21 Foods that Increase Breast Milk Supply

21 Foods that Increase Breast Milk Supply

by | Feb 9, 2022 | Health & Wellness

If you are looking for foods that increase breast milk supply, it means you are worried that you are not producing enough. You are most likely worried that your baby is not getting enough milk he deserves. Or you are worried that you are not well nourished for your body to produce enough breast milk. 

You are worried and stressed out trying to understand what to eat and what not to eat to increase the milk supply. Mothers want to know they are doing their best for the health of their babies. Certain foods are known to induce lactation and they are called Galactagogues. Below are some of the foods we found useful for you:

Foods that Increase Breast Milk Supply

1. Fenugreek

It is a natural herb that can be used to increase lactation. Fenugreek is known to be an excellent galactagogue for women trying to increase their milk supply.  They also have phytoestrogens that are essential in boosting lactation.

To benefit from this herb, drink it before sleeping and it will not only increase your milk supply but also the quality of your milk.

Fenugreek

2. Garlic

Apart from being nutritious and a healthy spice we add to our meals, it is also a galactagogue that helps women boost their milk supply. It has been used as a natural lactation aid and for other health benefits.

Furthermore, garlic may alter the taste of milk which may trigger colic in babies. You should try to notice if your baby reacts after you consume garlic. You will know if your baby is allergic or not by doing so.

Garlic

3. Papaya

Papaya contains lactogenic effects and its leaves can increase breast milk supply. It is a fruit that can be eaten as it is, added to foods when cooking or in soups. The fruit contains phytochemicals and enzymes responsible for breast milk supply. It can improve digestion, enrich you and your baby with vitamins and minerals.

4. Carrots

Carrot is a rich vegetable that provides nutrients. It increases breast milk due to the presence of phytoestrogens that have lactogenic effects in carrots. Carrots are also rich in Vitamin A and potassium, they help to improve the quality of the milk you produce. It can also help you to lose weight as well. You can eat carrots raw, in salads, juices, foods, dessert as it is a delicious orange rich vegetable.

Carrots

5. Basil

Basil leaves have a soothing effect and are rich in antioxidants. It is common in some countries for using basil leaves to increase breast milk supply since it is a medical herb. In addition, it is added to tea for a calming effect. It is also added to foods when cooking to boost milk supply in nursing mothers.

Basil

6. Sesame Seeds (Egusi)

It is rich in calcium, protein, fibre, essential nutrients. Egusi has quercetin a phytochemical that increases prolactin secretion and breast milk supply. You can add it to your salad as toppings, in soups (like Egusi Soup), pasta to increase breast milk supply in lactating mothers.

Sesame Seeds

7. Sweet Potato

It is rich food that has fibre, micronutrients, and has phytochemicals that are responsible for promoting your health. This food is known as a superfood that increases prolactin and breast milk supply. In addition, sweet potatoes are rich in potassium, energy, vitamins, minerals that are required by your body.  It can be eaten boiled, fried, in porridge, and salads.

Sweet Potato

8. Milk

It is a nutritious liquid that has more water content, no fibre, fat, proteins, sugar, carbs, and calories. It is also a rich source of protein. Casein present in milk can lower blood pressure. And it also contains all the best foods that increase milk supply. Apart from quenching your thirst, it is highly nutritious and important to take more liquid like water and milk to increase your milk supply. Try to avoid liquids that will dehydrate you when nursing or eat as a snack.

MIlk

9. Moringa (Zogale)                                                                                                                    

Zogale is beneficial in lowering blood sugar levels, weight loss, improving digestion, improving the cardiovascular system, and much more. It is widely used in Africa and Asia. The plant is rich in amino acids, antioxidants, carotenoids, calcium, and iron and can help in increasing breast milk supply when used as a lactating diet. It can be eaten as salads, in soups, foods, and juices to increase breast milk supply.

