Number of times a person gives birth could affect the body's physical aging process, according to a new study.

‘Having kids doesn't just make you feel like you've aged overnight. It also could affect the body's physical aging process.
’

"Our findings hint that pregnancy and birth may add to the changing and dysregulation of several distinct physiological systems that could affect aging once a person is post-menopause," stated Talia Shirazi, a doctoral candidate. 




"This is compatible with the metabolic, immunological, and endocrinological changes that happen in the body during pregnancy and lactation, as well as the different disease risks that are linked to pregnancy and reproductive investment more generally."
According to the experts, pregnancy and breastfeeding use a large amount of the body's energy and could affect many of its systems, including metabolism, immune function, and blood pressure, among others. Additionally, individuals who have given birth are more prone to die from kidney disease, diabetes, and hypertension, among other conditions, compared to those who have not.
The researchers were inquisitive about how the body balances these "costs of reproduction" and whether it affects how the body ages.
The researchers utilized data on 4418 participants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for the research. Data included information regarding reproductive health, including the number of live births and whether they had gone through menopause or not.
Advertisement
The researchers discovered a "U shaped relationship" between the number of live births and accelerated physiological aging. Those reporting zero or some live births, or reporting many live births, had markers of quicker biological aging compared to those who reported three or four live births.
Source-Medindia