What is a gentleman? Driven by something I read and considered to be a weak definition of this term, I thought I’d offer my own two cents here. After all, I am a lady, and I think that’s enough to qualify me to at least give this a try.

On a very fundamental level, a Gentleman is, well, a Gentle Man. What does this entail? Well, for one, you have to be a man.  And, being a man, you have to be gentle.

Webster says “gentle” means:

1. Belonging to a family of high social status.
2. Chivalrous.
3. Honorable.
4. Distinguished.
5. Kind, amiable.
6. Suited to a person of high social station.
7. Tractable, docile, free from harshness, sternness or violence.
8. Soft, delicate.
9. Moderate.

The first definition implies that, to be gentle (or gentile, where the word came from), was to be a part of a special social circle or family tree, what you could call “nobility”. Nobility is a word used to refer to royal families, yes, but it is also a word that refers to the quality of being noble, meaning, being someone who is characterized by superior mind, character, ideals or morals. A gentle person is not an average Joe – he is outstanding, as he possesses those qualities outlined here above. A gentle man is one who is kind – to all of God’s creations alike, not just the hot chicks – distinguished, honorable (a man of his word, reliable and trustworthy), a man with a soft hand to treat a woman with the care that she deserves, not harshly, not violently, but as if she were a rose petal. A very special man, indeed.

Speaking of man…what is a man? According to our friend Webster, a man is:

1. An adult male human.
2. A man is also a bipedal primate mammal of the species Homo sapiens that is anatomically related to the great apes but distinguished especially by notable development of the brain with a resultant capacity for articulate speech and abstract reasoning.
3. A man is also one possessing in high degree the qualities considered distinctive of manhood.

Of these three definitions, only one (the first) requires a “man” to have a penis (be male). So, having a penis, does not a man make (those of you who define your manliness by your “manhood” – some of you explicitly – it seems you are mistaken.) The first definition also requires a man to be an adult. Webster says an adult is a grown-up, fully developed and mature. Because we are holistic beings, this means a true adult is one who is fully developed and mature on all levels – physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. With just this, how many of you can say you’re a man so far? How many ladies can say they’ve met one or are with one right now?

This first definition also says a man is a human. Going beyond taxonomy and into philosophy, there is a very big difference between a man (or woman) and a human. To be human means to have humanity. To have humanity means to have developed a higher level of conscience and the understanding that we, as a species and as a collective universal body, are connected. It means to know that my actions affect yours and vice versa, that climate change is as much my responsibility as it is Nature’s and industry’s, that the behavior of men in general is directly related to the behavior of women, that what I think, say, and do to myself will have a direct and equal effect – positive or negative – on you. It means waking up to the fact that we are in this thing called life together – all of us. Being human means being aware of this and taking responsibility for ourselves, other beings, the planet, and anything beyond that. Being human means realizing that all that is, is one – and acting accordingly. Now, I ask you, how many humans do you know? And are you one of them?

We’ve said it before and we’re not the only ones: This is a time of great change. It is a time of choice. It is a time of stepping up to all of the internal changes and evolution that this new era calls for. With all this in mind, I ask  all of you guys to think about what it means to be a gentle adult male – a gentleman – and how this applies to you. After all, it is up to you to decide – do you choose to be just a great ape or do you choose to go beyond and be an outstanding gentleman?

And, ladies, take responsibility for this as well and help the men in your life step up to the greatest version of themselves that we all know they can be: kind, connected, strong of body/mind/soul, spiritually awake and self aware, giving, tender, balanced, loving, real…human.

The Endocrine System might just be my favorite body system because it is in charge of communication. The hormones secreted by the endocrine glands tell everyone else what to do and when to do it (bossy glands!) But this is just one aspect, one reason why I like it. The other is that it corresponds exactly with the traditional chakra system.

Science first: The Endocrine System is composed of glands that release hormones into the blood, which tell the various organs in our body what to do or stop doing (we got this). Let’s look at the major glands and their jobs:

The Pineal Gland: This might be my favorite gland within my favorite system. The pineal gland is the coolest of them all because it is magical and otherworldly. In other words, science doesn’t really know everything about how it works yet. What we do know is that it is in charge of biorhythm, or what we call the Circadian Rhythm. Your circadian rhythm is your internal clock – it tells you to wake up at 6 a.m., have a bowel movement at 8 a.m., be hungry by 10 a.m., have lots of energy by noon and then be hungry again and then around 3 p.m., get sort of tired, get a second wind, be hungry again and then be tired by 10 p.m.  Yes, your body runs on a schedule.  How closely do you match the average normal biorhythm? I’d venture to say it’s a sign of health if you’re right on schedule with pineal directives. So, how does the pineal gland do this? It takes its orders from a “higher” source: The sun. Light and dark cycles are what control the pineal gland and tell it what to do, so it can tell you what to do. You know how you feel depressed and low energy – sleepy, if you will – during an overcast day when “the sun doesn’t come out”?  Shake your fist at the pineal gland – it’s telling you, it’s time for bed, silly, not work! Can’t you see it’s still night time?  Duh. The pineal gland is tiny and it is nuzzled in the center of your brain.

