Apart from various benefits noted for breastfeeding, a new study suggests that it can also protect new mothers against developing type 2 diabetes.
Latest figures have revealed that breastfeeding will save the lives of nearly 900 babies by preventing deaths and illnesses caused by conditions such as stomach viruses, ear infections, asthma, juvenile diabetes, sudden infant death syndrome and even childhood leukemia.
Breast-fed babies are also reported to be less vulnerable to developing diabetes and obesity in the long run. They are also believed to be at a lower risk of becoming infected with various organisms because of the high antibody content of the breast milk.
"Diet and exercise are widely known to impact the risk of type 2 diabetes, but few people realize that breast-feeding also reduces mothers' risk of developing the disease later in life by decreasing maternal belly fat," said lead researcher Eleanor Bimla Schwarz.
According to the study published in The American Journal of Medicine, new mothers with no breastfeeding experience are 1.4 times more likely to be diagnosed with type 2diabetes.
The risk of being diagnosed with the disease in women who breastfed all their children for a month or longer is similar to that of women who had never given birth. The longer duration of breastfeeding is associated with lower risk of developing diabetes.
Breastfeeding helps new mothers shed off pounds faster and lowers their risk of developing diabetes through improving the maternal glucose metabolism, increasing the body sensitivity to insulin and most importantly reducing belly fat.
"These findings highlight the importance to maternal health of consistent lactation after each birth and add to a growing body of literature that indicates that women who give birth but do not breast-feed face an increased risk of developing diabetes mellitus and subsequent cardiovascular disease," added Schwarz.
