Yep, it’s true! People have gathered, studies has been done and scientists have concluded that reading doesn’t just provide entertainment, but probably even a longer life.

A total of 3,635 people participated in this Elesevier’s study of the Health and Retirement Study. They were divided into three groups: those who don’t read, those who read up to three and a half hours a week and those who read more than three and half hours. From there, the scientists adjusted for age, race, self-reported health, depression, employment and martial status.

Turns out, those who read up to three and a half hours a week were 17 percent less likely to die in 12 years than those who did not read. Those who read for more than three and half hours a week were 23 percent less likely to die than the others.

That wasn’t all the study revealed. According to Elesvier, reading books is more beneficial to survival than reading newspapers and magazines, especially for the elderly.

So pick up a book. They’ll make sure you live long enough to finish them. You know what they say, “A chapter a day keeps the doctor away!”