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For further information and a bibliography of more than 300 published scientific articles on Adventist Health research see the website: adventisthealthstudy.org
>> View National Geographic's multimedia presentation on the "Secrets of Longevity" <<
Adventist Health Study
During the past 45 years, Loma Linda University researchers in the US have conducted three large longitudinal studies of Seventh-day Adventists in North America. US government agencies have contributed millions of dollars for this research.
These studies have confirmed the benefits of a healthy lifestyle as promoted by Seventh-day Adventists. Seeing that Adventists promote a healthy lifestyle across the board, although the research has been conducted in North America, the results would be similar for most Western developed countries, such as Australia and New Zealand.
Brief facts from the three major health studies from Loma Linda University:
23,000 Seventh-day Adventists in California, aged 35 years and older
Key findings:
- On average Adventist men and women live several years longer than other Californians and have a lower risk of many diseases: lung, colon, stomach, bladder and kidney cancers, heart disease, stroke, hypertension and diabetes.
>> View results
34,000 Seventh-day Adventists in California, aged 30 years and older
Key findings:
- On average Adventist men live 7.3 years longer and Adventist women live 4.4 years longer than other Californians.
- Five simple health behaviors, (not smoking, eating a plant-based diet, eating nuts several times per week, regular exercise and maintaining normal weight), promoted and practiced by Adventists for more than 100 years, increase life span by up to ten years.
- Fruits and vegetables lowered the risk of heart disease and cancer.
- Increasing consumption of red and white meat was associated with an increased risk of colon cancer. But eating legumes was protective.
- Eating nuts several times a week reduces risk of heart attack by up to 50%.
- Eating whole meal bread instead of white bread reduced nonfatal heart attack risk by 45%.
- Drinking 5 or more glasses of water a day may reduce heart disease by 50%.
- Men who had a high consumption of tomatoes reduced their risk of prostate cancer by 40%.
- Drinking soy milk more than once daily may reduce prostate cancer risk by 70%.
>> View results
100,000 Seventh-day Adventists in USA and Canada
This current study of diet and cancer, one of the largest of its kind in the world, is projected to continue beyond 2011.
It will investigate the role of:
- soy foods;
- calcium and other foods;
- lifestyle factors in breast, prostate and colon cancers;
- heart disease;
- diabetes;
- osteoporosis;
- Alzheimer’s disease;
- quality of life;
- healthy aging;
Adventist members, 30 years and older, living in USA and Canada are invited to join this new study. Currently 80,000 members (of whom more than 1,000 over the age of 90 years and 41 over 100 years) have completed the diet and lifestyle questionnaire.
