNA into a strand of RNA, especially messenger RNA (mRNA). What can be missed here is that this is the first step in gene expression. It is the synthesis of an RNA copy from a sequence of DNA (a gene).

*** IL-6 is Interleukin-6, a specific example of the small proteins that are released by cells and have specific effects on cell-to-cell interaction and communication and the behavior of other cells. IL-6 mediates the response to injury and infection and plays a role in growth and differentiation of B cells and T cells (both critical to our immune responses), myelomas (malignant tumors of bone marrow cells), hepatocytes (liver cells), hematopoietic (blood cell-forming) stem cells and nerve cells. IL-6 is critical for development of IgA-related immunity. It is a major mediator of the acute phase response (APR), stimulating hepatic production of APR proteins. ]

"PPAR-gamma

PPAR-gamma is a nuclear receptor and transcription factor [in the cell's nucleus], involved in cell cycle control, proliferation, and differentiation - exerting anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and insulin-sensitising actions. It is highly expressed in adipose tissue and colonic mucosa, where tight control of proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis is vital for homeostasis and prevention of oncogenesis, and here PPAR-gamma may have tumour suppressor functions(32). It is activated by PG* products of the eicosanoid cascade**(33,34) and possibly by dietary components such as linolenic and linoleic [fatty] 0acids. Curcumin induces and activates PPAR-gamma in rat hepatic stellate cells, a liver cell type responsible for fibrosis in liver injury, which contributes to chronic liver damage and cirrhosis. PPAR-gamma inhibited the proliferation of stellate cells, and curcumin greatly enhanced this effect(35).

PPAR-gamma activity in Moser cells (a human colon cancer cell line) is also enhanced by curcumin (36).These data reflect both that PPAR-gamma function is one of the many mechanisms involved in the generation of cancer and that curcumin exerts its anti-cancer effects through multiple pathways."

[* prostaglandin is a hormone-like fatty-acid compound that may affect many bodily functions, e.g., blood pressure, temperature, inflammation, metabolism, smooth muscle activity, certain hormone function

** the downstream pathways of the lipid mediator of inflammation derived from a certain kind of fatty acids. The eicosanoids include the prostaglandins.]

"Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase* signalling pathways"

[* Signaling pathways of protein kinases (protein enzyme molecules that phosphorylate, or add a phosphate group onto, other molecules in the cell thus turning them on or off) that are activated by substances that generate cell division]

"Under some circumstances, curcumin inhibits MAPK activation.Other investigators paradoxically show activation of MAPK by curcumin.Where MAPK is activated, the biological consequence seen is apoptosis; where MAPK is inhibited, the consequences are anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenic [reducing development of blood vessels]."

"Tumour suppressor gene p53

. [I]nvestigators demonstrated (unexpected) inhibition of expression of p53 by curcumin, as well as inhibition of various other genes involved in growth, proliferation and transcriptional activation. Conversely, other experiments show induction of p53 by curcumin, for example in human epithelial breast cancer, prostate cancer and B cell lymphoma cell lines(44) and in HT-29 cells (a human colon adenocarcinoma cell line), where it induced apoptosis(45 In the former work, once again the authors show differential sensitivity of cancer cells compared with healthy cells to curcumin. While some investigators have shown anti-proliferative effects despite inhibition of the tumour suppressor p53(29), established precedents exist where an agent that is cancer-preventative in one system can be carcinogenic in another, for example tamoxifen (therapeutic in breast; pro-neoplastic in uterus)(46). Curcumin may be a clinically useful chemopreventive agent, and this might relate specifically to certain types of cancer and not others. Alternately, it may confer cancer risk that is inseparable from its benefits. These cautions must be borne in mind when considering its human use. "

"Animal models: inflammatory bowel disease

The protective effect of curcumin in this model.was modest and paradoxically occurred only at the lowest dietary concentration of 0.1 %(83). In vivo [in live organisms] NF-kappa-B activation in the gut was unaffected by curcumin at any concentration, but curcumin acted synergistically with IL-10 on epithelial cells to decrease NF-kappa-B [another transcription factor]] activity. These data raise once again the suggestion that curcumin can have paradoxically opposing effects at different concentrations, and when clinical studies take place, a wide range of dosages are warranted."

Summary and conclusions

Since ancient times, curcumin has been used in a wide range of inflammatory, neoplastic and other conditions. In recent years, the molecular basis for its efficacy has been extensively investigated. Many cellular and molecular targets have been identified and many questions still remain. In complex multifactorial illnesses such as systemic inflammatory diseases and cancer, an agent that acts at a number of different cellular levels offers perhaps a better chance of effective prophylaxis or treatment. Its non-toxicity and good tolerability in human subjects, in combination with strong promising results from cell line, animal and early human clinical studies, support the ongoing research and development of curcumin as a preventive and disease-modifying agent.

