Post by Admin on Mar 12, 2014 12:56:02 GMT -4
For a long life, think twice about that cheeseburger; overdoing meat and dairy can be as deadly as cigarettes, a new study suggests. Researchers found that a diet high in animal protein during middle age quadruples risk of dying of cancer.
The study, published in Cell Metabolism, included 6,381 middle-aged people who were tracked for 18 years. For the 50 to 65 age group, eating a high-protein diet resulted in a 75 percent higher overall death rate and a four-fold rise in cancer mortality.
However, that trend was reversed—or even eliminated—if the proteins came from plant sources, such as beans or nuts, instead meat or cheese. Conversely, high protein intake was linked to lower rates of cancer or overall mortality in people over 65 but quintupled diabetes risk in all age groups studied.
The researchers concluded that eating a low-protein diet during middle age and a moderate-to-high amount of protein (mainly from plant sources) in the older years may be the best recipe to optimize health and longevity.
Here’s a look at 7 other surprising predictors of long life.
How Fast You Can Push a Button
A startling new study reports that a slow reaction time is linked to higher threat of both premature death and cardiovascular disease (CVD), the no. 1 killer of Americans, with an impact as great as such well-known risk factors as smoking.
The research, which included 5,134 adults ages 20-59, was published in PLOS ONE. Participants were asked to press a button when the number “0” was displayed on a screen at random intervals; their results were tracked for 15 years.
Those with the slowest reaction times had a 25 percent higher death rate when all causes of mortality were combined and were 36 percent more likely to die from CVD, compared to those with faster reaction times.
Take The Quiz: What's Your Wellness Type?
Your Personality
In a 90-year study of more than 1,500 Americans, those who lived the longest were frugal, persistent, hardworking, and somewhat obsessive in their youth. The study also found that a certain amount of worry was beneficial, because it encouraged healthy habits.
Your Blood Count
A simple blood test known as a complete blood count (CBC) may predict life expectancy, researchers from Harvard and other centers reported at the 2013 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions. The study included more than 17,000 people from 26 countries who were tracked for up to five years. Those with a high CBC score were twice as likely to die as those with low scores. People whose scores fell in the middle of the range had a 50 percent rise in mortality risk, compared to those with low scores.
Your Education
Four years of college could add a decade to your lifespan, according to a study published in Health Affairs. The researchers found that for women, having 16 or more years of education raised life expectancy by up to 10.4 years, while men gained up to 12.9 years, compared to people with fewer than 12 years of schooling. The study also found that people who didn’t complete high school had life expectancies comparable to adults in the 1950s and 1960s.
Your Dental Care
Taking care of your teeth can add years to your life, according to a 2012 study of 5,611 seniors who were tracked during a 17-year period. In that time span, those who never flossed had a 30 percent higher death rate than did people who flossed daily. Not brushing at night raised mortality risk by 20 to 35 percent, versus brushing every night. And people who hadn’t seen a dentist in the previous 12 months were up to 50 percent more likely to die than those who received dental care two or more times a year.
Your Walking Speed
An analysis combined the results of nine studies that included 34,485 people ages 65 or older—followed for six to 21 years—and found a strong correlation between a brisker walking pace and longer life. In fact, predictions based on the person’s age, sex, and walking speed alone were equally accurate as predictions that also included such health data as chronic disorders, smoking history, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), and hospitalizations. The speed associated with longer than average lifespan in seniors was 1 meter per second or higher (about 2.25 miles per hour).
How Easily You Can Stand Up
People who have the most difficulty sitting on the floor and then standing up again are 6.5 times more likely to die in the next six years as those who can perform these actions easily, researchers report. The study included more than 2,000 people ages 51 to 80 who were asked to sit and stand with as little support as possible (to see a video of the sitting test, click here). For example, those who needed to touch a hand or knee to the ground or push off with a hand on their knee got a lower score than those who didn’t need support to sit and stand up.
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