January 12, 2022

Sea Moss and Breastfeeding

If you have recently delivered a baby, you must be thinking of the diet that boosts your milk supply. Postpartum is a challenging phase in the mother’s life. Anything like diet restriction, working, over-exercising or stress can affect your milk production.

But do not worry! Nature provides a range of foods to complement mothers in their breastfeeding journey. For example, the consumption of seaweed soups is common in Asian cultures to increase breastfeeding.

Sea moss or Sea moss is one of nature’s seaweeds. It contains various vitamins and minerals, making it one of the best lactogenic diets.

How is Sea Beneficial for Breastfeeding Mothers?

Lipids are essential for human health. Our healthy fats are responsible for hormone production that affect your milk supply. Therefore, diets that contain such healthy fats are essential for regulating milk production. For instance, the omega 3 fatty acids found in seaweeds are an excellent source of such healthy fats.

As said earlier, postpartum comes with challenges, and depression is one of them. Certain minerals and vitamins are helpful to treat such conditions. Sea moss is nature's multivitamin that not only wards off depression but also boosts the milk supply. You can easily make Sea moss at home and harvest its multiple benefits at ease.

Hormonal imbalance is one of the culprits of low breast milk production. You may know that thyroid hormones play an essential role in normal breast development and help breasts make milk. When not in adequate quantity, they affect the mother's milk supply.

Therefore adding foods and supplements to your diet that increase your milk supply is essential. For example, iodine in sea moss is vital for promoting thyroid health. It assists in treating hypothyroidism which ultimately brings your milk supply back to normal.

Moreover, sea moss boosts your milk supply and affects the development of the brain in infants. Scientific research suggests that iodine is an essential mineral that prevents brain damage and mental retardation in neonates. It affects brain development, so any deficiency can lead to the loss of intelligence quotient in children. Breastfeeding mothers who consume sea moss can deliver the needed iodine to their infants through breast milk.

Last but not least, sea moss is an excellent choice for vegan mothers who want to increase their breast milk. Vegetarians are often at the risk of developing vitamins deficiency which is not good if you breastfeed your baby. Maintaining a diet rich in zinc, calcium, B12 will help you reap the benefits of a healthy diet, and sea moss contains all these essential nutrients. So add this herb to your diet without making a compromise on your culinary habits.

Final Thoughts:

The health of breastfeeding mothers and their infants is our topmost priority. Therefore, consulting a practitioner before adding anything to your lactogenic diet is always a must. But Sea moss comes under supplements and is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. However, studies are underway that discover its multiple health benefits. It is a factory of nutrients with the most negligible side effects. So, if you have made up your mind, then try the products available at the Herbal Vineyards to give the best to your little angel.

References:

Emder PJ, Jack MM. Iodine-induced neonatal hypothyroidism secondary to maternal seaweed consumption: a common practice in some Asian cultures to promote breast milk supply. J Paediatr Child Health. 2011 Oct;47 (10):750-2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21276114/

Rocha CP, Pacheco D, Costas J, et al. Seaweeds as Valuable Sources of Essential Fatty Acids for Human Nutrition. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18 (9):4968. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8124752/

Smyth PPA. Iodine, Seaweed, and the Thyroid. Eur Thyroid J. 2021;10 (2):101-108. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8077470/

Delange F. The role of iodine in brain development. Proc Nutr Soc. 2000 Feb; 59(1):75-9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10828176/