Should I drink honey when I am breastfeeding?

There are many questions about what to eat during breastfeeding. In particular, the question of whether breastfeeding mothers can drink honey is also concerned by many people.

During breastfeeding , your feeding must be very careful because what you eat may go into the breast milk stream and your baby will suckle. Among foods, honey is something that is troubling many people. Honey is not safe for children under 12 months of age because it can cause botulism poisoning, a toxin of the Clostridium botulinum bacteria. You wonder if you are breastfeeding honey drinking, let's go with aFamilyToday Health to find answers to this question.

Can a mother drink honey while breastfeeding?

Ingestion of Clostridium botulinum spores in pure honey has almost no effect because your digestive system is mature enough to neutralize them. As a result, these spores are harmless when they enter your digestive system and cannot enter breast milk. In addition, these spores are relatively large in size, so they cannot enter breast milk. Therefore, "yes" is the answer to whether a nursing mother can drink honey.

Unlike adults, the infant's digestive system does not have enough beneficial bacteria, so it cannot kill Clostridium botulinum spores and prevent their development and production of toxins. So, if you give your child pure honey, Clostridium botulinum spores will penetrate the baby's body, settle in the large intestine, develop bacteria and produce toxins.

Ideally, if you are breastfeeding and want to drink honey for weight loss or for other purposes, you should use pasteurized honey, not pure honey because this honey usually contains cells. Clostridium botulinum death. Precautions should be taken when you are using honey during breastfeeding to ensure your baby's safety:

Wash your hands often after coming in contact with honey because the Clostridium botulinum spores can get on your hands and pass them on to your baby.

Choose honey of good quality, properly prepared and sterilized.

Drink an appropriate amount.

If possible, talk with your doctor to find out which honey is right for you while you are breastfeeding.

The benefits of honey

Honey is one of the natural sweeteners and has many health benefits , such as:

Honey contains minerals such as iron and calcium, folate and B vitamins and vitamin C.

Has a role to help strengthen the immune system for the user.

Helps treat wounds, symptoms of diabetes mellitus and other digestive disorders.

Aid in the treatment of colitis , cold symptoms and sore throat .

Prevent cancer and heart disease.

Where should not drink honey?

There is currently no scientific evidence to prove that honey causes side effects in pregnant and lactating women. In general, you should avoid using honey if you are sensitive to pollen or have ever had a honey-related allergy. In addition, you should avoid honey because bees suck nectar from the flowers of rhododendron because of the potential for toxicity. People with diabetes and hypoglycemia also need to be careful when using honey, consult a doctor before using.

Frequently asked questions around drinking honey while breastfeeding

1. Is it possible to use honey and cinnamon while breastfeeding?

For the most part, honey and cinnamon water is safe for nursing mothers. However, before using it you should still consult your doctor. Alternatively, you can drink lemon juice with honey during this time.

2. Is ginger tea and honey good for women who are breastfeeding?

Ginger tea and honey help with cold symptoms. Ginger helps in treating diseases related to the respiratory tract and increases lactation. Thanks to its antibacterial properties, honey has the ability to help relieve symptoms of a sore throat. These benefits of honey are also good for babies. However, if your baby has a rash or diarrhea after drinking ginger tea with honey, he may be sensitive to these components. Therefore, mothers should stop using.

3. Is it possible to use Manuka honey while breastfeeding?

Manuka honey is the honey that is specially produced in Australia and New Zealand. Manuka is a pure white flower, the flower itself has a lot of health benefits, so the honey of this flower is said to have superior antimicrobial properties compared to other common honey. . Therefore, it is not a problem for you to take this honey while you are breastfeeding. Manuka honey is even used to treat allergies. Note that you should not use honey to soothe nipple cracks, because your baby is at risk of sucking.

4. Can Clostridium botulinum spores be destroyed during processing?

Processing cannot remove the Clostridium botulinum spores present in honey. Even discovering it is not easy. Therefore, you should use caution.