Breastfeeding reduce diabetes risk

Mothers can lower increased diabetes risk by breastfeeding their babies

Childbearing increases the risk of women developing type 2 diabetes later in life, but this can risk can be reduced by breastfeeding a study conducted in Australia has found. 50,000 women took part in the study conducted by researchers from the University of Western Sydney’s School of Medicine. Lead author on the study, Dr Bette Liu, said ‘Giving birth to children does increase the risk of women developing diabetes later in life, but our study shows women can reduce the risk by breastfeeding their children.’

The extent of the protection from breastfeeding conferred even after only three months ‘reduces the risks of diabetes for the mother – back to the same as that for women who have never given birth’, Dr Liu explained.

Source: Physorg.com, 1 April 2010.

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