http://www4.parentsplace.com/health/adultnutrition/qa/0,3435,6143,00.html



                               Health: ADULT NUTRITION



                                         Cholesterol levels and breastfeeding
                                               Answered by Debbi Donovan,
IBCLC

                              Q:I have been nursing my daughter,
                              exclusively, for 11 months. Recently, I had some
                              blood work done and my cholesterol was
                              elevated. Is there a link between breastfeeding
                              and elevated cholesterol levels?

                              A:During pregnancy, lipids and cholesterol
                              levels fall during the first trimester and
then rise
                              throughout the remainder of your pregnancy.
                              Increases in serum triglycerides,
cholesterol, and free fatty acids are seen.
                              This is not related to diet. The liver (the
organ responsible for making most of
                              our cholesterol) produces more cholesterol in
response to the hormones of
                              pregnancy.

                              Cholesterol levels can be very high during
pregnancy and while nursing.
                              Normal levels for total cholesterol are
between 120 and 190 mg/dl, while
                              typical values in pregnancy range from
between 200 and 325 mg/dl. Nursing
                              women also have higher levels of HDL and
other beneficial lipoproteins. In an
                              article published in the Journal of the
American Medical Association, 1989,
                              the authors recommend against lipid screening
during lactation. They go on to
                              state that the effects of lactation on lipids
are beneficial.

                              Women of childbearing age are generally at
very low risk for developing heart
                              disease. This does not mean I think that you
should totally ignore your
                              elevated levels, but, keeping in mind the
recommendation to put off testing of
                              lipids during lactation, share this
information (including the references listed
                              below) with your Health Care Provider, and
plan on having your levels retested
                              once you have weaned your baby. Keep in mind
the significant risk factors for
                              heart disease: smoking, high blood pressure,
high cholesterol, diabetes,
                              family history of heart disease, gender
(male), being postmenopausal, and
                              obesity. Best wishes!

                              References: Nutrition in Pregnancy and
Lactation, 1993 JAMA, Cholesterol
                              Levels and the Breastfeeding Mom, Vol. 261,
No. 7, 1989 British Journal of
                              Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Lipid Metabolism
in Pregnancy, Vol. 89, 1982



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Katherine A. Dettwyler, Ph.D.                         email:
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Anthropology Department                               phone: (409) 845-5256
Texas A&M University                                    fax: (409) 845-4070
College Station, TX  77843-4352
http://www.prairienet.org/laleche/dettwyler.html

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