It’s a no-brainer that breastfeeding is best for baby but did you know that it’s great for mommies too? Scientists at the University of Oxford, UK, studied the reproductive history and lifestyle factors of 289,573 Chinese women, to understand how pregnancy changes the mother’s metabolism. According to the study, the fat stored in the mother’s body to provide food for the baby during pregnancy lowers her metabolism. However, breastfeeding eliminates the stored fat, resulting in higher metabolism and lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease. The scientists found that the women who had breastfed were 10 per cent less likely to suffer from heart attack and stroke. Better still, risk is further lowered if breastfeeding continues for two years or more. Add this to the basket of other benefits that earlier research has shown—reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancer, osteoporosis and obesity—and it makes you want to doff your hat to Mother Nature. The study was published in Journal of the American Heart Association.

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Featured in Harmony — Celebrate Age Magazine
August 2017