The Biggest Predictor of Longevity Is Not What You Might Think

It’s not diet, genetics or environmental factors

The idea of longevity is something that has always intrigued and often perplexed humanity. Figuring out how to live longer, and perhaps more importantly, how to extend our years of health, so that we don’t spend the last 20 years of our lives in and out of the hospital, should be something we all take interest in.

Fortunately, the field of longevity research has begun to show us some concrete ways to lengthen our lives and ensure good health throughout those extra years.

Many of the things that extend our lives are obvious. We all know that eating well with an abundance of fruit, vegetables and other whole foods will protect our bodies against disease. We know that exercising and avoiding bad habits like smoking and drinking will boost our cardiovascular health.

But not many of us tend to think about how we breathe.

According to James Nestor, author of the book ‘Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art’, the biggest marker of longevity isn’t our genetics, how we eat, or our environment, it’s actually our lung capacity.

“the greatest indicator of life span wasn’t genetics, diet, or the amount of…