Golden Years Coming? Here’s the Plan
Monday, July 30, 2012 at 5:51AM
Women can do just fine in their 70s if they keep eating their fruits and vegetables and continue getting some daily exercise. New findings from the University of Michigan School of Social Work show that maintaining good health in your golden years means doing more of the same things you did to get there. The research team followed more than 700 women ages 70-79 who were living independently. They tested the women’s blood for carotenoids, which are believed to represent fruit and vegetable consumption. And they asked the women how much exercise they performed including walking, strength training, doing housework and outdoor chores and activities such as bowling or dancing. The upshot? Compared to women who ate the least amount of fruits and vegetables, those who had the highest carotenoid levels were 46 percent less likely to die during the study’s five-year duration. Those who were most active had a 71 percent lower death rate over the five years compared to the most sedentary women. And those who were most physically active and consumed the most fruits and vegetables were eight times more likely to be alive at the study’s end. The study was published in the May 2012 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Reader Comments (1)
Thank you Doc, from an over-60 woman, for your gentle and skilled caring .
I am trying to stick with Ayurvedic suggestions for more vegetables. I could live on watermelon, which is good for my fire constitution!
Wishing you the best of health!
Lawanda Hazouri