When a person is born, grows and matures, it seems that there is such a long and eventful life ahead. But as soon as we approach the threshold of the 40th anniversary, a slight confusion sets in. Half your life has flown by like an instant, and you still need to do so much. In order to have time to fulfill our mission, each of us is interested in living long. There are many ways to help us with this. We have learned the most popular by heart: we are advised to eat less, move more, not worry and lead a measured lifestyle. You may be surprised, but science suggests that not everything revolves around a slim waist and a healthy heart. Here are the strangest ways to help you extend your life.
Be a good person
When people talk about you as a good person, it's not just public opinion. This is one way to live longer. In a 20-year study that was conducted in a group of elderly people between the ages of 70 and 103, the following was found. Participants who cared for grandchildren or other members of the community lived longer on average than those who showed indifference to those around them. Half of the anti-social group of old people died within five years of the start of the study. Well, those people who had the habit of caring for someone other than themselves lived on average more than 10 years.
Studying of foreign language
All these foreign language lessons in high school are deep in the past for most people. If you don't need this information, you are unlikely to keep it ready in your memory. But, according to scientists, even if a person is not going to go to another country without a pocket translator, learning a foreign language will help prolong the life of his brain. A joint study by Canadian, British and Indian scientists showed that the ability to speak a foreign language delays the symptoms of dementia by four to five years. Another study was conducted by staff at the University of Pennsylvania using MRI scans. During the experiment, it turned out that learning a foreign language helps the brain form new neural connections, strengthen existing ones, and create integrated brain networks. Therefore,If you don't want to go to a nursing home at the end of your life, study French or Chinese instead of watching your favorite TV show in the evenings.
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Stress in the workplace
Surely you have already outlined in your mind the ideal picture of the working day. It looks like this: you have found a not dusty job in the office, you are not particularly burdened, but provided with a full social package. All you have to worry about is remember to change the oil in your car. You do not know what a rush job and an evil boss who requires a report by 14 o'clock in the afternoon. Thus, you are relieved of the daily stress of work. It should be good for longevity. But in fact, being in a stressful situation can bring us invaluable benefits. According to a report published in The Independent, a life spent in boring, unassuming work increases the risk of early death by 43 percent. Of course, stress doesn't have to be constant. Otherwise, it will lead to depression and burnout at work. But sometimes the dreadful fear you get when you risk missing a deadline can play into your hands. The answer is the body's physical response to stress, which improves cardiovascular function.
Big earnings
It should come as no surprise that unlimited financial opportunities provide access to quality healthcare. Add to this a better education, a good working environment and the ability to lead a healthy lifestyle, and you are immediately motivated to earn more. The motivation for the average person is not to get out of poverty, but to have access to better health care.
Drink beer
The next time you run into a convinced teetotaler who is trying to set you on the right path, seeing that you have a mug of beer in your hands, be calm. Science says you're more likely to attend the funeral of this health champion. According to a study published in Time magazine, people who drank one to three drinks daily were likely to live longer than those who did not drink at all. This was confirmed by a 20-year study of 2,000 people aged 55 to 65.
Laugh
Many of us have heard this phrase: laughter is the best medicine. While an evening of comedians' performance will not be as effective as taking a course of antibiotics, we encourage you to laugh more often. It seems that we have found an effective remedy to delay the onset of many diseases. Laughter helps your body relax, lowers stress hormones, increases the production of endorphins responsible for well-being, and even burns off extra calories. Physically, the act of laughing oxygenates the blood and raises the heart rate. This was confirmed by a study conducted by the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Life in the northern regions
According to a report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people living in the northern states have the best conditions to continue life after age 65. The study used data from 2007-2009 to determine the life expectancy of citizens over 65 in each state. Scientists looked at every region, starting with the Mississippi and Hawaii. Life expectancy statistics steadily improved as we moved north. Curiously, the numbers varied according to gender and race. Women live longer than men, but in comparison with races, white-skinned representatives win.
Physical attractiveness
Scientists believe that bonuses from good looks can be obtained not only when getting a job or in the dating market. Beauty can also affect life expectancy. Well, people with an ordinary appearance are less fortunate. A study by researchers at the University of Waterloo in Canada found unexpected benefits of this parameter. The scientists asked the participants to rate photographs of people that were taken in the 1920s. The photographs captured 17-year-olds of both sexes, our contemporaries had to choose the most beautiful faces from them. The results confirmed the guesses of the researchers. It turned out that those who scored the most points in the attractiveness rating, on average, lived longer - 76 years. For comparison, ugly men have reached the age of 69, and women - 73. Scientists attribute this phenomenon to evolutionary selection theory. After all, in essence, attractiveness is a biological reflection of good genes.
Go shopping
Another unexpected solution to your long life is your passion for shopping. For most men, shopping is torture, and in vain. More social engagement, new experiences, and a sense of happiness are worth a lot more than emptying your wallet. According to a Taiwanese study, women who went shopping every day had a 23 percent chance of increasing their lives. For male shoppers, this figure is even higher - 28 percent.
Eat spicy foods
If you are from the category of those who do not like to try new food, then you can say goodbye to the dream of longevity. Eating spicy foods on a regular basis can prolong your life, according to a study by Chinese scientists. As described in the British Medical Journal, an experiment conducted with 5,000 participants aged 30 to 79 living in China found a relationship between spicy food consumption and increased life expectancy. Those participants who ate savory foods six to seven times a week had a 14 percent lower risk of death than those who had spicy foods on the menu less than once a week.
Inga Kaisina
