Is Carrot safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what NIH LactMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's authority on medicines and breastfeeding, reports about Carrot. This is a summary of that source — not our own verdict.
Effects on the breastfed infant
A nursing mother was eating 2 to 3 pounds of carrots a week as raw and cooked carrots. The mother's skin was yellow in color, but her sclera were clear. At 2 months of age, her breastfed infant was diagnosed as having jaundice because of a yellow coloration of the skin. Breastfeeding was discontinued and the infant's skin returned to a normal color. The mother continued her diet and examination of the maternal serum found elevated levels of beta-carotene which was probably the cause of her infant's skin discoloration.[ 20 ] Nursing mothers ingested either 300 mL of carrot juice (n = 20) or water (n = 18) 2 to 3 hours before nursing daily for a week. Their infants were then evaluated for their acceptance of cereal prepared with either carrot juice or water. The infants who had been exposed to carrots in breastmilk consumed less flavored cereal relative to plain cereal than the control infants and they spent less time feeding. The authors interpreted these results to be a form of sensory-specific satiety in which the infants become less responsive to a flavor that they have been extensively exposed to in the very recent past.[ 11 ] Seventeen nursing mothers were given 300 mL of carrot juice or water for 4 days per week for 3 consecutive weeks during the first 2 months of lactation. Other study groups received carrot juice during the last trimester of pregnancy or water during pregnancy and breastfeeding as a placebo. At a mean of 5.6 months of age, the infants were evaluated twice, once with cereal prepared with carrot juice and once with cereal prepared with water. Infants whose mothers received carrot juice during lactation scored higher on measures of acceptance of carrot-flavored cereal and took in more cereal than those whose mothers received water, but the latter difference did not reach statistical significance. These effects were similar, but stronger among infants exposed prenatally.[ 13 ]
Effects on milk supply
In an on-line survey of mothers who noted changes in color of their breastmilk, 41 women attributed the change in color to carrots. The most commonly reported color changes were yellow or green.[ 21 ]
Levels in milk
Maternal Levels. Beta-carotene is a normal component of breastmilk and supplementation of nursing mothers with beta-carotene supplements increases the concentration in breastmilk.[ 14 - 17 ] However, beta-carotene from carrots and other vegetables are less bioavailable than from pharmaceutical supplements.[ 9 ] A sensory panel of at least 8 participants smelled the breastmilk of 5 mothers who had been given 500 mL of carrot juice. The consensus of a panel was that the odor of carrots was strongest 2 hours after ingesting the carrot juice. The mothers were presented with timed samples of their own breastmilk and judged that the taste of carrot was strongest at 3 hours after carrot juice ingestion.[ 11 ] Twelve women were given fresh carrot paste containing 15 mg of all-trans beta-carotene daily for 3 days. Milk samples were collected on 3 days at least 3 hours after the meal that contained beta-carotene. Milk beta-carotene levels increased by an average of about 80% over the 3-day period.[ 18 ] A study of 39 mothers of preterm infants (24 to 34 weeks gestation) provided 184 milk and 21 plasma samples weekly up to 6 weeks postpartum. Mean lutein, zeaxanthin, beta-carotene, and lycopene concentration decreased as lactation progressed, with the highest concentrations in colostrum. Lycopene (41%) and beta-carotene (36%) were the predominant carotenoids in colostrum and for up to 2 weeks postpartum. The proportion of lutein and zeaxanthin increased with lactation duration to account for 45% of the carotenoids in mature milk.[ 19 ] Infant Levels. In a study of 39 mothers and their preterm infants (24 to 34 weeks gestation), 21 blood samples were obtained from infants at 6 weeks of age. The carotenoid concentrations averaged as follows: lutein 76.2 mcg/l, beta-carotene 24.5 mcg/L, zeaxanthin 13.6 mcg/L and lycopene 11 mcg/L. No correlation was observed in carotenoid content between maternal milk and infant plasma at 6 weeks postpartum.[ 19 ]
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.