Breastfeeding: Does it lower your cancer risk?

Breastfeeding is very beneficial for both baby and mother. For a baby, it’s important because it provides all the nutrients necessary for proper development. Breastfeeding builds a bond between the baby, and it’s mom. It’s also very beneficial for women — it can lower risk of breast cancer. How is it possible?

Breastfeeding — how long should you breastfeed your baby?

As a general recommendation, infants should be exclusively breastfed (not supplemented with other food or drink) for 6 months. Over time, a baby's diet can be gradually expanded with foods that are tailored to developmental needs. According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), breastfeeding a baby for a long time may lower the risk of breast cancer, even later in the mother's life. Studies have shown that women who breastfed are less likely to develop cancer than women who have not breastfed. In addition, WHO also recommends continuing breastfeeding for two or more years, while simultaneously feeding the child with appropriate food and drinks. The data show that the longer a woman breastfeeds, the lower her risk of developing breast cancer is. Moreover, each subsequent six months of breastfeeding reduces breastfeeding by an average of 2%.

How does breastfeeding protect against cancer?

Unfortunately, the mechanism that reduces the risk of cancer in breastfeeding women is not yet fully recognized. However, it is believed that there are two main reasons for this connection. One of them is the modification of the structure of the breast during breastfeeding. Exfoliating breast tissue during lactation, along with apoptosis at the end of lactation, can eliminate mutant cells and DNA damage. The second reason is the impact on the hormonal balance associated with the occurrence of infertility and the absence of menstruation during lactation. Thus, the number of menstrual cycles throughout life is reduced and the time of exposure to certain hormones that can cause cancer development is limited. This is especially true of androgen hormones, which belong to the group of steroidal hormones. Their increased levels may increase the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer.

Cancer prevention and breastfeeding

The guidelines of the European Code Against Cancer include the following: ” Breastfeeding reduces the risk of cancer in the mother. If you can, breastfeed your baby”. According to the World Health Organization, in European populations, in the case of people who adhere to the general principles of cancer prevention, the risk of developing the disease may be reduced by 18%. The benchmark for these values are people who lead a lifestyle that is contrary to the guidelines.

Other factors that reduce the risk of developing cancer include:

• maintaining a healthy weight (body mass index [BMI] between 18.5 and 24.9 kg / m2)
• avoiding foods that can cause weight gain, such as sweet drinks and highly * processed foods (e.g., fast food)
• being moderately active for at least 30 minutes a day (minimum 150 minutes a week);
• eating mainly plant-based foods (rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals);
• reducing the consumption of red meat and avoiding processed meats;
• limiting the consumption of alcohol.

What are the other benefits of breastfeeding?

It has been proven that breastfeeding for a longer time is helping to reduce weight gain and promote quicker return to pre-pregnancy weight. Women who breastfeed are also less likely to become overweight and obese later in life. However, this does not change the fact that in order for this process to run properly, you must follow the recommendations for a healthy lifestyle. Breastfeeding offers the most benefits to babies, for whom milk protects against many diseases — respiratory infections, ear infections, diarrhea, and asthma. In addition, breast milk has a beneficial effect long after the end of infancy. In the next stages of life it protects against high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

Breastfeeding is one option. It should be remembered that it does not guarantee that cancer will not develop. Breastfeeding is only one factor that can lower your chance of developing this disease.