Age is more than just a number, especially when it comes to starting a family. Yet while women may feel their biological clocks ticking with more urgency than men, new studies suggest a man’s age is important – especially since the children of older dads may enjoy a longer lifespan, reports MyHealthNewsDaily.com.
Conducted by Northwestern University, researchers in the study examined DNA from over 1,700 adults between the ages of 21 to 23 in the Philippines. The age of mothers, fathers and grandfathers was also determined.
According to the results, each year that a father postponed having a child, the greater likelihood that the child would be born with long telomeres.
Telomeres are the caps that linger on the ends of chromosomes that can shield them from damage. In most cells, telomeres become shorter with age. However, in sperm cells, telomeres can increase in length as men age. Previous research has associated long telomeres with anti-aging and prolonged life.
“If your father and grandfather were able to live and reproduce at a later age, this might predict that you yourself live in an environment that is somewhat similar – an environment with less accidental deaths or in which men are only able to find a partner at later ages,” said study researcher Dan Eisenberg.
While it’s unclear whether those with longer telomeres suffer fewer health problems, researchers did find that long telomeres can be carried over to subsequent generations. Despite the benefits of telomeres, previous research in the field has suggested that mental health risks can increase in children as fathers advance in age.
According to results from a Malaysian Mental Health Survey published in 2011, people with fathers at least 11 years older than their mothers were more likely to develop depression, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder. The rate steadily increased as dads aged, with children born to men aged 50 or older 42 percent more likely to develop mental illness. This offspring also became more susceptible to autism, reports Scientific American Magazine.
If you’re trying for a family, there are many health and environmental factors that may impact your offspring. Encourage your partner to boost his overall wellness with an all-natural supplement from Dr. Newton’s Naturals like Super C22. Formulated with vitamin C to ward off inflammation and boost energy, collagen tissue and mental clarity, these tablets can be a great way to keep your partner’s health going strong as you embark on this exciting new chapter in your life.
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