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Breast milk protects against cancer

 
, medical expert
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
 
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16 January 2013, 09:12

The Australian daily newspaper reported that a fairly reliable protection against cancer in women has been discovered. Researchers claim that women who prefer breastfeeding their children have a seventy percent lower risk of developing malignant cancer. In the process of developing new potential drugs that can fight cancer, scientists have discovered that breastfeeding is beneficial not only for the good health and well-being of the baby, but also for the nursing mother.

According to scientists, the longer the period of breastfeeding a child (or children), the less chance a woman has of being struck by an oncological disease. Breastfeeding almost eliminates the risks of cancer of both the mammary glands and ovaries. Experts suggest that the reason for the body's protective reaction is the delay in ovulation, which is caused by breastfeeding.

Doctors recommend not to give up breastfeeding, as this is one of the most important moments in the first communication between mother and small child. In addition, breast milk contains substances that help the further development of the small organism, antibodies that can prevent infectious diseases, nutrients that provide the necessary composition of necessary vitamins.

A study conducted by Australian oncologists once again shows the benefits of breastfeeding: after all, a nursing mother not only provides her baby with the necessary substances, but also involuntarily takes care of her health. Doctors believe that the longer the period of breastfeeding lasts, the safer a woman can feel. Malignant tumors in the ovaries and mammary glands will not be scary for nursing mothers.

The experiment was as follows: Australian doctors selected about five hundred women suffering from ovarian cancer and the same number of healthy women. The researchers made sure that the initial data was approximately the same, as was the age of the test girls. Then detailed surveys were conducted about lifestyle, habits, hobbies. A separate questionnaire was compiled to study issues about motherhood: women were asked whether they had children, the age of the children, methods of feeding and upbringing, as well as how much time they were able to devote to breastfeeding. After all, it is known that it is not always possible to breastfeed, even if there is a desire.

According to the survey results, it became clear that women who breastfed their babies for more than a year had a 60% lower risk of developing a malignant tumor in the ovary area than those who breastfed for less than six months. The luckiest women are those who have more than three children and are committed to breastfeeding: for them, ovarian cancer poses virtually no danger. The average breastfeeding period for a mother of many children is more than 30 months, which means that she is automatically 92% less susceptible to developing cancerous tumors than a woman who neglects breastfeeding her child.

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