Research Shows Healthy Habits Can Lengthen Your Life Span
New research presented at the American Society for Nutrition’s annual conference in Boston suggests that adopting healthy habits like exercising, getting good sleep, and drinking in moderation could not only improve your quality of life but also lengthen your life span.
Study’s Findings
The study, which analyzed data from nearly 720,000 military veterans aged 40-99, found that those who adopted eight healthy habits experienced a 13% reduction in mortality compared to those who did not. The research team, consisting mostly of Harvard- and Department of Veterans Affairs-affiliated scientists in Boston, revealed that forty-year-olds who adopted all eight healthy habits could potentially gain between 23 to 24 years of life expectancy.
The Beneficial Habits
The eight healthy habits identified in the study include never smoking, being physically active, not regularly binge-drinking, getting good sleep, eating a healthy diet, living a minimal-stress life, having positive social relationships, and avoiding opioids. The three most impactful habits in extending lifespan were found to be exercising, not being addicted to opioids, and not smoking. Those who did not have these healthy habits were 30%-45% more likely to die during the study.
Negative Habits
Researchers also found that stress, binge drinking, poor diet, and lack of good sleep were associated with around a 20% increase in the risk of death, while a lack of positive social relationships added a 5% increased risk of death.
While adopting all eight factors by age 40 is ideal, researchers emphasize that even making small changes at any point in life can be beneficial. For example, a 60-year-old with all eight healthy habits could expect to gain just under 20 years of life, while an 80-year-old could gain around 10 years. Even a 40-year-old with just four of the healthy habits could see a 10-year increase in life expectancy.
Xuan-Mai Nguyen, a researcher on the study, encourages individuals to incorporate these healthy habits into their lifestyle, noting that it’s never too late to make positive changes. Whether in your forties, fifties, sixties, or beyond, adopting even one or a few healthy habits can have a significant impact on your overall well-being and longevity.