The lesson, however you look at it, is that reading is definitely good for you but more so if it happens to be a book. At least 652 million print and electronic books were sold in the United States in 2015, according to Nielsen BookScan, the main data collector for the book publishing industry.
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A recent study has found that reading fictional books result into rise in empathy. The subjects were divided into three groups – one who do not read books, one who read books less than 3.5 hours a week and one who read books for more than 3.5 hours a week.
All participants self-reported their reading habits and follow-up was carried out for an average of 12 years, monitoring their survival over that period. But the latest research suggests that the benefits may reach even further. While a positive association was seen between longevity and reading newspapers and magazines, as well, the link was stronger in people who read books. In the case of those who read over three-and-half hours weekly were 23% less likely to die. “A survival advantage persisted after adjustment for all covariates, indicating book readers experienced a 20% reduction in risk of mortality over the 12 years of follow up compared to non-book readers.These findings suggest that the benefits of reading books include a longer life in which to read them”, the findings suggest. On average, those who read books were granted around an extra 23 months, almost two years, of life. However, according to the World Culture Index, the USA stands at the 25 position when it comes to countries that read the most books.
A report published in the Daily Mail said, It is the flawless excuse to spend longer pouring over your Daily Mail. The US researchers said that immersion in a gripping plot doesn’t just keep the mind active, it can also ease stress and even lead to us taking better care of our health.
According to a Pew Research Center survey, young adults are reading more compared to older folks. “Overall, adults who read books survived nearly 2 years longer over the 12-year follow-up than non-book readers”, according to a news report published by Huffington Post.
“We found that book reading provides more of a survival advantage than reading newspapers or magazines”, Avni Bavishi, a masters student at the Yale School of Public Health who led the study, told CBS News.
Book reading was found to be most common among females, individuals who were college-educated, and those with a higher income.
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The authors say this more involved reading improves cognition, which can help protect against age-associated decline and related illnesses. It looked into the reading pattern of 3635 subjects over the age of 50.