The Hypothalamus: The hypothalamus is kind of another mystery. It is also located in your brain and we don’t know much of how it works, except that it links the nervous and the endocrine systems and it produces hormones that have to do with the next guy we’ll be talking about. We also know that it plays a role in mating: In many vertebrates, the hypothalamus has been shown to pass info about seasonal changes and availability of a mate. Kinda like a wingman.

The Pituitary Gland: The pituitary is located just under the base of the brain, between your two frontal lobes, where it hangs with the hypothalamus. They’re like buddies, brothers, homies, and, in this case, the pituitary is the extrovert and better known of the team. The pituitary gland is sometimes called “the master gland” because it has a lot of other glands under its command and it gives out orders all over the place like there’s not tomorrow: The posterior pituitary releases hormones made by the hypothalamus. One of them is oxytocin. You heard of it, eh? Probably not because it is involved with the mammary glands, but because it stimulates contraction of the uterus, therefore playing a role in female orgasm and earning its name as the “cuddling hormone”, because it is also involved in making pair bonds, the feeling of attachment to a partner after sex (now you’ve heard of it?) The posterior pituitary also releases antidiuretic hormone, which promotes water retention in the kidneys. The anterior pituitary has even more responsibilities – it’s growth hormone (another popular guy, hailed as the new fountain of youth) stimulates growth – especially of bones – and metabolic functions; prolactin stimulates milk production and secretion when a woman has a child; follicle-stimulating hormone stimulates production of ova and sperm; luteinizing hormone stimulates ovaries and testes; thyroid-stimulating hormone (you can guess it’s job) and adrenocorticotropic hormone, which stimulates the adrenals to secrete glucocorticoids. Whew! I know, it’s exhausting! Bow down to the master.

Thyroid and Parathyroid: Your thyroid gland stimulates and maintains metabolic processes and lowers blood calcium levels via a hormone appropriately called calcitonin. The parathyroid balances it out: It secretes the also appropriately called parathyroid hormone, which raises blood calcium levels.

Thymus Gland: Your thymus gland is special. It is not pictured above but it is located in the center of your chest cavity, close to your heart. It is involved in your Immune System. The thing about the thymus is this: When you’re a kid, it is quite large. After puberty, when a whole lot of things change for you and your body and when your immune system is well established, it begins to shrink. By adulthood, most of the thymus gland has been replaced by tissue, but it continues to work throughout life.

The Adrenal Glands: Famous for the fight or flight response via adrenaline (real name: epinephrine) and norepinephrine, hormones that raise blood glucose levels, increase metabolic activities and constrict certain blood vessels so that you can run away from that saber tooth tiger or punch your boss when he turns into one (in your head). The adrenal cortex also has two other hormones, the steroids glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids, which raise blood glucose levels and promote reabsorption of sodium and excretion of potassium in the kidneys, respectively.

The Pancreas: You also know this guy (especially if you have diabetes) – he’s in charge of insulin and glucagon, proteins that control blood glucose levels.

The Sex Glands: The gonads (testes) and the ovaries (ova). Your favorite guys, where androgens support sperm formation and promote development and maintenance of male secondary sex characteristics, and estrogens and progesterone stimulate uterine lining growth and promote development and maintenance of female secondary sex characteristics. Without these glands and their hormones (who get their orders from hormones in the pituitary), we wouldn’t be able to give life.

Now, for the metaphysics: If you look at the picture above, you will notice the fascinating  correspondence between some of the major glands (thymus, for example) and the chakras (heart chakra in green, for example), the energy vortices in your body. Coincidence? I don’t believe in them. I believe we are built in a way for a reason. It makes sense that the energy centers of our body, the places esoteric books say are where information comes in and goes out of to and from the Universe, would be located exactly where the communication centers of our physical body are. We’re holistic beings – mind, body, soul/spirit. You do the math. I’ll leave you with just this one thought: The more you take care of your endocrine system via good nutrition (many of the hormones are classified as proteins and amines and all of them are directly affected by what you eat and drink), a decent sleep cycle, exercise, and proper stress management, the more “clean” and connected you may be to that crucial information that mystics say comes from your chakras. And, the more balanced you are energetically, well, the healthier you will be all around. After all, that is the core of this material masterpiece you call your body.

