A US study has found that women who breastfeed their children for more than a year are ten percent less likely to have a heart attack or stroke.
According to the study, featured in the the journal, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, even breastfeeding for a month may cut the risk of developing diabetes by 20 percent, high blood pressure by 12 percent and high cholesterol by 20 percent.
The study was conducted by the University of Pittsburgh and focused on nearly 140,000 post-menopausal women, who on average had breastfed 35 years ago. Researchers say this may suggest that the beneficial impact of breastfeeding can last for decades.
Researchers say that the study adds weight to a growing body of evidence that indicates breastfeeding is beneficial to both mother and baby.
Previous research has found that breastfeeding reduces a woman’s risk of developing ovarian, breast cancer and osteoporosis later in life. For babies that are breastfed, breast milk has been shown to give protection against diabetes, asthma, obesity and infections.
Although the researchers don’t yet know why breastfeeding may reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, they believe that the release of hormones stimulated by breastfeeding may play a role.
In the UK, the Department of Health recommends mothers breastfeed their babies for six months.