Can garlic be breastfed?

Since ancient times, people have discovered the healing properties of such a food product as garlic. It is known that three millennia BC Greek and Chinese civilizations ate garlic as a spice or medicine. Today, garlic is included in the list of foods that are of great importance in maintaining human health. From this statement, only one conclusion can be drawn - the use of garlic in food by mothers during lactation is not prohibited. An exception to this rule will be cases of individual intolerance to garlic: allergies and disorders of the digestive system.

If this argument is not convincing, but the desire to add spiciness to the dish still remains, then refer to the list of useful properties of garlic, which should resolve your doubts.

Useful characteristics of garlic

1. Optimization of the gastrointestinal tract. A common consequence of childbirth is the occurrence of digestive problems. Garlic contributes to the normalization of work in this area of ​​the female body.
2. Suppression of the possibility of a heart attack. Vitamin B3 contained in garlic, as well as other useful trace elements lower blood pressure by strengthening the walls of blood vessels and expanding one another, thinning the blood, and more. This allows you to significantly reduce the risk of a heart attack.
3. Elimination of a favorable environment for the development of pathogenic bacteria and the appearance of thrush. Adding garlic to the diet reduces the rate of development of fungi, among which there are candida provoking the occurrence of thrush in nursing mothers and children.
4. Strengthening the immune system. A large amount of vitamin C contained in garlic stimulates the normal functioning of the immune system. Eating this food product will allow you to repel all attacks from the virus, as well as prevent the recovering body from getting complications.
5. Helps in the fight against cancer. An experimental study of garlic over several years has led to the conclusion that the likelihood of developing cancer of the stomach or intestines is reduced by 50% in people who often eat garlic.

A distinctive feature of garlic is allicin

Why does garlic have such a distinctive pungent taste and smell? The fact is that when consumed in food, this food product releases a chemical compound called allicin. It has pronounced bactericidal properties and is not found in garlic in its pure form. Allicin appears as a result of damage to the vegetable with teeth or a knife. It is interesting that the heat treatment of garlic removes this compound, so you can feel the garlic sting only in fresh (raw) garlic. It is important to remember that along with allicin, fried and boiled garlic disappears ability to reduce the growth of fungi and remove bacteria.

What is part of garlic?

• Vitamins:
• C (helps strengthen immunity);
• A (improves vision);
• B1 (helps strengthen the nervous system);
• B3 (speed up the metabolic processes).

Trace elements:

• Germanium (strengthens blood vessels);
• Iodine (nourishes the thyroid gland);
• Sulfur (has a bactericidal effect);
• Selenium (improves hair growth and strengthens nails).

100 g of garlic contains 6.5 g of protein, 3.2 g of carbohydrates, 0.5 g of fat. The total calorie content of garlic with the same mass is 143 kcal.

Note! The stalks of garlic are of great benefit to the body. For example, they contain more vitamin C than the cloves of garlic themselves. Thus, boldly cut the “arrows” of garlic and add to the salad: on the one hand, the benefits, on the other hand, the variety of the usual diet.

Garlic Prejudices

Mothers during breastfeeding often question the possibility of eating garlic, guided by rumors that this product can adversely affect the baby’s diet. Consider what myths surround this vegetable?

1. Scare the baby from the chest. In fact, garlic affects the taste and smell of milk. However, the changes he makes are minor. This is confirmed by members of the breast milk research community at the University of Chicago. They emphasize that while in the womb the child begins to get used to all those products that the mother consumed during the entire period of pregnancy, since the water around the fetus also changes its smell. Therefore, if garlic was included in the diet of the mother for 9 months, its use will not affect the baby’s nutrition in breast milk afterwards.
2. Milk is getting bitter. This misconception is refuted by an experiment conducted by the Academy of Pediatrics in the United States. As a result, it was revealed that the child whose mother was eating garlic sucked milk more actively, in contrast to whose mother refrained from eating this product.
3. Reduces the amount of milk. The activity of the babies indicated in the previous example, on the contrary, enhances the process of lactation in mothers. Accordingly, this myth is easily refuted.
4. Violation of the digestive system of the baby. Enthusiasm for gas formation processes can be caused by absolutely any product, so garlic does not have a fundamental difference in this aspect. If the use of this product does not cause problems in the child, it makes no sense to refuse to include it in your diet.

Expert advice
“It is breastfeeding that helps the child instill interest in a large number of different tastes. No need to be afraid of moderate experiments! ” Natalia Razakhatskaya (International Council of Breastfeeding Advisers).

How to use garlic?

Are mothers allowed to eat garlic during breastfeeding? Of course yes. However, as in other areas of our lives, we always need to remember the “golden mean”. Before activating the inclusion of this product in your diet, start with a small amount (about half a clove). This precaution is necessary in order to determine the characteristics of the baby's reaction to the changed taste of breast milk. And also it will help to establish the presence or absence of individual intolerance to the product. If there are no negative consequences, then be guided by the following daily limit - 1-2 cloves.

Take your time to such an experiment. It is better to make the first test when the baby is 1 month old, after a period of acute sensitivity of the gastrointestinal tract to essential oils.

Observe Precautions

1. The use of drugs in parallel. You should not add garlic to your diet if you are taking blood thinners.
2. Allergic reaction. Garlic does not have a large number of allergens, but no one has canceled individual intolerance.
3. Change the smell and taste of milk. Refuse garlic if you notice a decrease in appetite in your baby.
4. Decrease in sugar level. If you are prone to hypoglycemia, stop eating garlic.
5. Do not give babies clean. An acute product can damage the baby’s delicate mucosa and disrupt digestion.

Is mama allowed to breastfeed while breastfeeding? The answer to this question will be in the affirmative. But remember that there are no rules without exceptions. This means that you need to carefully monitor the reaction of the baby. If no negative consequences are observed, do not deprive yourself of this useful and tasty supplement to basic food products.

Video: The Benefits of Pickled Garlic