Breastfeeding cuts diabetes risk in moms

Now, there is one more reason why mothers should breastfeed their babies for a longer period, as a new study has claimed it could protect women against diabetes in later life.

According to the study, breastfeeding for one month can halve the mother’s risk of pre-diabetes, a condition which can lead to full-blown diabetes and heart disease. The study, carried out over a span of 20 years, found that mothers who did so had healthier levels of blood fats and glucose than those who were bottlefeeding.

The study of 704 women, who were all expecting their first child, looked at the development of Metabolic Syndrome, a pre-diabetes condition, in the two decades after they gave birth.

Gunderson, of the Kaiser Permanente care organisation in California, said it was unclear exactly how breastfeeding affects the diabetes risk factors.