]]> http://hlifemedia.com/2010/06/the-endocrine-system-the-great-communicator/feed/ 6 http://hlifemedia.com/2010/05/hreport-in-journals-week2may/ http://hlifemedia.com/2010/05/hreport-in-journals-week2may/#comments Tue, 11 May 2010 07:10:01 +0000 Maryl Celiz http://hlifemedia.com/?p=4806

Psychology: Looks like washing your hands has more than a physical benefit. A recent study concludes that the activity “wipes the slate clean,” affecting us psychologically by removing doubts about recent choices, in addition to the feeling of being clean of germs as well as the already established link to feeling morally restored. “It’s not just that washing your hands contributes to moral cleanliness as well as physical cleanliness, as seen in earlier research” said Spike W. S. Lee, a doctoral candidate in social psychology. “Our studies show that washing also reduces the influence of past behaviors and decisions that have no moral implications whatsoever.” The researchers say that the “clean slate” effect may be relevant to many choices and decisions in life, not just the complex ones where ‘good behavior’ is implicated (for example, cheating) but also with simple choices like whether to buy one car over another (buyer’s remorse). The study was published in the May 7th issue of Science.

Sleep: According to a new study to be published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, just one night of short sleep duration can induce insulin resistance, a component of type 2 diabetes.  “Sleep duration has shortened considerably in western societies in the past decade,” said Esther Donga, MD, lead author of the study. “And simultaneously, there has been an increase in the prevalence of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.”  The researcher says that the co-ocurring rises in both situations may not be a coincidence. “Our findings show a short night of sleep has more profound effects on metabolic regulation than previously appreciated.” Previous studies found that multiple nights of less sleep than normal resulted in impaired glucose tolerance, but this is the first to examine the effects of only a single night of partial sleep restriction on insulin sensitivity. The data indicated that the sensitivity depends, not on the health of the person (all volunteers in the study were healthy and had no sugar problems) but on the amount of sleep you actually get the night before.

Cancer: In the race to find answers about ovarian cancer, researchers now have something to cluck about.  Researchers have been using the chicken as a model to study this disease and have discovered that a diet enriched with flaxseed decreases the severity of ovarian cancer and increases survival in hens. “The chicken is the only animal that spontaneously develops ovarian cancer on the surface of the ovaries like humans,” explained Janice Bahr, professor emerita at the University Illinois Department of Animal Sciences. Several studies have already shown that flaxseed inhibits the formation of colon, breast, skin and lung tumors. The results showed that hens fed a flaxseed-enriched diet for one year experienced significant reduction in late-stage ovarian tumors. Though hens fed the flaxseed diet did not have a decreased incidence of ovarian cancer overall, they did experience fewer late-stage tumors, which translated into higher survival rates. Also, hens with the flaxseed diet had better weight control, which is important because obesity increases cancer risk. Ultimately, the flaxseed-enriched diet helped the birds maintain a healthy weight and resulted in less sickness and death, which Bahr says may provide the basis for trials that evaluate how effective this can be for women.

Sex: A new study suggests that it may not help older men and women with sexual problems to talk to a doctor, but men who talk to their partner about their issues report greater happiness, while those who talked with friends felt less depressed. The research, to be published in the Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, shows that the way men and women deal with sexual health and stress in their later years varies greatly and that there is not one solution that can help ease unhappiness caused by sexual problems. “Older adults are advised to talk to their doctors about sexual health issues, but not all people do so and talking with a physician is not as helpful as you might expect,” said Ryo Hirayama, Ph.D. However, confiding in a partner or with friends was found to be effective for many men in reducing stress and unhappiness related to sex. Unfortunately for women, this same benefit was not reported. “In fact, women with higher levels of sexual stress who confided in their close friends reported lower happiness,” said Hirayama. Researcher Alexis Walker said that, “what this tells us is that women’s sexual issues are complex,” adding, “a woman with a great deal of sexual concerns could feel threatened by talking to her spouse about it, or perhaps simply confiding in a friend is not enough.” Most importantly, the researches say the findings show that men, who are typically considered to be less conversational or sharing than women, can greatly benefit from social networks and confiding in their mates.

