Genetic studies reveal that individuals with improved mental well-being often enjoy better health and a longer lifespan.
Engaging in specific activities and making certain lifestyle choices, like incorporating cheese and fruit into your diet, may greatly contribute to healthier aging.
Researchers in China conducted a genetic analysis across eight different datasets to explore the link between mental well-being and healthier aging. These datasets comprised data from 800,000 to 2.3 million individuals.
“To promote healthy aging, it’s essential to close the gap between quality of health and life expectancy. The researchers noted that various lifestyle habits and health conditions closely link to mental well-being, which includes emotional, psychological, and social health, and form the foundation for aging well.
After focusing on a group of 33 individuals from the datasets, the study revealed that enhanced mental well-being contributes to greater resilience, longevity, and better health outcomes, independent of financial status. Nevertheless, increased wealth and higher education levels were found to positively influence mental well-being.
Furthermore, reduced physical activity, excessive TV watching, and smoking were linked to diminished well-being, whereas consuming cheese and fruit was associated with improved well-being.
The researchers found that different lifestyle factors significantly affect healthy aging. Factors affecting healthy aging include sedentary behaviors (such as extended TV watching), smoking habits (including initiation age and daily consumption), and dietary choices (like cheese and fruit intake). Additionally, medication use (e.g., antihypertensives and NSAIDs), cognitive performance, and the age at menarche each contribute between 1.82% and 9.54% to overall healthy aging outcomes.
Among the 33 participants, those who consumed more cheese and fruit generally had higher mental well-being scores.
Consuming more cheese result in a 3.67% improvement in health and longevity, while eating fruit contribute to a 1.96% positive effect.
Conversely, smoking was associate with a 4.56% decline in health and accelerate aging. The amount of time spent watching TV was the most detrimental lifestyle factor, contributing to a 7.39% increase in aging effects.
Overall, the results indicate that maintaining good mental health plays a significant role in promoting longevity and healthy aging.
To better understand why cheese consumption positively impacts healthy aging, researchers need to conduct additional studies
People often think that high-fat foods, such as cheese, are detrimental to health. Recent studies indicate that moderate dairy fat consumption might actually aid in lowering cholesterol levels and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
According to this research, including cheese in a balance diet can be beneficial for both mental and physical health.
If you want to enhance your longevity and boost your happiness, adding a sprinkle of parmesan to your pasta could be just what you need.
The study was publish in the journal Nature Human Behavior.
