In 2002 a Cancer Research UK study looked in detail at a group of 50,000 women with breast cancer, and another group of 100,000 women without breast cancer. They were especially interested in whether or not women had breast fed their infants. What they found was that the longer a woman had breast fed, the less likely they were to develop breast cancer. For every year of breast feeding a woman’s risk of breast cancer decreased by 4.3%. There was also a 7% reduction in risk of breast cancer for each child born.

You’re probably thinking that 4.3% is not much of a risk reduction for a whole year of breast feeding? Because breast cancer is such a common cancer, in a country like Britain, if every new mum chose to breast feed for an extra six months, it would mean 1000 fewer breast cancer diagnoses each year.

When you look at the global pattern of breast cancer, the western world has by far the highest incidence. Countries in which breast feeding for long periods of time is standard practice (like China and Japan) have much lower rates of breast cancer. Based on global study, researchers have concluded that the incidence of breast cancer in developed countries could be reduced by more than half, if women had the number of births, and duration of breast feeding common in undeveloped countries

It’s still not fully understood exactly how breast feeding protects breasts, but we do know that breastfeeding lowers the levels of some cancer related hormones in a mother’s body. Also, when breast feeding comes to an end the body rids itself of any cells in the breasts that may have DNA damage, and this reduces the risk of breast cancer developing in the future.

If you’re still not convinced that breast feeding is the way to go, here’s another amazing health benefit for your breast fed baby. Breast fed female infants have a 25% lower risk of eventual breast cancer, compared with women who were bottle fed.

In October 2007 the World Cancer Research Fund published one of the most comprehensive reports ever on the link between cancer and lifestyle. One of its ten key recommendations was that mother breastfeed exclusively for six months before adding other foods to an infants diet…. To lower breast cancer risk for both the mum and the baby.

So if you or someone you know is about to become a mum, give them the ultimate mothers day gift… tell them about the amazing health benefits for them and their baby, from choosing breast over bottle.

If you are interested in finding out proactive ways of optimizing your breast health, read “Wellbeing”, by Lynda Wharton, published by Harper Collins. Available in book stores, and online at www.lyndawharton.com