Breastfeeding may prevent diabetes in moms

[Janice in Canada]

Breastfeeding may prevent diabetes in moms

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=PrintStory

Associated Press
Updated: Wed. Nov. 23 2005 7:47 AM ET
CHICAGO — Breast-feeding is thought to protect babies from developing diabetes. Now research suggests it might even help keep their mothers from getting the disease, too. A study found that the longer women nursed, the lower their risks of developing diabetes.


The findings are far from conclusive, but the researchers say breast-feeding may change mothers' metabolism in ways that make the possible connection plausible.

(see link for full article)



Breastfeeding reduces diabetes 2 risk for mothers

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medi...p?newsid=34045

(part of the article is below- see link for full article)

Alison M. Stuebe wrote “In conclusion, increased duration of breastfeeding was associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes in 2 large cohorts of women. Together with clinical evidence of improved glucose homeostasis [equilibrium] in lactating women, these data suggest that lactation may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in young and middle-aged women. Further clinical studies are needed to confirm this finding and to elucidate the physiologic mechanisms for an inverse association between duration of breastfeeding and risk of type 2 diabetes.”

The Study:

Duration of Lactation and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/294/20/2601

Journal of the American Medical Association

Vol. 294 No. 20, November 23/30, 2005

[lasciate]

Well I like the sound of that!

[Ruthla]

Cool! So does nursing my DS for 4+ years balance out my increased risk from being dx with "gestational diabetes" while pg with him?

[Soxfan Mom]

What I didn't like about that story was this quote:

"If it does have an effect, it's very small," said Dr. Lisa Schwartz of Dartmouth Medical School, co-director of a research group that studies how medical information is sometimes hyped. She was not involved in the breast-feeding study.

I don't recall seeing this kind of disclaimer in stories about drinking wine, doing crossword puzzles, drinking coffee or whatever to achieve a health benefit.