Link between breastfeeding and osteoporosis in older women, suggests study

A new study has offered evidence that older women who breastfeed could be at an increased risk of developing osteoporosis.

Researchers from Yonsei University College of Medicine in South Korea has found that breastfeeding “can increase postmenopausal women’s risk of osteoporosis”, which also suggests that a person’s diet could help to modulate or counterbalance this risk.

It is known that breastfeeding can affect a person’s bone metabolism and calcium homeostasis, which means that prolonged breastfeeding can influence the development of postmenopausal osteoporosis, particularly in at-risk populations.

For this study, the team examined medical data for 1,231 postmenopausal women between the ages of 45 and 70 years, drawn from the 2010 to 2011 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

According to results published in Osteoporosis International, a significant increase in the risk of osteoporosis was seen in postmenopausal women who breastfed for 24 months or longer.

It was also found that people with inadequate vitamin D levels in their bloodstream or calcium intakes of less than 800 mg per day were at a particularly pronounced risk of poor bone health.

The report indicates that ensuring optimum dietary health could be one way of minimising the chances of osteoporosis among women in this age group.

“Breastfeeding seems to increase the risk of postmenopausal osteoporosis; however, its impact may not be definitive in women with sufficient vitamin D levels and calcium intakes.

“Therefore, sufficient calcium intakes and adequate vitamin D levels may be important to prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women that is derived from breastfeeding,” say the researchers.

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