PMID: 20100380

An important take-away message from this paper is that curcumin appears to have opposing actions, depending on the dosage. This is important from several perspectives. The amount used in cooking does not appear to cause negative results. Without meaning to put words into the mouths of the researchers, this research seems to be looking at possible use of curcumin as a naturopathic drug to treat illnesses. This is very different from considering its use as a protective, disease-preventive supplement.

Still, to determine whether to use curcumin as a supplement, a good rule of thumb is to compare its effects to those activated by CR when it is unimpeded by countering intake or other behavior See "Essential Cell Signaling" for more.

Post Meal glucose, cognition, and longevity

The CR Way — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 14:32:54 GMT

This morning I (Paul) decided to test the postprandial (post-meal) glucose effects of 125g of watermelon, while simultaneously testing its effects on cognition. I tested the latter by playing speed chess with a strong computer program, which - believe me - allows little room for error.

My fasting glucose was 67 mg/dl - right on the money for what I am aiming for these days.

The Nutribase CR Way Edition Software provides a nice breakdown of carbohydrates and sugars for watermelon, showing that only 125 g of watermelon includes 9.44g of total carbohydrates and out of that the total sugars are 7.74 g. The sugars include glucose 1.98g, sucrose 1.31g, and fructose a whopping 4.20g - very high for such a small amount of carbs. Meanwhile, the fiber is a miniscule 0.50g (the same amount of blueberries has 3.38g fiber).

One might hope that the high proportion of fructose might blunt the glycemic effect (not that the potential for increased formation of advanced glycation endproducts by fructose is a good trade-off), but the results of my speed chess game told me the story even before I tested the glycemic effects of the watermelon.

While starting strong and gaining an advantage, the computer tore me to pieces midway through the game. While playing, I could feel my ability to make exact calculations wane, even in the short 12 minutes allotted for the game.

My glucometer told the true tale - a disappointing 26 point rise - a lot for such a small amount of carbs. My rule of thumb, developed from testing the glucose effects of foods thousands of times: Increases higher than 20mg/dl cause my concentration to wane.

Nilsson and colleagues have done research on postprandial glucose and cognition:

Effects of differences in postprandial glycemia on cognitive functions in healthy middle-aged subjects.

Nilsson A, et al

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2009 Jan;63(1):113-20.

OBJECTIVE: To find useful methods for the studies of cognitive function during a postprandial period, and to use these methods to evaluate function after test meals differing in post meal glycaemia.

SUBJECTS/METHODS: Forty healthy volunteers aged 49-70 years were studied. A glucose solution (glucose 50 g) was provided through either a bolus or sipping regimen at breakfast to simulate a high-GI or a low-GI breakfast, respectively. Cognitive tests of working memory (WM) were performed at 35, 90, 120 and 150 min after commencing the breakfast, and a test of selective attention (SA) was performed at 170 min.

RESULTS: Subjects with higher glucose tolerance performed better in the cognitive tests (P<0.05). After entering glucose tolerance as covariate, the subjects performed better in the working memory test at 90 min (P<0.034) and in the selective attention test at 170 min (P<0.017) after the simulated low-glycaemic index (GI) breakfast compared with the simulated high-GI breakfast.

CONCLUSION: Possibly, the cognitive functions tested were enhanced by avoiding a sharp decline in blood glucose concentration and by maintaining a higher glycaemia in the late postprandial period, respectively. A low-GI diet is preferable in the prevention of the risk of cognitive decline as a result of less efficient glucose regulation.

PMID: 17851459

If I had prepared the watermelon meal better (had a "tease meal"* first, let glucose return to normal, and then eaten the watermelon), it, most likely, would have had no effect on cognition. Having more insulin in circulation would have slowed the rate of glucose delivery and likely blunted the total postprandial glucose rise:

The delivery rate of dietary carbohydrates affects cognitive performance in both rats and humans.

Benton D, et al

Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2003 Feb;166(1):86-90.

RATIONALE: Glucose is the main metabolic fuel of the brain. The rate of glucose delivery from food to the bloodstream depends on the nature of carbohydrates in the diet, which can be summarized as the glycaemic index (GI).

OBJECTIVES: To assess the benefit of a low versus high GI breakfast on cognitive performances within the following 4 h.

METHODS: The influence of the GI of the breakfast on verbal memory of young adults was measured throughout the morning in parallel to the assessment of blood glucose levels. The learning abilities of rats performing an operant-conditioning test 3 h after a breakfast-like meal of various GI was also examined.

RESULTS: A low GI rather than high GI diet improved memory in humans, especially in the late morning (150 and 210 min after breakfast). Similarly, rats displayed better learning performance 180 min after they were fed with a low rather than high GI diet.

