Dr Nighat Arif has revealed “the number one” predictor of health and longevity. Contrary to popular opinion, it’s not diet or exercise-related.
Countless research links healthy dietary choices and an active lifestyle to a longer life, however, Dr Nighat explained it’s not the most important factor. In a TikTok video, she said: “It’s not your genetics, it’s not exercise, it’s not your diet, it’s not your career, it’s not money, it’s not your IQ, it’s not fame.”
In fact, the key to longevity is much simpler according to the doctor. “Positive relationships keep us happier, healthier, and help us live longer,” she added.
The doctor revealed this in a TikTok video while dancing with a lifestyle coach and olympic athlete Michelle Griffith-Robinson. However, the expert isn’t the only one to highlight the importance of happy relationships.
A decades-long study from Harvard researchers found that social bonds keep us healthy and living longer. The research team looked at health records from 724 participants from all over the world and asked detailed questions about their lives at two-year intervals before arriving at this finding.
However, the quality of our relationships matters too. The Harvard Medical School cites one study that found that women who were in highly satisfying marriages and marital-type relationships had a lower risk for cardiovascular disease.
On the flip side, other studies have linked disappointing or negative interactions with family and friends to poorer health.
Furthermore, having a network of important relationships can also make a difference.
Large research from Sweden of people of ages 75 and over concluded that dementia risk was lowest in those with a variety of friends and relatives.
Dr Nighat added in the comments under the TikTok that having supportive and nurturing relationships is a “buffer against life’s stresses and protects overall health”. “We need this more now,” she penned.
Fortunately, the Harvard Medical School offers simple tips on how to start.
The experts recommend following these three rules:
- Focus on your most meaningful relationships
- Choose activities to do together that are most likely to bring joy to you and the people you care about
- Delegate or discard tasks that eat into your time, or do them together with family or friends
“Now is a good time to strengthen your ties throughout the years to come,” the Harvard Medical School adds.
