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| Image courtesy of Values.com. |
That "friends halve our grief and double our joy" is one of my favorite truisms, and recent research suggests that our social ties also have a significant effect on our longevity. David R. Hamilton, Ph.D. reports:
Most of us accept that the secret to living to a very old age is
either down to genetics or lifestyle. In reality, it's a bit of both,
with genetics actually only contributing 20-30 percent of the likelihood of living to 100.
Ultimately, lifestyle is the bit that we can control, so most
longevity research (research into lifespan) has focused upon this. Most
of us know that eating a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, not smoking,
drinking in moderation, and reducing stress in our lives is the way to
go.
But one additional vital ingredient is missing from this menu. That ingredient is friends!
Read more:
Friendships. And pets. Both lengthen our lives. (Perhaps, in part, because those with pets tend to have more friendships :~)
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