CONCLUSION: Although performances appeared to be only remotely related to blood glucose, our data provide evidence that a low GI breakfast allows better cognitive performances later in the morning.

PMID: 12488949

The Journal of Nutrition. 2008 Apr;138(4):732-9.

Low-glycemic index (GI) foods and foods rich in whole grain are associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. We studied the effect of cereal-based bread evening meals (50 g available starch), varying in GI and content of indigestible carbohydrates, on glucose tolerance and related variables after a subsequent standardized breakfast in healthy subjects (n = 15). At breakfast, blood was sampled for 3 h for analysis of blood glucose, serum insulin, serum FFA, serum triacylglycerides, plasma glucagon, plasma gastric-inhibitory peptide, plasma glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), serum interleukin (IL)-6, serum IL-8, and plasma adiponectin. Satiety was subjectively rated after breakfast and the gastric emptying rate (GER) was determined using paracetamol as a marker. Breath hydrogen was measured as an indicator of colonic fermentation. Evening meals with barley kernel based bread (ordinary, high-amylose- or beta-glucan-rich genotypes) or an evening meal with white wheat flour bread (WWB) enriched with a mixture of barley fiber and resistant starch improved glucose tolerance at the subsequent breakfast compared with unsupplemented WWB (P < 0.05). At breakfast, the glucose response was inversely correlated with colonic fermentation (r = -0.25; P < 0.05) and GLP-1 (r = -0.26; P < 0.05) and positively correlated with FFA (r = 0.37; P < 0.001). IL-6 was lower (P < 0.01) and adiponectin was higher (P < 0.05) at breakfast following an evening meal with barley-kernel bread compared with WWB. Breath hydrogen correlated positively with satiety (r = 0.27; P < 0.01) and inversely with GER (r = -0.23; P <0.05).

In conclusion, the composition of indigestible carbohydrates of the evening meal may affect glycemic excursions and related metabolic risk variables at breakfast through a mechanism involving colonic fermentation. The results provide evidence for a link between gut microbial metabolism and key factors associated with insulin resistance.

PMID: 18356328

For more, see this by the authors of the above study

Including Indigestible Carbohydrates in the Evening Meal of Healthy Subjects Improves Glucose Tolerance, Lowers Inflammatory Markers, and Increases Satiety after a Subsequent Standardized Breakfast .
Nilsson A., et al. Indigestible Carbohydrates -Cogntition

Note that barley kernels not only lowered glucose, but increased energy stabilizers like glucagon and adiponectin, while lowering IL-6 (associated with increased inflammation) right in line with the biochemistry that must be in place happen to realize CR benefits.

Besides its effect on cognition, high postprandial glucose would likely shut down beneficial biochemistry associated with longevity. For more on this, note the actions of AMP Kinase and its sensitivity to glucose levels as seen here in the new and all-important Essential Cell Signaling in Science Behind the Benefits on the left nav.

__________

* Paul McGlothin and Meredith Averill, The CR Way: Using the Secrets of calorie Restriction for a Longer, Healthier Life. NY: HarperCollins, 2008, pp. 38, 276

Slowing aging by applying calorie restriction science

The CR Way — Sun, 30 May 2010 08:13:20 GMT

For the first time in history you may be able to make a significant difference in how long you live. In fact, increasing evidence indicates you may be able to add 15 or 20 or even more years to your life just by applying known science to:

How much you eat, how you prepare you food and which food choices you make
What supplements you do or don't take
Whether you use stress relief strategies
How much exercise and sleep you get

Some who are alive today may be the last to endure the pain and sorrow of lifespans that end too soon with age-related disease and decline. On the other hand, those who act now may be able to join a wondrous future that offers greatly expanded possibilities for realizing human potential. Human beings will be able to enjoy a longer, disease-free life with capabilities far beyond what may even be imagined today.

The first step to having a chance to be part of the life that is to come, is to take advantage of calorie restriction science now. The worst that can happen is that you make your life immediately better. The best scenario is that CR becomes an almost magical bridge that preserves and even improves your physiological capabilities until science provides ways to slow and eventually reverse aging and the diseases that come with it.

The age-slowing pathways that calorie restriction affects are understood better than ever - The knowledge is there for those who are willing to find out what applying calorie restriction science to their life really means. Think of it in terms of pathways of chemical processes. Cells are composed of sequences of proteins and other molecules that work together to make changes in cell behavior. These "pathways" are often activated or deactivated by limiting calories and are referred to frequently in CR research. In fact, the evidence is overwhelming that limiting calories deactivates pathways that power cell growth and reduces energy availability - forcing activation of pathways that produce energy.

Besides overeating, one of the worst things anyone who wants to live longer and better can do, is to take supplements that counteract these pathways. Not only is aging likely to be accelerated but also disease risk skyrockets. Yet, the number of serious calorie restrictors that continue to make life-threatening mistakes with supplementation is frightening.

