Every seven years you shed about half your friendships and acquire new ones

The other seven-year itch - THE WEEK:

June 19, 2009

"The other seven-year itch

Every seven years, a new study finds, you shed about half your friendships and acquire new ones. Though your best friend may seem like your permanent confidant, there’s only a 30 percent chance that you will be that close to the same person seven years from now. As for the rest of your friends, only 48 percent will still be a regular part of your life in 2016. It’s not that most of us are fickle or disloyal, says Dutch sociologist Gerald Mollenhorst, who conducted the study of more than 1,000 people over seven years. It’s simply that people come together in “friendship networks” mostly out of circumstance and context; when they move away, switch jobs, and experience other major life changes, bonds become attenuated and often dissolve. At the same time, new contexts and new people lead to new friendships. We’d all like to believe we’ve chosen friends and mates because of some inherent affinity, Mollenhorst tells ScienceDaily.com, but the reality is that happenstance and sheer proximity play a big role."

Why people blush

Why people blush - THE WEEK:

June 19, 2009

"Why people blush

When some fair-skinned people feel embarrassment, they blush. When they blush, they get more embarrassed, because they feel that it’s a sign of weakness—visible proof that they can’t keep their cool. Stop worrying, says new research: Blushing is actually good for your social reputation. When researchers asked a group of volunteers to judge people’s personalities based on photos, people who were pictured with a pink flush were more likely to be seen as sympathetic characters. In another study, scientists found that blushing can hasten bonding in a fraternity-like setting. “It was a subtle effect, but we found that the frequency of blushing predicted how well these guys were getting along at the end,” psychologist Dacher Keltner tells The New York Times. Blushing signals to others that you have a heart and are sensitive to what other people think of you. It’s therefore endearing. “A blush comes online in two or three seconds,” Keltner says, “and says, ‘I care.’”"

Why tots shouldn’t watch TV

Why tots shouldn’t watch TV - THE WEEK:

Friday, June 19, 2009

"Why tots shouldn’t watch TV

If you have a baby or a toddler, turn off that TV. A new study finds that when children are exposed to a lot of TV before the age of 2, they are deprived of interaction with adults, which can lead to delays in brain and language development. University of Washington researchers found that for every hour the TV set was on, even if it was just in the background, adults spoke from 500 to 1,000 fewer words to children. When the distraction of the boob tube was present, children spoke less, too, and there were fewer conversations between the adults and the children. This was true whether the show was a kid’s program or an adult show that parents were watching in the child’s presence. Speaking directly to a child, previous research has shown, is critical to brain development. In surveys, 30 percent of Americans admit to having the TV on all day long, whether anyone is watching or not. Television, researcher Dimitri Christakis tells LiveScience.com, “is a poor caregiver substitute. My recommendation is that children under the age of 2 be discouraged from watching television.”"

A Recipe For Longevity: 33 Of The Healthiest Foods On Earth

David H. Murdock: A Recipe For Longevity: 33 Of The Healthiest Foods On Earth:

"David H. Murdock
May 20, 2009

A Recipe For Longevity: 33 Of The Healthiest Foods On Earth"

"Is it possible to live to 125 or maybe 150? It's certainly a possibility, as discussed on Oprah Winfrey's recent show on longevity. She visited me at my farm to learn how, at 86, I am enjoying the robust health, energy, and mental creativity of someone many decades younger. My secret: large quantities of fruit and vegetables, plus an hour of daily exercise.

No pills, not even aspirin, and certainly no supplements ever enter my mouth -- everything I need comes from my fish-vegetarian diet, which incorporates 30-40 different kinds of fruit and vegetables every week. Even though I am Chairman and Owner of Dole Food Company, I do most of my own grocery shopping, and even took Oprah on an impromptu trip to Costco, in a day that included bike riding, exercise in the gym, and juicing vegetables in the kitchen. Oprah marveled at how much I eat, and yet never gain a pound. In fact, I expend a lot of energy in my 50-60 minutes of cardio and strength training every day. Plus there's the fact that fruit and vegetables tend to be lower in calories, but higher in filling fiber and other nutrients that help you feel satisfied.

By eating many fruits and vegetables in place of fast food and junk food, people could avoid obesity. Obesity accelerates aging even faster than smoking, according to scientific research.

