Exercise is OK for Breastfeeding Mom
Reported July 4, 2005
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — A mother’s diet and the amount she exercises affect her milk while breastfeeding. One component found in breast milk is long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. PUFAs are essential for infant growth and development. Some have questioned whether exercise affects the level of PUFAs in breast milk, but a new study finds women who eat a proper diet can exercise moderately.
PUFAs are found in vegetable oils, seeds, nuts, and fatty fish like salmon and tuna. Researchers from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, questioned whether or not exercise changes breast milk. They say exercise increases the body’s mobilization and utilization of fatty acids, so they studied whether this would change breast milk.
For the study, researchers measured the long-chain PUFA in plasma and breast milk in 53 women 12 weeks after they gave birth. Half of the women exercised 30 minutes a day for three days a week, and the other half did not exercise. The women also recorded what they ate for three days.
Researchers say there were no differences in dietary intake between the two groups. The study also revealed no differences in long-chain PUFA in plasma and breast milk between the two groups. However, the exercise group did see an increase in other essential fatty acids. Study authors conclude that moderate exercise is not only safe during lactation, but also provides many other health benefits.
SOURCE: Journal of the American Dietetic Association, published online July 1, 2005