7 things health experts said were good for you in 2016

From sex to carbohydrates, here's what the experts recommended to us for healthy living this year

A little dirt never hurt anybody.
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Every year, scientists gain a little more insight into what we need to do to lead long, healthy lives. Here are a few of this year's biggest additions to that list, plus some fresh evidence for those timeless good habits like exercise and reading.

1. Exercise could help your brain stay young and lower your chances of cancer. In a study involving about 900 adults, those who did little or no regular physical activity experienced cognitive decline equivalent to 10 more years of aging compared with their more active peers. Early take-up was important: Exercise didn't appear to help people who were already showing signs of cognitive decline. Another study found that people who do the equivalent of about two and a half hours of walking a week have a lower risk for 13 different forms of cancer. "If people understand that physical activity can influence their risk for cancer," says lead author Steven Moore, "then that might provide yet one more motivating factor to become active."

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