Is Hops safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what NIH LactMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's authority on medicines and breastfeeding, reports about Hops. 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
Studies in animals indicate that a polysaccharide found in barley and hops is apparently responsible for an increase in prolactin after beer ingestion.[ 2 , 6 ] Refer to the LactMed record on Alcohol for details. A soup of hops was tested for its effect on serum prolactin in three groups of subjects. The soup consisted of 100 to 200 grams of hops, cooked over low heat, and taken in 3 to 4 portions per day. In 5 healthy males, prolactin was measured before and after the soup twice, at 8 am and 3 am. At 8 am, prolactin was unchanged after the soup. At 3 am, serum prolactin averaged 43.4 mcg/L before the soup and 15.4 mcg/L after the soup. In healthy women who took a dose of metoclopramide, the hops soup blunted the metoclopramide-induced prolactin increase at 1 and 3 hours after the dose. In 6 women with galactorrhea, peak serum prolactin was unchanged before and after metoclopramide when hops soup was taken.[ 3 ]
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.