StThere are eight “commandments” to follow for a long and healthy life. That’s what one suggests study presented during Nutrition 2023, the meeting of the American Society for Nutrition that took place in July. The research, signed by Xuan-Mai Nguyenhe illustrates the increase in life expectancy associated with healthy lifestyle choices. It involved over 700,000 US veterans. And it shows that people who adopt eight healthy lifestyle habits by midlife can expect to live substantially longer than those who adopt few or none of these precautions.
The eight commandments of longevity
The eight commandments for longevity are:
1. Be physically active
2. Be free from opioid addiction
3. Don’t smoke
4. Manage stress
5. Have a good diet
6. Don’t binge habitually
7. Get regular sleep
8. Have positive social relationships
Men can “gain” 24 years, women 21
According to the findings, men who meet all eight guidelines should live an average of 24 years longer by the age of 40 than those who follow none of these habits. For women, following the eight rules of healthy living in midlife predicts 21 years longer than those who ignore all eight.
If 8 is too much, you can start with two or three commandments
“We were amazed at how much can be gained from adopting one, two, three or all eight factors of a healthy lifestyle,” said Xuan-Mai T. Nguyen, health science specialist at the Department of Health. Veterans Affairs and fourth-year medical student at Carle Illinois College of Medicine.
If the maximum benefit is obtained, obviously, by adopting all 8 good rules, “even making a small change at 40, 50 or 60 is still useful”, continued Nguyen.
Overall, the results showed that low physical activity, opioid use and smoking had the greatest impact on lifespan. These factors have been associated with an approximately 30-45% higher risk of death.
Stress, alcohol abuse, poor diet and poor sleep management have been associated with an approximately 20% increased risk of death. While the lack of positive social relationships has been associated with a 5% higher incidence of death rates.
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