Parenting: Want your kids to eat more veggies? Serve those first, says a study. Researchers at Penn State University found that when serving meals in various combinations and proportions to preschool children, the earlier the vegetables were served, the more were consumed. “We gave children carrots first without other competing foods,” explained Barbara J. Rolls, Chair of Nutritional Sciences at the university. “When they are hungry at the start of the meal, it presents us with an opportunity to get them to eat more vegetables.” Rolls explained that this challenged the conventional belief that children simply won’t eat vegetables, because they don’t have a taste for them, for example. It also provides parents a simple strategy to get their children eating a more healthy and nutritious diet. Putting out veggie snacks when children are hungry is a good idea, while setting an example by eating vegetables yourself as the parent while your kids are still young and impressionable also helps. The study was published in the current issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Exercise: Apoptosis, the natural ‘programmed’ death of cells, is arrested in the aftermath of strenuous exercise, says a new study. Researchers studied blood samples taken from people finishing a marathon and found that the mechanism that drives this cell death shifted after the race. “Apoptosis is a normal physiological function dependent on a variety of signals, many of which can be modulated by strenuous exercise. Here, we’ve shown for the first time that exercise modulates expression of the sirtuin family of proteins,” explained Gabriella Marge, lead author of the study. Sirtuin proteins may play the crucial role of mediators in the maintenance of skeletal and cardiac muscle tissues as well as neurons, which explains the protective effects of physical exercise for survival and aging. The findings appear in the journal BMC Physiology.

Nutrition: Consuming more nuts appears to be associated with improvements in blood cholesterol levels, according to analysis of data from 25 trials reported in the May 10 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Nuts have been the focus of intense research recently because of their potential to reduce coronary heart disease risk and to lower blood lipid (fat and cholesterol) levels based on their unique nutritional attributes, said the authors of the study. “The effects of nut consumption were does related, and different types of nuts had similar effects on blood lipid levels,” the authors write.

Sex: Hooking up or dating? According to research done at a university campus, where ‘hooking up’ is a mainstream means of interaction, both genders showed a preference for traditional dating over hooking up, but when it came to assessing the benefits and risks of these two different ways of relating, there were marked distinctions. Women seemed to want a relationship more than men, and they feared that they will become more emotionally attached to a partner who is not interested in them, while more men seemed to value independence and feared that even in hooking up type of relationships that are supposed to be free of commitment, a woman might seek to establish a relationship. The study was published in the journal Sex Roles.

Nutrition: Individuals whose diet includes more salad dressing, nuts, fish, poultry and certain fruits and cruciferous and dark green leafy vegetables as well as fewer high-fat dairy products, red meats, organ meats and butter appear less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, says a new study. The report, to be published in the June issue of the Archives of Neurology, focused on food combinations rather than single nutrients to identify a dietary link to the degenerative disease. The combination of nutrients in the low-risk dietary pattern impact the development of the disease in multiple ways, some, like fatty acids (found in nuts, and fish, for example), for example, may help improve cognitive function and offset dementia. Lack of omega fatty acids has been implicated in  Alzheimer’s development before but not as an overall part of a meal combination.

Technology: As if there was nothing your iPhone couldn’t do already, there is now a new initiative to get your cell phone to protect you against deadly chemicals. The Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has established Cell-All, which aims to equip cell phones with a sensor capable of detecting deadly chemicals in the area. The technology involves a chip programmed to either alert the cell phone carrier to the presence of toxic chemical in the air, and/or a central station that can monitor how many alerts in an area are being received. S&T is pursuing development agreements with Qualcomm, LG, Apple and Samsung to help accelerate the process and have a prototype in a year, with the first one having the ability to sniff out carbon monoxide and fire. Yep, our smartphones may very well replace even our own noses.

Ecology: The number of sea turtles inadvertently snared by commercial fishing gear over the past 20 years may reach into the millions, according to a worldwide study. Six of the world’s seven species of sea turtles are currently listed as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Fisheries bycatch is the most acute threat to worldwide sea turtle populations today,” said Bryan Wallace, lead author of the research published in the journal Conservation Letters. “Many animals die or are injured as a result of these interactions. But our message is not a lost cause. Managers and fishers have tools they can use to reduce bycatch, and preserve marine biodiversity,” he said.

Parenting: Taking vitamin C and E supplements in early pregnancy does not reduce the risk for the hypertensive disorders and their complications during pregnancy, says a study. Previous small studies suggested that the vitamins could reduce the risk of preeclampsia, a potentially fatal form of hypertension in pregnant women, but this research, conducted by the National Institutes of health, is the largest to date and it showed no reduction in these types of conditions. The findings appear in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Nutrition: We now know that spices have antioxidants – oregano and others typically used in the Mediterranean diet – but who’s got the most? According to research published in the Flavour and Fragrance Journal, cloves are king when it comes to these benefits. “Out of the five antioxidant properties tested, cloves had the highest capacity to give off hydrogen, reduced lipid peroxidation well, and was the best iron reducer”, said Juana Fernandez-Lopez, one of the authors of the study. The researchers hope that the high antioxidant properties of this and other spices will make the food industry consider them for usage in preserving food, instead of using synthetic chemicals that cause toxicity and other side effects. But, until then, you can just make some clove tea for yourself and enjoy the taste as well as the benefits.