We created the North Carolina Research Campus to study the health benefits of fruits and vegetables. It is the only campus in the world encompassing eight universities all working together for the benefit of health and longevity. These include Duke University, UNC Chapel Hill, NC State University, UNC Charlotte, North Carolina Central University, NC A&T State University, UNC Greensboro and Appalachian State University. We've gathered a comprehensive array of famous scientists and scientific equipment under one roof, including a two-story, 950 megahertz, 8-ton superconducting magnet. It is the largest and most powerful magnet in the world and will help us look at both plant and human cells at the most minute level. We are constantly doing research on all fruit and vegetables, including the ones listed below, which are the mainstay of my diet.

The Healthiest Foods on Earth

Pineapple	Speeds post-surgery	Promotes joint health	Reduces asthma inflammation
Blueberries	Restore antioxidant levels	Reverse age-related brain decline	Prevent urinary tract infection
Spinach	Helps maintain mental sharpness	Reduces the risk of cancers of the liver, ovaries, colon and prostate	Top nutrient density
Red Bell Pepper	Reduces risk of lung, prostate, ovarian and cervical cancer	Protects against sunburn	Promotes heart health
Broccoli	Reduces diabetic damage	Lowers risk of prostate, bladder, colon, pancreatic, gastric and breast cancer	Protects the brain in event of injury
Tomato	Reduces inflammation	Lowers risk of developing esophageal, stomach, colorectal, lung and pancreatic cancer	Reduces cardiovascular disease risk
Apple	Supports immunity	Fights lung and prostate cancer	Lowers Alzheimer’s risk
Artichoke	Helps blood clotting	Antioxidant Superfood	Lowers “bad” cholesterol
Arugula	Lowers birth defect risk	Reduces fracture risk	Protects eye health
Asparagus	Nourishes good gut bacteria	Protects against birth defects	Promotes heart health
Avocado	Limits liver damage	Reduces oral cancer risk	Lowers cholesterol levels
Blackberries	Build bone density	Suppress appetite	Enhance fat burning
Butternut Squash	Supports night vision	Combats wrinkles	Promotes heart health
Cantaloupe	Bolsters immunity	Protects skin against sunburn	Reduces inflammation
Carrot	Antioxidants defend DNA	Fights cataracts	Protects against some cancers
Cauliflower	Stimulates detoxification	Suppresses breast cancer cell growth	Defends against prostate cancer
Cherries	Alleviate arthritic pain and gout	Lower “bad” cholesterol	Reduce inflammation
Cranberries	Alleviate prostate pain	Fight lung, colon and leukemia cancer cells	Prevent urinary tract infection
Green Cabbage	Promotes healthy blood clotting	Reduces risk of prostate, colon, breast and ovarian cancers	Activates the body’s natural detoxification systems
Kale	Counters harmful estrogens that can feed cancer	Protects eyes against sun damage and cataracts	Increases bone density
Kiwi	Combats wrinkles	Lowers blood clot risk and reduces blood lipids	Counters constipation
Mango	Supports immunity	Lowers “bad” cholesterol	Regulates homocysteine to protect arteries
Mushrooms	Promote natural detoxification	Reduce the risk of colon and prostate cancer	Lower blood pressure
Orange	Reduces levels of “bad” cholesterol	Lowers risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, breast and stomach, and childhood leukemia	Pectin suppresses appetite
Papaya	Enzymes aid digestion	Reduces risk of lung cancer	Enhances fat burning
Plums & Prunes	Counter constipation	Antioxidants defend against DNA damage	Protects against post-menopausal bone loss
Pomegranate	Enhances sunscreen protection	Lowers “bad” cholesterol	Fights prostate cancer
Pumpkin	Protects joints against polyarthritis	Lowers lung and prostate cancer risk	Reduces inflammation
Raspberries	Inhibit growth of oral, breast, colon and prostate cancers	Antioxidant DNA defense	Lower “bad” cholesterol levels
Strawberries	Protect against Alzheimer’s	Reduce “bad” cholesterol	Suppress growth of colon, prostate and oral cancer
Sweet Potato	Reduces stroke risk	Lowers cancer risk	Protect against blindness
Watermelon	Supports male fertility	Reduces risk of several cancers: prostate, ovarian, cervical, oral and pharyngeal	Protects skin against sunburn
Banana	Increases Fat Burning	Lowers risk of colorectal and kidney cancer, leukemia	Reduces asthmas symptoms in children

One of my missions in life is to share this kind of knowledge with others, so they can live more vital, active, satisfying lives. Since acquiring major interests in Dole 26 years ago, educating the public on proper diet has constituted the agenda of my Dole Nutrition Institute. We publish the Dole Nutrition News -- enjoyed by 2.5 million subscribers (sign up at www.dolenutrition.com). We create cooking and nutrition videos, cookbooks, brochures, and other educational collateral, like the chart above. We also provide educational support to teachers, parents and kids through www.dolesuperkids.com."

