Breast milk is the best food we can offer our baby and helps protect him and reduce the risk of certain diseases. But the benefits of breastfeeding are not only for the baby, but also for the mother.
A recent study led by South Korean researchers has confirmed that the hormone ‘prolactin’, which is increased in breast milk , stimulates pancreatic beta cells, which secrete insulin and regulate blood glucose in the body. This means extra protection against adult diabetes, even up to three years after delivery. One more reason to bet on breastfeeding.
How Breastfeeding Protects Mothers
Pregnancies pose a high metabolic burden for women, who experience weight gain and increased insulin resistance. This, together with several factors specific to the female sex, such as a history of gestational diabetes, advanced age and obesity, can further increase the risk of diabetes after childbirth.
Diabetes-related complications include blood vessel damage, which can lead to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke, and nerve, eye, or kidney problems, among others. Therefore, considering that diabetes can pose a serious threat to the metabolic health of mothers, it is important to control the mother’s metabolic risk factors.
Previous studies had suggested that breastfeeding reduced the chances of having postpartum diabetes, but it was not known why.
Now, researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Chungnam National University and the University of California (USA) have discovered that ‘serotonin’ , known as a chemical that contributes to well-being and happiness, and a powerful stimulator of prolactin secretion, it is produced in pancreatic beta cells during lactation.
Serotonin acts as an antioxidant and reduces oxidative stress, making the mother’s beta cells healthier. It also induces the proliferation of beta cells, increasing their mass, which helps maintain adequate glucose levels.
The new study, ‘Breastfeeding improves the mass and cellular function of the pancreas β through the production of serotonin)’, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, included a sample of 174 postpartum women , 85 who breastfed. and another 99 that did not, at two months postpartum and annually for at least three years.
The results showed that the mothers who had breastfed improved the mass and function of the beta cells of the pancreas, and showed lower glucose levels, thus reducing the risk of postpartum diabetes . Surprisingly, this beneficial effect was maintained after cessation of lactation, for more than three years after delivery.
Professor Hail Kim from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology explained: “We are happy to show that breastfeeding benefits female metabolic health by improving beta cell mass and function as well as glucose control.” And he added:
“Our future studies on the modulation of serotonin based on maternal metabolic risk factors could lead to new therapies to help prevent mothers from developing metabolic disorders.”
Via | Neuro Science News
Photos | iStock
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