WANNA LIVE TO 100? part 5
COPIED
Maintain Strong Connections
The participants in the Cilento study had ties to their family, their religion and to the region where they live. “We were a close family of five children,” said one participant. “We loved each other a lot and helped each other.” This fosters a sense of belonging and purpose.
Having strong relationships increases the likelihood of living longer by up to 50%, according to a study at Brigham Young University involving over 300,000 individuals. Dr. Brenda Matti-Orozco, chief of palliative medicine at Morristown Medical Center in New Jersey, says social connections can serve as a buffer against stress, reducing the body’s production of stress hormones like cortisol, which are linked to health problems and inflammation.
The same connection with family and faith holds true for Loma Linda, Calif. where members of the Seventh-Day-Adventist Church live long lives. Or Okinawa, Japan. Both areas are so-called “Blue Zones” with a high number of centenarians.
Most of us, of course, won’t get to spend our entire lives in such tight communities. But we can still do our best to maintain connections with friends and family; we can participate in religious organizations or social groups; we can volunteer in our communities.
A study by the University of Glasgow analyzing nearly half a million people found visits with family and friends at least monthly can help you live longer. The stronger the social connection, like an endearing friend or a loving family member, the better the health outcomes, they found.
For folks with a youthful spirit, the chances of making it across the 100-line look better than ever.
joescheets 