Moringa

10. Tofu (Awara)

Awara is a delicious food that can be eaten fried with pepper or eaten after being boiled. It is widely available in Northern Nigeria sold by street vendors. It is made from soybeans and is rich in protein micronutrients. This snack contains phytoestrogen and it can increase breast milk supply. It can also be eaten in soups and salads too.

Tofu

11. Watermelon

Watermelon is a nutritious fruit that is high in water content. It contains potassium, vitamin C, A, B6, and gluthionine. It also contains fibre and fructose. The water content helps to keep your breast milk flowing when feeding your baby as it has a lactogenic effect. You can eat it as it is or in juices, smoothies, or deserts.

Watermelon

12. Lentils

They are rich in proteins, fibre, magnesium, and folate. It can boost your breast milk supply, lower your blood sugar level and digestion. You can add them to soups, stews, or snacks.

Lentils

13. Green Tea

Green tea is rich in antioxidants and nutrients, vitamin B, folate and manganese, and magnesium. Taking green tea can help you, relax your body. When taken in moderation and also boost milk supply the caffeine content in green tea will not affect your baby. If you take too much instead of increasing your milk supply. It can reduce it so always drinks it a few hours after meals for the best effect.

Green Tea

14. Barley

It contains beta-glucan which is responsible for increasing prolactin levels in your body. It is also rich in fibre. The beta-glucan is the sole reason why this polysaccharide is considered as food that increases breast milk supply. You can add it to rice, salads, stews, and vegetable meals to boost your breast milk production.

Barley

15. Oats

This food is rich in iron fibre, magnesium, zinc and has a great nutritional profile. Women fall back to oatmeals to increase their milk supply. Since it is rich in iron and low mineral that helps in increasing their milk supply. It can relieve stress, improve digestion and relieve stress, improve digestion. As a nursing mother, you get the nutrients required in a short period of time since it takes little time to prepare. The way it increases breast milk supply is by increasing the oxytocin hormone levels in your body. You can eat it as a meal, in cakes, porridge, cookies or even on bread.

Oats

16. Fennel

It is a leafy vegetable that is a galactagogue and has estrogen that helps increase your breast milk supply. It has a lactogenic effect too and contains phytoestrogens. Fennel is a lactation cookie for most women. You can eat it raw or cooked since it is a vegetable. You can add it to soups, stews, cookies, or even teas.

Fennel

17. Almonds

Almonds are sweet, healthy, and packed with proteins and calcium. It is a good example of foods that increase breast milk supply because of its estrogenic activity. It also contains vitamins and minerals. Let us not forget, it is rich in vitamin A, vitamin E, and omega-3 fatty acids. Drinking almond milk increases the sweetness, creaminess, and quality of your breast milk as a nursing mother. Almonds can be eaten like nuts, in smoothies, juices, milk can be extracted from it, almond butter, and almond flour too. And it can also be added to food.

Almonds

18. Flaxseed

This also contains phytoestrogens which are needed in boosting breast milk supply. Flaxseed contains protein fibre and omega-3 fatty acids (especially flaxseed oil). Flaxseed also has a lot of benefits from reducing the risk of cancers, inflammation, cardiovascular disease, blood glucose control, and weight loss. You can take it roasted, in soups, stews, salad dressing, and in warm water.

Flaxseed

19. Water

​Water is life! Water is very essential to humans. More than half of your body and the earth you live in is water. Breast milk has more water content than nutrients. The best and easiest way to increase milk supply is by taking more water to keep you hydrated and replace lost fluids. Take more water for a steady milk supply.

Water

20. Salmon

This food is important during pregnancy and also during your lactation. Salmon is rich in protein, vitamins, and omega-3-fatty acids. It is low in mercury, boosts milk supply improves your immunity, and provides you with the required nutrients you and your baby need. You can eat it fried in soups, stew, and foods.

Salmon

21. Green Vegetables

These vegetables add colour to foods and are packed with nutrients mostly calcium. They are rich in phytoestrogens too, which is important in boosting breast milk supply. They also contain fibre and micronutrients. You can add them to your foods, stew, soups, or salads.

