Breastfeeding for more than 30 days was linked to a 50 percent decreseament of chances of developing type 2 diabetes, for mothers who had gestational diabetes in the past.

According to the new study, published in the Journal Annals of Internal Medicine, mothers that breastfeed could also possibly reduce danger of getting cancer. More than 900 women participated on the research.

Several studies conducted the last years have proven the benefits of breastfeeding, beyond the baby's nutrition. Photo: SheRights.com
Several studies conducted the last years have proven the benefits of breastfeeding, beyond the baby’s nutrition. Photo: SheRights.com

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), gestational diabetes is a type of hyperglycaemia that appears during the pregnancy. The condition is linked to higher risk of obtaining type 2 diabetes after the pregnancy.

There are two variables that play an important role in reducing diabetes risks. Insulin sensitivity, which allows the body to use sugar and glucose from eaten carbohydrates and store them for future use; and metabolism, which controls a lot of chemical reactions involved in the eating process. Both of these variants are enhanced by breastfeeding, as researchers said.

Despite the study doesn’t demonstrate that breastfeeding decreased the risk of getting Type 2 diabetes, found an association between both factors. The results show that 12 percent of the 900 studied women developed type 2 diabetes two years after suffering from gestational diabetes during the pregnancy and gave birth.

In order to investigate the association, they split the ladies into five groups: exclusive breastfeeding, exclusive formula feeding, mostly breastfeeding (less than 6 ounces of daily formula), mostly formula (more than 17 ounces of daily formula) and mixed feeding (7 to 17 daily ounces of formula).

There is evidence that women who uniquely breastfed their babies had a 54 percent lower risk of developing diabetes, compared to mothers who only used formula. The study also showed that mothers who fed their babies with both breast milk and a mixture of formula reduced their chances of developing Type 2 diabetes by 33 percent –compared to the only formula-feeding cases.

“Lactation gives the insulin-producing cells in the body a rest because they don’t have to make so much insulin to lower blood glucose,. Breastfeeding uses up glucose and fat in the blood because those nutrients are transferred from the bloodstream into the breast tissue for milk production,” explained Erica Gunderson, lead author of the study, according to CBS News.

Another study, published by the Annals of Oncology in October, found evidence that suggested a relation between breastfeeding and a breast cancer decreasement. 37,000 women that were breastfeeding participated on the study, as the results showed a 20 percent lower chances of getting an aggressive type of cancer called Hormone-Receptor-Negative on these women.

Source: CBS News