Andrea Berardi breastfeeds her 5-month-old daughter, Simone. She decided to breastfeed after researching the health benefits for both her and her baby. Now, a new study finds that regular exercise increases the benefits of breast milk. Credit: Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
A new study led by researchers at Wexner Medical Center and Ohio State University School of Medicine found that even moderate exercise during pregnancy increases a compound in breast milk that reduces a baby’s lifetime risks of problems with serious health such as diabetes, obesity and heart disease.
Findings from the study published online today in the journal Metabolism of nature.
“We have conducted studies in the past that have shown that maternal exercise improves offspring health, but in this study, we wanted to start answering the question of why,” said Kristin Stanford, researcher at The Ohio State Wexner Medical. Center for Diabetes and Metabolism Research Center and lead author of the study. “Because there is evidence that breast milk plays an important role, we wanted to isolate the effects of breast milk on the health of the offspring.”
To do that, Stanford and his team, including researchers from the University of California, San Diego, the Arkansas Child Nutrition Center, and the Joslin Diabetes Center, studied mice born to sedentary mothers and fed them with milk from mothers who were active during pregnancy. They found that the health benefits of fit moms carry over to puppies, proving that they actually went through breast milk and not simply inherited genetic traits.
The researchers also followed about 150 pregnant and postpartum women using activity trackers and found that those who had more steps per day had a higher amount of a compound known as 3SL in their breast milk, which they believe is responsible for these benefits for the Health.
“The increase in 3SL was not necessarily related to exercise intensity, so even moderate exercise like a daily walk is enough to reap the benefits,” said Stanford, associate professor of physiology and cell biology at Dorothy M. Davis Heart. and Lung of Ohio State. Investigation Institute. “Exercise is also great for your overall health during and after pregnancy, so anything you can do to move will benefit both you and your baby.”
Andrea Berardi runs with her dogs and a stroller with her 5-month-old daughter Simone. A new study from Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center finds that regular exercise increases a compound in a woman’s breast milk that provides her baby’s lifelong health benefits. Credit: Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Because many women are unable to breastfeed or experience complications requiring bed rest, researchers are examining whether they can isolate this beneficial compound found in breast milk from active mothers and add it to infant formula.
“This human milk oligosaccharide had a significant impact on healthy offspring. Being able to add this to the formula could provide benefits for babies when women are unable to breastfeed,” said Stanford.
The human breast milk component improves cognitive development in babies.
Exercise-induced 3′-sialylactose in breast milk is a critical mediator for improving metabolic health and cardiac function in the offspring of mice, Metabolism of nature (2020). DOI: 10.1038 / s42255-020-0223-8, www.nature.com/articles/s42255-020-0223-8
Provided by Ohio State University Medical Center
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