Marrying a smart partner not only makes your life a lot easier, it can also make you live longer.
After studying the health of identical twins, scientists believe that having an intelligent partner can act as “buffer” to dementia. Mental health professor Lawrence Whalley of Aberdeen thinks that a combination of the right diet and a stimulating environment may help prevent the disease.
According to Whalley, marrying an intelligent woman would reduce a man’s chances of developing 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. There is no better buffer than intelligence.”
Whalley explained that food choices, which affects dementia risk, are influenced by general mental ability. Since wives mostly make food purchase decisions, her ability to discern nutrient-rich food will highly affect her family’s dietary habits.
“Foodstuff choices are influenced by general mental ability. These choices are exerted through multiple pathways including education, income, and purchases of items (e.g. alcohol) in preference to nutrient-rich foods,” Whalley said.
Moreover, Whalley said that having a partner who can provide interesting and challenging conversations could also help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.