Women who breastfeed for an extended period are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared to those who do not breastfeed or only breastfeed for a short time.
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Breastfeeding is highly beneficial for health |
Numerous studies have confirmed that breastfeeding has an impact on a mother’s metabolism. This prompted Dr. Alison M. Stuebe from Harvard University to investigate the relationship between diabetes and breastfeeding. “Metabolism, breastfeeding, and reproductive health are all intriguingly interconnected,” Stuebe noted.
Stuebe and her colleagues found that during the first 15 years after the most recent childbirth, each year of breastfeeding corresponded to a 15% reduction in the mother’s risk of developing diabetes. This result remained unchanged even after accounting for factors such as diet, exercise, smoking, and vitamin supplementation. After these 15 years, breastfeeding did not show significant benefits; however, “it seems that the first 15 years are sufficient to provide lasting disease prevention,” the team concluded. This analysis was based on data from two groups of women who had given birth: the first group included approximately 83,000 women, while the second group comprised nearly 73,000 younger women.
“In a way, pregnancy is a pre-diabetic state because the body has to become insulin-resistant to ensure that the fetus receives enough glucose. After that, the breastfeeding period acts as a diabetes-preventive state,” Stuebe explained. This indicates that breastfeeding helps the body return to normal after pregnancy. If a woman does not breastfeed for an extended period, the risk of developing diabetes remains and may increase.
Mỹ Linh (according to Reuters)
