8 Ways Men Can Live Longer

According to Telegraph News, women generally live longer than men. The life expectancy for women at birth is 82.9 years and for men, it’s 79.2 years. It may not seem like a large gap, but living an extra three years is a big difference. With that said, it’s time for men to take a course of action. I will be providing you with ways men can live longer.

The main reason why women tend to outlive men is genetics according to Medical Daily. They state that women have two X chromosomes which provide them with a backup if a mutation occurs; looks like someone was looking out for the female sex. Unfortunately, men are only blessed with one X chromosome for all their genes.

The good news is that lifestyle choices also play an essential role for men that wish to live a longer life. Below you will find the top eight ways men can boost their life expectancy.

1. Sexual Intercourse: For men, this is one of the lifestyle choices they were probably hoping would end up on this list. According to a study in the BMJ, sexual intercourse has the ability to decrease a man’s mortality rate by 50%.  It was a cohort study that consisted of a 10 year follow up. In the study, 918 men participated that were between the ages of 45-59. The results of the study found that the mortality risk was 50% lower in the group that had high orgasmic frequencies than the group with lower orgasmic frequencies. Researchers believe that one of the reasons the mortality rate was lower in the orgasmic group was because of the release of serotonin during sexual intercourse. Serotonin is a happy hormone that makes a man feel better overall.

ways men can live longer LisaS./shutterstock.com

2. Marriage: I know what you’re thinking, how can marriage, which is associated with hard work and stress, make a man live longer? Well for starters, it depends on the age you get married. According to Harvard Medical School, a survey of over 127,000 Americans was conducted and found that men who got married after age 25 were more likely to live longer lives than men who married young. The survey also indicated that men who had health problems actually married younger compared to men who were healthy and married later.

3. Having Children: Becoming a father is a blessing, but it also requires dedication and hard work. According to a study in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, having kids may also help a man live longer. The study found that when parents reached 60-years-of-age, men with kids saw their life expectancy increase by two years while women’s increased by 1.5 years. Researchers believe that one of the reasons men with children live longer is because childless men are generally lower educated.

4. Responsibility: Being responsible will not only keep you out of trouble but can do wonders for your cognitive function which can help with your longevity. According to a study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, older individuals who were given a plant to care for saw an increase in alertness, general function and socialization.

5. Reduce Blood Pressure: According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the main causes of death for men are heart disease, cancer and a stroke. What contributes to those is high blood pressure. The good news is that there is evidence that suggests a certain change can help with your blood pressure. A study published in the Journal of Human Hypertension found that those who replaced eight percent of their daily calories from cereal, bread pasta or potatoes with lean red meat saw a four point drop in their systolic blood pressure in just eight weeks.

6. Have Some Wine: Statistics already show that having a glass of wine is beneficial to the heart. But now there is research that indicates what wine can do in terms of life expectancy. According to a Netherlands study which is mentioned by WebMD, the life expectancy of men who drank wine was more than two years longer than those who drank other alcoholic substances. One of the reasons this may have occurred is because people who drink beer tend to be of lower socioeconomic status compared to those who are drinking an expensive bottle of wine, says Lawrence Greenblatt, an associate clinical professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center.

7. Quit Smoking: Quitting smoking is one, if not the hardest habit to shake in the world. For some men, they need a reason to quit. Here’s a good reason; if you are a smoker and manage to quit by age 40, it will reduce the risk of you dying from smoking-related diseases by 90%, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So if you’re a man who smokes and you want to reduce your risk of dying, quit now.

8. Regular Exercise:  According to Harvard Medical School, regular exercise is one of the best ways to improve your lifespan. They explain that regular exercise can raise your levels of healthy cholesterol, reduce bad cholesterol, sharpen your cognitive skills, regulate your blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and even reduce the risk of certain cancers.

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