A recent study published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior found that older people who provide care for other people, such as their children or social circle, live longer than those who do not provide such care.
The study looked at 500 people between the ages of 70 and 103, and followed them for nearly 20 years. The researchers found that older caregivers were more likely to be alive 10 years after they were first interviewed. Comparatively, half of the non-caregiver group died after five years.
Researchers found that even adults who cared for those outside their families, such as looking after friends, lived longer: about half of those who provided some sort of care lived for seven years after the first interview.
“This pattern suggests that there is a link not only between helping and beneficial health effects, but also between helping and mortality,” the researchers wrote, underscoring that regardless of whether you’re helping family or friends, the more you care for others, the longer you may live.
Read more on TIME.
Originally published at journal.thriveglobal.com