Breastfeeding Impact on Cardiometabolic Health

Breastfeeding represents a critical early‐life exposure that shapes the trajectory of cardiometabolic health from infancy through adulthood. Human milk delivers a complex mixture of nutrients, hormones and bioactive compounds that influence growth patterns, metabolic programming and immune development. Epidemiological data have linked longer and exclusive breastfeeding to lower risks of childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Mechanisms appear to include modulation of appetite‐regulating hormones, favourable lipid and glucose profiles, and epigenetic modifications in key metabolic tissues. Breastfeeding may also interact with host genetics, attenuating the impact of obesity‐related gene variants. Although many studies have been conducted in high‐income populations, emerging evidence from low‐ and middle‐income settings underscores the global relevance of breastfeeding for reducing disparities in cardiometabolic disease. Maternal factors such as body mass index, diet and physical activity can modify breastmilk composition, suggesting opportunities for targeted interventions. Together, these findings support integrated public‐health strategies to promote and support breastfeeding as a cost‐effective means of primordial prevention of metabolic and cardiovascular disorders.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Longitudinal data spanning three decades have shown that individuals breastfed for at least one month exhibit lower adult visceral fat thickness and higher lean mass indices than those weaned earlier. Crucially, prolonged breastfeeding appears to moderate the influence of a common obesity‐associated genetic variant in the FTO gene. Among adults carrying the obesity‐risk allele, those who received breastmilk beyond the neonatal period displayed a reduced gene‐dose effect on body mass index, fat mass index and waist circumference. These observations highlight breastfeeding as a persistent environmental factor capable of buffering genetic predisposition to adiposity over the life course.

Breastfeeding Impact on Cardiometabolic Health publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in breastfeeding impact on cardiometabolic health across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Exclusive breastfeeding: Feeding an infant only breastmilk, without supplemental formula, water or solids, typically recommended for the first six months of life.

Genetic risk score: A composite measure reflecting the cumulative effect of multiple genetic variants associated with a particular trait, such as obesity or diabetes risk.

Adiposity rebound: The age at which body mass index reaches its nadir and then begins to increase, an early rebound being predictive of later obesity.

Lean mass index: Lean tissue mass divided by height squared, used to assess muscle and organ mass relative to body size.

Visceral fat thickness: The measurement of fat deposition around internal organs, often assessed by imaging or ultrasound, linked to cardiometabolic risk.

References

1. Influence of the Interaction between Genetic Factors and Breastfeeding on Children’s Weight Status: A Systematic Review. Advances in Nutrition (2024).
2. Breastfeeding moderates FTO related adiposity: a birth cohort study with 30 years of follow-up. Scientific Reports (2018).
3. Childhood Nutritional Factors and Cardiometabolic Outcomes at 9–11 y of Age: Findings from the ROLO Longitudinal Birth Cohort Study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2024).
4. Breastfeeding is associated with reduced risks of central obesity and hypertension in young school-aged children: a large, population-based study. International Breastfeeding Journal (2023).