scholarly journals Multilingualism and Personal Health Benefits: Connecting the Dots

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed H. Al Aqad
Keyword(s):  
Health Benefits ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Stroke Recovery ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Cross Culture ◽  
New Research ◽  
Connecting The Dots ◽  
Multiple Languages ◽  
The Brain

Being multilingual is a valuable advantage in today’s global society, which is right at everyone’s doorstep. Language and the ability to communicate are important skills to possess. These skills are particularly useful for healthcare professionals because without effective communication, it is tricky to collect reliable information, inform patients of a diagnosis, and/or engage them in developing a management plan. This chapter discusses the connection between speaking several languages and speaker’s mind health. New research on multilingualism has impacted the author insight into the effect of learning and using two or more languages on cognition, the brain, and success and well-being across the lifetime in the last twenty years. The notion of learning various languages expose the linguistic and cognitive development in the community, the latest findings imply that people gain a swathe of health benefits, becoming more open to different languages and new learning in general. An old saying says, speaking more than one language inevitably means that one’s have access to more than one culture, the person tend to have a better understand of intercultural differences and the nuances of different subcultures within an entire culture. The finding of the study shows that knowing several languages support ones life style, boost to live longer and the speaker become a certain kind of personification of cultural dynamicity and cross-culture exchange. Consequently, multilingualism has a range of social, psychological, and lifestyle benefits. Furthermore, experts are discovering a slew of health benefits from learning multiple languages, including quicker stroke recovery and delayed dementia development.

The Cooking Ape: An Interview with Richard Wrangham

2005 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-37
Author(s):  
elisabeth townsend
Keyword(s):  
Social Relationships ◽  
Human Behavior ◽  
Homo Sapiens ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Harvard University ◽  
Primate Research ◽  
Social Organizations ◽  
Cooked Food ◽  
New Research ◽  
The Brain

Humans: The Cooking Ape Perhaps the first to suggest that humans were cooking as early as 1.9 million years ago, Richard Wrangham shows through his new research and his imagination how and possibly when cooking changed humans dramatically. Wrangham, Harvard University primatologist and MacArthur Fellow, has been studying the evolution of human cooking. After 25 years of primate research at his site in Kibale, Uganda, Wrangham is best known for explaining the similarity and differences across species of primate social organizations. In Kibale, he has analyzed chimpanzees’ behavior: how it’s changed when they interact with the environment and how their social groups have evolved. In particular, he noticed how food changed their interactions with each other. Like that of chimps, human behavior has been affected by food, especially as they shifted from raw to cooked food. Moving from eating food as it was discovered to collecting edibles and cooking them altered our social relationships. Cooked food has changed Homo sapiens physically by making food more digestible thereby altering jaws, teeth, and guts, and providing more calories for more expensive organs such as the brain. Wrangham discusses when and how humans may have started using fire to cook food, what they cooked, and the transition from cooking in an outdoor fire to hearths and open ovens.

National Identification, A Social Cure for COVID-19? Evidence From 67 Countries

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Bonetto ◽  
Sylvain Delouvée ◽  
Yara Mahfud ◽  
Jais Adam-Troian
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
National Identification ◽  
The Social ◽  
Mental Health Benefits

Social distancing and mass quarantines were implemented worldwide in response to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Prior research on the effects of social isolation has shown that such measures bear negative consequences for population health and well-being. Conversely, a growing body of evidence suggests that feeling positively identified with a group is associated with a range of physical and mental health benefits. This effect is referred to as the social cure and generalizes to various identities. In line with these findings, this study tested whether national identification could promote wellbeing and physical health during the COVID-19 pandemic. To do so, we used survey data conducted among 67 countries (N = 46,450) which included measures of wellbeing, national identification, and subjective physical health. Mixed-model analyses revealed that national identity was indeed associated with wellbeing - despite adjustment on social belonging, COVID-19 perceived risk, exposure, and ideology. This effect did not extend to subjective health. These results suggest that the mere feeling of belonging to a national group may have mental health benefits and could be leveraged by governments. We discuss the implications of our findings within the social cure framework and their relevance for population mental health under COVID-19.

Prebiotic Carbohydrates for Therapeutics.

