Is Coleus safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what NIH LactMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's authority on medicines and breastfeeding, reports about Coleus. 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
A study of 67 healthy women who delivered a fullterm infant and desired to breastfeed for at least 4 months compared torbangun ( Coleus amboinicus ), fenugreek, and a control product containing placental extract and vitamin B12 (Molocco+B12) for their effects on breastmilk volume. No mention was made of any breastfeeding support provided to the women. Participants were randomly assigned to receive one of the products for 30 days and followed for another 30 days. A soup was made from 150 grams of Coleus amboinicus leaves 6 days per week for 30 days, beginning on the second postpartum day, and it was consumed during the day. Infants were weighed before and after each nursing at 2-week intervals during the study to measure 24-hour milk volume. In the torbangun group, the milk volume on day 28 was statistically greater than on day 14. The increase in milk volume on day 28 was 33% in the torbangun group, compared to a decrease of 15% in the control group and a decrease of 14% in the fenugreek group. However, the baseline production in the torbangun group was 20 to 23% lower than in the other groups and there was no statistical difference in milk volume at any time compared to the initial volume of milk in the control group. Analysis of breastmilk found no decrease in nutritional quality of milk in the torbangun group.[ 8 ] A nonrandomized, unblinded study in Indonesia gave some mothers Coleus amboinicus leaves as a soup and other mothers nothing for 7 days after delivery. Based on maternal surveys, those who ingested Coleus appeared to produce milk a few hours sooner than those who did not (average 2.37 vs 3 days) and supplement their infants less frequently.[ 4 ] A nonblinded study in Indonesia randomized postpartum women with perceived low milk supply to either an herbal decoction containing 25 grams Sauropus androgynus (katuk) leaves, 10 grams Coleus amboinicus (torbangun) leaves and 5 grams papaya leaves (n = 60) or to 500 mg Sauropus androgynus extract (CV Al-Ghurob
Levels in milk
Maternal Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date. Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
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.