Read more, live longer: Research finds reading books can add two years to your life
Tuesday, September 19, 2017 IST
You may have heard of the many benefits of cultivating the habit of reading books. Reading improves concentration, knowledge, vocabulary, empathy, emotional intelligence, reduces stress, besides being a fun and inexpensive way of passing time.
A study finds that reading can actually save your life – by adding years to it.
According to a Yale University study, published in the journal Social Science & Medicine, reading books for more than 3.5 hours every week could add two years to your life.
Researchers at the Yale University’s School of Public Health found that book readers lived for almost two years more than non-readers.
The study, titled ‘A Chapter a Day: Association of Book Reading With Longevity’, which started in 2004, looked at the reading habits of 3,635 Americans (50 and above). Participants were split into three groups: Those who read for 3.5 hours or more a week, those who read for up to 3.5 hours a week, and then those who did not read at all.
During a 12-year follow-up period, 33% of non-readers died, compared to 27% of book readers who read for more than 3.5 hours every week. The researchers also specified that reading newspapers or magazine articles would not have the same effect.
For those of you planning to read more, here’s a terrific reason: Reading is quite literally a healthy habit.
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