Breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer in women
Breastfeeding is probably the most beneficial and natural favour that a mother can do for her new-born child, the benefits of which the child will enjoy throughout his/her life. Many mothers are led to believe that formula milk has the same benefits as breast milk but that is not the case. Breast milk is unique with a combination of vitamins, minerals, nutrients and antibodies that cannot be artificially prepared. With the help of breast milk, new-born infants can get the most optimal combination of nutrients and antibodies. They have a much reduced risk of chronic constipation, colic and other stomach upsets; they have a reduced risk of childhood diabetes; they are protected against respiratory illness, ear infections, pneumonia, kidney infections, blood poisoning and bronchitis; they have protection against asthma, eczema and allergies; they have a reduced risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) and they have reduced risk of tooth decay. Due to breast milk, infants also have reduced chances of childhood obesity, reduced risk of deficiency of Vitamin E and iron and they enjoy a special bonding relationship with their mothers.
Mothers also benefit greatly from nursing, one of the most important being that mothers have a greatly reduced chance of contracting breast, ovarian, cervical and endometrial cancer. They also have reduced risk of anaemia. Breast feeding helps delay fertility and pregnancies by acting as a natural birth control program, it protects against possible osteoporosis and hip fracture, helps to contract the uterus to its original size after birth and mothers also enjoy a special emotional bond with the baby. Whether the mother chooses to nurse the baby or bottle feed him or her by expressing breast milk using a breastpump, she reaps the same benefits. Many studies have shown that women with a family history of cancer are at a greater risk of contracting it but breastfeeding has been shown to significantly reduce this risk. Women who had first-degree relatives with breast cancer like mother, daughter or sister have about double the chances of getting this cancer and women with two relatives suffering from this disease have five times the chances of getting it. The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) found in a study that breastfeeding lowers the risk of breast cancer by 4.3 percent for every year of breastfeeding. Many mothers breastfeed their babies at least for a short time after giving birth. The American Academy of Paediatrics recommends all mothers to exclusively breastfeed their babies for the first six months of their life and to continue doing so for another six months along with supplemental food.
Breastfeeding reduces the chances of cancer by reducing the levels of cancer-related hormones in the mother’s body. When mothers stop breastfeeding, their bodies rid themselves of any breast cells that may have DNA damage reducing the risk of cancer later in life. For breast cancer, the fact is that the longer women breastfeed, the fewer menstrual cycles they will have. Every menstrual cycle cells in the breast grow and divide, they could accumulate mutations leading to possible breast cancer. However, reducing the total number of menstrual cycles can lead to a decreased risk of breast cancer. Another scientific theory explains that breastfeeding can result in a permanent change in either breast morphology or the expression of genes in the breast and this change can provide protection against cancer. Breastfeeding can also reduce the level of pollutants in the breast which may be associated with breast cancer.
Women who do not breastfeed should take drugs to prevent milk formation since this can also decrease risks of breast cancer. Tamoxifen has been used for many years to treat breast cancer and as a preventive approach for women at high risk but it also has several side effects including blood clots, stroke, uterine cancer and cataracts. Other side effects include hot flashes, vaginal discharge, headache, fatigue, nausea, rash and vomiting. Another study shows that women who were breastfed as infants have 25 percent lowered risk of developing breast cancer compared to women who were bottle fed as infants. Therefore, women who were breastfed as infants and breastfeed their babies as well are probably well-protected. Breastfeeding as well as the number of births can control the chances of developing breast cancer; a relatively large number of births combined with breastfeeding babies for about a year can considerably decrease the breast cancer rate in women.
James Anthony