Breastfeeding protects women from diabetes

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Extract from the article: Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have found that prolactin, a hormone produced during breastfeeding to stimulate milk production, increases the number of beta cells in the pancreas. These cells help to regulate bl

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Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have found that prolactin, a hormone produced during breastfeeding to stimulate milk production, increases the number of beta cells in the pancreas. These cells help to regulate blood glucose levels, but also produce the feel-good hormone serotonin during breastfeeding. Serotonin has an antioxidant effect on these pancreatic cells. According to the study published in « Science Translational Medicine », breastfeeding can reduce the risk of post-partum diabetes, thanks to two phenomena: an increase in the mass of beta cells in the pancreas and an improvement in their function. « This phenomenon lasts even after breastfeeding has stopped, which significantly improves the metabolism of mothers », says Dr Dédé Benedicta Amewoui, Obstetrician Gynaecologist and Head of the Group Médical Clinic in Lomé. The obstetrician-gynaecologist points out that « after childbirth, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes is considerable. Although the risk is high, there are ways of preventing the onset of type 2 diabetes after childbirth: practising physical activity, eating a balanced diet, quitting smoking and correcting excess weight ».

Jean ELI