All around the world, mothers breastfeed their babies every day. In some countries, like the States, breastfeeding is less common and more controversial than in others, where this is sometimes the only option mothers have at all. No matter where you go, though, you’ll come across some pretty peculiar beliefs about breastfeeding. In the States, one thing that you’ll hear regularly is that spicy food can cause breast milk to be less palatable to babies. In some cases, mothers believe that eating spicy foods can cause their babies to be colicky or to have digestion issues.
But if that was the case, wouldn’t mothers in countries where spice is part of every meal have babies that never slept a wink? In India, for example, everything from breakfast to the after-dinner tea includes some kind of spice. Rates of colic are not significantly higher in countries like India, so it can be hard to know if spicy food affects breast milk just by looking at that evidence.
In order to understand why this idea is so widely accepted, and the truth of the matter, we need to explore exactly how breast milk is made, how food is absorbed into breast milk, and how colic or infant indigestion is caused. After all, who wants to tell a woman that just gave birth that she can’t have her favorite food? If anyone deserves to enjoy a delicious spicy dish, it’s her.
Myth: Breast milk is affected by everything you eat or drink.
While this is true in a general sense (the food you eat turns into energy and nutrients which are passed into breast milk), it isn’t necessarily true that all the properties of your food will pass into your baby’s dinner. For example, your baby doesn’t consume alcohol if you’re careful to drink it many hours before your next feeding. Your body metabolizes and passes all the properties of alcohol well before they could be absorbed into the milk.
Additionally, breast milk isn’t made right after you eat, as the food is coming in. A mother’s body stores nutrients from food in her bones and fat cells, and breast milk is largely made from these stores. That’s why so many breastfeeding women lost weight very quickly – the production of milk is draining old stores of fat for fuel. So, while the foods you eat are making up these nutrients eventually, it’s a far less immediate process than most people believe.
Truth: Some foods can make breast milk unpalatable to babies.
Despite the fact that breast milk is made mostly from long-stored nutrients, it is true that food can change the way breast milk tastes or smells. And, there are certain types of food that are immediately used in the production of milk, if they are consumed too close to a feeding.
There is plenty of evidence to support the notion that dairy, soy, fish, peanuts, and shellfish will affect the chemical contents of breast milk if eaten directly before a feeding. Alcohol, as well, needs to be consumed several hours before nursing to ensure that it doesn’t influence milk in any way. But spicy foods aren’t on this list at all.
Spicy foods are on the list of foods that can change the taste of milk. But just like every other kind of flavor, whether or not your baby likes it is totally subjective. A large study of children in Mediterranean countries and in the States showed that babies who had never been introduced to breast milk containing a heavy garlic flavor, nursed harder and longer when the mother consumed a large amount of garlic directly before nursing. And in a moment, we’ll discuss how introducing your baby to new flavors early on can be a very good thing.
Myth: Colic is caused by spicy foods.
The most frequently cited concern in the “spicy foods and breastfeeding” debate is that a baby will develop colic, or that they’ll be even more colicky, if Mom indulges in some hot wings at dinner. Most of the evidence to support this idea is entirely anecdotal. A woman might eat some spicy takeout, feed her baby, and then find herself up all night soothing the crying infant. In her mind, the path from “spicy food” to “colicky baby” seems pretty straightforward.
And to add to that, there are many medical doctors who recommend cutting spicy foods out of a mother’s diet to reduce indigestion and gas in infants. But the big problem with this type of “proof” is that it relies on an inconclusive result as evidence. Babies can become fussy for a whole host of reasons. Maybe they are teething, maybe they got scared by a passing car, maybe their pajamas are itchy. Without them being able to tell us why they are crying, it’s pretty hard to know for sure that they have an upset tummy.
Instead, doctors and mothers should look for changes in the baby’s stool. Medical professionals say that changes in amount, consistency, color, or smell of a baby’s stool can indicate a digestive problem. Nothing other than what the baby eats will cause a change in diapers. Unless you see a change in your baby’s stool, there is probably no need to change your diet.
True: Colic is caused by other types of food.
Although we don’t know of any proof that spicy food affects breast milk, we do know of other foods that not only are known to cause digestive problems, but are known to pass directly into breast milk right after eating.
Dairy and caffeine are two of the biggest culprits of digestive upset. Dairy causes the stomach to produce more acid than usual – dairy has a base pH level, and the stomach reacts by attempting to raise the pH in the stomach back to an acidic level. Caffeine can have a relaxing effect on the valve between the stomach and esophagus, allowing stomach acid to escape up into the esophagus, which causes burning in the heart and chest. Both dairy and caffeine have chemicals that pass directly into breast milk, rather than being stored.
