Dietary supplements containing extracts of cinnamon and methods of using same to promote enhanced sirtuin, cell and telomere integrity
A dietary supplement composition is provided for enhancing the expression of a sirtuin gene or protein. An inventive supplement composition includes at least one cinnamon extract containing at least 0.5% doubly linked Type-A polymers by dry weight. The cinnamon extract is derived from the Cinnamonum aromaticum, Cinnamonum verum or Cinnamonum burmannii plant. In some embodiments, the cinnamon extract is present at approximately 20%-50% of the dry weight of the composition. A vitamin, weight loss agent, or antioxidant is optionally provided in the composition. The dietary supplement composition is administered orally to promote expression or enhanced expression of a sirtuin gene or protein.
1. A process of increasing expression of a gene encoding a sirtuin in a subject comprising:
administering to a subject a composition comprising at least 0.5 percent Type-A polymers by weight, said Type-A polymers comprising A-type doubly linked procyanidin oligomers of the catechins and/or epicatechins, and
increasing expression of a gene encoding a sirtuin in said subject by said step of administering.
2. The process of claim 1 , wherein said composition further comprises one or more vitamins, antioxidants, sirtuin enhancers, or combinations thereof.
3. The process of claim 1 wherein the composition is administered orally.
4. The process of claim 2 wherein said vitamin is vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, or vitamin K.
5. The process of claim 2 wherein said antioxidant is alpha lipoic acid, acai, astazanthin, wolfberry, glutathione, or super oxide dismutase.
6. The process of claim 2 wherein the sirtuin enhancer is resveratrol or polygonum.
7. The process of claim 1 wherein said composition is administered daily for a period of twelve weeks or more.
8. The process of claim 1 further comprising quantifying the expression of a sirtuin gene in said subject subsequent to said administering.
9. The process of claim 1 further comprising quantifying the level of a sirtuin protein expression in said subject subsequent to said administering.
10. The process of claim 9 wherein said sirtuin protein is SIRT1.