Humans are naturally social. Yet, the modern way of life in industrialized countries is greatly reducing the quantity and quality of social relationships. Many people in these countries no longer live in extended families or even near each other. Instead, they often live on the other side of the country or even across the world from their relatives. Many also delay getting married and having children. Likewise, more and more people of all ages in developed countries are living alone, and loneliness is becoming increasingly common. In the UK, according to a recent survey by the Mental Health Foundation, 10% of people often feel lonely, a third have a close friend or relative who they think is very lonely, and half think that people are getting lonelier in general. Similarly, over the past two decades there has been a three-fold increase in the number of Australians who say they have no close confidants. There is reason to believe that people are becoming more socially isolated.

They point to a 1988 review of five prospective studies that showed that people with fewer social relationships die earlier on average than those with more social relationships.

Why Was This Study Done?

Some experts think that social isolation is bad for human health. They point to a 1988 review of five prospective studies that showed that people with fewer social relationships die earlier on average than those with more social relationships. But, even though many prospective studies of mortality (death) have included measures of social relationships since that first review, the idea that a lack of social relationships is a risk factor for death is still not widely recognized by health organizations and the public. In this study, therefore, the researchers undertake a systematic review and meta-analysis of the relevant literature to determine the extent to which social relationships influence mortality risk and which aspects of social relationships are most predictive of mortality.

What Did the Researchers Do and Find?

The researchers identified 148 prospective studies that provided data on individuals’ mortality as a function of social relationships and extracted an “effect size” from each study. An effect size quantifies the size of a difference between two groups—here, the difference in the likelihood of death between groups that differ in terms of their social relationships. The researchers then used a statistical method called “random effects modeling” to calculate the average effect size of the studies expressed as an odds ratio (OR)—the ratio of the chances of an event happening in one group to the chances of the same event happening in the second group.

They report that the average OR was 1.5. That is, people with stronger social relationships had a 50% increased likelihood of survival than those with weaker social relationships.

Put another way, an OR of 1.5 means that by the time half of a hypothetical sample of 100 people has died, there will be five more people alive with stronger social relationships than people with weaker social relationships. Importantly, the researchers also report that social relationships were more predictive of the risk of death in studies that considered complex measurements of social integration than in studies that considered simple evaluations such as marital status.

What Do These Findings Mean?

These findings indicate that the influence of social relationships on the risk of death are comparable with well-established risk factors for mortality such as smoking and alcohol consumption and exceed the influence of other risk factors such as physical inactivity and obesity.

Furthermore, the overall effect of social relationships on mortality reported in this meta-analysis might be an underestimate, because many of the studies used simple single-item measures of social isolation rather than a complex measurement. Although further research is needed to determine exactly how social relationships can be used to reduce mortality risk, physicians, health professionals, educators, and the media should now acknowledge that social relationships influence the health outcomes of adults and should take social relationships as seriously as other risk factors that affect mortality, the researchers conclude.

Regardless of the reason, one thing is clear: if you want to live a long and healthy life, you need social support.

But how do you find that support in an increasingly fast-paced, fragmented, modern world? Here are a few ideas:

Cultivate friendship. Only 25 percent of Australian say they are truly satisfied with their friendships.

Put yourself out there. Join a book club or some other activity group; play on a soccer, softball, or learn ballroom dancing; go to parties; and get out and about!

Volunteer. People who give social support have lower blood pressure, and they’re more likely to report having greater social support (what goes around comes around!). Volunteering is also a great way to meet like-minded people that you’re likely to connect with.

Putting yourself out there and forming new friendships and connections is not always easy, but according to the research, making a new friend may have a bigger impact on your health than starting a new exercise routine or losing weight. (Don’t take that as a recommendation not to be physically active or maintain a healthy weight, but as an indicator of just how important social connection really is!)

http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1000316

An article appearing on June 9, 2016 in the British Journal of Cancer reports a lower risk of dying from any cause among men with prostate cancer who regularly consumed tree nuts.

For their research, a team led by Ying Bao, MD, ScD, of the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School evaluated data from 47,299 men enrolled in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Dietary data that was updated every four years over the course of the study provided information on the quantity of nuts consumed, which included almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts.

 Over a twenty-six year period, 6,810 cases of prostate cancer were identified. Prostate cancer patients who consumed nuts at least five times per week following their diagnosis had a 34% lower risk of mortality over the course of follow-up compared with men who consumed nuts less than once per month.

Nuts provide unsaturated fats, high quality protein, vitamin E, folate, niacin, calcium, magnesium, potassium and phytochemicals, which have cardioprotective, anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, all of which could impact mortality risk over a given period. In addition to being associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and mortality over time, tree nut consumption has been associated with improvement in insulin sensitivity. Research suggests that insulin resistance is involved in the risk of prostate cancer and progression of the disease.

