Breast Milk Linked to Lower Blood Pressure
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High blood pressure is one of the many factors that leave many people, especially Americans prone to heart disease and other health complications. Although the main reasons for high blood pressure are bad diet, stress, and lack of exercise, in a study recently conducted in London, researchers claim they found yet another reason that can be controlled by the mothers of the individuals.
Roughly 20 years ago, the researchers randomly divided 216 pre-term babies into three groups. Starting at the age of about 48 hours, they fed one group breast milk, one regular infant formula, and one received infant formula made specifically for pre-term babies. The infants stayed in the hospital, and remained in the study for about a month, which was generally the time they were strong enough to go home. 16 years later, the children returned to have their blood pressure checked and the results were very interesting. The scientists found that the diastolic blood pressure reading was 3.2 points lower and the systolic pressure was 2.7 points lower in the teens fed natural breast milk than in the teens fed pre-term formula. This meant that for some reason that is still unknown to man, natural breast milk lowers the blood pressure of infants...