Death may be inevitable, but that hasn't stopped health researchers from looking for ways to put it off as long as possible. Their newest candidate is something that's free, painless, doesn't taste bad and won't force you to break a sweat: Gratitude.

A new study of nearly 50,000 older women found that the stronger their feelings of gratitude, the lower their chances of dying over the next three years.

The results are sure to be appreciated by those who are naturally inclined toward giving thanks. Those who aren't may be grateful to learn that with practice, they might be able to enhance their feelings of gratitude and reap the longevity benefits as well.

"It's an exciting study," said Joel Wong, a professor of counseling psychology at the University of Indiana who researches gratitude interventions and practices and wasn't involved in the new work.

Mounting evidence has linked gratitude with a host of benefits for mental and physical health. People who score higher on measures of gratitude have been found to have better biomarkers for cardiovascular function, immune system inflammation and cholesterol. They are more likely to take their medications, get regular exercise, have healthy sleep habits and follow a balanced diet.

Gratitude is also associated with a lower risk of depression, better social support and having a greater purpose in life, all of which are linked with longevity.

However, this is the first time researchers have directly linked gratitude to a lower risk of earlier death, Wong and others said.

"It's not surprising, but it's always good to see empirical research supporting the idea that gratitude is not only good for your mental health but also for living a longer life," Wong said.

Study leader Ying Chen, an empirical research scientist with the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University, said she was amazed by the dearth of studies on gratitude and mortality. So she and her colleagues turned to data from the Nurses Health Study, which has been tracking the health and habits of thousands of American women since 1976.

In 2016, those efforts included a test to measure the nurses' feelings of gratitude. The women were asked to use a seven-point scale to indicate the degree to which they agreed or disagreed with six statements, including "I have so much in life to be thankful for" and "If I had to list everything I felt grateful for, it would be a very long list."

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