Can NOT Having Kids Hurt Your Health?
By Jenny Everett,SELF magazine
A woman's body is clearly designed to bring babies into the world (ah, yes, those child-bearing hips). But not every woman we know wants to have a kid, and some of them simply can't.
This has us wondering: If making babies is our intended biological purpose as females, are there health issues associated with NOT having kids? To find out, we spoke to Prudence Hall, MD, who specializes in functional medicine and gynecology and is the founder and director of The Hall Health & Longevity Center in Venice, Calif.
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"Women who don't have children are at a higher risk for breast cancer," says Hall. "The changes the breasts go through during pregnancy actually protect the breast."
Studies show that the more children a woman has and the longer she breastfeeds them, the lower her risk of cancer. This can largely be attributed to changes in levels of estrogen, which fuels most forms of breast cancer.
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"However, this does not mean there is nothing you can do to prevent breast cancer if you are not an expecting mother," says Hall. "There are numerous preventative measure you can take. One of the keys to breast health is maintaining a low intake of alcohol, taking proper amounts of vitamin D, keeping excess weight off and exercising regularly."
Where do you stand on kids? Ready? No urge yet? Got them? Or no interest at all?
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Photo Credit: Condé Nast Digital Studio
