A study reveals that taking care of grandchildren could help slow down brain aging in grandmothers
As a child, we all spent time together with our grandmothers. Most of us, more and less were also raised by our grandparents who showed the right amount of indulgence and severity that only they can give us.
According to an Australian study, spending time together with their grandchildren is beneficial to the health of grandmothers because it slows down their mental aging.
Like everything, however "too much of a good thing" should be avoided and the right balance is necessary ...
Who does not love spending time with their grandmother? According to a study conducted by the Women's Healthy Aging Project, spending time with them could benefit their health. The study conducted on 186 Australian women in their post-menopausal stage of life showed a clear difference between those who took care of their grandchildren at least once a week, compared to those who did not.
The grandmothers who took care of their grandchildren full-time for at least one day a week, in fact, obtained positive results in the cognitive tests they performed. According to the experts, it is precisely the interaction that these elderly women have with their grandchildren at this stage of their life that helps in healthier aging and also in combating the onset of senile dementia and other mental illnesses such as Alzheimer's.
What in fact does not help older people, in general, is spending the last years of their lives in solitude, far from their children or grandchildren. Although, it is true that the interaction with their grandchildren can be good for grandmothers, still, it is always better to be moderated and not to take care of their grandchildren for more than five days a week. According to this study, in fact, the grandmothers who did it more than five days per week obtained lower results in the cognitive tests and therefore could be more inclined to the mental conditions previously mentioned.
Consequently, just like everything else, it has to be done with the right balance, even if it is nice for grandmothers to spend time with their grandchildren, it is always better not to overdo it and to dedicate some time to themselves.