Love: To thine own self be true, said Shakespeare – and it turns out he was right, if you want a good relationship. A new study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences examined how dating relationships were affected by the ability of people to see themselves clearly and objectively, act in ways consistent with their beliefs, and interact honestly and truthfully with others. The conclusion: If you’re true to you, better romantic relationships will follow. “If you’re true to yourself, it is easier to act in ways that build intimacy in relationships, and that’s going to make your relationship more fulfilling,” said Amy Brunell, lead author of the study. Authenticity also leads to acting less destructively with your partner, feeling like your relationship is more positive, and a sense of general personal well-being – for both men and women. Sign us up, Sherlock.

Parenting: Put those dancing shoes on…on the baby, that is. According to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Online Early Edition, researchers have discovered that infants respond to rhythm and tempo of music and find it more engaging that speech at an early age, suggesting babies may be born to dance. “Our research suggests that it is the beat rather than other features of the music, such as the melody, that produces the response in infants,” said Dr. Marcel Zentner, “We also found that the better the children were able to synchronize their movements with the music, the more they smiled.” Guess you better play that funky music for your baby, white boy.

Diabetes: Men, good news for you. According to research published the journal Nutrition and Metabolism, selenium may be a key nutrient in protecting you against diabetes. The study that included both men and women found that men whose plasma selenium concentrations were highest had a significantly lower risk of developing dysglycemia over the following years. The same did not happen for women, which may be due to many factors like possible differences in how men and women’s bodies process this trace mineral. Looking for a selenium source? Brazil nuts are the highest by far, containing almost ten times the amount found in either tuna or beef.

Psychology: Bullies can be shy, too, says a study. According to research published in Current Directions in Psychological Science, there is a subset of adults diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder who, rather than manifest their anxiety with inhibitive or submissive behavior, act out violently. Parents and teachers might think their kid is a bully because he has a conduct disorder but it may actually be extreme fears of being judged that is the cause, says researcher Todd Kashdan. “In the adult world, the same can be said for managers, co-workers, romantic partners and friends. It is easy to misunderstand why people are behaving the way we do and far too often we assume that the aggressive, impulsive behaviors are the problem. What we’re finding is that for a large minority of people, social anxiety underlies the problem,” said Kashdan. He also said training people to be more self-disciplined in all aspects of their lives improves will power and may be a technique to modify this behavior.

Sex: Cat calls hurt everyone, says a new study. Research published in the journal Sex Roles found that the actions of one sexist man affects not just the woman he is making remarks to, but also female bystanders, whose feelings and behavior toward men in general are greatly impacted by this indirect action. “Women are obviously implicated because they suffer direct negative consequences as targets of prejudice and, as the current work demonstrates, indirect consequences as bystanders. But sexism also harms men as well. Whenever a single man’s prejudiced actions are attributed to his gender identity, male perpetrators impact how women view and react to men more generally,” said Stephanie Chaudoir and Diane Quinn, authors of the study.  In other words, sexist remarks ruin it for the offended woman, other women witnessing, and the men who will then be judged by these women according to one sexist man. Help a sister – and a brother – out and keep it respectful.

Green Living: The latest survey of existing data about the hazards of plastic to human health and the ecosystems we depend on are sobering. According to research published in the Annual Review of Public Health, the annual production of plastic would fill a series of train cars encircling the globe. Adverse effects to human health remain unclear and controversial, though BPA and phthalates used in making stuff like water bottles and food packaging can leach out over time and are known to be toxic. As recently as this January, the FDA has expressed concern for potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children. The author of the study said that we are at a critical time to change into more healthy and sustainable materials to replace plastic and its harm to us and the environment.

Weight: A new national study suggests that preschool-aged children may have a lower risk for obesity if they regularly engage in one or more of three specific activities. These include eating dinner as a family, getting adequate sleep and limiting their weekday television viewing time. The study showed  that 4-year-olds living in homes with all three habits had an almost 40% lower prevalence of obesity than did children living in homes that practiced none of these routines. Each routine on its own was associated with lower obesity, and more routines translated to lower obesity, according to the analysis. The study appears online in the journal Pediatrics. While it may be difficult for some families to adhere to these routines regularly, the researchers stated that families with young children may want to consider what it would take for them to have these routines for their child, given the consequences.

