Why Do Women Live Longer Than Men?
Research and statistics shows that 900 out of 1500 families in the world all have widows i.e the death or absence of a father in a family, and when I make instances from Africa and to my country where I live in Nigeria, the same condition is being face, you can see more widows than widowers in most community.
Have you ever wondered why is that so? and what brings about this, in this post am bringing out six(6) points to tackle and rest this issues.
1. Research has been made and experiments carried out to determine this male – female lifespan and all has resulted to the same partial answers.
It was discovered that all this is as a result of the environmental changes and development as the 19th century women were found out not to live longer than their men.
2. Men are physically stronger but die easily from too much burdens. Had I known is the saddest lexicon in human language. It is better late than sorry”, and this is women words.
3 and 4. According to experts, the two main factors owing to this are the behavioural and biological factors.
Behaviourally, men are more likely to engage in life threatening challenges and usually undertake strenous jobs to jobs in order to carter for their family. They are also more likely
to take to smoking and drinking in order to reduce stress.
The male – female lifespan is a fact that is the same all over the globe that it even extends to the great apes, that is to say that even female gorillas, gibbons and orangutans outlive their male counterparts.
How fascinating is that? But you don’t see them with sticks of cigarettes hanging out of their mouths or beer glasses in their hands.
5. Men are also less likely to seek medical help and when eventually are diagnosed with an illness are non – adherent to treatment.
6. Biologically, the male sex hormones were proven by experts to decrease immune functions and increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases so the relationship between the testosterone and a man’s health is complex. This was proven by the historical health records of some Korean eunuchs who were castrated (had their testicle removed )before puberty.
They found out that these eunuchs lived much longer than the other men in the court including the king who was the most pampered in the palace. The testosterone might increase seminal fluid production but promotes prostrate cancer and alters cardiovascular function in a way that improve performance early in life and causes hypertension later.
While the male sex hormone tend to shorten the lifespan of a man,the female sex hormone(oestrogen) has a tendency to act as an anti-oxidant that mops up poisonous chemicals that causes cell stress. The 2013 review in the International Journal of Endocrinology found evidence that the oestrogen can prevent a DNA damage that leads to disease.Females lacking oestrogen tend not to live so long as those that has it in abundance,an exact opposite of the male eunuch’s fate.
Here comes the big question:
WHY HAS EVOLUTION AND NATURAL SELECTION INSTILL IN WOMEN AND NOT MEN IN THIS LIFE EXTENDING ATTRIBUTES?
According to Perminder Sachdev,a professor of neuropsychiatry at the University of New South Wales in Australia who studied human longevity,he said that this might have to do with women’s role as child bearers. The robust body of a mother is important for the survival of her offspring. A woman’s body has evolved to withstand and bounce back from the physical trauma of pregnancy,as well as the demands of breast-feeding challenges to which a male’s body in never exposed to. As a saying goes that a broken bone makes a person stronger and for women, that strength may translate to a longer and healthier life.
Credit: Eze Ifeoma Vivian
Eze Ifeoma Vivian is an ambitious girl of 15 year old who takes writing as her hobby and have the ability and skill to impress, solve problems, inculcate and influence people through her writing skills. She hopes to be one of the best writers someday but however that is not her future ambition. There’s something special about her that will benefit the world at large, I will reveal it later you will be shocked it’s unbelievable, Read more of her articles by being updated and following up The Smart Citizen to know that.
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