American and German scientists published the results of a study in the journal Cell Metabolism on the effect of pregnancy on a woman’s biological age, reports daily.afisha.ru.
119 women donated blood for DNA methylation analysis at different stages of pregnancy, and 68 of them also 3 months after birth.
DNA methylation is one of the indicators by which scientists determine biological age.
The study found that maternal biological age increased from early to late pregnancy. Biological aging ranged from 1.19 to 2.52 years.
However, by 3 months postpartum, all epigenetic biomarkers of aging had decreased. Moreover, the decrease in biological age was 2-3 times greater than its increase during pregnancy. The effect was stronger in women who exclusively breastfed.
According to scientists, pregnancy can act on a woman’s body as a natural stress factor, accelerating aging.
