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Breastfeeding against diabetes

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I'm Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

A study indicates breastfeeding gives moms a benefit � a drop in the risk of diabetes.

Researchers compared mothers who breastfed with those who did not. The study in the Journal of the American Medical Association was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Researcher Alison Stuebe (STOO'-bee) of Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital:

"We looked specifically at women in the 15 years after they had their last baby. And we found that each year a woman breastfeeds reduced her risk of diabetes by 15 percent." (eight seconds)

How could that happen? Well, breastfeeding lowers levels of insulin and sugar � and helps women shed weight:

"A breastfeeding woman uses up about 500 calories a day making milk for her baby. That's the equivalent of running about four to five miles a day. That's a lot of energy." (eight seconds)

Learn more at www.hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I'm Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: February 9, 2006

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