Being a mother is a wonderful experience, the best of life for many women. But nobody doubts that motherhood is also exhausting, an effect that seems to have an impact on longevity, at least at the cellular level.
According to a study by researchers at George Mason University in Virginia, United States, women who have been mothers accelerate cell aging up to 11 years. Twice as much as smoking, and more than obesity.
Shorter telomeres
The experts analyzed the DNA samples of two thousand women of reproductive age (between 20 and 44 years of age), and discovered that the telomeres of those who had been mothers were shorter They had not had children.
Telomeres are cellular structures located at the end of chromosomes and responsible for protecting DNA from degeneration. A decrease in size is a aging signal.
Specifically, the telomeres of women who already had children were 4.2 percent smaller than the average of mothers who had not given birth, which equivalent to about eleven years at the cellular level.
Being a mother could be associated with accelerated cell aging.The greater the number of children, the aging would increase. The scientists also found that women who had five or more children had shorter telomeres compared to those without children, and even relatively shorter compared to those who had one, two, three or four children.
According to Anna Pollack, one of the authors of the study, the alteration that occurs in mothers at the cellular level is "more substantial" than the changes caused by smoking and obesity.
Cellular youth may become one of the things that we envy the mothers of our friends without children, but we wouldn't change happiness at all that give us our sprouts.
It is not known for sure what is the cause of these cellular changes, but without a doubt stress could be a valid hypothesis, not to mention worries, tiredness, burden of responsibilities, overwork, sleepless nights ...
Still, with the shortest telomeres, and although of course I respect the women who choose not to have children, I give thanks for my motherhood and I'm still choosing to have children to younger cells.
