Breastfeeding could reduce the chance of heart disease in women, say scientists

Anyone who has had a baby will know about how good breastfeeding is for mums and their babies, right?

It won't be for everyone but if you do opt for it, there are some big advantages. Breast milk is nutritionally ideal for babies, containing the perfect amounts of fat, protein and vitamins they need in an easily digestible form. It also contains antibodies and has been linked with reducing a child's risk of developing allergies later on, among other benefits. Now scientists believe it could also help mums avoid heart disease. A study has found that women who breastfeed are less likely to develop heart disease later in life and even less so the longer they breastfeed, reports Healthline. A team at the University of Athens in Greece studied the heart and blood vessel health in 283 women who had gone through the menopause and looked at whether they had breastfed. Taking into account factors like weight, age, cholesterol levels, and smoking, they found that the women who had breastfed had less stiffness in the arteries and a lower build-up of fats and other substances in the artery walls. "These findings indicate that breastfeeding lowers the risk of heart disease in women,” lead study author Dr Irene Lambrinoudaki told the European Society of Endocrinology’s annual meeting in Lyon, France. The results replicate a 2017 study carried out with almost 300,000 Chinese women.