Breast-Feeding Reduces Diabetes Risk

From the health point of view for the babies and mothers, breast-feeding is definitely advantageous as both of them may be protected against developing of diabetes disease and other health issues.

Diabetes (type I diabetes and type II diabetes) is a disease that has affected over 18 million people in United States alone, where another 15 million may not yet be diagnosed. In fact, diabetes has become one of the biggest cash cows of the medical industry, reaping in a staggering 10 million plus dollars a day. The cause of diabetes is that the body does not produce the insulin necessary for the body to absorb glucose, leads to persistent elevated blood sugar levels.

Breast feeding refers to a woman feeds her baby or a young child with milk produced from her breasts. Breast milk is actually a food so perfectly balanced to provide nutrition, hydration, and protection that it is impossible to replicate synthetically. As breast milk confers many health benefits to both babies and feeding mothers, expects recommend to have breast feeding if the mothers do not have transmissible infections.

In fact, studies conducted by Harvard Medical School show that the longer the women nurse, the lower their risks of developing type II diabetes. Besides, studies also reveal the advantages of breast-feeding in protecting the child against insulin dependent diabetes as well as other health issues such as allergy, asthma, Crohn's disease and some forms of childhood cancers.

Study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reveals that women who breast-fed have less risk in developing type II diabetes. During the study, a total of 157,000 nurses has participated for 12 years and they need to answer periodic health questionnaires. Study indicates that those women who breast-fed for at least one year are about 15% less likely to develop type II diabetes than those who never breast-fed. Besides, for each additional year of breast-feeding, there is an additional 15% decreased risk in developing this type of diabetes.

In fact, Researchers explain that breast-feeding may change metabolism of mothers which may help the body more sensitive to the blood sugar-regulating hormone named insulin, and thus keeping blood sugar levels at a stable level. This theory is based on some evidence that are shown in rats and humans that are breast-feeding. It is found that the mothers who breast-fed have lower blood-sugar levels than those who do not breast-fed.

Even though some people claim that more studies are needed to support the above study findings, there is no doubt for scientist to mutually agree on benefits of breast feeding for babies and feeding mothers. Since breast feeding helps in reducing risk in developing diabetes and other health problems, it is always recommended to do so if you have babies.