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Breastfeeding is often avoided by breastfeeding for fear of disrupting the baby’s digestion. So, when a breastfeeding mother eats spicy food, does the breast milk need to be neutralized so that it doesn’t harm the baby, Mother?
Some breastfeeding mothers complain that their babies become fussy and keep crying after consuming spicy food. They suspect that spicy food is what causes babies to be fussy, colicky and have stomach aches.
It’s natural for this to be a worry, Mother. It’s understandable because often what we eat directly affects how we feel. However, regarding the spicy foods consumed by breastfeeding mothers, it has not been shown in research that they have a negative effect on babies.
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Nursing mothers eat spicy food
“Spicy foods only affect the taste of breast milk,” said Dimitar Marinov, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of hygiene and epidemiology at The Medical University of Varna, Bulgaria, quoted from the Very Well Family page.
Dr Marinov said that breastfeeding mothers often limit spicy foods, but this is not necessary as there is no evidence that spicy foods are harmful to babies.
If you are wondering whether eating spicy food can affect your baby by making him more fussy, you are not alone. However, research shows that there is little evidence that certain foods, including spicy foods, affect babies’ crying, fussiness, and even colic.
The only exception is cow’s milk, as a small number of babies can develop a cow’s milk allergy and may be affected if their breastfeeding parents consume cow’s milk.
Eating spicy food is actually a good thing, says Ashley Georgakopoulos, a Lactation Consultant at the Director of Lactation at Motif Medical.
By doing this, your baby will be exposed to the different flavors in your breast milk, and can help develop your baby’s taste buds so that they are much more likely to try a variety of flavors when they start eating solid foods.
“Many cultures around the world enjoy spices and still breastfeed them,” says Georgakopoulos. “Correlation is not causation, and colic in a breastfeeding baby is most likely caused by something else that is unrelated,” he added.
Is spicy food safe for babies?
“Eating spicy food is actually safe for breastfeeding babies, and there is no evidence that it has a negative impact on the baby’s health,” said Dr Marinov.
Dr Marinov emphasized that there is no evidence that eating spicy food causes babies discomfort, or causes colic.
He cited the results of research published in The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews which looked at digestive disorders and colic in babies. Researchers found that there was little to no evidence that changing diet while breastfeeding had an impact on colic symptoms in babies.
“So, mothers can safely consume spicy foods, high fiber foods, and others, without worry,” he added.
Indeed, some mothers may think that spicy food sometimes causes heartburn or gas in themselves, and this means that the baby also experiences the same thing. However, the reality is not like that, said Georgakopoulos.
“The acid that causes a spicy taste in the mother does not mean there is acid in breast milk. Its composition is almost the same as breast milk, regardless of diet,” he said.
Can breastfeeding mothers still eat spicy food?
Yes, mothers can still eat spicy food while breastfeeding. In fact, it might be good for your baby. The best thing about eating a variety of foods while breastfeeding is that they include spicy foods. This is a step for mothers to introduce babies to various flavors.
The taste of breast milk is supposed to keep changing, Mother, unlike formula milk which tastes the same every time you breastfeed. Babies may not like the stronger taste of breast milk after mothers eat spicy food, as quoted from the Baby Center page.
But it’s important to know that the first few years of life are critical for a baby’s future appetite. Many studies show that children prefer foods their mothers often ate while breastfeeding, even years later.
And babies who are given a variety of tastes and healthy foods through breast milk tend to have a varied diet and healthy eating habits later in life.
So, there is no reason why babies are exposed to spicy tastes from an early age because this is the first step for them to become familiar with various tastes, including spicy tastes.
Mothers don’t need to worry and don’t need to neutralize the taste of breast milk, because breast milk will automatically change its taste according to the food you consume.
Hopefully the information helps, Mother.
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