Indeed, instances of that have come to the fore. Hence, the reason why it is important to take part in CR Way teleconferences and to read the content on this Web site, especially the new " Essential Pathways" section in "Science Behind the Benefits" on the left navigation menu.

For more on the current state of calorie restriction science see our recent presentation at the University of California - San Francisco.

CR Summer Solstice Celebration

The CR Way — Sun, 23 May 2010 22:47:00 GMT

Summer Solstice is coming

- The CR Way Longevity Center and The NY Chapter of the CR Society Intl. join together to invite you to

What: CR Way - CRSI (NY Chapter) Summer Solstice Celebration
Where: The CR Way Longevity Center, Westchester County, NY
When: Saturday, June 19 (the day before Father's Day &
two days before the Solstice = Midsummer Eve's Eve!)
Time: 4:00 PM to 7:00.
Delicious CR Way treats will be served.

The CR Way Longevity Center is an easy hour, door-to-door ride from Grand Central Terminal (by train or by car). The taxi ride from the local train station to the Center takes about twelve minutes and costs about $12, before the tip. The "group rate" is a couple dollars more, total, so the more people who come at the same time, the less expensive it becomes. Besides, traveling together is more fun.

We will, of course, provide directions to people coming from other locales.

What to do:

Register for the Celebration by sending us a message at LongevityCenter@LivingTheCRWay.com.
Say whether you want us to share your contact info in a group message to facilitate meeting for the train ride.
Live a happy CR life between now and June 19.
Join in the CR Summer Solstice Celebration of the sun and good luck.

PS: Check out The CR Way in action at the Univ. of California San Francisco in February.

Discovering Delicious Nutrient-Dense Foods and Recipes: Floral Watermelon Rind Pure�

The CR Way — Tue, 18 May 2010 12:26:48 GMT

One of the most delightful aspects of the CR Way lifestyle is discovering new nutrient-dense foods. We enjoy creating new recipes that make our discoveries delicious and satisfying to eat. So we were very pleased when a member of the CR Way community reminded us that watermelon rind is loaded with important nutrients. That prompted us to explore the best ways to enjoy it without adding things that negate the health benefits. The floral smell of the fresh rinds suggested that aromatic flavors like lemon or spices like lemon grass and cardamom would combine well with the rind, but we never dreamed it would turn out to be so luscious that we would really savor it. So we were motivated to add our latest recipe, Watermelon Rind Pure�, to the growing list of recipes in Delicious Foods on the left nav.

One finding,* that watermelon contains high amounts of citrulline, an amino acid precursor of arginine, prompted Internet health-oriented writers and some researchers to proclaim that eating watermelon would have the Viagra-like effect of dilating blood vessels. Arginine is a precursor of nitric oxide, the hormone that dilates blood vessels, making male erection possible.

�

* Journal of Chromatography, A. 2005 Jun 17;1078(1-2):196-200.

�� Determination of citrulline in watermelon rind.

�� Rimando AM, Perkins-Veazie PM.

Watermelon is a natural and rich source of the non-essential amino acid citrulline. Citrulline is used in the nitric oxide system in humans and has potential antioxidant and vasodilatation roles.

>Snip<

Watermelons were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to determine the citrulline content among varieties, types, flesh colors, and tissues. Citrulline content ranged from 3.9 to 28.5 mg/g dry weight (dwt) and was similar between seeded and seedless types (16.6 and 20.3 mg/g dwt, respectively). Red flesh watermelons had slightly less citrulline than the yellow or orange flesh watermelons (7.4, 28.5 and 14.2 mg/g dwt, respectively). Rind contained more citrulline than flesh on a dry weight basis (24.7 and 16.7 mg/g dwt, respectively) but a little less on a fresh weight (fwt) basis (1.3 and 1.9 mg/g fwt, respectively). These results indicate that watermelon rind, an underutilized agricultural waste, offers a source of natural citrulline.

PMID: 16007998

�

Besides being important for sexual expression for both men and women - nitric oxide lowers blood pressure, prevents atherosclerosis and plays a vital role in immune system defense against pathogens. But even though watermelon has large amount of citrulline, it is fantasy to think that the body could extract it efficiently enough to have an immediate effect after eating a serving. Some health enthusiasts take supplemental citrulline, a dangerous way to increase nitric oxide, which would also increase IGF-I raising cancer risk. For more see:

Is low IGF-I a risk factor?

IGF-I and Its Importance in Calorie Restriction

IGF-I - Protein - Cancer

It is much better to get your citrulline naturally by enjoying foods like watermelon and its rind as illustrated in this delicious recipe, now available to Longevity-Level members in the�Delicious Foods section.

