Breastfeeding for six months or more reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes almost halfway for women during their fertile years, according to new permanent Kaiser research, in the United States, whose details are revealed in Jama Internal Medicine magazine.
Women who breastfed for six months or more in all deliveries had a 47 percent reduction in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those who did not breastfeed at all.Women who breastfed for six months or less had a 25 percent reduction in the risk of diabetes.
Erica P. Gunderson, principal researcher at the Kaiser Permanent Research Division, analyzed data during the 30 years of monitoring of Cardia, a national and multicenter research of cardiovascular disease risk factors that originally included approximately 5,000 adults from 18 to30 years of age between 1985 and 1986, including more than 1,000 permanent Kaiser members of Northern California.
"We have known for a long time that breastfeeding has many benefits for mothers and babies"
The new findings join a growing body of evidence that breastfeeding has protective effects for both mothers and descendants, including the risk of a mother of breast and ovary cancer.The long -term benefits of breastfeeding over a lower risk of diabetes were similar for black and white women, and women with and without gestational diabetes.Black women recorded three times more likely than white women to develop diabetes within the 30 -year study, which agrees with a higher risk found by others.Black women registered in Cardia also presented less likely to breastfeed than white women.
Gradual decrease in diabetes as breastfeeding is extended
"The incidence of diabetes gradually decreased as the duration of breastfeeding increased, regardless of breed, gestational diabetes, life habits, body size and other metabolic risk factors measured before pregnancy, which impliesThe possibility that the underlying mechanism is biological, "says Gunderson.Several plausible biological mechanisms are possible for the protective effects of breastfeeding, including the influence of the hormones associated with breastfeeding in pancreatic cells that control blood insulin levels and, therefore, affect blood sugar.
Based on the solid evidence of the numerous benefits for the health of breastfeeding for mothers and babies, Kaiser permanent provides strong support to all mothers who choose to breastfeed."We have known for a long time that breastfeeding has many benefits for both mothers and babies, however, previous evidence showed weak effects on chronic diseases in women," says the woman's director of health in KaiserPermanent of Northern California, Tracy Flanagan.
"Now we see a much more solid protection of this new study that shows that mothers who breastfeed for months after childbirth can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes to half as they age. This is another reason why doctors, nurses and hospitals, as well as those responsible for policy formulation should support women and their families to breastfeed as long as possible, "he adds.
Lifestyle
This study included 1,238 black and black women who had no diabetes when they enrolled in Cardia, or before their subsequent gestations.For the following 30 years, eachWoman had at least a living birth and was routinely examined for diabetes according to the cardia protocol, which included diagnostic detection criteria for diabetes.Participants also reported lifestyle (such as diet and physical activity) and the total amount of time they breastfeed their children.
"Unlike previous breastfeeding studies, which depended on the information of the participants about the appearance of diabetes and who began to follow the older women later in life, we could follow women specifically during pregnancy andregularly evaluate them to detect diabetes before and after pregnancy, "says Guinderson, who together with his team could determine the metabolic risk prior to pregnancy, including obesity and glucose and insulin on an empty stomach, lifestyle habits, family history of diabetesand the perinatal results.
