Habits To Have Longer Life: Eating a nutritious diet and exercising regularly may increase your life expectancy. Other factors, like overeating and drinking more than a moderate level of alcohol, may increase your risk of certain diseases.
Many people think that life expectancy is largely determined by genetics.
Habits To Have Longer Life, However, genes play a much smaller role than originally believed. It turns out that environmental factors like diet and lifestyle are key.
1. Avoid overeating
Habits To Have Longer Life, The link between calorie intake and longevity currently generates a lot of interest.
Animal studies suggest that a 10–50% reduction in normal calorie intake may increase maximum lifespan.
Studies of human populations renowned for longevity also observe links between low calorie intake, an extended lifespan, and a lower likelihood of disease.
Habits To Have Longer Life, What’s more, calorie restriction may help reduce excess body weight and belly fat, both of which are associated with shorter lifespans.
That said, long-term calorie restriction is often unsustainable and can include negative side effects, such as increased hunger, low body temperature, and a diminished sex drive.
Habits To Have Longer Life, Whether calorie restriction slows aging or extends your lifespan is not yet fully understood.
2. Eat more nuts
Nuts are nutritional powerhouses.
Habits To Have Longer Life, They’re rich in protein, fiber, antioxidants, and beneficial plant compounds. What’s more, they’re a great source of several vitamins and minerals, such as copper, magnesium, potassium, folate, niacin, and vitamins B6 and E.
Several studies show that nuts have beneficial effects on heart disease, high blood pressure, inflammation, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, belly fat levels, and even some forms of cancer.
Habits To Have Longer Life, One study found that people who consumed at least 3 servings of nuts per week had a 39% lower risk of premature death.
Habits To Have Longer Life, Similarly, two recent reviews including over 350,000 people noted that one serving of nuts per week resulted in 4% and one serving of nuts per day resulted in 27% decreased risk of all-cause mortality and decreased risk of CVD mortality.
3. Try out turmeric
Habits To Have Longer Life, When it comes to anti-aging strategies, turmeric is a great option. That’s because this spice contains a potent bioactive compound called curcumin.
Due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, curcumin is thought to help maintain brain, heart, and lung function, as well as protect against cancers and age-related diseases.
Curcumin is linked to an increased lifespan in both insects and mice.
Habits To Have Longer Life, In vivo and in vitro studies in humans have confirmed that curcumin may help to prevent cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, inflammatory diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, and other conditions.
Nevertheless, turmeric has been consumed for thousands of years in India and is generally considered safe.
4. Eat plenty of healthy plant foods
Habits To Have Longer Life, Consuming a wide variety of plant foods, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and beans, may decrease disease risk and promote longevity.
For example, many studies link a plant-rich diet to a lower risk of premature death, as well as a reduced risk of cancer, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, depression, and brain deterioration.
These effects are attributed to plant foods’ nutrients and antioxidants, which include polyphenols, carotenoids, folate, and vitamin C.
Habits To Have Longer Life, Accordingly, several studies link vegetarian and vegan diets, which are naturally higher in plant foods, to a 12–15% lower risk of premature death.
The same studies also report a 29–52% lower risk of dying from cancer or heart, kidney, or hormone-related diseases.
Habits To Have Longer Life, What’s more, some research suggests that the risk of premature death and certain diseases increases with greater meat consumptio.
However, other studies report either nonexistent or much weaker links — with the negative effects seeming specifically linked to processed meat.
Habits To Have Longer Life, Vegetarians and vegans also generally tend to be more health-conscious than meat eaters, which could at least partly explain these findings.
Overall, eating plenty of plant foods is likely to benefit health and longevity.
5. Stay physically active
Habits To Have Longer Life, It should come as no surprise that staying physically active can keep you healthy and add years to your life. As few as 15 minutes of exercise per day may help you achieve benefits, which could include an additional 3 years of life.
Furthermore, your risk of premature death may decrease by 4% for each additional 15 minutes of daily physical activity.
6. Don’t smoke
Habits To Have Longer Life, Smoking is strongly linked to disease and early death.
Overall, people who smoke may lose up to 10 years of life and be 3 times more likely to die prematurely than those who never pick up a cigarette.
Habits To Have Longer Life, A recent review states that quitting tobacco before age 40 will prevent almost all increased risks of death from smoking. Keep in mind that it’s never too late to quit.
One study reports that individuals who quit smoking by age 35 may prolong their lives by up to 8.5 years.
Habits To Have Longer Life, Furthermore, quitting smoking in your 60s may add up to 3.7 years to your life. In fact, quitting in your 80s may still provide benefits.
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