Breastfeeding dramatially lowers women’s risk of developing metabolic syndrome, a precursor to diabetes, according to new research.
The study, which WebMD calls one of the most rigorously designed trials to examine breastfeeding’s impact, also shows the longer women breastfeed, the more protection they appear to enjoy.
Researchers with Kaiser Permanente analyzed data on 704 women aged 18 to 30 who were followed for two decades, beginning before their first pregnancy. At the start, none of the women had metabolic syndrome — a constellation of risk factors linked to diabetes, obesity and heart disease — though 120 developed it over the next 20 years.
The results show breastfeeding for longer than nine months was associated with a 56% reduction in risk for developing metabolic syndrome. Among those who developed gestational diabetes during their pregnancies, the risk reduction was 86%.
Even a little as a month or two of breastfeeding seemed to have a benefit, the researchers say.
Earlier studies have suggested that lactating women have healthier blood levels of glucose and lipids in the weeks after delivery. The Kaiser study is the first to measure all components of metabolic syndrome both before pregnancy and after weaning, allowing researchers to examine breastfeeding’s effect on new onset of metabolic syndrome.
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