How to live centenarian? What are the good habits to adopt to age in good health and disappear as late as possible? Here is the (ambitious) question posed by researchers at the University of Edinburgh (in Scotland): by studying the conclusions of 25 studies carried out in Australia, Europe and North America on more than 606,000 volunteers, they succeeded to isolate certain behaviors that are beneficial for life expectancy. Overview.
Do 30 minutes of sports activity a day
A few ten-minute walks are enough if you are not a great sportsman.
Sleep 7 to 8 hours per night
Lack of sleep in an adult or a child increases the risk of heart disease, cancer and various pathologies.
Eat fruits and vegetables
A healthy diet consisting of five fruits or vegetables a day is essential for maintaining good health.
No smoking
Unsurprisingly, to live a long and healthy life, smoking is absolutely prohibited: smoking a pack a day (about 20 cigarettes) would reduce life expectancy by 7 years on average. Good news all the same for smokers: saying “goodbye” to tobacco would allow you to gradually regain the lost years…
Control your weight and avoid excess
Chronic diseases (diabetes, cholesterol, cardiovascular disorders, overweight, etc.) would drastically reduce life expectancy. In addition, each BMI point above normal (above 25, therefore) would reduce life expectancy by about 7 months. On the other side of the scale, a weight loss of one kilo would be enough to gain 2 months of life – and this is of course cumulative.
Promote post-baccalaureate studies (when possible)
Education would also play a role: indeed, according to Scottish researchers, each year of higher education (after the baccalaureate) would make it possible to gain 11 months of life expectancy.
Not to mention some genetic factors
Thus, the scientists managed to isolate two genes having an influence on life expectancy. The first, linked to the level of cholesterol in the blood, would automatically remove 8 months of life, while the second, linked to the proper functioning of the immune system, would make it possible to live an additional 6 months.
As a reminder, according to the latest INSEE study, 594,000 people died in France in 2016… including 21,000 centenarians.
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