People who read books live longer than people who don't.
That's from the Yale University School of Public Health, which studied nearly 4,000 people for 12-years.They found people who read up to 30 minutes a day were 17% less likely to die – and lived 2 years longer – than those who read NO books. And people who read more than 30 minutes a day were 23% less likely to die. So what about people who read newspapers and magazines? Their life expectancy is slightly longer. But not on a par with reading books.
The researchers aren't entirely sure WHY reading increases lifespan. But they speculate the mental stimulation improves brain health, and reading reduces stress, both of which are known to increase longevity.