While nut intake was not found to be associated with the risk of mortality from prostate cancer, the authors concluded that “Frequent nut consumption after diagnosis was associated with significantly reduced overall mortality.”

 “This is important,” noted Dr Bao, “since more men live with prostate cancer than die from it.”

 

 

If you’re trying to heal or prevent a health problem, turns out one of the most effective therapies is likely sitting at your feet, lying in your lap or snoozing a stone’s throw away. I’m talking about your pets. You probably always knew that petting your dog or cat is soothing. But did you know it could save your life, too?

What’s more, people who have pets visit their primary care practitioners less frequently than people without pets. And researchers at the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Hospital discovered that people who own pets report a large reduction in minor health problems and significant improvements in psychological well-being in the first month after acquiring their feline friend or canine companion.

In other words, pets are a bit like a medicine cabinet on paws. Only instead of doling out pills, they provide less tangible benefits for both your emotional and physical health.

Giving Your Emotional Health a Boost

Pets are uplifting for both children and adults. For example, pets help children develop social skills. Children who live with both a dog and cat also have greater empathy, self-esteem, cognitive development and participation in social and athletic pursuits. Kids with pets also have increased trust, a feeling of community, more self-confidence and feel safer.

In adults and children, when there is an illness or death in the family, pets help family members cope and recover. Pets also provide support and stability in military families when a family member is being relocated.

Pets Are Good for the Heart

Many studies have found that owning a pet is linked to a reduction of cardiovascular disease risk factors. One study in Australia of 5,741 subjects found that pet owners had significantly lower systolic blood pressure and triglycerides compared with non-owners.

Another study looked at 240 married couples experiencing psychological and physical stress. Some of the couples had pet dogs or cats while others did not. The study found that couples with pets had significantly lower heart rate and blood pressure levels during the beginning of the study, significantly smaller increases in blood pressure after exposure to a stressful experience and faster recovery after the stressful experience.

Most surprising of all, in a randomized, controlled study, owning a pet was more effective at lowering blood pressure in response to mental stress than an ACE-inhibitor drug.

Most studies showing that pet ownership is good for the heart when you’re under stress used dogs or cats. But some studies found that even owning a goat, fish, chimpanzee or snake could be equally good for the heart after exposure to stress. Plus, when cardiac patients named and fed their fish, they experienced a sense of delight. There was even one study where virtual animals seen in video recordings achieved the same effect on cardiovascular stress responses as live animals.

Owning a Pet Can Save Your Life

In people who have cardiovascular disease, having a pet decreases the risk of dying. In a study of 369 subjects who had a heart attack and later suffered from abnormal heart rhythm, people who owned a pet of any kind were more likely to be alive one year after their heart attack. The strongest association with decreased mortality was among dog owners. And cardiovascular patients who didn’t own a dog were about four times more likely to die compared to dog owners.

Dogs Force You to Exercise

In addition to reducing stress, one of the reasons why dogs are heart-healthy is because they motivate their owners to take frequent walks. Walking a dog can help you lose weight or maintain a healthy body weight. Dog owners who walk their dogs are more likely to maintain weight loss over a year

Researchers estimate that if adults participated in 60 minutes of physical activity daily, it would eliminate 33 percent of all coronary heart disease-related deaths, 25 percent of stroke-related deaths, 20 percent of deaths related to type 2 diabetes and 20 percent of hypertension-related deaths.

People who have dogs are more likely to exercise compared to people who don’t own dogs. One study found that dog owners spent 322 minutes per week engaged in physical activity compared to only 267 minutes in non-owners. Dog owners were 57 percent more likely to participate in the recommended level of physical activity compared to people who didn’t own a dog. In addition, children who have dogs spend more time participating in physical activity and take more steps per day compared to kids who don’t have a canine companion.

Soothing Anxiety

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, approximately 40 million adults in the United States suffer from an anxiety disorder. Interacting with pets can do a world of good for people who suffer from anxiety. Spending time with pets switches the focus of anxious people away from themselves, making them less anxious and more motivated to interact with other people.

The reason why pets calm anxiety may have to do with the hormone oxytocin, which helps you bond emotionally with your significant other. It also decreases stress, blood pressure, anxiety and depression and increases social interaction, self-confidence, memory and learning.