Mind: When we’re feeling blue, we turn to comfort foods. When we’re happy, we get adventurous. The latest findings from an international team of social ad cognitive psychologists have confirmed this: A negative mood makes the familiar seem more attractive, while happiness makes novelty more attractive (and the familiar seem ‘blah’). The study published online in the journal Psychological Science confirmed what we already know – that people prefer the familiar – but the research showed that this is not always the case and that this preference changes depending on our moods. In the experiment, saddened participants showed the classic preference for the familiar. But patients who were put in good moods by making them recall good memories and playing appropriate music did not show this preference. “When you’re happy,” said professor Piotr Winkielman, lead author of the study, “known things, familiar things, lose their appeal. Novelty, on the other hand, becomes more attractive.”

Stomach: More benefits from probiotics. According to research published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology, two lactobacillus strains can now be used to improve gastritis caused by the bacteria H. pylori. Lactobacillus fermenti and Lactobacillus acidophilus – commonly found in probiotic supplements – provide an alternative method to inhibit H. pylori infection efficiently without side effects associated with antibiotic treatment. Both strains showed significant anti-H. pylori activity, while L. fermenti showed even stronger and more efficient antagonistic activity, indicating that balanced digestive flora is key to treating diseases like gastritis and its derivatives.

Cancer: Soft drink consumption may increase risk of pancreatic cancer, according to research published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. In the study, consuming two or more soft drinks per week increased the risk of developing cancer of the pancreas by nearly twofold, compared to individuals who did not consume soft drinks. Although it is rare, pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly forms of the disease and only 5% of people who are diagnosed with it are alive five years later.Mark Pereira, Ph.D., author of the study, said people who consume soft drinks on a regular basis tend to have a poor behavioral profile overall but the link of these drinks to pancreatic cancer may be unique. “The high levels of sugar in soft drinks may be increasing the level of insulin in the body, which we think contributes to pancreatic cell growth,” said Pereira.

Taste: It looks like children’s response to intense sweet taste is related to a family history of alcoholism. “We know that sweet taste is rewarding to all kids and makes them feel good,” said study lead author Julie A. Mennella, PhD. “In addition, certain groups of children may be especially attracted to intense sweetness due to their underlying biology.” Sweet taste and alcohol activate many of the same reward circuits in the brain. Researchers tested children who had either a parent, sibling, grandparent or uncle with an alcohol addiction, and found that likeness for children with a family history of alcoholism was greatest among these children, and they also had higher “bliss points”, preferring more sugar than other children. This does not mean that those children will grow up to be alcoholics, said the researchers, but this does highlight a need to identify whether these clusters of children will require different strategies to help them reduce their intake of sweets. The study was published in the online edition of the journal Addiction.

Respiration: Hypnosis may be a tool to treat respiratory problems in children. According to research published in the journal Pediatric Asthma, Allergy & Immunology, symptoms such as difficulty taking a breath, a disruptive cough, hyperventilation, noise when breathing (gasps or squeaks), and difficulty swallowing despite normal lung function are conditions that may benefit from hypnosis because of the mind-body connection. Symptoms that are absent during sleep or that are triggered by an emotional response may be particularly responsive, as research shows that hypnosis is a valuable aid for easing a child’s anxiety and helping patients in general control their response to discomfort. “When breathing problems have a large mind-body component, resolution with hypnosis can dramatically reduce the need for expensive testing and medications,” said Harold Farber, MD, MSPH, Editor of the journal.

Sex: Most of us think of sperm as “the fastest one gets the egg”, but when in the male reproductive tract, sperm have to rest easy or they will wear themselves out prematurely before ever finding an egg. Scientists have long known that sperm’s activity level depends on their internal pH, and now they have finally found the channel that allows the tiny cells to rid themselves of protons, which renders them more alkaline, activates them, and kicks off the race to the finish line. Researchers identified the molecule that lets the protons out and makes this take place, and the conditions that pen this “pore”. These include  alkaline conditions as well as endocannabinoid, a substance present in both female and male reproductive tracts and that acts on the same receptors that the active component of marijuana does. This may explain why marijuana has been linked to impaired male fertility. “Marijuana likely activates sperm prematurely, leaving them burnt out in a matter of hours,” said Yuriy Kirichok, of the University of California, San Francisco. All of these findings may shed more light on controlling fertilization by modifying the activity of sperm in either direction, by preventing activation as a kind of male contraception or by giving sperm the extra boost they need. The study was published in the journal Cell.

The latest from the journals when it comes to men and women, in honor of Valentine’s Week.