Also, serious CR Way followers are unlikely to have low�nitric oxide since calorie restriction has been shown to increase nitric oxide production as well as preserve the body's ability to produce it, which usually declines with age. See the research results in lab animals:

�

Acta Physiologica Hungarica. 2008 Mar; 95(1):55-63.

Effect of caloric restriction on nitric oxide production, ACE activity, and blood pressure regulation in rats.

Sharifi AM, et al

.This study sought to examine the possible effect of caloric restriction on nitric oxide production, ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) activity and blood pressure regulation in rat. Two groups of rats were selected as the control (C) and the CR group and with a (sic) standard and an every other day diet, respectively, for 4 weeks. At the end of study in the CR group systolic blood pressure was significantly decreased compared to controls. The serum nitric oxide (NOx) was significantly increased compared to the C group. The serum ACE activity was lower in the CR group. Therefore, it may be concluded that CR could reduce blood pressure by elevating NO production and lowering ACE activity.

PMID: 18389998

Is Low IGF-I a risk factor?

The CR Way — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 10:11:33 GMT

Limiting calories lowers growth-related activities in the body, and for good reason. The body senses that an abundance of substrate for cell division is not available so it shifts to defensive mode -becoming more resilient and efficient.

An important aspect of the metabolic shift that occurs with CR is the downregulation of the Growth hormone/Insulin like growth factor 1 axis a major regulator of growth.* In discussions about CR, some people inevitably become concerned that low IGF-I may be a risk factor for example:

Yamaguchi H, Komamura K, Choraku M, Hirono A, Takamori N, Tamura K, Akaike M, Azuma H. "Impact of serum insulin-like growth factor-1 on early prognosis in acute myocardial infarction." Internal Medicine. 2008;47(9):819-25. Epub 2008 May 1.

Drawing parallels between studies of unhealthy subjects with low IGF-I and low levels of IGF-I provoked by calorie restriction, I believe are fallacious. Studies where low levels of IGF-I are thought to contribute to early death are usually done on very ill subjects. In contrast, calorie-restricted animals are healthy. They may show lower IGF-I levels early in their CR lives, but as they get older their IGF-I levels often become higher than ad lib controls. While the ad libbers simply experience deterioration, CR'd animals frequently retain their ability to produce IGF-I and related growth hormones.

Masoro discusses this in his excellent handbook on calorie restriction and how it modulates aging: "CR also markedly decreases plasma IGF-I in young BN rats,1 but with increasing age there is a fall in the plasma IGF-I levels in the ad libitum-fed rats and not in rats on the CR regimen." 2 So I would expect that a lifelong study of calorie restricted humans would show that when they get older, their IGF-I levels would be higher than their ad lib counterparts.

We would also expect that cells of CR'd humans would utilize the IGF-I and related hormones much more affectively than ad libbers for Masoro also reports that in aging rats, CR increases type 1 IGF-I receptors in liver, heart and skeletal muscle by 1.2 - 2.5 fold. 3

Note that in the following study, protein restriction works in a similar fashion to CR - provoking the body to adjust by increasing growth hormone/IGF-I receptors and increasing circulating growth hormone

Naranjo WM, Yakar S, Sanchez-Gomez M, Perez AU, Setser J, LERoith D. "Protein calorie restriction affects nonhepatic IGF-I production and the lymphoid system: studies using the liver-specific IGF-I gene-deleted mouse model." Endocrinology. 2002 Jun;143(6):2233-41.

A low protein intake decreased the nonhepatic IGF-I secretion into the circulation, whereas it caused an increase in the level of circulating GH. This supports the view that nonhepatic IGF-I production contributes to circulating IGF-I levels. The lack of dietary protein led to an up-regulation of GH and IGF-I receptors expression in the spleen, whereas the IGF-I mRNA remained unchanged, as was demonstrated by flow cytometry and ribonuclease protection assay. B lymphocytes seem to be responsible for the up-regulated GH/IGF-I receptor expression. Northern blot analysis showed an up-regulation of IGF-binding protein-3 mRNA levels, which suggests that the protein deprivation may lead to an increased sequestration of circulating or locally synthesized IGF-I. These results support the hypothesis that the splenic GH/IGF-I axis responds to the nutritional stress caused by a low protein intake, to maintain the tissue homeostasis.

PMID: 12021187

What's the best way then to preserve endocrine function: over-stimulation by excessive calorie or protein intake, or by some other means?

We suggest none of the above. The evidence shows that the under-stimulation of endocrine glands by calorie restriction or protein restriction preserves their function and causes cells to increase their receptivity to hormones.

_______________________________

Osteoporosis and low weight

The CR Way — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 10:49:45 GMT

One of the most difficult challenges that serious calorie restrictors face is maintaining a healthy weight that does not slip lower and lower.

