Expect a Longer Life by 15 Years With Just 5 Healthy Habits

Published: 2021-10-20

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Despite spending more than any other country on health care—over $12,000 per person—the population of the United States ranks among the lowest in life expectancies—46th at 79.1 years.

The paradox begins with the way we approach health, by focusing so much on treating diseases instead of practicing preventative medicine, avoiding the need to treat in the first place.

Waiting around for life-extending medications are seeable but yet, unreachable so while future generations may enjoy those fruits, today we can prolong life by living with healthy habits.

Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health set out to study the issue, drawing on information from 120,000 people over more than 30 years to see what the impact of healthy habits on life expectancy would be.

The study revealed 5 healthy living habits which being met at age 50 correlated with women living 14 years longer and men 12 years, saving over $100 trillion in health care savings, according to David Sinclair Harvard biologist. The 5 life-extending habits are:

EAT HEALTHY FOODS

Foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, healthy fats, and omega-3 fatty acids should be regularly consumed rather than red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages, sodium, and trans fats.

CONSISTENT DAILY ACTIVITY.

Each day should include some vigorous or moderate activity.

MEET AND MAINTAIN HEALTHY WEIGHT

Meet and stay at recommended body mass index between 18.5 and 24.9 BMI.

SMOKE-FREE

Zero smoking from birth

ALCOHOL INTAKE IS MODERATE

Moderate alcohol ingestion is defined for women as between 5 to 15 grams per day and up to 30 grams daily for men. Typically 14 grams of pure alcohol are found in a drink—1.5 ounces of distilled spirits, 5 ounces of wine, or 12 ounces of beer.

So, the data says if you have all of these habits by age 50 you can expect to live to 93 as a female or 88 as a male.

The flipside is folks with none of these habits are candidates for premature death due to cancer or cardiovascular disease.

If just any one of the healthy habits is practiced, the research found that life expectancy can be extended by two years in men and women.

This research mirrors previous studies conducted in 2017 and 2012. The former showed people 50 and older who had normal weight never smoked and drank alcohol moderately lived an average of 7 years longer. The latter, a study of 500,000 people reported half of premature deaths were attributed to lifestyle factors of poor diet, smoking, inactivity, obesity, and excessive alcohol use.

Living long and healthy is possible if you act preventively and don’t wait for treatment until you contract a disease. Begin by blending these 5 healthy habits into your living now.

Why?

Because you might not live long enough to enjoy the true longevity drugs that the future might bring.