To Stay Young Longer, Have More Kids

Ok, it only works for women. Maybe. But researchers at Simon Fraser University are convinced that having more kids can make women’s bodies age more slowly. A news release from the school reports that a study of women in rural Guatemala found that those who had more children were more likely to have longer telomeres, the protective tips of DNA strands that also indicate cellular aging as they shorten. That’s strange, because for years most experts have argued that having more children ages the body faster than having fewer children. The researchers suggest a couple of reasons for the longer telomeres. One, the increase in estrogen, which functions as an antioxidant, during pregnancy may help, and two; in rural Guatemala at least, mothers with more children get more support from the community.