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Pomegranate extracts impact the androgen biosynthesis pathways in prostate cancer models in vitro and in vivo
The results showed that POM (0-12μg/ml) reduced the production of testosterone, DHT, DHEA, androstenedione, androsterone, and pregnenolone in both cell lines. In addition our in vivo data supports this observation with a reduction in serum steroids determined after 20 weeks of POM treatment (0.17g/L in drinking water). In accordance with these results, Western Blotting of cell lysates and tPSA analysis determined that PSA was significantly decreased by the treatment of POM. Interestingly, AKR1C3 and AR levels were shown to be increased in both cell lines, perhaps as a negative feedback effect in response to steroid inhibition. Overall, these results provide mechanistic evidence to support the rationale for recent clinical reports describing efficacy of POM in CRPC patients. Ming DS, Pham S, Deb S, Chin MY, Kharmate G, Adomat H, Beheshti EH, Locke J, Guns ET. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2014 Feb 21. pii: S0960-0760(14)00035-1.[Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24565566

Why dark chocolate is good for your heart
It might seem too good to be true, but dark chocolate is good for you and scientists now know why. Dark chocolate helps restore flexibility to arteries while also preventing white blood cells from sticking to the walls of blood vessels. Both arterial stiffness and white blood cell adhesion are known factors that play a significant role in atherosclerosis. What's more, the scientists also found that increasing the flavanol content of dark chocolate did not change this effect. This discovery was published in the March 2014 issue of The FASEB Journal. Eurekalert!

Supplement added to a standard diet improves health and prolongs life in mice
Researchers led by Dr. Rafael de Cabo of the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health tested the effects of a small molecule that activates SIRT1, called SIRT1720, on the health and lifespan of mice. The animals were fed a standard diet supplemented with 100 mg/kg SRT1720 beginning at 6 months of age for the remainder of their lives.

The researchers found that SRT1720 significantly extended the average lifespan of mice by 8.8%. Supplementation also reduced body weight and body fat percentage, and it improved muscle function and motor coordination throughout the animals' lives. Eurekalert!

Natural fungal products could offer potential Alzheimer's therapy
Of the 17 natural products, the researchers discovered three that were effective in inhibiting tau accumulation: 2,ω-dihydroxyemodin, asperthecin and asperbenzaldehyde. Their findings were published recently in Planta Medica, a leading international peer-reviewed journal in the field of medicinal plants and natural product research.

"All three of them did block the aggregation of tau 100 percent as far as we can tell," said Gamblin. "Some of them took very high concentrations to do so though." MedicalXpress