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The secrets of a long life: How social contacts help!
In “What Keeps Us Young,” Marta Zaraska analyzes how social relationships and life goals are crucial to our longevity.
The secrets of a long life: How social contacts help!
Marta Zaraska, the respected Canadian-Polish science journalist, reveals extraordinary insights into what lengthens or shortens our lifespan in her book What Keeps Us Young. She is surprised by the realization that not only aspects such as diet and exercise, but also social interactions and psychological factors are crucial. Married people show a significantly lower risk of serious diseases such as heart disease and Alzheimer's, as a happy relationship can even extend life expectancy after critical surgeries, such as oe24.at reported.
In contrast, a comprehensive study from the University of Illinois, analyzed at the Nutrition Conference in Boston, found that a healthy lifestyle can extend life by more than twenty years. The research shows that 40-year-old men with a balanced lifestyle can live an average of 23.7 years longer, while women benefit from 22.6 years. Key factors include activities such as regular exercise, maintaining positive social contacts and consciously dealing with stress. Misbehavior such as smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, however, significantly increase the risk of death. These findings were made by tagesschau.de presented.
Factors for a longer life
Both Zaraska and the US researchers emphasize the importance of social bonds and life goals. Volunteering can reduce the risk of death by up to 44%, while people with stable social networks are less likely to suffer from heart attacks or diabetes. Zaraska also shows that optimism and positive thoughts can increase lifespan by up to ten years. This is directly related to better mental and physical health. Chronic loneliness, which can increase the risk of death by up to 83%, is another critical factor that highlights the importance of interpersonal relationships.
In summary, it can be concluded from these findings that aspects of social life, personal attitudes and a healthy lifestyle play an essential role in lifespan. It's not just what we eat or how much we exercise, but also how we live and interact with others that influences our health and age.