Toddlers who were breastfed for even a few days have lower blood pressure than those who always got a bottle, research has found. And lower blood pressure at an early age may lead to a healthier heart and blood vessels in adulthood.

“Infants who received even a relatively small amount of their mother’s early breast milk, also known as colostrum, had lower blood pressure at 3 years of age, regardless of how long they were breastfed or when they received other complementary foods,” said lead author Dr. Kozeta Miliku, a postdoctoral fellow at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont.

Colostrum, which is present in breast milk but not infant formula, is loaded with immune, growth, and tissue[1]repair properties that benefit babies.

Other research has linked breastfeeding with lower heart disease risk in adulthood, but how much breastfeeding was needed to gain that benefit was unclear.