Breast is Best for Mom Too

It is common knowledge that breast is best when it comes to feeding babies.  The list of benefits for the baby is long, with breast milk credited with protecting against obesity, diabetes, asthma and infections of the ear, stomach and chest.  However there are still women out there that need convincing to commit to breastfeeding their babies long term.  So for those moms who need a push, listen here:  now research is showing that breast may be best for mommas too.  Yes, it turns out that women who breastfeed their babies may be lowering their own risk of a heart attack, heart disease or stroke later in life.

This US study by the University of Pittsburgh, looked at 140,000 post-menopausal women and found that those who breastfed for more than a year were 10% less likely to develop the above health conditions than those who did not breastfed.

Amazingly, even breastfeeding for a month can cut the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.  What’s most incredible is that on average, it had been 35 years since the women had last breastfed which suggests the beneficial impact of breastfeeding lasts for decades.  Breastfeeding reduced the risk of heart problems, and breastfeeding for more than a year cut the risk of high blood pressure by 12%, and diabetes and high cholesterol by around 20%.

Some have suggested that breastfeeding may reduce cardiovascular risk by reducing fat stores in the body but it is likely that the release of hormones stimulated by breastfeeding also plays a more important role.  Breastfeeding is an important part of the way women’s bodies recover from pregnancy and when this does not occur women are more likely to have a number of health problems, so it seems that the longer a mother nurses her baby, the better for both of them.