Green Vegetables

Conclusion

There are certain foods that increase breast milk supply and help your body boost milk production and constant flow of breast milk. They are rich in phytoestrogens, recognised as galactogogues, and are rich in essential nutrients.

What are the foods that boost your milk supply when you were nursing? Kindly leave your comments below to let us know what your go-to foods were.

16 Health Benefits of Fenugreek That Will Surprise You

16 Health Benefits of Fenugreek That Will Surprise You

by | Nov 4, 2020 | Health & Wellness

Fenugreek is an annual herb that belongs to the Fabaceae family, the same family as soy. It is a leafy green legume native to Eurasia and Africa that is widely used for its nutritional and aromatic value, with India reported to account for its major products throughout the world.

The leaves of Fenugreek are rich in folic acid, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K. It is also a storehouse of minerals such as potassium, calcium, and iron.  Adding fenugreek to your diet in the required dosage is safe and provides beneficial nutrients, mucilage, and fibre. The benefits of this herb are so much that many are yet to be scientifically proven. For instance, fenugreek is used for beauty and health purposes all around the world.

Below are 16 benefits of fenugreek which can be obtained from its seeds and leaves.

Benefits of Fenugreek

1. Fenugreek Is Good for the Skin

Salicylic acid present in fenugreek helps to unclogs pores while potassium, carotene, and vitamin C in the seeds boost skin elasticity. The oil made from the seeds which contain mucilage help in moisturizing, softening, and hydrating skin without irritating it.

Apply the paste made from fenugreek leaves preferably at night to prevent a fresh breakout of acne.  You can also apply fenugreek oil directly to the skin.

2. It Is Important For the Hair

Fenugreek seeds and leaves contain a variety of nutrients that promote hair growth as well as prevent dandruff. The paste made from the leaves promotes and preserves the natural hair colour and silky texture. Due to the high mucilage content of fenugreek seeds, it possesses hair conditioning properties that can treat dry scalp by moisturizing it.

Apply Fenugreek leaf paste to the scalp and rinse with water to improve your hair quality. Also, blend the seeds of fenugreek into powder, add into a hair mask or a conditioner in order to accentuate its benefits and soften hair. 

3. Fenugreek Can be Used as a Spice

The fresh and dried seeds of this plant have been used as a spice and flavouring agent for ages. The seeds have been described to have a natural sweet nutty flavour like maple syrup or burnt sugar. Fenugreek seeds when combined with other spices will give your saucy dishes a certain sweetness and flavour.

In addition, throw in fenugreek powder to your fry or add it to your soup to obtain its unique flavour.

4. The Plant Aids Digestion and Relieve Constipation

One of the benefits of fenugreek is that it aids digestion and relieves constipation. Fenugreek can improve digestion and prevents stomach disorders by acting as a laxative.

This is typical of foods containing large amounts of soluble fibre known as bulk-forming laxatives. When fenugreek seeds absorb water in the intestines, they expand and the volume increases. This will trigger a reflex muscular contraction in response to this pressure, thereby stimulating bowel movement. However, mucilage contained in fenugreek seeds when ingested will soften the mucus membranes to ease constipation.

Take fenugreek tea or drink water in which fenugreek seeds have been soaked to ease digestion. You can also mix about a teaspoon of fenugreek powder in a cup of water strain and drink it up.

5. Fenugreek Helps Fights Inflammation

Certain acids and substantial levels of antioxidants in fenugreek seeds make it a good anti-inflammation agent. Mucilage extracted from its seeds also contributes to its anti-inflammatory properties.

Use fenugreek seed oil extract on inflamed places directly on the skin to ease inflammation.

6. Do you Know Fenugreek Treats Heartburn

One of the benefits of fenugreek is that it treats heartburn cases. Fenugreek is an effective treatment for gastritis. More so, it reduces the severity of heartburn by forming a shield over the intestinal lining to soothe gastrointestinal inflammation and prevent heartburn.

