These Eight Habits Could Add 20 Years to Your Life
A new study suggests adopting just eight healthy habits could add over 20 years to your life.
The study, which was presented recently at a meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, looked at data from lifestyle surveys and medical records of 700,000 US veterans aged between 40 and 99.
During the eight-year period of the study, 33,375 participants died. The researchers then studied the data and found eight habits which could be associated with a longer life.
They found that men who adopted all eight habits by the age of 40 could live an average of 24 years longer than men who had none of the habits.
Women who adopted the habits by the age of 40 could live an average of 21 years longer.
Xuan-Mai T Nguyen, a health scientist at the Department of Veterans Affairs who took part in the research, said: "We were really surprised by just how much could be gained with the adoption of one, two, three, or all eight lifestyle factors."
The eight healthy habits are:
- Having a healthy diet.
- Sleeping well.
- Exercising.
- Managing stress.
- Drinking alcohol in moderation.
- Not smoking.
- Having positive social relationships.
- Being free from opioid addiction.
The research team found that during the study period, participants who didn't get enough exercise, used opioid drugs and smoked had a higher risk of death at between 30% and 45%.
Participants who drank too much alcohol, didn't get enough sleep, had a bad diet and didn't manage their stress had a 20% higher risk of death.
Though adopting the habits sooner is better, the researchers said that making these changes later in life could still add years to your life.
"It is never too late to adopt a healthy lifestyle," said Nguyen.
