Jan. 8, 2008 -- Want to shed 14 years off your age? Don't smoke, get at
least half an hour of daily physical activity , drink
moderately, and eat five or more daily servings of fruits and vegetables .
That's the message from a new British study of healthy and not-so-healthy
lifestyles and death rates among more than 20,200 men and women.
When the 11-year study began, participants were 45 to 79 years old. They
reported their health history, drinking, smoking , and physical activity.
They also got their height, weight , and blood level of
vitamin C checked.
The researchers used blood levels of vitamin C as sign of which people ate
five or more daily servings of fruits and vegetables, which are rich in vitamin
C.
During the study, nearly 2,000 participants died. The death rate was four
times lower for people with the following four health habits compared to those
without any of those health habits:
- No smoking
- At least half an hour of daily physical activity
- Moderate drinking (between one and 14 alcoholic drinks per week)
- Eating at least five daily servings of fruits and vegetables (based on
blood levels of vitamin C)
Having all four of those health habits "was equivalent to being 14 years
younger," write the University of Cambridge's Kay-Tee Khaw, PhD, and
colleagues. And having one, two, or three of those healthy behaviors was better
than nothing.
Social class didn't explain the results. But keep in mind that doctors don't
advise teetotalers to start drinking, and that it's wise to get a doctor's
approval before starting a new fitness program, especially if you've been
inactive for a while.
Khaw's study appears online in Public Library of Science
Medicine.
(Have you added these four healthy changes to your life? How are
you feeling? Talk about it on the WebMD Alternative Health message
board.)