* David H. Murdock is Chairman and owner of Dole Food Company, Inc., the world's largest producer and marketer of fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, packaged and frozen foods. He is also Chairman, CEO and owner of Castle & Cooke, Inc., a leader in real estate development. Mr. Murdock advocates healthy eating to promote longevity. His Dole Nutrition Institute is dedicated to nutrition education through an award-winning monthly newsletter, health brochures, cookbooks, videos and the Dole Nutrition website. He recently dedicated the David H. Murdock Core Laboratory Building, the UNC Nutrition Research Building and the NC State Fruit and Vegetable Science Institute Building at the newly opened North Carolina Research Campus, representing a historic partnership with leading universities to advance knowledge about nutrition and disease prevention.

Fight Disease With Soap and Water - Wash your hands

Fight Disease With Soap and Water - WSJ.com:

"Wall Street Journal, May 12, 2009

Put Up Your Dukes: Fighting Disease With Soap and Water

Fear of swine flu is fading, but there are still plenty of reasons to wash your hands frequently.

The list of infections that can spread via unwashed hands reads like the Biblical plagues, including staph, strep, salmonella, E. coli, hepatitis, MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), colds, flu and norovirus -- the infamous cruise-ship bug.

The importance of hand washing has been known since 1847, when a doctor named Ignaz Semmelweis suspected that maternity patients were dying in his Vienna hospital because med students treated them right after working on cadavers. When he instituted hand-cleaning, the deaths fell sharply.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says hand washing is the most effective way to stay healthy. But many people don't do it often enough, or long enough, to be effective. Here's a guide:

The swine flu headlines have brought attention to the importance of hand-washing. Health columnist Melinda Beck describes the best way to wash off germs and protect against sickness.

When to do it. Wash your hands every time you use the bathroom. Every surface presents an opportunity for germs to hitchhike out. "Who thinks to clean the latch on the inside of the stall door? Try nobody," says Jim Mann, executive director of the Handwashing for Life Institute, which advises food-service providers around the world on best hand-hygiene practices.

Also wash your hands whenever you change a diaper, pick up animal waste, sneeze, cough or blow your nose; when you take public transportation, insert or remove contact lenses, prepare food, handle garbage and before eating. Few people are as conscientious as they should be. Mr. Mann recalls being in meetings to discuss hand hygiene: "Everybody shakes hands. You finish the talk, and everybody runs for the food line. Nobody washes their hands."

How to do it. Soap and water is the gold standard. In a recent study in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, researchers in Australia doused the hands of 20 health-care workers with human H1N1 flu virus. Soap and water removed slightly more virus than three alcohol-based hand rubs. When volunteers didn't clean their hands, most of the virus was still present an hour after exposure.

It's the mechanical process of washing that's so effective. Soap molecules surround and lift the germs, friction from rubbing your hands loosens them, and water rinses them down the drain.

Experts recommend using warm water -- mainly for comfort, so you'll wash longer. Use liquid soap if possible. Bar soaps can harbor germs, though they'll likely rinse off with water.

Use enough soap to build a lather. Lace your fingers together to cover all the surfaces. Rub the fingertips of one hand into the palm of the other, then reverse. Keep rubbing for as long as it takes to sing "Happy Birthday" twice. (Some experts prefer "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." But any tune will do as long as it lasts at least 15 seconds.)

"The typical 'splash and dash' that most people do doesn't do anything," says Mr. Mann.

Rinse thoroughly. Residual soap can make hands sore. Leave the water on while you grab a paper towel and use it to shut off the faucet. Take it with you to use on the door handle as well.

Drying lessons. Many hand-hygiene experts are down on hand dryers -- chiefly because few people have the patience to dry completely and end up wiping their hands on their clothes. "That's fine -- unless your pants have been down around your ankles in the stall," Mr. Mann says.

Air dryers can also blow remaining germs as far as six feet away.

Antibacterial soap? In 2005, a Food and Drug Administration panel voted 11-to-1 that antibacterial soaps are no more effective at keeping people healthy than regular soap. There may be some downside too. Some antibacterial ingredients like triclosan leave a residue on the skin that continues killing some bacteria. Critics worry that the remaining bacteria could become resistant, not only to soap but also to antibiotics. "To our knowledge, it's not happened, but it's theoretically possible," says Elaine Larson, a professor in the schools of nursing and public health at Columbia University. Another problem with antibacterial soap, she says, is that it gives people a false sense of security. "People think, 'Ah -- it's antibacterial. So the germs are gone.' That's a false perception," Dr. Larson says.