In addition, intake of a fenugreek fibre product, 30 minutes before two meals in a day will reduce the severity of heartburn. 

7. It Helps with Weight Loss

Fenugreek contains fibre that promotes a feeling of fullness and keeps people from overeating. If you want to lose weight, adding fenugreek seeds to your diet is a must. Furthermore, fenugreek seeds aid in reducing fat accumulation and enhance the metabolism of lipids and glucose which help in weight loss.

That is to say, fenugreek will help with energy extraction and also increase overall energy consumption. Therefore, it is going to increase calories burned daily and thus, increase weight loss

Chew fenugreek seeds twice or thrice a day to promote a feeling of fullness and satiation without having to eat much.

8. Fenugreek Also Helps with Weight Gain

Although fenugreek seeds in themselves do not make you gain weight they can boost your appetite. Also, with the intake of the right foods, fenugreek makes you gain weight. Furthermore, taking fenugreek seeds with a glass of water will help in absorbing the saponins found in fenugreek, which will increase your appetite.

More so, take a total of four teaspoons daily of ground fenugreek seeds or otherwise known as fenugreek powder with two cups of water after having some bites of bread or an apple. Then eat foods that are rich in calories and nutrients rather than fat.

This will help you gain healthy weight.

9. An Important Benefit of Fenugreek It Improves Breast Milk Production

More so, one of the benefits of fenugreek is that it increases breast milk production. Fenugreek may help stimulate milk production and flow in lactating mothers. Women use the seed to increase their breast milk production across Asia. This herb also contains phytoestrogen that boosts milk production in lactating mothers.

Moreover, drinking fenugreek tea seems to increase the supply of breast milk in mothers, which also promotes weight gain in infants.

10. Fenugreek Also Increase Breast Size

Fenugreek contains Phyto oestrogen which builds the level of prolactin in your body and also helps increase the size of your breasts by encouraging the development of breast tissue. Massage your breasts daily with warm water which has been brought to a boil with fenugreek powder.

You can also apply the oil on the breast directly and firm it up with a bra for better effect.

11. Acts As an Aphrodisiac for Men and Women

Fenugreek was one of the foods used as aphrodisiacs by ancient people in Rome, Egypt, and Greek. It has been used as an aphrodisiac used for centuries by men and women to increase sex drive. This is because the herb contains compounds that the body can use to make sex hormones like oestrogen and progesterone.

Fenugreek also boosts testosterone levels, a hormone that plays a vital role in many bodily functions in males.

12. Fenugreek Alleviate Menstrual Cramps

In addition, fenugreek seeds have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. Ingesting fenugreek seed powder reduces pain associated with menstrual cramps and other symptoms such as fatigue, headache, and nausea.

This is one of the numerous benefits of fenugreek.

13. It Also Serves as Remedy for Fever and Sore Throat

The mucilage found in fenugreek seeds has a soothing effect on the throat. The seeds are said to provide relief for fever when taken with a tablespoon of lemon and honey.

14. Fenugreek Also Lowers Cholesterol Level

Fenugreek seeds are rich sources of steroidal saponins which intercept the absorption of cholesterol and triglycerides. The seeds discourage the production of cholesterol in the liver and stimulate the production of good cholesterol.

15. You Can Use Fenugreek to Treat Diabtes

The fibre in fenugreek forms a thick and sticky gel in the intestine, which makes it harder to digest excess sugars and bad fats. In addition, fenugreek seeds help control blood sugar and decrease insulin resistance. 

Aiding diabetes treatment is definitely one of the benefits of fenugreek.

16. This Herb Reduces Aluminum Toxicity

Furthermore, fenugreek seed powder reduces aluminium toxicity by offering protection to the brain, bones, and kidneys.

Conclusion                                                      

Side effects of ingesting fenugreek may include diarrhoea, stomach upset, and other allergic reactions.  People with chronic health conditions or lactating women should speak with a doctor before ingesting Fenugreek supplements.