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renuka Basavaiah ◽  
Prapulla Siddalingaiya Gurudutt
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Lipid Metabolism ◽  
Bacterial Infection ◽  
Food Industry ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Intestinal Disease ◽  
Mineral Absorption ◽  
Health Promoting ◽  
Insulin Dependent

: The food industry is constantly shifting focus based on prebiotics as health-promoting substrates rather than just food supplements. A prebiotic is ‘‘a selectively fermented ingredient that allows specific changes, both in the composition and/or activity in the gastrointestinal microflora that confers benefits upon host well-being and health.” Prebiotics exert a plethora of health-promoting effects, which has lead to the establishment of multimillion food and pharma industries. The following are the health benefits attributed to prebiotics: mineral absorption, better immune response, increased resistance to bacterial infection, improved lipid metabolism, possible protection against cancer, relief from poor digestion of lactose, and reduction in the risk of diseases such as intestinal disease, non-insulin dependent diabetes, obesity and allergy. Numerous studies in both animals and humans have demonstrated the health benefits of prebiotics.

From Help Giving to Helping Relations

2018 ◽  
pp. 464-488
Author(s):  
Arie Nadler
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Significant Relationships ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Help Giving ◽  
Social Psychological Research ◽  
Practical Implications

This chapter reviews social psychological research on help giving and helping relations from the 1950s until today. The first section considers the conditions under which people are likely to help others, personality dispositions that characterize helpful individuals, and motivational and attributional antecedents of helpfulness. The second section looks at long-term consequences of help and examines help in the context of enduring and emotionally significant relationships. Research has shown that in the long run help can increase psychological and physical well-being for helpers but discourage self-reliance for recipients. The third section analyzes helping from intra- and intergroup perspectives, considering how its provision can contribute to helpers’ reputations within a group or promote the positive social identity of in-groups relative to out-groups. Help is thus conceptualized as a negotiation between the fundamental psychological needs for belongingness and independence. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

scholarly journals Herbal Remedies and Their Possible Effect on the GABAergic System and Sleep

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 530
Author(s):  
Oliviero Bruni ◽  
Luigi Ferini-Strambi ◽  
Elena Giacomoni ◽  
Paolo Pellegrino
Keyword(s):  
Gaba Receptors ◽  
Herbal Medicines ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Herbal Remedies ◽  
Gamma Aminobutyric Acid ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Inhibitory Neurotransmitter ◽  
Alternative Medicines ◽  
Molecular Components ◽  
The Brain

Sleep is an essential component of physical and emotional well-being, and lack, or disruption, of sleep due to insomnia is a highly prevalent problem. The interest in complementary and alternative medicines for treating or preventing insomnia has increased recently. Centuries-old herbal treatments, popular for their safety and effectiveness, include valerian, passionflower, lemon balm, lavender, and Californian poppy. These herbal medicines have been shown to reduce sleep latency and increase subjective and objective measures of sleep quality. Research into their molecular components revealed that their sedative and sleep-promoting properties rely on interactions with various neurotransmitter systems in the brain. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that plays a major role in controlling different vigilance states. GABA receptors are the targets of many pharmacological treatments for insomnia, such as benzodiazepines. Here, we perform a systematic analysis of studies assessing the mechanisms of action of various herbal medicines on different subtypes of GABA receptors in the context of sleep control. Currently available evidence suggests that herbal extracts may exert some of their hypnotic and anxiolytic activity through interacting with GABA receptors and modulating GABAergic signaling in the brain, but their mechanism of action in the treatment of insomnia is not completely understood.

scholarly journals How can electric lighting contribute to human health and well-being?

2021 ◽  
Vol 53 (5) ◽  
pp. 515-522
Author(s):  
P Raynham
Keyword(s):  
Human Health ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Electric Light ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Hypothetical Explanation

Electric light in buildings may provide some health benefits; however, for most people these benefits are likely to be small. It is possible for electric lighting to cause health problems, if there is too little light or there is glare, but for the most part there is good guidance available and these problems can be avoided. The quality of the lit environment can have a psychological impact and this may in turn impact well-being. A starting point for this is perceived adequacy of illumination. Related lighting metrics are examined and a hypothetical explanation is suggested.

Integrating Workforce Health Into Employer Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Efforts

2020 ◽  
pp. 089011712098328
Author(s):  
Bruce W. Sherman ◽  
Rebecca K. Kelly ◽  
Pamela Payne-Foster
Keyword(s):  
Race And Ethnicity ◽  
Health Management ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Family Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Business Success ◽  
Differential Outcomes ◽  
Sustained Change ◽  
Equity And Inclusion

Our collective experience with COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter has heightened awareness of deeply embedded racial and socioeconomic disparities in American businesses. This time, perhaps, sustained change is within reach. As organizations advance diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, an often overlooked focus of is the health status of employees and their families, where equitable access to high-value health benefits offerings should be available to all. This commentary provides guidance for employers to expand their DEI initiatives to include employee and family health and well-being as a central outcome measure. Employers should ensure that DEI efforts incorporate equitable benefits design, and objectively assess benefit design impact on healthcare utilization and cost. Additionally, employers must appreciate the workplace as a significant determinant of health—for lower income workers, in particular—with review of policies and practices to mitigate any discriminatory negative health or well-being impact. Further, race and ethnicity data should be incorporated in health benefits data analysis to understand more clearly the differential outcomes of health management offerings on these different sub-populations. Finally, social needs data should be incorporated into strategic benefits planning to better understand gaps and opportunities to foster greater benefits equity. The provided recommendations can support employer goals of achieving greater equity and value in workforce health, measurably contributing to business success.

