Answer: Kids
Clues: “Family” and “Offspring”
A study shows having children is good for your brain, especially having a ton of them. Parenting and caregiving is linked to “increased brain connectivity” in areas that typically decline with age.
The effect was seen in both mothers and fathers, so it isn’t going through pregnancies, it’s the caregiving experience.
And for men specifically, having more children was associated with “increased grip strength,” which is apparently “a predictor of overall brain health.”
They didn’t really get into specific numbers of kids.
They just found that the more children the parents had, the stronger the brain differences appeared. But obviously, there’s some downside in having to stress over putting 14 kids through college.
All that said, people without kids are not completely left out.
For one, the findings highlight the value of caregiving, or “nurturing,” which can extend to taking care of other family members, friends, and neighbors.
Also: Many factors can influence brain aging, including education, physical activity, diet, and social engagement.