Breastfeeding may prevent breast cancer

by Jonathon Morgan (Subscribe to Jonathon Morgan's posts) Apr 17th 2007 11:31AM

Categories: Pregnancy & Birth, Health & Safety, Eating & Nutrition

Given the ever-raging debate on breastfeeding, here's another reason you might want to consider doing it: a recent study finds it might protect against breast cancer.

Specifically, it helps reduce the breast cancer risk for women who wait until after 25 to have children, as previous research has found that these women are more prone to the disease. In fact, after analyzing data on a number of women aged 55 and older, doctors found that breastfeeding help ward off breast cancer regardless of what age the women started giving birth.

Seeing as the average age for starting a family is 25, and current trends indicate the majority of women are waiting until they're older to have kids, this information seems particularly relevant.

Maybe now people will stop freaking out every time they see a woman breastfeeding in public.

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Comments (10)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Ethel 4-17-2007 @ 11:50AM

This is added good news as in the past the link with a decrease in breast cancer and breastfeeding was thought to be exclusively enjoyed by women who breastfed younger then 20 years old (according to an oncologist I knew). Nice to know that on top of decreasing postpartum high cholesterol levels (which top out during pregnancy, especially low density lipoproteins) and decreasing the incidence of type II diabetes we could help ourselves dodge cancer too.

Lauren 4-17-2007 @ 12:33PM

This makes sense to me. Many types of breast cancer are related to "estrogen receptor" tumors, and breastfeeding lowers estrogen levels in women.

Yay for nursing mamas! Our bodies are so amazing!

momma2mingbu 4-17-2007 @ 1:25PM

AND there is the added benefit that nursing a daughter also lowers HER risk of breast cancer!

Sam 4-17-2007 @ 2:33PM

Of course, the downside to this is that one of the reasons the cancer risk declines is that an accumulated lifetime of fat-soluble toxins absorbed from pesticides, plastics, and other chemicals are being purged...right into your nursing child.

Holmes 4-17-2007 @ 3:28PM

"Maybe now people will stop freaking out every time they see a woman breastfeeding in public."

Nice thought, but I kinda doubt the freakouts will be going away any time soon.

S. Kelly 4-17-2007 @ 3:47PM

Sam,
That is one of the best examples of fallacious logic that I have ever seen used in an argument against breastfeeding! You REALLY need to get an education or keep quiet.
By stating that a nursing mom is "purging toxins right into (her) nursing child" you are suggesting that it is MORE beneficial that we give them man-made, chemically-enhanced, liquids MADE in factories and STORED in plastic and metal containers???
Seriously, get a grip.
Quit spreading completely FALSE and UNSCIENTIFIC paranoia.
Sheesh!

Sabrina 4-17-2007 @ 5:43PM

Maybe I'm a downer here, but it really gets me when moms start fighting about things like breast vs. bottle. We should learn to respect each other, and enjoy our kids.

Jeannie 4-17-2007 @ 5:45PM

Sabrina, who is fighting about breast v. bottle? I haven't read one comment to that effect. Of course, there is really no contest though. BREAST is BEST.

SKL 4-17-2007 @ 6:35PM

I knew it was only a matter of time before people started attacking each other. Over breast milk. Yes, Sabrina, it is hard to understand.

Anyhoo, now I have another argument for my BIL to get him to support my sister about breastfeeding. He considers it gross because his mommy never did it. When we point out scientific reasons why it's a good thing, he says he doesn't believe them. When I asked him how many times he's been grossed out by a breastfeeding woman in public, he says he's never seen it - even though that very day, a mom was discreetly breasfeeding her newborn while in the same room with him. Whatever. (Why does he care anyway? Nobody is asking him to breastfeed.) Good thing my sister is a strong woman.

Breastfeeding is a choice I wish I could make for so many reasons. But it is a choice and it's not my business to make it for someone else.

Sam 4-17-2007 @ 6:52PM

S. Kelly,

If you'd care to read my comment again, I never said that formula was better than breastmilk - in fact, I believe just the opposite. Formula and bottlefeeding are also a source of toxins, but without the added immune-system benefits and other perks provided by breastfeeding. My comments were solely within the context of cancer risks: that, sadly, our bodies are host to a lifetime of accumulated toxins, and that equally sadly, our bodies are unable to differentiate between these stored toxins and the beneficial vitamins and minerals that are meant to be delivered to our nursing children.

It's great that breastfeeding reduces the instances of breast cancer, but it is inarguably a downside - no matter which side of the bottle vs. breast divide one falls on - that a likely cause of this involves passing on unnatural and potentially dangerous agents to our children, casting a shadow on and act that should be a biological miracle.

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