Procedural fairness: Between human rights law and social psychology

2021 ◽  
pp. 092405192199274
Author(s):  
Cathérine Van de Graaf
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Procedural Justice ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Fair Trial ◽  
European Convention ◽  
Public Confidence ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Justice Research ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Impact

Fair procedures have long been a topic of great interest for human rights lawyers. Yet, few authors have drawn on research from other disciplines to enrich the discussion. Social psychological procedural justice research has demonstrated in various applications that, besides the final outcome, the manner in which one’s case is handled matters to people as well. Such research has shown the impact of procedural justice on individuals’ well-being, their acceptance of unfavourable decisions, perceptions of legitimacy and public confidence. The ECtHR has confirmed the desirability of these effects in its fair trial jurisprudence. Thus far, it remains unclear to what extent the guarantees offered by Article 6(1) of the European Convention on Human Rights (the right to a fair trial) coincide with the findings of empirical procedural justice research. This article aims to rectify this and uncover similarities between the two disciplines.

The Trajectory of Subjective Well-Being: A Partial Explanation of the Marriage Advantage

2021 ◽  
pp. 0192513X2110300
Author(s):  
Alfred DeMaris ◽  
Gary Oates
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Partial Explanation ◽  
Financial Status ◽  
Linear Mixed Effects ◽  
Race And Gender ◽  
Emotional Factors ◽  
Mixed Effects Modeling ◽  
And Gender

Although several studies have documented a distinct marriage advantage in well-being, it is still unclear what it is about marriage that renders this benefit. We hypothesize that it is due to factors theorized to accrue to matrimony, such as elevated financial status and specific social psychological supports. We examine the trajectory of subjective well-being for 1135 respondents from the three-wave 2010 GSS panel survey utilizing linear mixed-effects modeling. We find that about two-fifths of the marriage advantage in subjective well-being is accounted for by a mixture of control variables, finances, and emotional factors, with most of this due to elements that are associated with the marital context. Higher annual income, enhanced interpersonal trust, greater sociability, and less of a sense of loneliness and isolation appear to be responsible for a substantial component of the marital advantage. We further find that the marriage advantage is invariant to both race and gender.

scholarly journals Post-Stroke Social Isolation Reduces Cell Proliferation in the Dentate Gyrus and Alters miRNA Profiles in the Aged Female Mice Brain

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 99
Author(s):  
Aleah Holmes ◽  
Yan Xu ◽  
Juneyoung Lee ◽  
Michael E. Maniskas ◽  
Liang Zhu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Dentate Gyrus ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Elderly Women ◽  
Stroke Recovery ◽  
Tissue Loss ◽  
Female Mice ◽  
Post Stroke ◽  
The Brain

Social isolation and loneliness are risk factors for stroke. Elderly women are more likely to be isolated. Census data shows that in homeowners over the age of 65, women are much more likely to live alone. However, the underlying mechanisms of the detrimental effects of isolation have not been well studied in older females. In this study, we hypothesized that isolation impairs post-stroke recovery in aged female mice, leading to dysregulated microRNAs (miRNAs) in the brain, including those previously shown to be involved in response to social isolation (SI). Aged C57BL/6 female mice were subjected to a 60-min middle cerebral artery occlusion and were randomly assigned to either single housing (SI) or continued pair housing (PH) immediately after stroke for 15 days. SI immediately after stroke led to significantly more brain tissue loss after stroke and higher mortality. Furthermore, SI significantly delayed motor and sensory recovery and worsened cognitive function, compared to PH. A decrease in cell proliferation was seen in the dentate gyrus of SI mice assessed by bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling. miRNAome data analysis revealed changes in several miRNAs in the brain, such as miR-297a-3p and miR-200c-3p, which are known to regulate pathways involved in cell proliferation. In conclusion, our data suggest that SI can lead to a poor post-stroke recovery in aged females and dysregulation of miRNAs and reduced hippocampal cell proliferation.

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