Women who have four or more children, may be more stressed out than most but they are a third less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease and 50% less likely to have a stroke, according to new research.
The study of 1,300 women in California, offered no conclusive evidence to explain the results but researchers suggested that prolonged exposure to pregnancy hormones could have lasting benefits on the body's blood vessels.
They also said that the greater social support offered by larger families could have an impact on the mother's health.
Lead author Marni Jacoobs of the University of California, in San Diego, wrote in the journal Fertility and Sterility:
"In conclusion, women in this study had less CVD mortality risk if they had more than four pregnancies, with the strongest association observed for non-CHD CVD mortality.
"The mechanism by which this decreased risk occurs is unknown, however, it may reflect higher fertility in healthier women, the effect of prolonged exposure to higher levels of circulating oestrogen or other hormones during pregnancy, increased endothelial function during pregnancy, or the added social support from a larger family."
Prof Donald Peebles, spokesman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, suggested that some of the women surveyed who did not have children may have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease because of infertility problems.
He told The Telegraph: "We know that women who want to get pregnant and cannot are at greater risk of cardiovascular disease because of conditions such as polycystic ovaries."
Recent studies have linked both chocolate and beer to a reduced risk of heart disease but we suggest you stick to the simple guidelines of The British Heart Foundation: quit smoking, follow a healthy diet and do some form of regular exercise.