43 words you should learn to live by

Throwing a party – deciding whom to invite, what to serve and who sits where – forces your brain to make complex social decisions and strengthens your social contacts, both of which reduce your risk of developing dementia, writes Dr Kenneth S Kosik in his book Outsmarting Alzheimer’s.

In a study in the Oxford academic journal Behavioral Ecology, Caucasian men who took a supplement of beta-carotene, the substance that makes carrots orange, were rated by women as looking more healthy and attractive than men who had not.

Low levels of vitamin D have been associated with osteoporosis, diabetes, hypertension and cancer. It gets worse: according to new research, adults who don’t get enough of the ‘sunshine vitamin’ are 26 per cent more likely to die early. A 12-year study of 13,000 men and women didn’t identify any one cause of death, “because vitamin D’s impact on health is so widespread,” says researcher Dr Michal Melamed, an associate professor of medicine, epidemiology and population health at New York’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine. In addition to taking a supplement, you should aim to get ten to 15 minutes of midday sunshine (11am to 3pm) several days a week.

“Wearing darker shades tends to read more conservative and has more of a polished feel, which is not bad,” says Dina Scherer, a wardrobe stylist and the owner of Modnitsa Styling in New York. “But it can age you because it takes away from your approachability.” Brighter shades make you seem more open and fun, which in turn makes you look younger. Wearing brightly coloured accessories such as scarves, necklaces and brooches near your face is a particularly good way to highlight your features, Scherer says.

Hand strength, flexibility and coordination are essential for everyday tasks such as opening jars and carrying packages. And gardening is the perfect way to hone those fine motor skills and muscles, according to a small study published by the American Society for Horticultural Science in its monthly journal HortScience. It may even help offset some of the strain caused by repetitive motions such as typing or phone swiping, especially if you alternate gardening tasks.

Turns out carrots are not the best food for your vision. The nutrients in eggs – lutein, vitamin E, and omega-3s – are especially good for your eyes and may help prevent age-related macular degeneration, cataracts and other chronic diseases

Those who joined a choir were in better health, used less medication, were less lonely and had fewer falls after a year than a similar group of non-singers, revealed a US study of 166 older adults. This could be due to the effect that singing has on breathing, as well as the emotional benefits of creating harmony with a group.

According to an attention-grabbing report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that pooled data on nearly three million people from all over the world, while extreme obesity shortened lives, people who were slightly overweight (having a body mass index between 25 and 30) were actually less likely to die early than those who were at a normal weight. This doesn’t mean that being overweight is healthy – but if you have normal blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose, slimming down may not confer a significant health advantage.

Dab lip gloss on the middle of your lower lip. This gives the appearance of a fuller mouth, which makes you look younger. Whenever possible, avoid darker lipstick colours, which make lips look smaller.

Snoozing on your side could be associated with a lower risk of neurological diseases such as Al zheimer ’s and Parkinson’s, according to animal studies. A group of scientists led by researchers at New York’s Stony Brook University observed that when rats slept on their sides, a pathway that removes waste chemicals from the brain worked more efficiently. Research on humans is needed.