LONDON - Following a diet abundant in fruits and vegetables, shunning smoking and drinking and exercising regularly will add at least 14 years to a person's life, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Cambridge and the Medical Research Council.
The study was conducted from 1993 to 2006 and involved over 20,000 people located in the Norfolk area. All participants were healthy at the beginning of the study and were aged from 45 to 79 years. The researchers awarded one pint each if the participants met the following criteria:
* They did not smoke
* They consumed one to 14 units of alcohol on a weekly basis
* Participants ate at least five servings of fruit and vegetables
* They exercised regularly.
The researchers also recorded deaths among the participants through to 2006. Taking into consideration the age factor, the researchers concluded that people with a score of zero were four times as likely to die as people with a score of four.
"We've know that individually, measures such as not smoking and exercising can have an impact upon longevity, but this is the first time we have looked at them altogether," said lead researcher Professor Kay-Tee Khaw. "It means a large proportion of the population really could feel health benefits through moderate changes."
A surprising finding was that a 60-year-old person who scored zero was as likely to die as a 74-year-old person scoring four in the study. Furthermore people scoring zero were five times more likely to succumb to cardiovascular issues than persons scoring four.
Judy O'Sullivan of the British Heart Foundation said the results were a pointer leading healthy lives, "By not smoking, drinking alcohol in moderation, taking regular physical activity and eating a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, people can improve their chances of living longer," she added.
The details of the study appear in the latest issue of Public Library of Science Medicine.
