US Immigrants tend to outlive their American-born counterparts and are less likely to die of heart disease, lung cancer and suicide.

According to 10 years of national data, foreign-born adults -- particularly younger, black and Hispanic residents, have significantly lower risks of mortality than US-born residents regardless of income, education, occupation, marital status and place of residence.

Despite higher poverty rates and lower rates of health insurance coverage, immigrants do better than their US-born counterparts. This is perhaps suggestive of the positive role of cultural values, attitudes, practices and lifestyle characteristics.

Overall, immigrant men had an 18% reduced risk of mortality and foreign-born women had a 13% lower risk of mortality, findings show.

The risk of mortality was even lower for black immigrants compared with American-born blacks and for Hispanic immigrants vis-à-vis their American-born counterparts.

The authors suggest that people who migrate to the US may be healthier than those who remain in their native countries. Alternatively, behavioral, lifestyle and cultural characteristics may contribute to immigrants' lower risk of death.

Rates of smoking and obesity are considerably lower among black, Asian, Hispanic and white immigrants than their US-born counterparts, said Singh, from the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.

Major causes of death differed between immigrants and natives. Immigrants were less likely to die from heart diseases, lung and prostate cancers, lung disorders, cirrhosis, pneumonia and influenza, accidents and suicide but more likely to die from stomach and brain cancer and infectious diseases, the findings indicate.

The researchers note that both the number and origin of immigrants has changed dramatically over the past three decades due in part to the 1965 Immigration Act.

In 1990, the immigrant population totaled nearly 20 million or nearly 8% of the US population.

American Journal of Public Health March 2001;91:392-399

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

I am not surprised at all by these statistics as I have noticed a similar relationship in my office. Normally individuals not born in the US are far less likely to consume higher quantities of processed foods. However, the children of these individuals frequently assimilate into the culture and through the pernicious media like TV, their dietary preferences are dramatically changed. The fact that physicians are not excluded from this observation perpetuates the problem as they are the professionals who should know better and teach their patients the importance of using food as a foundational strategy to treat disease rather than relying on drugs from the pharmaceutical industry which only enrich the multinational companies at the expense of the health of their patients.. The bottom line here, although the authors do not comment on it, is that the observed differences are likely to be related to diet. Most people don't realize that 90% of the money Americans spend on foods goes towards processed foods. How can you possibly be healthy with that much processed food in your diet? You really need the reverse ratio to stay healthy 90% non-processed food and spend plenty of time in your kitchen to prepare it. You don't have to despair and say poor me because I was born in the US and am going to die sooner than those born in a foreign country. You can take the proactive step and aggressively implement the diet suggestions which will provide the same health benefits that those born outside the US are receiving. The main strategy? Stay away from processed foods and either pay someone to spend time in the kitchen to prepare your non-processed food meals or do them yourself. I have less free time than most reading this newsletter, yet I prepare over 95% of my meals myself to preserve my health.