Is Pepper mint Safe in Breastfeeding
Question
I am a breastfeeding mother and i want to know if it is safe to use Pepper mint? Is Pepper mint safe for nursing mother and child? Does Pepper mint extracts into breast milk? Does Pepper mint has any long term or short term side effects on infants? Can Pepper mint influence milk supply or can Pepper mint decrease milk supply in lactating mothers?
Pepper mint lactation summary
- DrLact safety Score for Pepper mint is 1 out of 8 which is considered Safe as per our analyses.
- A safety Score of 1 indicates that usage of Pepper mint is mostly safe during lactation for breastfed baby.
- Our study of different scientific research also indicates that Pepper mint does not cause any serious side effects in breastfeeding mothers.
- Most of scientific studies and research papers declaring usage of Pepper mint safe in breastfeeding are based on normal dosage and may not hold true for higher dosage.
- Score calculated using the DrLact safety Version 1.2 model, this score ranges from 0 to 8 and measures overall safety of drug in lactation. Scores are primarily calculated using publicly available case studies, research papers, other scientific journals and publically available data.
Answer by Dr. Ru: About Pepper mint usage in lactation
Herb which is widely used by many cultures. It has been used even for pain relief during pregnancy and colicky pain in fussy babies (without proved data on this). Since it is non toxic at appropriate dose and a tiny excretion into breast milk of active metabolite Menthol, a moderate consumption is believed compatible while breastfeeding. Dessicated leaves and essential oil of the plant that contains Menthol are used. Properties that have been demonstrated and approved indications are: as spasmolytic for Dyspepsia, Irritable Colon and flatulence. It has been used for the treatment of cracked nipple with best results than placebo or Lanolin. Although with no proven effectiveness, it is traditionally used for cough relief, common cold, pain or itching by local application or inhalation. Overdosing of essential oil may be harmful. Do not expose infants to inhalation of products that contain Menthol (irritation of the air way) In case of use on the nipple, do it after feeding the baby and cleanse thoroughly the surface before the next one.