Researchers believe that maintaining an optimistic outlook on aging is as beneficial for your health as regular exercise or a balanced diet.
Additionally, individuals who have strong relationships with friends and family tend to live longer. A research team from Brigham Young University in the United States examined the results of 148 studies dating back to 1900 to investigate whether enduring relationships provide health benefits.
Those with strong social connections are 50% more likely to live longer than those who are isolated and lonely. (Illustration: NG).
The results indicate that individuals with strong social connections are 50% more likely to live longer than those who experience isolation and loneliness.
Support from others helps us emotionally cope with illness, the death of loved ones, or other life challenges.
At the same time, it reduces the flow of harmful hormones (caused by stress) that weaken our immune system and increase the risk of life-threatening infections, heart disease, and strokes.
Strong relationships also encourage us to take better care of ourselves and can provide a sense of purpose in life—another factor beneficial for health.
The Power of Belief
Becca Levy, a Professor of Epidemiology and Psychology at Yale University in the United States, points out a positive influence on longevity: our beliefs about aging.
According to Levy, if we view old age as a time to enjoy, it will contribute to better health as we approach that stage.
When the professor was a graduate student visiting Japan, a country with the highest average lifespan in the world, she noted that while other scientists attributed this to genetics and the diet, she believed it was related to another factor.
After older adults in Japan demanded respect, even reverence, they were no longer sidelined or mocked as “geezers.”
“What I truly observed is that a positive culture benefits the oldest members of Japanese society, in contrast to some ageism I’ve become accustomed to seeing in the United States,” Levy recalled.
Levy discovered that adults in their 30s and 40s who have a positive perception of aging maintain good health for many decades afterward.
In another study, those aged 50 and older who held an optimistic view of aging were significantly better at performing daily tasks over the next 18 years.
Notably, some individuals fully regained functionality after an injury.
Additionally, positive thinking provides protection against cognitive decline, which holds true even for adults genetically predisposed to cognitive impairment.
Levy and her colleagues studied individuals carrying the APOE ε4 gene, which increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Positive thinking significantly reduces the risk of developing dementia. (Illustration: RTBF).
At the start of the project, all study participants did not have dementia. The results showed that those with an optimistic view of aging had a 47% lower chance of developing dementia compared to those carrying the APOE ε4 gene who had a negative outlook on aging.
Conversely, relatively young, healthy individuals with good cognition but negative thoughts about aging were more likely to develop brain plaques and tangles—indicators of Alzheimer’s disease—and the brain structures necessary for memory shrank three times faster.
Positive Thinking Supports Body Functions
How does belief wield such power?
Levy notes that individuals with a positive outlook on aging tend to have more confidence in their abilities, better self-control, and greater life mastery.
They also tend to eat well, exercise regularly, and have lower levels of cortisol hormone (which can lead to conditions like hypertension, diabetes, obesity, etc.).
According to this professor, if we label aging as a disease, we overlook many benefits it brings, negatively affecting our physical and mental health.
