Could just four basic changes to your behavior add an extra 14 years to your life? According to the largest diet and health study ever conducted, yes!
The University of Cambridge and Medical Research Council study published in the journal PLoS Medicine, examined the longevity impact of these four lifestyle changes: not smoking, exercising regularly, drinking alcohol in moderation, and eating five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Researchers found that those who adopted these behaviors lived an average of 14 years longer than those did not.
While each of the individual behaviors are known to have positive effects on overall health, this is the first time researchers combined the behaviors, quantifying and applying the benefits to actual longevity.
Researchers surveyed 20,000 men and women between the ages of 45 and 70, from 1993 to 1997, giving one point for each of the healthy behaviors. Here’s what they found:
“The study tracked deaths among the participants through 2006 and found that over that time frame, participants who adhered to none of the four healthy behaviors were four times more likely to have died than the participants who maintained healthier habits. Additionally, researchers calculated that those scoring zero had the same risk of dying as someone 14 years older who scored four on the questionnaire.”
Sure, changing just one of the four behaviors can have a positive effect on your health, but all four will add years to your life. Make one change today, and you’ll be on your way to a longer, healthier life tomorrow!
