People Who Read Books Live Longer Than Those Who Don’t, Says Study

People who read books for 30 minutes a day live two years longer than those who don’t read at all, according to new research.

Some 3,635 participants aged 50 or over were quizzed over their reading habits by researchers at Yale University.

Based on the results, the people were split into three groups - those who didn’t read, those who read up to 3.5 hours a week, and those who read for more than 3.5 hours every week.

Each group was then followed over a 12-year period.

The results showed that bookworms who read more than 3.5 hours a week were 23 per cent less likely to die within the 12 years than those who didn’t read, while those who read up to 3.5 hours weekly were 17 per cent less likely to die.

The results were based on book-reading, with the researchers noting that reading newspapers and magazines did not yield as strong a result.

The study did not determine exactly why people who read more tend to live longer, but it does tie in to the results of previous research that links an active mind with health benefits.

The study was published in the journal Social Science & Medicine.

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