Question

I am a breastfeeding mother and i want to know if it is safe to use Marsh Mallow (Althaea officinalis)? Is Marsh Mallow (Althaea officinalis) safe for nursing mother and child? Does Marsh Mallow (Althaea officinalis) extracts into breast milk? Does Marsh Mallow (Althaea officinalis) has any long term or short term side effects on infants? Can Marsh Mallow (Althaea officinalis) influence milk supply or can Marsh Mallow (Althaea officinalis) decrease milk supply in lactating mothers?

Answer by DrLact: About Marsh Mallow (Althaea officinalis) usage in lactation

Marsh Mallow (Althaea officinalis) (Althaea officinalis) root contains polysaccharide mucilage composed L-rhamnose, D-galactose, D-galacturonic acid, and D-glucuronic acid. Topical Marsh Mallow (Althaea officinalis) preparations have been advocated for treating sore, cracked nipples[1] and breast pain.[2] Orally, Marsh Mallow (Althaea officinalis) is a purported galactogogue,[3] and is included in some proprietary mixtures promoted to increase milk supply; however, no scientifically valid clinical trials support this use. Galactogogues should never replace evaluation and counseling on modifiable factors that affect milk production.[4] No data exist on the excretion of any components of Marsh Mallow (Althaea officinalis) into breastmilk or on the safety and efficacy of Marsh Mallow (Althaea officinalis) in nursing mothers or infants. Marsh Mallow (Althaea officinalis) is generally well tolerated in adults, with allergic reactions reported rarely. Marsh Mallow (Althaea officinalis) is "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) in amounts found in foods by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Although no data exist on the safety of Marsh Mallow (Althaea officinalis) root during breastfeeding, it is unlikely to be harmful to the breastfed infant. Dietary supplements do not require extensive pre-marketing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Manufacturers are responsible to ensure the safety, but do not need to the safety and effectiveness of dietary supplements before they are marketed. Dietary supplements may contain multiple ingredients, and differences are often found between labeled and actual ingredients or their amounts. A manufacturer may contract with an independent organization to verify the quality of a product or its ingredients, but that does certify the safety or effectiveness of a product. Because of the above issues, clinical testing results on one product may not be applicable to other products. More detailed information #about dietary supplements# is available elsewhere on the LactMed Web site.

Marsh Mallow (Althaea officinalis) Side Effects in Breastfeeding

A small manufacturer-sponsored, double-blind, randomized study compared Mother's Milk tea (Traditional Medicinals, Sebastopol, CA) to lemon verbena tea in exclusively breastfeeding mothers with milk insufficiency. Each Mother's Milk tea bag contained an unspecified amount of Marsh Mallow (Althaea officinalis) root as well as several other herbs. Mothers were instructed to drink 3 to 5 cups of tea daily. No differences were seen between groups in infant digestive, respiratory, dermatological, and other maternal-reported adverse events. No differences were seen in the growth parameters of the breastfed infants between the two groups.[5]

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