BABIES breastfed for more than four months may have a higher risk of
developing hardened arteries later in life. While the researchers still advise
mothers to breastfeed, they say that the findings suggest there is an optimum
time for weaning.
Paul Leeson and Alan Lucas at the Institute for Child Health in London used
high-resolution ultrasound to measure the flexibility of artery walls in over
300 people between 20 and 28. “Longer breastfeeding was associated with stiffer
arteries,” says Leeson. One possible explanation is the higher cholesterol
content of breast milk, compared with formula milk (British Medical
Journal, vol 322,…
