Maternal exercise boosts the benefits of breast milk for babies by producing a compound that reduces their lifelong risk of serious health issues, US researchers have found.
The researchers say that exercise increases a compound called 3SL that lowers the risk of future health issues for babies including heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
The researchers said they had already determined that exercise provides breast milk with a health boost in previous studies. In their latest study, published online in the journal Nature Metabolism, they set out to identify the mechanism behind the effect.
They tracked the activity of around 150 pregnant and postpartum women and found that those who recorded more steps per day had an increased amount of 3SL in their breast milk.
The increase in 3SL was not necessarily related to exercise intensity, so even moderate exercise like a daily walk is enough to provide benefits, the researchers said.
They hope their findings will encourage mothers to exercise during and after pregnancy, and they also hope that 3SL may be able to be added to infant formula to benefit the babies of women who aren’t able to breastfeed, or for those on bed rest due to pregnancy complications.
Source: Science Daily
