Why are women who breast-feed less likely to develop diabetes? Studies suggest that breastfeeding alters the body's response to insulin.

Breastfeeding has far-reaching health implications for both mothers and children.
, for example, epidemiological studies have observed that women who are pro-fed still have a lower risk of type 2 diabetes even after decades of weaning.
we don't know how this potential protective benefit came about.
Recently, a study led by researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UT Southwestern) sheds new light on the idea that, during breastfeeding, the body's ability to ensure adequate glucose and fat to produce milk changes the insulin sensitivity of the organs involved, the way insulin is used.
results were published in Diabetes, a journal of the American Diabetes Association (ADA).
previous metabolic studies have shown that pregnancy reduces the body's sensitivity to insulin, which in turn restores insulin sensitivity to pre-pregnancy levels.
to get more in-depth information, the team studied 18 women who had recently given birth.
the clinical characteristics of the 18 women were very similar, including fetal, body parts, lipids in the liver and other indicators.
12 of the women were breastfeeding, or exclusively breastfed, or had less than 6 ounces of formula per day;
At six weeks after party, the women underwent a high insulin-positive sugar clamp test at the medical center to detect insulin sensitivity throughout the body, while insulin sensitivity to the liver and fat was specifically detected by isotopes-tracer agents, as these specific organs or tissues were otherwise more sensitive to insulin.
Simple, the researchers observed that as diet and insulin levels changed, the body was less nutritious, released a little more, and when the body was nutritious, it was more pronounced in lactating women.
, the biological effects of insulin are magnified.
, regardless of the type of feeding these women use after child-rearing, insulin levels are low in the postparto system.
However, after 12 hours of fasting (insulin levels were correspondingly low), glucose and fatty acids released in the adipose tissue of lactating women (i.e., the process of fat breakdown) were 2.6 times and 2.3 times higher than among non-pro-feeding women, respectively.
when researchers used clamps to deliver insulin to simulate the body's "eating state," glucose production and fat breakdown in both groups of women were suppressed.
in lactating women, higher levels of oxytocin further inhibit fat breakdown.
that is, lactating women are able to store more fat when insulin levels rise slightly.
Combined with fasting (low insulin levels) and eating (high insulin levels), the researchers believe that breastfeeding appears to further increase insulin sensitivity for organs that are already high insulin sensitivity, thus maximizing the ability to provide a stable nutrition of breast milk from food or stored ingredients in the body.
understanding of this process can help women who are plagued by insufficient breast milk, perhaps by stimulating insulin-sensitive tissues to provide more nutrients, or by preserving more nutrients, perhaps by promoting milk secretion.
, of course, and this may explain why breastfed women are also less likely to experience insulin resistance decades later.
, the lead author of the study, Dr. Maria A. Ramos-Roman of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, said, "Breastfeeding has a long history, but we still have a lot of unknowns about breastfeeding."
better understanding of the biological processes of breastfeeding can help us improve the health of women and children.
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