Women who breastfed their babies for at least one year were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s than women who did not, according to a study.
Utami Roesli, chairwoman of the Indonesian Lactation Center, said that research published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease in July showed that women who breastfed were 22 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s.
The study, which looked at a group of 81 70-year-old women, also found that those who breastfed for four to six months did not develop a lower chance of developing Alzheimer’s.
Previous research had indicated that breastfeeding likely lowers the risk of developing hypertension, strokes, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and other problems, Utami said.
Breastfeeding has also been shown to provide benefits to children as well.
“The content of maternal milk is very specific and suited to the absorption capabilities of the baby’s intestines,” she said.
Despite the benefits, Utami said that the use of milk donors was ill-advised, except in real emergencies.
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