Breastfeeding slashes women’s risk of diabetes

BREASTFEEDING cuts a woman’s risk of getting diabetes by a quarter, a major study has found.

Not only that, it also reduces her baby’s chance of developing the condition in adulthood by almost a fifth.

Researchers believe breastfeeding uses up excess fat and sugar in a mother’s body helping protect her from diabetes.

Furthermore, babies given breast milk are far less likely to become obese, which is strongly linked to the condition.

The Canadian scientists say their findings are yet further evidence of the numerous health benefits of breastfeeding for women and their babies.

Around 80 per cent of British mothers start off breastfeeding, but only a quarter continue for the full six months recommended by the World Health Organisation. These rates are amongst the lowest in the Western world – with many mothers embarrassed to do it in public or find it impractical if they are also working.

Professor Gary Shen, of the University of Manitoba, analysed the records of 334,553 babies born over a 24-year period in that region.

He also studied whether the mothers had breastfed for any length of time and if they or their children had later developed diabetes.

The results showed that women who had started breastfeeding were 23 per cent less likely to develop diabetes over the 24-year time frame. Their babies were also 18 per cent less at risk compared to children who had been given formula milk.

Professor Shen, who presented the findings this week at the World Diabetes Congress in Vancouver, is unsure of the exact explanation but there are several possible causes.

One is that breastfeeding uses up a woman’s excess fat and sugar, which can trigger type 2 diabetes. It also prevents obesity – which is strongly linked to the condition – and burns between 200 and 500 calories a day. Babies who are breastfed are also less likely to become obese – as breast milk is less rich than formula milk and so they do not drink as much.

Rates of diabetes are rising in the Western world due to obesity and the condition now affects 3.3million adults in Britain.

More than 90 per cent of diabetes sufferers have type 2, which is usually triggered by being overweight.

The condition occurs when the body either does not produce enough of the hormone insulin or does not properly react to it.

Scientists think consuming too much sugar causes the cells to stop responding to insulin, which explains the link to obesity.

Professor Shen said: ‘Breastfeeding initiation was associated with a reduced risk of subsequently developing diabetes among women and their offspring.

‘Breastfeeding initiation should be promoted in the general population.’

Previous studies have shown that breast milk can help protect babies from common childhood coughs and colds, as well as asthma and allergies, as they inherit their mother’s immunity.