A protein-rich diet is important for women who breastfeed

A diet rich in protein can help well-nourished, breastfeeding women lose fat, not muscle, as their postpartum weight comes down.

A recent study, conducted at the USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, analyzed the diet and changes in weight and muscle mass of 10 breastfeeding and 10 non-breastfeeding new mothers for one year.

"Our previous studies suggested that breasfeeding women who consume a diet relatively low in protein may compromise their bodies' protein stores in order to support milk production. These findings raised concerns over the diet and long-term nutritional status of breastfeeding women in general," said Dr. Kathleen J. Motil, a Baylor assistant professor of pediatrics and CNRC scientist. Protein needed for milk synthesis is derived from either the mother's diet or by mobilizing maternal protein stores.

While the women who breastfed their infants all experienced a small, progressive weight loss during the course of the study, body composition measurements showed none of the women experienced any measurable change in muscle mass.

"No loss of muscle mass indicates that these women consumed enough protein to completely support milk production, and that their weight loss consisted entirely of body fat," she said.

According to Motil, the women who breastfed their infants chose diets that contained an average of 500 calories and 30 to 35 grams of protein more per day than their non-breastfeeding counterparts, or the equivalent of a turkey sandwich, piece of fruit, and a glass of skin milk per day.

Motil believes that some internal signal may be at work that causes women who breastfeed to automatically increase the caloric and protein content of their diet.

"I think it's a matter of women listening to their bodies. A strong appetite may be just one of the many adaptive measures women have that helps preserve their health while they nourish their children," Motil said.

Editor's note: The results of this study were recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Breast milk/Breastfeeding Research