Fun and friends help you live longer

Having a good group of friends, or even just one best friend, is one of the great pleasures in life. They're there to make you laugh when you're down and keep you smiling when you're happy. It's even better when you share similar passions (traveling for instance) that you can participate in together. But did you know that as you age, your social group and social activities can help you live longer?

Apparently social ties with friends -- as well as partners and other family members -- and spending time participating in things like traveling and even gardening played a fairly significant role in mortality rates in a study conducted with seniors over the age of 65.

Study participants who spent the most time socializing with friends, shopping, traveling, attending church and taking part in other activities, not only lived longer but had lower rates of dementia than those who were less active and spent more time on their own. Looks like friends and fun are good for more than just a laugh.