Diet and exercise are certainly vital for health and a long life, but science shows there is another longevity ingredient we often overlook: finding purpose. Research reveals that people who believe their existence has meaning have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and more favourable gene expression related to inflammation. If a 90-year-old with a clear purpose in life develops Alzheimer s disease, that person will probably keep functioning relatively well despite real pathological changes in the brain, one study found. Another meta-analysis of 10 studies involving more than 136,000 people found that having purpose in life can lower your mortality risk by about 17 percent – about as much as following the famed Mediterranean diet.
Opinion: In 2021, let s all try to have a bit more empathy theglobeandmail.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theglobeandmail.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.