If you enjoy an active life that includes exercise and you've achieved the perfect weight that helps you feel energetic and clear-headed, you may be tempted to limit calories more than you should. At first, when your weight drops a pound or half pound below the limit you set for yourself, you may think nothing of it. But falling into the trap of rationalizing lower and lower weights is an easy and serious mistake.

Be warned: this could shorten, rather than lengthen, your life!

Osteoporosis Risk

Studies at Washington University in St. Louis have shown definitively that when people following a low-calorie diet let their weight drop below a BMI of 18.5, osteoporosis risk rises - even if they are still at an age when osteoporosis rarely occurs. This is a no-win situation.

If your bone density is too low when you are in your 20s or 30s, think what it will be like when you are getting close to achieving the centenarian level that many who are reading this aspire to.

This is not speculation. We know, for example, a calorie restrictor who maintained a lifelong BMI of 17. Everything was fine until she reached 80.

She still looked beautiful and was functioning at a level that was the envy of her peers. Exercise was not a part of her lifestyle And then, the unthinkable: Her bones began to break: first one hip, then the other. And her back also began to give her horrible pain. Now in her mid-80s, she is unrecognizable: She is confined to a wheel chair, lives on pain killers and requires 24-hour care. She does not see friends or relatives - only her immediate family.

Please be forewarned.

The good news is that by occasionally eating more calories to maintain your weight, your body becomes more thrifty - using energy more conservatively. Studies seem to indicate that it will be harder to lose the weight once you gain it back. *

Your line in the sand

In The CR Way we advise setting a goal BMI (Body Mass Index) that is between 18.5 and 22.5. Now, no one knows for sure what BMI is best. But we do know this is a healthy range. Once you have set your goal, stick to it!

For example, let's say your weight drops a couple of pounds below your target. Make plans to increase your calories until you get back to your line-in-the-sand goal. And then: Implement your plan.

When you increase the calories, also make sure not to violate sound, CR Way principles, e.g., take care not to eat excessive protein or high-GI foods. Rather simply eat more of your nutrient-dense favorites.

One of the best ways to approach this is to take advantage of some of the CR recipes that� especially work for this purpose, e.g., Satisfaction Sweet Potato Medallions and Walnut Pesto. A special note to people fighting cancer who may have lost weight through disease complications,chemotherapy, or both: These recipes are perfect for safe ways to gain weight while minimizing pathways known to increase rates of metastasis.

�

* Weight regain after slimming induced by an energy-restricted diet depends on interleukin-6 and peroxisome-proliferator-activated-receptor-gamma2 gene polymorphisms.

Goyenechea, Estibaliz; Dolores Parra, M.; Alfredo Martinez, J.

British Journal of Nutrition. 2006 November. 96(5):965-972.�� PMID: 17092389

�

CR Way Research Update

The CR Way — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 11:42:00 GMT

We promised that we would keep you up to date about the research we are working on with Elizabeth Blackburn and other scientists at UCSF.� So here we are to tell you the very exciting news:�

�

The CRONA pilot project is now funded!

This means that a group of CR practitioners will get to have the length of their telomeres tested - not available in your corner clinical lab! Elizabeth Blackburn won the 2009 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase. ��

�

DNA has these precious little telomeres, protecting both ends of the molecule from losing a bit of length with each cell division and from unraveling. When DNA unravels - we're looking at cell death. And cell death that is system-wide is obviously bad news. The researchers will also test a group of age- and sex-matched controls to compare telomere length between the two groups.

CRONA's pilot study is robust. It will provide enough data to make a persuasive case to gain serious funding for the CRONA "dream" study, which will include many other tests. The idea is to gain a more comprehensive understanding of CR's effects on humans.

You may remember that the research design is to test people who have practiced CR for a while, though the exact requirement of length of CR practice is yet to be determined. To actually test CR, the subjects must avoid eating and other behavior that runs counter to the pathways of effective CR. So the study will use a delicious dietary protocol that has been shown to produce effects consistent with known CR biochemistry -� the extraordinary health benefits seen in human calorie restriction.

This has been the focus of The CR Way since it began - simply: CR Without Behavior Opposed to CR Effects. You can find out more about this by reading previous posts on this blog, such as - Reversing age-related declines�

Other resources:

All sections of this website
The CR Way
Nutribase CR Way Edition software
The CR way Longevity Center on Facebook
�Presentation: Dallman Symposium, University California San Francisco
�

�If you would like to participate in the study cohort, please send a message to info@LivingTheCRWay.com.

�

Challenge to Chess Champions: Improving Cognition

The CR Way — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

In his Neurobiology of Aging paper (2009), Dr. Timothy Salthouse* suggests that age-related cognitive decline starts in healthy educated adults when they are in their 20s or 30s. Support for Dr Salthouse's contention comes from one of the world's most demanding cognitive challenges, professional chess. Top level players, who are rated according to their tournament results by international governing federations, are becoming younger and younger.