Anti-Stress Effects

Another way that pets reduce anxiety is by influencing levels of the stress hormone cortisol. In one study of 48 subjects, researchers investigated how stress affected cortisol levels and heart rate by assigning the subjects a human friend, a dog or a control. The researchers then exposed the subjects to stressful situations. The people who were paired with a pooch during the stressful experiences had lower cortisol levels and heart rate compared to the people who were paired with a human friend or a control.

A Boost to Your Immunity

Another possible benefit of having a pet is a stronger immune system. There’s some evidence that petting a dog can increase levels of secretory immunoglobulin A, which is secreted by mucous membranes of the body and protects against the entry of viruses, bacteria and other foreign contaminants.

Pets Provide Pain Relief

Because of all the research pouring in about the benefits of owning pets, hospitals and outpatient clinics are using animals more often to help people who have many different health concerns.

In one study, researchers divided fibromyalgia patients in an outpatient clinic into a group that spent time with a therapy dog while waiting for their appointment and another group that served as a control that didn’t spend time with a dog. Fibromyalgia patients who spent time with the dog experienced significant pain relief and improvements in mood and other measures of distress. In the patients who spent time with a canine companion, 34 percent experienced significant pain relief, while only four percent of the controls experienced relief.

Animal-Assisted Therapy in Dementia and Other Diseases

In a handful of studies, dementia patients who spent time with a dog experienced reduced aggression and agitation and were more likely to have improved social behavior. And in one small study, the presence of aquariums in the dining rooms of dementia care units stimulated the appetites of residents and caused them to gain weight.

Animal-assisted therapy can benefit people with other diseases too. Dog therapy can help patients recovering from surgery as well as people with pervasive developmental disorders, cerebral palsy, speech disorders, cardiovascular disease, depression, schizophrenia, cancer and spinal cord injuries, as well as people living in rehabilitation facilities and nursing homes.

Your Health’s Best Friend

Having a pet—especially a dog or a cat—can help you stay healthy. Pets can boost your mood, reduce your risk of heart disease, help you lose weight and keep it off and even reduce your risk of certain types of cancer.

In the case of heart disease, dogs and cats can even save your life, suggesting that one of the best medicines for any disease is to spend time with the furriest members of your family.

 

References: on Request

• Grapefruit are a natural hybrid. They are a cross between an orange and an Asian fruit called a pomelo
• Grapefruit contains powerful antioxidants, namely lycopene, beta-carotene and vitamin C.
  100 grams of grapefruit contain 135 mg of potassium and 1,150 IU of vitamin A.
• Grapefruit contains an insoluble fiber known as pectin, which is a good bulk laxative.
• Grapefruit contains compounds known as furanocoumarins, which can inhibit the metabolism of some drugs, including statins
• A 2013 study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that sugar can increase your risk for heart disease by affecting the pumping action of the heart.
• Sugar has been linked to cancer and cancer production, as cancer cells feed off of sugar.
• A 2012 study published in Nature found that fructose and glucose, when consumed in excess, can have a toxic effect on the liver.
• Excess sugar consumption has been linked to memory decline and overall decline in cognitive health.
• Sugar has many aliases, including fructose, glucose, sucrose, anything “syrup,” agave, high-fructose corn syrup, barley malt, maltodextrin and molasses.

With Winter now upon us, it is absolutely vital that we take measures to boost our immune system and help our bodies ward off colds and flu. In this article, I share some of my top, easy to implement tips for avoiding infections this Winter.

 Tips for avoiding infections this winter

Improve Gut Health.

70% of our immune system is located in our gut, so it makes sense to support digestion. Probiotics and a diet low in sugar and refined carbohydrates are important factors in optimizing our immune system. Staying away from sugary comfort foods during winter can be difficult, however important during this time.

Vitamin D

It’s no co-incidence that as our exposure to the sun diminishes during winter, our susceptibility to infections increases. Much research has shown how important Vitamin D is for immune health. Optimizing your vitamin D levels with greater than a 1000iu per day is essential.

Garlic

Raw or aged garlic extracts have a wonderful traditional use in preventing infections. Over the last decade, many studies have confirmed its immune potentiating activity. Add it to your food or try the aged Kyolic garlic extract

Zinc and Vit C

There are a range of nutrients that have a positive impact on the immune system, none more important than Vitamin C and Zinc. If your Vitamin C and Zinc are low, the immune cells become sluggish and don’t activate efficiently leaving your very susceptible to an infection.

Activity/sleep/Good food/Stress

While we know how important nutrition is in the prevention of infections, all this good work counts for zero if your lifestyle doesn’t support good health. Quality sleep, regular activity, good stress management and a clean low sugar diet are critical for optimal immune function. By not paying attention to these elements will ultimately result in sub-optimal health and poor immune function.

Tips for fighting an infection this winter