Men Who Marry Intelligent Women Live Longer, Happier Lives, According to Researchers

April 14, 2016

Among the many benefits of marrying an intelligent woman is that you may live a longer, healthier and happier life, according to mental health scientists.

Recent research suggests that men are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and dementia if they are married to smart ladies who can provide intellectual stimulation, reported TV3.

University of Aberdeen professor Lawrence Whalley revealed at a conference about dementia that women who constantly stimulate their husbands’ brains are helping them prevent memory loss and stave off dementia.

“The thing a boy is never told he needs to do if he wants to live a longer life — but what he should do — is marry an intelligent woman,” Whalley said in the talk, entitled “Dementia: How Can We Protect Ourselves?”, conducted last week in Oxford, England. “There is no better buffer than intelligence.”

Whalley explained that a person’s environment heavily impacts the risk of developing dementia, proven by a study conducted on the health of identical twins.

He added that men who exhibited signs of dementia physically after a brain scan but didn’t show symptoms were likely to be “highly intelligent.”

He also noted that other factors, such as the death of a family member early in life, may make men more susceptible to suffer from the condition.

“Studies have shown that the death of a mother before the age of five is a very important risk factor for dementia in later life,” he said. “But positive parenting as a child, a longer time in education and a good childhood environmental have a huge buffering effect against dementia 70 or 80 years later.”

While past studies have recommended brain-flexing activities such as crossword puzzles, reading and visiting museums, having a partner who “intrigues” could help even more in reducing a person’s risk of developing symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia

Share this Article