You know that eating well and exercising are key to reaching a ripe old age -- but did you know that flossing can add over six years to your life span? That believing in God can tack on three years to your expiration date? That having no friends can mean that you'll kick the bucket earlier? Here, we run down some surprising ways to live longer -- and better.

Floss Regularly
Oddly, flossing is good for your heart, and doing so regularly can add 6.4 years to your life. In "YOU: The Owner's Manual" by AOL Health's Chief Medical Advisor, Dr. Michael Roizen, and Dr. Mehmet C. Oz, the doctors write that flossing and brushing daily, along with seeing your dentist regularly, can keep you kicking for longer. How? When you floss, you rid your mouth of bacteria that can cause inflammation in the gums. This inflammation can travel to the heart, leading to heart disease. In his book The Real Age Makeover, Roizen also found an Emory University study that revealed that those with gingivitis and periodontitis have a mortality rate that's 23 to 46 percent higher than those without the gum diseases. Taking care of your mouth, it seems, really can lengthen your life.

Drink Tea
Drinking both green and black teas can help you live longer, according to a wealth of worldwide research. A 2009 study of 2,000 Chinese women suggested that drinking green tea regularly (and eating a diet rich in mushrooms) may cut cancer risk by 90 percent, while a study of over 40,000 Japanese men and women showed that those who drank five or more cups of green tea daily had the lowest chances of dying from stroke or heart disease. The caffeinated drink has high levels of cancer-fighting antioxidants (a cup contains can be as packed with antioxidants as a serving of fresh spinach). Meanwhile, black tea, which has antioxidants, too, offers its own benefits. Over 15 years, researchers recorded the tea-drinking habits of 60,000 Swedish women, ages 40 to 76. Some drank at least two cups of tea per day, while others drank less than a one cup per month. The regular tea-drinkers had a 46 percent lower risk of ovarian cancer. Experts recommend drinking at least two cups a day of the stuff you brew yourself (bottled teas seem to lose their health benefits).

Take Your Vitamin D
Pop vitamin D daily and you may be adding years to your life. A 2007 study of over 57,000 adults -- mostly middle-aged and elderly people in good health -- in Europe, the U.S. and the U.K. showed that those taking vitamin D (as opposed to a placebo) were 7 percent less likely to die during the span of the study. The authors don't know exactly why vitamin D seemed to increase life span, but the vitamin is known to offer many benefits, including strengthening the immune system and building bones. It also lowers the risk of being diagnosed with diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure and heart and kidney disease. You can get vitamin D from the sun, but most people don't spend enough time outdoors -- or in sunny enough climates -- to take in an adequate amount. FDA guidelines issued in November 2010 boosted the recommended daily dose to 400 International Units per day for people over nine (people 71 years and older should take 800 mg daily), combined with a diet rich in the vitamin. Foods with loads of vitamin D include mackerel, fortified yogurt and orange juice, whole eggs and Swiss cheese.

Have Sex
Talk about a two-for-one deal: Having sex not only offers pleasure, but it may also extend your lifespan by eight years. You probably don't need a scientist to tell you that regular sex relieves stress, improves sleep and increases intimacy with your partner. But it also boosts immunity and makes you look better (a Scottish study showed couples with a healthy sex life may look up to seven years younger than those with a ho-hum bedroom ritual). The sum total of all those benefits may just be a longer life. British researchers found that men who had sex once a week were less likely to die in the next 10 years than men who had sex less than once a month. Meanwhile, a Duke University study showed that compared to women who were indifferent with their sex lives, women who were happy with their sex lives lived seven to eight years longer.

Hang Out with Friends
Spending time with friends cuts your risk of an early death in half, according to a recent study out from Brigham Young University. "A lack of social relationships was equivalent to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day," the research team's head, Julianne Holt-Lunstad, told Reuters. The study, which pulled information from over 300,000 participants in 148 studies, found that strong social relationships have an extremely positive effect on health. The authors found that having close social relationships may be more beneficial to longevity than pneumonia vaccines and hypertension drugs. "Throughout human history, we have relied on others for survival such as protection and food, and despite modern advancements that may [help with] certain aspects of survival so that we can live more independently, it appears that our relationships nonetheless still impact odds of survival," said Holt-Lunstad.

 

(spotlight image: life point)