Question

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

Karkade lactation summary

Karkade is safe in breastfeeding
  • DrLact safety Score for Karkade is 1 out of 8 which is considered Safe as per our analyses.
  • A safety Score of 1 indicates that usage of Karkade is mostly safe during lactation for breastfed baby.
  • Our study of different scientific research also indicates that Karkade does not cause any serious side effects in breastfeeding mothers.
  • Most of scientific studies and research papers declaring usage of Karkade 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 Karkade usage in lactation

Flowers are used for infusions. It contains 15 to 30% of organic acids (hibíscicum, malic, citric, tartaric and ascorbic acids) and 1 to 2% of anthocyanosides (hibiscin, delphinidin) and phytosterols. Devoid of toxicity. It is used in soft drinks (social drink in tropical America, Africa and Asia) and as flavor and color enhancer. Properties attributed without clinical evidence: spasmolytic, vasoprotective, diuretic, liver protection and hypotensive effect.The Commission E of the German Ministry of Health does not consider sufficiently proven its therapeutic effectiveness. It has not been showed an increased antioxidant capacity in the milk of women who drank this tea or mixture with other plants. There is no evidence of its effectiveness as galactogogue. The studies done in this regard mixed various herbal products and are methodologically very flawed. The best galactagogue is a frequent on-demand breastfeeding together with proper technique.
Disclaimer: Information presented in this database is not meant as a substitute for professional judgment. You should consult your healthcare provider for breastfeeding advice related to your particular situation. We do not warrant or assume any liability or responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the information on this Site.