4 health habits: 14 extra years
A British study has shown that people who practice 4 specific behaviours, on an average, live 14 years more than those who did not.
The 4 specific behaviours are – no smoking, regular exercises, drinking moderate amounts of alcohol and eating 5 servings of fruits and vegetables everyday.
One Serving of fruit = 1 cup of fruit (or size of tennis ball) or 100 percent fruit juice
One Serving of vegetable = 1/2 cup of raw or cooked vegetables
The study was conducted between 1993 and 1997 at the University of Cambridge and the Medical Research Council that included 20,000 men and women from the city of Norfolk in the age group of 45 and 79. All participants filled out questionnaires tracking their health habits. The death rates of the participants were recorded until 2006. The study was eventually reported in the journal PLOS Medicine (January 8, 2008).
The study is part of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) and was conducted in 10 European countries. EPIC is the largest-ever study of diet and health.
The only controversial behaviour is use of alcohol (especially if you do not consume it). However, if you don’t practice the other three behaviours, start now.
Dr. Ajay Sati.
