Wednesday 1 September 2010

Not Breastfeeding & Diabetes Linked

Not Breastfeeding & Diabetes Linked

A recent study has shown that mothers who do not breastfeed their children have an increased risk of developing type-2 diabetes. It is the most common form of the disease. The disease has become increasingly widespread over the last century, mostly attributed to a change in the everyday diet of most Americans. The study was conducted by Eleanor Bimla Schwarz of the University of Pittsburgh.

It is know that proper diet and exercise impact the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, but not many realize that breastfeeding also reduces the risk. By reducing maternal belly fat, a mother can help her chances later in life.

The study followed 2,200 women between the ages of 40 and 78. 56 percent of mothers said that they had breastfed their child for at least one month, and those mothers showed a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes at any point in their life.

The twenty seven percent of mothers who did not breastfeed their children were more than twice as likely to develop the condition at some point than women who had breastfed or had never given birth. Mothers who breastfed all of their children were not more likely to develop the condition than women who had never had any children.

The results were consistent, even when taking other measures including alcohol use, age, race and physical activity into account. With the results so clear cut, could breastfeeding become a recommendation for mothers who are at a high risk level for developing type 2 diabetes?

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