Breast-feeding may protect a mother’s health
It makes sense. Breast feeding is what nature intended after all. It may offer mothers long-term protection against a condition linked to diabetes and heart disease, according to researchers.
The scientists found that the longer women breast-fed, the lower their chance of developing metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors such as high blood pressure and high triglycerides associated with obesity.
“Pregnancy may have some adverse effects on some of these cardiovascular risk factors,” lead author Erica Gunderson says, “and lactation (breast-feeding) may offset some of these effects.”
Roughly 18%-37% of U.S. women ages 20 to 59 have metabolic syndrome and a study published in August found women with gestational diabetes are 2½ times more likely than other women to develop the condition after pregnancy.
Last Updated on December 3rd, 2009
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