A Study Suggests Adopting Children May Help Us Live Longer

Each year, around 60,000 children are adopted by American families. This means that 1 out of 50 children that are waiting for adoption gets to find a loving and supportive family. While we know that a child has to be very lucky to be adopted because not every one of them does, a study suggests that adoptive parents are just as lucky to have them in their lives.

We at Bright Side were intrigued by this statement and in our eagerness to find out how the scientists came to this conclusion, we dove deeper into their study. If you are as eager as us to find out, keep reading and make sure not to miss the bonus at the end of the article.

Adopting a child can add up to 3 years to your life.

The results from one study show that women who have one adopted child have a significantly lower mortality rate than those without a child. And the mortality rate gets even lower for women with 2 adopted children. The study even showed that the life expectancy of women who have one adopted child is greater by over 3 years, and for women who have 2 or 3 adopted children is more than 5 years.

In the same study, the results for adoptive fathers are very similar to those of mothers, showing that fathers with adopted children have a lower mortality rate than those with biological children.

By adopting, you help a child find a loving home, which can positively impact your overall health.

Once you open the door of your home to a child in need, it means that you willingly commit to help and care for someone in your day-to-day life. But that’s a good thing, as you’ll experience the feeling of being needed, loved, and valued. And studies have even shown that helping and caring for others can help you live longer.

Entering the world of parenthood will help you induce positive changes in your lifestyle.

Knowing that a child’s development depends on you can encourage you to lead a healthier life and adopt healthier habits. Cooking healthy meals at home, having regular bedtime schedules, keeping your home clean for the sake of your child are just a few of the innumerable things that will not only shape your child’s life for the better but yours as well.

According to a study, adoptive parents were less likely to have accidents and suffer from circulatory diseases than people without a child.

Sometimes, even if you are able to have biological children, adopting might be a safer option.

If you have underlying health conditions that can lead to a high-risk pregnancy and can jeopardize your well-being, adopting a child might be the safer way for you to start a family. This means you’ll still have the chance to experience the blessing and joy of becoming a parent and you’ll stay healthy at the same time.

Bonus: Adopting a child from a different ethnic and cultural background can have a positive impact on your mental health.

Parents who have transnational adoptees, by law, must incorporate aspects of the child’s original culture and even establish friendships with people of the same ethnicity as the child. Getting to know different cultures can enhance your creativity, which can reduce stress and depression and even alleviate the occurrence of chronic disease.

The same study also shows that adoptive parents with the longest lifespan have both domestic and transnational adoptees.

Do you believe that adopting children can help you live a longer and healthier life? Have you ever considered adopting or do you have your own reasons not to?