Metformin and ‘Anti‑Aging’: Promising Mechanisms but Mixed Clinical Evidence — What Recent Trials Tell Us

Metformin and ‘Anti‑Aging’: Promising Mechanisms but Mixed Clinical Evidence — What Recent Trials Tell Us

Recent randomized and mechanistic studies provide a nuanced view: metformin shows plausible anti‑aging mechanisms and microbiome‑linked cognitive associations, but randomized trials report no clear anti‑cancer or anti‑senescence effects in humans to date.
Blackcurrant Anthocyanins Improve Postprandial Vascular Function and Platelet Reactivity: Acute Crossover Trial Highlights Metabolites Linked to Benefit

Blackcurrant Anthocyanins Improve Postprandial Vascular Function and Platelet Reactivity: Acute Crossover Trial Highlights Metabolites Linked to Benefit

In a randomized, double‑blind crossover trial, a 200 mL anthocyanin‑rich blackcurrant beverage (≈711 mg anthocyanins) taken with a high‑fat meal improved flow‑mediated dilation and reduced agonist‑induced platelet aggregation and IL‑8 over 6 hours in healthy middle‑aged adults; specific circulating phenolic metabolites correlated with the responses.
Urolithin A for Muscle Health: A 4‑Month Randomized Trial Shows Improved Lower‑Limb Strength, Endurance Signals, and Mitochondrial Biomarkers

Urolithin A for Muscle Health: A 4‑Month Randomized Trial Shows Improved Lower‑Limb Strength, Endurance Signals, and Mitochondrial Biomarkers

In a randomized, double‑blind 4‑month trial of middle‑aged overweight adults, oral urolithin A improved hamstring strength (~10–12%), increased peak VO2 and 6‑minute walk distance (clinically meaningful at 33 m for 1,000 mg), altered mitochondrial proteomic signatures, and reduced inflammation without major safety signals.