Story Published:
Oct 10, 2008 at 5:33 PM CST
Story Updated:
Oct 10, 2008 at 5:33 PM CST
he search for the fountain of youth may start with what you eat and how often you exercise. Just a few changes can make a big difference in longevity, especially for women.
Don't smoke, eat a healthy diet, watch your weight and get regular exercise if you want to live longer according to a new study.
“If women had all of these factors, then we estimated that 55 percent of deaths in this study could have been avoided,” said Dr. Rob Van Dam of the Harvard School of Public Health.
Researchers looked at data from questionnaires filled out by almost 80,000 women over 20 years. The women were part of the Nurses Health Study.
While all lifestyle factors play a role in overall health, not smoking appears to be the most important thing you can do to prolong your life.
"If you looked at only smoking, 28 percent of deaths could have been avoided,” said Van Dam.
Another finding is that drinking light amounts of alcohol also helped women prevent heart disease. One drink a day seems to do the trick.
While this study focused on women, researchers say their findings can translate to men.
"There have been two other European studies that have included more men, and they found similar results for men and women and these lifestyle factors."
The take-home message is that following a healthy lifestyle really can keep you living better and longer. Dramatic changes in lifestyle are not necessary to see a benefit, experts say. Even modest adjustments to diet and exercise could lead to substantial improvement.