Communication: There is power in the word “we”. A new study from UC Berkley suggests that spouses who use “we-ness” language are better able to resolve conflicts than those who don’t. The researchers analyzed conversations between 154 couples and found that those who used pronouns such as “we”, “our”, and “us”, behaved more positively toward one another and showed less physiological stress.  In contrast, couples who emphasized their separateness by using pronouns such as “I”, “me”, and “you” were found to be less satisfied in their marriages. This was especially true for older couples. The study also found that older couples identified more as “we” than did middle-aged counterparts, suggesting that facing obstacles and overcoming challenges together over the long haul, including raising families, may give couples a greater sense of shared identity. “Individuality is a deeply ingrained value in American society, but, at least in the realm of marriage, being part of a ‘we’ is well worth giving up a bit of ‘me’,” said Robert Levenson, co-author of the study published in the journal Psychology and Aging.

Sex: When it comes to suggesting wearing a condom, it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.  According to a study, whether it’s the man or the woman who suggests using a condom makes no difference to how he or she is viewed – but how the woman suggests it makes a difference. Females who incorporate condoms into the sexual scenario as an erotic and fun activity were judged more harshly by the women participating in the study  than if they simply refuse to have sex without a condom or shared their concerns about sexually transmitted infections. Authors also found that condom proposers in general – those who suggested a condom is used – were seen as more mature but less romantic than individuals who did not suggest condom use, and that women were seen as less promiscuous when they proposed using a condom than when they did not.

Infidelity: Research has shown that men and women view cheating very differently. Emotional infidelity – the kind that Governor Mark Sanford established when he called his Argentine mistress his ‘soulmate’, suggesting a deep emotional connection with Maria Belen Chapur rather than a purely sexual one – is viewed as worse by women than sexual betrayal – the kind that Bill Clinton exemplified with Monica Lewinski. Case in point: Jenny Sanford is divorcing the governor while Hillary Clinton forgave Bill. The opposite is true for men: Most men become much more jealous about sexual cheating than they do about emotional cheating. We used to think this was because of evolutionary reasons: Men learned over centuries to be super vigilant about sex so that they could be certain that they were the father of a child, while women were much more concerned about a man being committed and sticking around to raise the family. A new study, published in Psychological Science, confirms the difference but explains that this may now have more to do with individual personality differences and relationship history than evolution. Some men find emotional betrayal more upsetting than sexual infidelity and the researchers say this has to do with trust and emotional attachment. Some people – men or women – are more secure in their attachments to others, while others tend to be more aloof, more dismissive of the need for close attachment relationships.  Psychologists see dismissive behavior as a defense strategy, protection against a deep vulnerability (fear of being hurt, as perhaps in previous relationships). The researchers found that this type of individual – who prizes independence in relationships over commitment – was much more upset over sexual infidelity than emotional infidelity. And, conversely, the ones securely attached in relationships – including securely attached men – were much more likely to be upset at emotional betrayal. In case you’re wondering which is worse, ponder this: As a side note, the researchers stated that promoting secure attachment may be an effective means to reducing the kind of sexual jealousy that contributes to domestic violence.

Emotions: Men feel less guilt than women, a new study says. According to research published in the Spanish Journal of Psychology, women of all age groups scored higher in feelings of intensity of habitual guilt than men, as well as interpersonal sensitivity. There are two experiences of guilt: empathetic (sorrow for the person we have harmed in some way) and anxious aggressive (unease and contained aggression). The anxious-aggressive kind of guilt is more common in people who have been raised in a more blame-imposing environment, and who are governed by stricter rules about behavior in general, and aggression in particular.  This explains why the results of the study indicated that guilt was most common among 40-50 year old women. Times have changed and women have many more freedoms (the right to vote, to work, to decide to have children or not), but having been brought up in more restrictive environments still affects the behaviors of women of this age group.

Exercise: Regularly practicing yoga may help with inflammation. According to a study published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, women who routinely practiced yoga had lower amounts of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in their blood. IL-6 is an important component of the body’s inflammatory response, and reducing inflammation may provide benefits for diseases like stroke, type-2 diabetes, arthritis and other debilitating conditions. The yoga practitioners also showed smaller increases in IL-6 after stressful experiences than did women who were the same age and weight but who did not practice yoga. “Hopefully, this means that people can eventually learn to respond less strongly to stressors in their everyday lives by using yoga and other stress-reducing modalities,” said Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, lead author of the study. “Muscles shorten and tighten over time, mainly because of inactivity. The stretching and exercise that comes with yoga actually increases a person’s flexibility and that, in turn, allows relaxation, which can lower stress,” said Ron Glaser, co-author of the research.

Brain: Blocking the function of an enzyme in the brain with a specific kind of Vitamin E can prevent nerve cells from dying after a stroke, according to new research. In a study using mouse brain cells, scientists found that the tocotrienol form of Vitamin E, an alternative to the popular drugstore supplement, stopped the enzyme from releasing fatty acids that eventually kill neurons. “Our research suggests that the different froms of natural Vitamin E have distinct functions. The relatively pooorly studied tocotrienol form of Vitamin E targets specific pathways to protect agains neural cell death and rescues the brain after stroke injury,” said Chandan Sen, senior author of the study that appears in the online edition of the Journal of Neurochemistry.

