Is Black Pepper safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what NIH LactMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's authority on medicines and breastfeeding, reports about Black Pepper. This is a summary of that source — not our own verdict.
Effects on the breastfed infant
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Effects on milk supply
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Levels in milk
Maternal Levels. Thirteen nursing mothers who were nursing their infants were served a curry dish that contained an average piperine concentration of 264 nmol/gram (75 mcg/gram) of the curry sauce. The peak piperine concentration in milk of 31.2 nM (8.9 mcg/L) occurred at 1 hour after the meal in these mothers with a low basal piperine concentration in milk. The authors assumed that the concentration of piperine was too low for conscious detection by the nursing infant, but that it could contribute to a sensory desensitization toward pungency in later life.[ 1 ] Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
“No published information” means the studies do not exist yet — not that Black Pepper is known to be harmful, and not that it is known to be safe. Your prescriber or pharmacist can weigh your baby's age and whether a better-studied alternative would do the same job. Worth asking before stopping a medicine you need.
Source: NIH LactMed (National Library of Medicine).
Educational summary of an authoritative source — not medical advice. Never start, stop, or change a medicine while breastfeeding without confirming with your doctor.