While many parents insist that raising kids is stressful, a new study has found that parenthood actually helps to keep blood pressure in check, particularly for women.

Researchers at Brigham Young University conducted the study on 198 adult participants who wore portable blood pressure monitors, mostly concealed by their clothes, for 24 hours. A statistical analysis allowed the researchers to account for other factors known to influence blood pressure such as age, body mass, gender, exercise, employment status and smoking and zero in on the effect of parenthood.

They found that parents scored 4.5 points lower than non-parents in systolic blood pressure and 3 points lower than non-parents in diastolic blood pressure.

The effect was more pronounced among women, with motherhood corresponding to a 12-point difference in systolic blood pressure and a 7-point difference in diastolic blood pressure.

"While caring for children may include daily hassles, deriving a sense of meaning and purpose from life’s stress has been shown to be associated with better health outcomes," said lead researcher Julianne Holt-Lunstad.

High blood pressure is associated with increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease and stroke. In addition to lifestyle changes such as increased exercise and a low-sodium diet, nutritional supplements containing potassium, calcium, fish oil, magnesium and garlic may help prevent hypertension.