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Home > Herbs and Breastfeeding > Is This Herb Safe for Nursing Moms?A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Herbal safety for nursing mothers
Reliable brands of herbal tea like Celestial Seasonings should be safe, as long as the ingredients included are okay for breastfeeding mothers to ingest. Avoid the pharmacologically active herbal teas. Drink any herbal teas only in moderation. According to Hale, herbal teas should be used with great caution, if at all. Herbal teas that contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA) have been implicated in potential toxicity (feticide, birth defects, liver toxicity) in pregnant women. An herbal antioxidant called Chaparral has resulted in severe liver toxicity requiring liver transplant. A Chinese herbal product called Jin Bu Huan has been implicated in hepatitis. Other remedies that can cause liver toxicity are germander, comfrey, mistletoe and skullcap, margosa oil, mate tea, Gordolobo yerba tea, and pennyroyal (squawmint) oil. Blue Cohosh may be cardiotoxic when used late in pregnancy. Since exact ingredients are seldom listed on many teas, Hale suggests that lactating mothers limit exposure to these substances as much as possible. Never consume herbal remedies of unknown composition. Keep in mind that nursing infants are much more susceptible to such toxicants than adults. [top]
Known to decrease milk supply. Not recommended for nursing moms. [top]
No harmful effects known for pregnant or nursing women. More general info at WebMD. [top]
No harmful effects are known for nursing moms. The American Herbal Products Association Botanical Safety Index indicates that horehound is not to be used during pregnancy. Additional info from WebMD. [top]
This is found in some diet pills and is a natural amino acid which is the immediate precursor of the neurotransmitter serotonin. There are no data on its transfer into human milk. Per Hale, 5-HTP is not recommended for nursing moms because an infant's neurological development is incredibly sensitive to serotonin levels and we do not know if 5-HTP could produce high milk levels (and thus lead to an overdose to the infant). The manufacturer reports that 5-HTP can suppress lactation. [top]
Page last modified:
09/08/2005
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