Hand sanitizers. It's not often that a personal-care product gets a presidential endorsement. Some drug stores sold out after Barack Obama echoed the CDC's recommendation that people use alcohol-based hand sanitizers when soap and water aren't available to help stop the spread of swine flu.

Experts say they must be at least 60% alcohol to kill germs. "Alcohol ruptures their cell membranes -- it causes them to explode," says Dr. Larson, although she notes that if your hands are visibly dirty, soap and water is much preferable.

Curiously, the FDA does not allow over-the-counter hand sanitizers to claim they kill viruses. The CDC's recommendations are based on information published since the FDA ruling, showing that alcohol-based sanitizers are effective at killing viruses, specifically the H1N1 strain, says Nicole Coffin, a CDC spokeswoman.

Can you overdo handwashing? Yes. "Try to strike a balance between being obsessive-compulsive and being reasonable," says Dr. Larson. "And if there is some kind of outbreak like with the flu or SARS, then there is reason for more caution.""

Do Everybody a Favor - Take a Sick Day

Cases - Do Everybody a Favor - Take a Sick Day - NYTimes.com:

"New York Times, May 12, 2009

Do Everybody a Favor: Take a Sick Day

By ANNE MARIE VALINOTI, M.D.

My patient was a 25-year-old man. He sat on the examination table, the picture of misery, coughing, red-eyed and shivering. His fever was 103. An interview and an examination suggested influenza (the rapid diagnostic test for flu wasn’t available at that time), but there was little I could offer him, other than ibuprofen and some homespun advice.

“Go home and get to bed,” I told him.

He looked at me. “Bed? I’ve got to get back to work.” He put on his jacket and power tie and headed back to Wall Street.

I was appalled. Work in that condition? How could he even think straight with that fever? Whom else would he infect along the way?

Still, a tiny part of me was filled with admiration. Here was a tough guy. No reason to let minor delirium keep him from doing his job.

I had recently finished my residency, three years immersed in the culture of house officer training. Of all the sins an intern or resident could commit, the worst was to call in sick, for it meant somebody else would have to do your work — extra patients to admit, phone calls to make, IVs to insert, emergencies to deal with.

As a resident, my greatest pride was in never having missed a day for illness. I’d drag myself in and sniffle and cough through the day. Once, I’m embarrassed to admit, I trudged up York Avenue to the hospital making use of my own personal motion sickness bag every few blocks while horrified pedestrians looked on.

Now, though, I see the foolishness of this bravura. And I confront it almost daily in my primary care practice. No one can miss a day — a minute, even — of work, carpooling, volunteering, vacation, anything. “I don’t have time to be sick!” my patients wail. Everyone must soldier on, leaving sick days to those with less important things to do.

And many patients aren’t satisfied with sympathy and friendly advice. They have come to the office for that little piece of blue paper, the antibiotic prescription. “I would never ask for this under normal circumstances,” I’m told — except (pick one) I’m getting married tomorrow; leaving for a month in the Amazon; having 25 houseguests for the weekend.

Never mind that antibiotics are useless in treating colds and viral illnesses, and that they have their own dangers and side effects. Some doctors will write the prescription just to get on with their day.

I have done this and know plenty of other physicians who have — much as we may resent being bullied and feel we’ve failed in our duty to “first, do no harm.” In fact, we may very well be doing harm. Beyond the possible side effects and allergic reactions, the nonchalant use of antibiotics in the community has helped lead to the rise of the drug-resistant bacteria known as superbugs.

“Clearly, the overprescribing of antibiotics in doctors’ offices, clinics and other community settings contributes to the problem of antibacterial drug resistance,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, told me in an e-mail message. “Because most bacteria multiply rapidly, they can quickly evolve and develop resistance to antimicrobial drugs. Overusing or misusing antibiotics can make resistance develop even faster.”

If the swine flu epidemic ever swings into full gear, I will be prepared for the onslaught of ill patients. I will educate them about the appropriate use of antibiotics. I will provide symptomatic relief when I can. And I will let them know it’s O.K. to be sick. It’s O.K. to stay home from work, pull up the covers and drink gallons of hot tea all day. Maybe for an entire week.

And believe me: if you show up to work sick these days, you are not going to earn anyone’s admiration."

Anne Marie Valinoti is an internist in northern New Jersey.