Looking after grandchildren reduce risk of Alzheimers (but only if you do it in moderation)

Ever felt guilty about leaving the kiddos with granny and granddad while you go to work/hit the town/pencil in a much needed date-night?

Turns out there was no need to worry – you were in fact doing them a HUGE favor. (If you are not doing this TOO often, mind you.)

According to research carried out by Women’s Healthy Aging Project in Australia, looking after children once or twice a week had great health benefits for post-menopausal women. Grannies who looked after their grandchildren once a week showed improved mental agility.

But be aware, though – as making grandma look after your kiddos five days a week can make her less mentally sharp according to the study.

The study looked at 120 Australian grandmothers aged 57 to 68. Each woman was given three tests of mental sharpness. Those who spent one day a week taking care of their grandchildren performed best in two of the tests.

Margery Gass from the North American Menopause Society, which published the study in its journal, said: “We know that older women who are socially engaged have better cognitive function and a lower risk of developing dementia later. But too much of a good thing might be bad.”

This is because the study showed that the grannies who lent a hand five days – or more – per week fared significantly worse in the test that looked at working memory and mental  processing speed.