In fact, Iceland's 19-year-old wunderkind Magnus Carlson is now the highest rated player in the world, surpassing both the 40-year-old world champion, Viswanathan Anand from India and his challenger Veselin Topalov, 34, of Bulgaria.

Should top chess players fold up their board and choose tiddlywinks after age 20?

Hardly: A huge body of scientific research points the way to improving and perhaps reversing age-related cognitive decline. The Getting Smarter section of this site contains many strategies that have been proven to work.

For example, glucose-hungry brain cells become challenged when circulating blood sugar drops to the 80s (mg/dl of blood) or below. Research shows that ketones, a safer form of energy than glucose, swing into action when this happens. This forces healthy neurons to go through an adaptation process, becoming more energy-efficient, actually generating more mitochondria, thus making energy production to power thinking capabilities easier to generate. (The Getting Smarter section on the left nav will give you more information on this. As you know, access to deeper parts of this site requires Longevity-Level membership.)

Under these conditions, new cells are formed in the hippocampus; and other areas of the brain - the substantia nigra, for example - are preserved. All this ultimately helps prevent and possibly even reverse cognitive decline.

Meanwhile, new research shows that when glucose availability drops, the neuroprotective and energy-sensitive gene SIRT1 is activated. This may help prevent and even shrink the amyloid plaque formation associated with Alzheimer's Disease.

So how can you use the CR Way^TMto improve brainpower? We provide more details in an open letter to the World Chess Champion and his challenger found in the Getting Smarter section of this website.

# # #

Complimentary Copy of The CR Way!

The CR Way — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:22:00 GMT

Very shortly, we will welcome you to LivingTheCRWay.com as a members' site. Two levels of membership will be offered:

1 - Longevity Level Members

For just 16 cents a day, Longevity Level Members will gain access to The CR Way to Happy Dieting and the new online resource: The CR Way to Optimal Performance. Based on 40 years of research, The CR Way to Optimal Performance introduces a new way to use food and lifestyle to increase both productivity at work and relaxation.

For those who recently subscribed, your subscription will be expanded to the Longevity-Level Membership for the balance of your subscription, plus an additional complimentary month. For those whose membership has expired, you will be given a one-month complimentary Longevity-Level Membership. After that, you can renew your membership for just 16 cents a day.

Full-year subscriptions will receive a free copy of The CR Way and be welcomed to join free teleconferences held every two weeks.

2 - Healthy Start Members

The Healthy Start Membership is free. Join and gain access to the popular blog, science sections, and other select content. Plus: We will notify you about events at the CR Way^T Longevity Center and upcoming CR research studies.

The new membership levels of the site will create a unique Web community whose members will support each other, so we all live longer and better.

For this transition, LivingTheCRWay.com will be inaccessible for a couple of days. We will let you know here when it is back live. See you soon!

The CR Way Community

The CR Way — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:11:19 GMT

If you want to improve any aspect of your health, being part of a support group greatly increases your chances of success. For example, we all know about well organized, venerated programs like Weight Watchers or Alcoholics Anonymous that have proved that over time meeting with one's peers can produce excellent results. Having a support group also seems important for longevity. In his excellent book, Blue Zones, Dan Buettner reported that having a social network was an important part of the lives of centenarians he studied -- whether in the U.S., Italy, Okinawa, or other parts of the world.

Apart from health benefits, just being together with others who share your passions for optimal living is an enriching, nurturing experience. So imagine how wonderful it was for us when Kathryn Gordon, who is also ardent about CR, met us at the San Francisco airport and helped us find lots of resources that we needed there. Kathryn is a smart, successful business woman, who like us is passionate about optimal health. We laughed and talked with her and enjoyed hiking with her from our hotel to Whole Foods where we put together a meal from the salad bar (the Fast Foods Meal Plan in The CR way to Happy Dieting zgives some suggestions on how to do this) and some of our own food we brought with us. We also had fun toasting the joy of being together with cinnamon-lemon tea, one of our new, favorite ways of lowering blood sugar.

Another outing with Kathryn was just as stimulating. We went with her to the Cliff House in San Francisco. The Cliff House, which offers beautiful views of the San Francisco Bay, is a restaurant and a fixture in San Francisco. The restaurant personnel was gracious and welcomed us to look around at the impressive vistas offered by their windows, but there was no need to sit around and eat to be sociable. We enjoyed walking and exploring and reveling in natural conversation that just seems to flow when CR folk get together.

We also met Nick Colby, Jeff Teeters and Barry Gamble, all long-term CR Society friends. Each is highly intelligent, talented and full of CR stories about the lifestyle we all practice.