Either Way You Go
The general conclusion of most medical doctors is that it’s not a bad thing to include spicy foods in your diet when breastfeeding, unless you notice a change in your baby’s stool or they will not eat. The fact is that everyone reacts a little differently to food. It could be that your baby has an allergy to certain ingredients, or they just do not like the taste of spices and herbs. But before you immediately chalk up pickiness to spicy dishes in your diet, be sure to consider what else is in those dishes. Cheese, greasy food, nuts, soy, and other ingredients could be the culprit.
With that said, there are actually a few positive effects that a spicy diet can offer to breastfed babies. Introducing a baby to brand new flavors early on can help them be more open to a varied diet later in life. Eating a wider variety of foods is known to improve health, helping your child choose nutritious foods and laying the foundation for healthy weight their whole life. A plate full of variety also improves mental and emotional health, so it’s always a good idea to load up on as many foods as your child is willing to eat.
Another interesting thing to note is that the amniotic fluid that cradled your child in the womb takes on the flavor of what you eat during pregnancy. So chances are, if you ate a spicy diet during pregnancy, your child is already at least primed to try the flavor of spicy food now. If you ate a bland diet, though, you may find that your baby takes a few feedings to get used to the taste of spicy foods.
You also can’t discount the fact that spicy food is good for your health, which is in turn good for the baby. Spicy foods are known to cause a release of feel-good endorphins, are full of vitamins, and have a variety of other health benefits. Many spices, like turmeric, ginger, and cardamom, are known to fight colds and boost the immune system. These benefits will strengthen your child because your body will be more able to provide them with nutrients.
When Shouldn’t You Eat Spicy Foods While Breastfeeding?
As we said earlier, every baby is different. Some babies may have extremely sensitive digestive systems that pick up every little thing. While we still don’t have evidence that spicy food chemicals pass directly into breast milk, it could be that our measurements just haven’t picked up the infinitesimal amount that a baby’s stomach is reacting to.
In some cases, babies can have allergies to certain foods that could be causing them to have a negative reaction to trace amounts in breast milk. If you consistently notice a change in diapers after eating spicy food, and you have changed up your spicy foods to ensure it’s not some other ingredient, then you may want to talk to your doctor or try cutting spicy foods out for a while.
However, if you do remove spicy food from your diet and see a change, be sure to add the food back in and watch for another change. There’s always a chance that the first change was a coincidence. If you add spicy foods back into your diet, and your baby immediately begins having tummy troubles again, it’s a safe bet your child doesn’t handle spicy food well.
Finally, don’t forget to consider yourself. While you may handle spicy food just fine, remember that right after feeding your baby, you’ll likely be holding them against your abdomen and patting their back for a burping session. This action could cause you to have heartburn, which can be aggravated by spicy foods. If you know that your digestive system tends to be delicate, you may wish to skip the spicy foods directly before a feeding.
Enjoy Spicy Food, the Right Way
Whether your baby just isn’t a fan of the taste, or you want to prevent any chance of upset stomachs, you can still enjoy spicy foods and be careful. There are many ways to enjoy spicy food and still prevent either of you from suffering ill effects.
First, be sure to enjoy your favorite dishes in moderation. Over-indulging on anything is sure to affect your milk production. Eating smaller portions of spicy food will keep the milk from being heavily flavored, which means that fussy eaters won’t be too distressed. Next, remember that your amniotic fluid took on the flavor of your pregnancy diet? Try eating more or less what you ate then. If your baby is refusing milk due to the flavor, this could at least ensure that they aren’t turning away food because of new flavors. Your baby already associates these flavors with nourishment and comfort.
Finally, don’t think that switching to formula is going to solve everything. Unfortunately, babies with sensitive tummies don’t tend to do well with formula, and even breast milk with a lot of heavy flavors is usually better for them than the options for sensitive tummies available in the formula aisle.
So, the final verdict? Spicy food does affect the flavor of breast milk, and there may one day be evidence of spicy food affecting the chemical make up of breast milk. But for now, nothing supports the idea that spicy food could get into the breast milk and cause colic or other digestive issues.
With so many things that could be making your baby fussy, it’s easy to grasp onto the first thing that seems easy to control. If cutting spice out helps you both get some sleep, great! But if you’re a new breastfeeding mother, don’t think that you have to cut out spicy foods to give your baby the best nourishment. You can enjoy your spicy food diet, and keep introducing your baby to new flavors to improve their future health.