25, Married and What's It Good For?

Men, what's being 25 and married good for?  Not that!  It's your bones.  Scientists have found that one-two punch strengthens your skeleton.

According to newswise.com, researchers found evidence in a recent study that men who married when they were younger than 25 had lower bone strength than men who married for the first time at a later age.

In addition, "Men in stable marriages or marriage-like relationships who had never previously divorced or separated had greater bone strength than men whose previous marriages had fractured, the researchers said. And those in stable relationships also had stronger bones than men who never married."

So does this mean you're doomed to dented bone if you don't have a partner in life? 

That, researchers don't seem to know, or why being hooked-up is so important to your health.  But the associations between marriage and bone health were evident in the spine, and alas, not the hip, possibly due to differences in bone composition, the researchers said.

The study authors found that men in long-term stable marriages or marriage-like relationships had higher bone density in the spine than every other male group, including men currently married who had previously been divorced or separated, men not currently in a relationship and men who had never been married.

Among men who first married prior to turning 25, the researchers found a significant reduction in spine bone strength for each year they were married before that age.

So, gentlemen, when partners start pressuring you for marriage right out of college, tell them you don't want any broken bones.

Sorry, ladies.  This doesn't apply to you.