Is Moringa safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what NIH LactMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's authority on medicines and breastfeeding, reports about Moringa. This is a summary of that source — not our own verdict.
Effects on the breastfed infant
A double-blind study in Indonesia compared the growth of breastfed infants whose mothers were given either Moringa leaf powder or Moringa leaf extract, both in a dose of 3.2 grams daily. After 3 months, the infants growth in weight or length did not differ between the two groups.[ 9 ]
Effects on milk supply
Two meta-analyses by the same group analyzed the outcomes of 6 studies of Moringa oleifera as a galactogogue. Two studies with 73 patients reported maternal serum prolactin levels and found that patients in the Moringa groups had a statistically significant average increase of 1950 milliIU/L and also found that weight gain at week 4 was 11.9% greater in the infants in the Moringa group. Pooling of two studies with a total of 51 patients revealed a significant mean increase of milk volume on day 7 in the Moringa groups of 124 mL.[ 10 , 11 ] One of the studies compared the effect of domperidone and metoclopramide to Moringa. On days 7 and 14, milk volume in the treatment groups was greater than in the placebo group. The highest volume was in the domperidone group, followed by metoclopramide, and Moringa . No correlation was found between serum prolactin and milk volume.[ 12 ] Another meta-analysis by a different group combined the results of 8 small studies to look for increases in milk supply or increases in serum prolactin. This analysis included several papers not included in previous meta-analyses, with some having methodologic problems. The authors concluded that postpartum Moringa supplementation increased the quantity and quality of milk and one study found an increase in serum prolactin.[ 13 ] A longitudinal study of 64 breastfeeding mothers given Moringa leaves powder 500 mg (n = 23), Moringa leaves extract 500 mg (n = 21), or iron-folic acid 60 mg or iron (n = 20) twice daily was conducted in a poor region of Indonesia. Mothers milk was analyzed for docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid at 6 months postpartum. No difference was found among the groups.[ 14 ] A small study compared the milk quality of 10 mothers nursing infants between 1 and 4 months of age who ate one cookie containing 3.5 grams of Moringa flour daily to 7 mothers who did not eat the cookies. No difference was found after one month in the nutritional content of the milk of the two g
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.