In Part 1, we talked about the five places where people live longer and the Amish, who live better into old age. Community, diet and lifestyle all seem to play a big part in how people age and live. Religion can often enhance community, which means that it might help people live longer. There have been many studies about prayer going to church improving disease outcome. Is there a final determination about how much it helps you live longer?

Researchers are divided on whether religious practices help someone live longer. One big problem in researching this area is measuring the practice of religion. Sure, we can benchmark how many times a person attends church, but the intimacy of religion is hard to relegate to a formula. Some people may not go to church on a regular basis but still practice their religion daily and more personally than another person who attends services every week.

Howard Friedman, co-author of “The Longevity Project” suggests that it’s not religious tenets that help people live longer, but the philosophies from religious tradition, such as compassion, humility, respect and gratitude that predict how long a person lives. Based on what we’ve already discussed, having a network of like-minded friends might account for a longer life.

The Nun Study

In 2001, researchers from the University of Kentucky published a remarkable survey on the happiness of nuns. The findings are important, because many of the factors that make a good scientific study were able to be accounted for. The 678 Catholic nuns in the study did not know that they would be evaluated. The nuns had similar lifestyles, offering a high degree of “sameness.” There was a large sample size.

When the nuns were beginning their career, they were required to write a short autobiography. These statements were saved and provided a lot of information for the researchers. None of the nuns ever knew that those statements might be used decades later in a scientific study nor was that the purpose of the statements.

The researchers were able to code the autobiographies for positive and negative emotions. Nuns were grouped by their level of happiness in their writing. It was learned that the happiest nuns lived at least 10 years longer than the least happy ones. Cheerfulness played a part in reaching older age. You don’t have to live as a nun to live longer, but you certainly do need to consider your outlook. A positive outlook is definitely part of aging well.

Regular Attendance in Services

A finding in a 2017 study published in PLOS One found “significant association between church attendance and mortality among middle-aged adults.” Evidently, attending worship services reduced the body’s stress responses. It might be worthwhile to consider participating in the community of your faith, for the health benefits.

Prayer has been scientifically shown to offset the negative effects of stress. It’s also been shown to make you nicer. By praying for others in need, you reduce your aggression toward others when you’re angry. Praying for another person can make you more willing to forgive after a disagreement. Prayer builds relationships by increasing trust between two people, and it builds community, which is one factor in living longer.

Religion is complicated. Another study, from the 2006 American Heart Journal, suggests that people who were being prayed for before undergoing heart surgery had more complications than people who didn’t think they were being prayed for. However, there are so many variables involved, it might be difficult to replicate the study.

We’re not saying that you need to go to church to live longer, but maybe you should consider how you cope with life and how you’re currently living. Tap into ways to make yourself stronger, not just to live longer but to live better.