Herbs: Six essential oils – from thyme, clove, rose, eucalyptus, fennel and bergamot – can suppress inflammation, a study shows. Carvacol, a chemical in these oils, is the primary active agent and can act agains the inflammatory COX-2 enzyme.  These findings appear in the January issue of Journal of Lipid Research, and provide more understanding of the health benefits of botanical oils, adding to already established properties like antibacterial and analgesic.

Sexes: Ah, the scent of a woman. Femmes spend billions of dollars each year on exotic-smelling perfumes and lotions hoping to attract a mate, but it looks like they should save their pennies. According to a new study in the journal Psychological Science, going “au natural” may be the best way to capture a potential mate’s attention. Animal studies have shown that male testosterone levels are influenced by odor signals emitted by females, particularly when they are ovulating (when they are most fertile). The researchers tested this in humans by having women sleep in the same shirts for three nights during various phases of their menstrual cycle, and then asking male volunteers to smell the worn shirts. Results revealed the same as with animals: the men who smelled the shirts of ovulating women then had higher levels of testosterone, and also rated these as the most pleasant smelling. “The present research is the first to provide direct evidence that olfactory cues to female ovulation influence biological responses in men,” said the authors of the study.

Mind: Choose your company carefully. A study published in the online edition of the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that self-control – or lack thereof – is contagious.  The researchers found that people tend to mimic the behavior of those around them and that this includes self-control or lack of self-control, and that even thinking about someone who exhibits this behavior will affect your own behavior not just in one area but across the board. In other words, watching or thinking about someone who exercises self-control by working out regularly will not only make you more likely to stick to your own exercise routine, but may also help you have more self-control with your finances, career goals and anything else that takes self-control on your part. “The take home message of this study is that picking social influences that are positive can improve your self-control. And by exhibiting self-control, you’re helping others around you do the same,” said lead author Michelle vanDellen.

Antioxidants: Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine discovered that a chemical found in vegetables reduces problems caused during inflammation. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, states that thiocyanate, a dietary antioxidant found in broccoli and cauliflower, protects cells from damage caused by chemicals released when inflammation occurs as a response to infection and injury. Yet another reason to eat your veggies.

Mating: It looks like women may be responsible for the alpha male personality. According to a study published in the journal Biological Reviews, sexual selection (competition between one sex for a mate – usually males competing to be chosen by females) may have shaped the evolution of the male personality, which is more pronounced, daring and aggressive in males from humans to house sparrows.

Alternative: Based on experiments and surveys in the US, China and India, the authors of a study published in the Journal of Consumer Research concluded that consumers prefer Traditional Chinese Medicine to Western Medicine when uncertain about the cause of an illness because a holistic medicine approach tolerates uncertainty better than Western Medicine. “Western Medicine is primarily concerned with the material aspect of the body and views all medical phenomena as cause-effect sequences,” wrote the authors, “on the other hand, TCM and Ayurvedic Medicine favor a holistic approach, view the mind and body as a whole system.” They also determined that consumers prefer TCM to WM because they believe TCM offers an underlying cure whereas WM just alleviates symptoms.

Smoking: A study to be published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives states that cigarettes are widely contaminated with disease-causing bacteria related to food borne illnesses, anthrax and lung and blood infections. Another, published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygene said that outdoor smoking areas may be a new health hazard, as it found high levels of a nicotine byproduct in nonsmokers exposed to second-hand smoke outdoors. Yet another, published in the online journal Pediatrics, determined that children exposed to tobacco smoke prenatally and to lead during childhood face a particularly high risk for ADHD. Finally, it is now “established” that there is a connection between ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) and smoking, according to a study in the journal Neurology. Any more reasons to quit?

Meditation: According to a study to be published in the December issue of the American Journal of Hypertension, Transcendental Meditation may be an effective method to reduce blood pressure, anxiety, depression and anger among at-risk college students. Patients with coronary heart disease who practiced TM had almost 50% lower rates of heart attack, stroke and death compared to nonmeditators, according to another study presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association. With so many great benefits from a few minutes of meditation, isn’t it worth your time?

Behavior: Placing blame might be contagious. According to a study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, observing someone being blamed triggers the perception that one’s self-image is under assault and must be protected. “When we see others protecting their egos, we become defensive too”, says the study’s lead author. We then tend to protect ourselves by blaming others for our mistakes, which is temporary relief but in the long run can hurt one’s reputation and be destructive to the workplace and society as a whole. Let’s do our best to take responsibility.