Breastfeeding Helps Prevent Obesity Later

Obesity as adolescents and young adults is often linked to our early diets. This has now been proven out in the form of scientific research. Studies are now linking obesity to whether a child breastfeeds.

Study on breastfeeding and obesity

Research from Ireland’s Economic and Social Research Institute has determined that breastfeeding reduces the risk of obesity by up to 51%.

As part of the Irish government’s “Growing Up in Ireland” study, the researchers analyzed the weight and BMI (body mass index) of 7,798 nine-year old Irish children. They also studied the BMI and various lifestyle factors of the children’s parents, including whether the mother breastfed the child, and if so, how long.

Their results found the incidence of obesity by nine years old was reduced by an astounding 51% when the baby was breastfed for 26 weeks or more.

For those children breastfed for between 13 and 25 weeks, the incidence of obesity was reduced by 38%.

In the final analysis, breastfeeding a child for over four weeks corresponded to a drop in obesity incidence.

Why does breastfeeding do it?

The possible reasons for the connection, the researchers hypothesized, is related to the content of the breast milk versus that of synthetic formula, as well as the possible behavioral factors of breastfeeding.

Other research found that babies fed synthetic formulas grew faster during the first few years than breastfed babies. This, the researchers suggested, illustrated differences in metabolism between breastfed and formula-fed babies. This again points to content differences between formula and mother’s milk.

What are the content differences? Breast milk contains numerous immunoglobulins, numerous vitamins and minerals, nucleic acids, and probiotics. (Learn about herbs that can boost breast milk production.)

Another piece to this puzzle becomes clearer from probiotic research, which has found that probiotics increase nutrient absorption, even out blood glucose spikes, reduce constipation, reduce cholesterol levels and provide CLA (conjugated linoleic acid). All of these have been linked with weight reduction or improved BMI status.

Other benefits of breastfeeding

It is no surprise that breastfeeding results in a healthier child. In a study from the same researchers last year (2011) of 8,226 children, the researchers found that the children who were breastfed scored 8.67% higher in reading testing and 7.42% higher on their mathematics test scores by their ninth year.

Decades of research has established that brain development and healthy metabolism go hand in hand. A breastfed child is healthier because they have received a full dose of mama’s probiotics along with other important nutrients. Our probiotics form a significant part of our immune system. They protect us from a variety of toxins. They also nurture our gut-brain axis, which helps early cognition among children. Breastfeeding also boosts oral bacteria, reducing tooth decay.

Learn more about probiotics and immunity:

REFERENCES:

McCrory C, Layte R. Breastfeeding and risk of overweight and obesity at nine years of age. Soc Sci Med. 2012. doi:10.1016/j.soccimed.2012.02.048

McCrory C, Layte R. The effect of breastfeeding on children’s educational test scores at nine years of age: results of an Irish cohort study. Soc Sci Med. 2011 May;72(9):1515-21.

Adams C. Probiotics – Protection Against Infection: Using Nature’s Tiny Warriors To Stem Infection and Fight Disease. Logical Books, 2016.