The power of friendships

The most memorable version of the song “That’s What Friends Are For” was sung by Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder as a charity single for AIDS research and prevention. That rendition became the No. 1 single of 1986.

For millions (probably billions) of folks, singing — and thinking — about friends creates a feel-good moment. More and more research is showing that the benefits go far beyond temporary joy. In a new study published in Personal Relationships, researchers looked at data on over 270,000 people and found that close family and friend ties were associated with better health and happiness.

Folks without a network of friends/family and buddies that they could rely on were more likely to report high blood pressure; diabetes; cancer; lung disease; coronary heart disease, including heart attacks, angina and congestive heart failure; emotional, nervous or psychiatric problems; arthritis or rheumatism; or stroke.

The researchers also looked into a survey of 75,000 people and found that the quality of friendships matters, too. Those who found that friends/family often let them down or were a source of conflict reported more chronic illness.

So tend to your relationships — be the good friend you want others to be to you. And lean on your friends/family/buddies for support (it turns out people like to be relied on!); carve out time to make fun memories. You won’t just be having a good time; you’ll be boosting your chances of a healthier, happier life.

The fruit and nothing but

“Blueberries for Sal,” “Blueberry Girl,” “Blueberry Muffin Murder,” “The Bobbsey Twins on Blueberry Island” and “Town in a Blueberry Jam” might provide stimulating summer reading for you and your kids. But grab a handful of real blueberries while you’re perusing the pages if you want to see just how much that tasty fruit can do for your brain and body.

According to a new study in The BMJ, when researchers looked at the health records of thousands of people, they found that eating two or more servings a week of blueberries, as well as grapes, raisins, prunes, apples and pears, can slash your risk for Type 2 diabetes by around 23 percent. And eating those nutrient- and fiber-filled fruits put you way ahead of folks who are more likely to drink fruit juices. Having a daily dose of fruit juice increases your chance of developing Type 2 diabetes by around 21 percent. That’s a pretty big swing from a swig of juice! And steer clear of any berry jams and jellies with added sugar.

It’s likely the fiber and polyphenols in whole fruits are what help control blood glucose levels, keep your gut biome healthy and improve your heart health. Remember, lots of nutrients are packed into the skin and rind, so don’t peel that apple! They provide prebiotics to help your microbiome. The Department of Agriculture says a medium-size apple with its skin serves up 4.4 grams of fiber; without skin, 2.1 grams. Good core values!

Easy weight-control trick: Eat early

In a scene from “Kung Fu Panda,” master Shifu finds Po, the panda who wants to learn the martial arts, in the pantry at dawn, chowing down on cookies. “Look at you,” Shifu remarks. “Ya, I know. I disgust you,” Po replies. “No, no. I mean ... how did you get up there?” Shifu asks. “You are 10 feet off the ground and have done a perfect split.” At that moment, Shifu realizes Po’s potential in kung fu.

Not only has Po performed a remarkable kung fu feat, he is doing something else Shifu could have praised: He’s loading up on calories early in the day (although we’re not recommending cookies of any kind, anytime of the day). A new study tracked nine healthy adults for eight weeks while they ate all their meals between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., and then assessed the change in their weight, body fat, energy metabolism and hormonal markers when they spent eight weeks eating the same amount, but between noon and 11 p.m.

Turns out, when eating later, people gained weight and their metabolic health deteriorated. Seems their bodies were processing more carbs but burning less fat, and they had higher levels of fasting glucose, insulin and lousy LDL cholesterol. Eating late also negatively affected hormonal markers that control appetite and others that are implicated in heart disease, diabetes and other health problems.

So don’t sabotage your weight-control efforts or your overall health by eating late. Start early, and stop three to four hours before hitting the hay.

This story was originally published June 30, 2017 at 6:51 PM with the headline "The power of friendships."