All of these folks are more than casual acquaintances. We really care about them and had great fun talking with them. They actually represent another aspect of CR that is rapidly growing: COMMUNITY! There are now significant numbers of CR Way followers in many parts of the world and we are pushing to unite them into a close-knit community. In fact, this was one of the reasons we built The CR Way Longevity Center, so CR folks will have a place to enjoy being together.

We have already noticed that some wonderful relationships have evolved from CR get-togethers. New friends to be sure, and some folks have struck up long-term relationships. It is likely that more such relationships will develop since that's what happens when people who have so much in common come together.

Those who enjoy being part of The CR Way Community will be pleased to know that within days, Livingthecrway.com will become a member site. Here people will find unprecedented resources for making life better and, quite possibly, longer.

In addition to The CR Way to Happy Dieting, which has become a way of life for many folks who want to lose weight healthfully, Longevity Level members of the new site will gain access to a new resource - The CR Way to Optimal Performance.

Here, anyone who wants to overcome performance anxiety will find dietary and lifestyle strategies that will help. But overcoming anxiety is just the first step. We all want to be winners in whatever we choose to do. So The CR Way to Optimal Performance will show people how to combine positive biochemistry with protocols to do your best, whether you are competing in the Olympics or trading stocks.

Other new routines for cognitive improvement, gaining and maintaining weight healthfully, and preventing osteoporosis will soon become available. We will also announce new CR studies, which we hope will inspire many to make the most of CR science by applying new findings to their lives.

CRONA - Exciting New Research in the Planning

The CR Way — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 12:00:38 GMT

On February 18^th, we participated in a CRONA (Calorie Restriction with Optimal Nutrition and Aging) planning meeting at the University of California, San Francisco. CRONA is an extensive research project headed by Drs. Elizabeth Blackburn, Anne Brunet, Elissa Epel, Pankaj Kapahi, Cynthia Kenyon, Jue Lin. Eric Verdin. The hyperlinks provide information about significant contributions these individuals have made to longevity research.Dr. Blackburn won the 2009 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase (Telomeres and Telomerase: The Means to the End).

On the morning of the 18^th, Paul presented to this group about the differences between calorie restriction in animals and CR in humans and the additional research challenges that humans present. The research will look at cell signals associated with aging and consider how calorie restrictors might, through diet and lifestyle, activate or protect against deactivating these pathways. The presentation was made with utmost humility and gratitude, for many of the scientists present are the very researchers who discovered the science being presented - and that we live!

Our initial goal was to raise $100,000, to fund the pilot study to provide data for an NIH grant application for a big - 5.2 million dollar - project, running over 3 years. Generous people have come forward, and the pilot project is funded. If you would like to be a donor to this project, you can start right now by dropping a note to Meredith Averill. We will make it easy for you. Thank you all for your interest!

The NutriBase CR Way Edition software

The CR Way — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:00:00 GMT

Take the guesswork out of healthy living

Imagine trying to drive a car without a steering wheel. The chances of getting where you want to go are virtually nil. The same is true for managing a healthy lifestyle - dietary software is the steering wheel. This leaves little to chance. In fact, we attribute much of our extraordinary health to tracking our diet, exercise, and the outcomes with NutriBase, the most accurate and full-featured nutrition and fitness software available.

NutriBase is widely used by people who want precision and accuracy - including health and fitness professionals. As The CR Way^TMdeveloped into a worldwide movement - we realized that people following the lifestyle, and anyone else who wants to live as healthfully as possible, need a sophisticated way to track what they are doing. This prompted us to work with NutriBase to develop a program that sets the standard for managing a healthy lifestyle: The NutriBase CR Way Edition.

We originally became aware of NutriBase when we needed software to use for the CR Society's "Effects of CR on Humans" Pilot Study that preceded the "Long-term Effects of CR on Humans" studies at the School of Medicine at Washington University in Saint Louis. Out of all its competitors NutriBase was chosen because of its advanced functionality and accuracy. Since then we've worked with NutriBase to create the NutriBase CR Way Edition and price it affordably. This groundbreaking software downloads to a home computer, giving dieters tools to immediately take control of their life

If you need to lose weight, you can enter your weight-loss goals into the program and it will calculate a healthful number of pounds to lose each week and the appropriate calorie intake to achieve your goal. The software comes loaded with recipes that improve mood, empowering you to leave unhealthful comfort foods behind.

The NutriBase CR Way Edition's extensive tracking capabilities eliminate guesswork that leads to unhealthful outcomes. It makes tracking easy - recording weight as well as calorie and nutrient intake, including fatty acids and phytochemicals. You can also track exercise, glucose levels, heart health, and even mood. The best way to know how your diet affects you? Use the software regularly and test routinely with your health professional.

Why go to the trouble of entering your diet online when the NutriBase CR Way Edition downloads to your computer in minutes, making it easy to achieve your goals? And you own your data.

BUY NOW!