Does spicy food affect breast milk and breastfeeding?

It’s fine to eat spicy food while you’re breastfeeding. Traces of what you eat enter your breast milk, but it shouldn’t unsettle your baby if you eat spicy food. In fact, it may benefit your baby. The flavor of your breastmilk changes according to what you eat, and this introduces the idea of different tastes to your baby. She may be more adventurous with new flavors once she starts solids at about six months.

Breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months of life has been shown to significantly lessen the risk and severity of food allergies in families with a strong history of them. Exclusive breastfeeding or breastfeeding in combination with partially or extensively hydrolyzed infant formula also reduces the risk for eczema, a condition of excessively dry and easily irritated skin.

A few mothers notice minor reactions to other foods in their diet. Some babies cry, fuss, or even nurse more often after their mother has eaten spicy or “gassy” foods (such as cabbage). These reactions differ from allergies in that they cause less-serious symptoms (no rashes or abnormal breathing) and almost always last less than twenty-four hours.

If your baby reacts negatively every time you eat a certain type of food and you find this troubling, you can just avoid that particular food temporarily. If these symptoms continue on a daily basis and last for long periods, they may indicate colic rather than food sensitivity. Talk with your pediatrician about this possibility, if eliminating various foods has no effect on your child’s symptoms.

You can figure out if your baby is sensitive to spicy food when breastfeeding by observing his/her reaction.

He/she may:

• turn fussy after feeding
• sleep little
• cry for a long time
• seem uncomfortable
• wake up abruptly

Other signs which indicate any reaction in your baby are:

• wheezing
• skin reaction
• mucus or green stools
• congestion

However, these signs may not necessarily signal a response to spicy food, as they could be an indication of allergy to some other foods such as wheat, dairy, citrus or corn in your diet.

If you ate spicy food while nursing and observed any such symptoms, refrain from eating such food for a week and reintroduce later to observe the baby’s behavior. Some babies may turn fussy if the mother eats a significant amount of spicy food so have it in moderate amounts. If needed, schedule an appointment with your doctor for assistance.

How do I know if my child has a food allergy?

A food allergy happens when the body reacts against harmless proteins found in foods. The reaction usually happens shortly after a food is eaten. Food allergy reactions can vary from mild to severe.

Because many symptoms and illnesses could be wrongly blamed on “food allergies,” it is important for parents to know the usual symptoms. The following is information from the American Academy of Pediatrics ¹⁾ about food allergies and how to recognize and treat the symptoms.

Symptoms of a food allergy

When the body’s immune system overreacts to certain foods, the following symptoms may occur:

• Skin problems
  • Hives (red spots that look like mosquito bites)
  • Itchy skin rashes (eczema, also called atopic dermatitis)
  • Swelling
• Breathing problems
  • Sneezing
  • Wheezing
  • Throat tightness
• Stomach symptoms
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
• Circulation symptoms
  • Pale skin
  • Light-headedness
  • Loss of consciousness

If several areas of the body are affected, the reaction may be severe or even life-threatening. This type of allergic reaction is called anaphylaxis and requires immediate medical attention.

NOT a food allergy

Food can cause many illnesses that are sometimes confused with food allergies. The following are not food allergies:

• Food poisoning—Can cause diarrhea or vomiting, but is usually caused by bacteria in spoiled food or undercooked food.
• Drug effects—Certain ingredients, such as caffeine in soda or candy, can make your child shaky or restless.
• Skin irritation—Can often be caused by acids found in such foods as orange juice or tomato products.
• Diarrhea—Can occur in small children from too much sugar, such as from fruit juices.

Some food-related illnesses are called intolerance, or a food sensitivity, rather than an allergy because the immune system is not causing the problem. Lactose intolerance is an example of a food intolerance that is often confused with a food allergy. Lactose intolerance is when a person has trouble digesting milk sugar, called lactose, leading to stomachaches, bloating, and loose stools.

Sometimes reactions to the chemicals added to foods, such as dyes or preservatives, are mistaken for a food allergy. However, while some people may be sensitive to certain food additives, it is rare to be allergic to them.

Foods that can cause food allergies

Any food could cause a food allergy, but most food allergies are caused by the following:

• Cow milk
• Eggs
• Peanuts
• Soy
• Wheat
• Nuts from trees (such as walnuts, pistachios, pecans, cashews)
• Fish (such as tuna, salmon, cod)
• Shellfish (such as shrimp, lobster)

Peanuts, nuts, and seafood are the most common causes of severe reactions. Allergies also occur to other foods such as meats, fruits, vegetables, grains, and seeds such as sesame.

The good news is that food allergies are often outgrown during early childhood. It is estimated that 80% to 90% of egg, milk, wheat, and soy allergies go away by age 5 years. Some allergies are more persistent. For example, 1 in 5 young children will outgrow a peanut allergy and fewer will outgrow allergies to nuts or seafood. Your pediatrician or allergist can perform tests to track your child’s food allergies and watch to see if they are going away.

Does spicy food affect breast milk?

Unlike formula milk, breast milk alters its taste based on the food you take. For instance, if you eat garlic based foods, the breast milk may have similar taste and your little one would like it too. Your baby may have more feeding spells if the flavor of the milk changes.

Experts even consider it as a wise way to introduce the tastes of solid foods to your baby. You’re helping your baby to develop their sense of taste in preparation for the starting of solids. But basically, the sweetness of the natural sugars in the milk will dominate the flavor.

A study conducted in the early 1990s by researchers Julie Mennella and Gary Beauchamp ²⁾ revealed that nursing babies of mothers who consumed garlic showed longer feeding spells, sucked harder, and drank more garlic-scented milk than babies of mothers who were not exposed to garlic.

Another study published in 2001 indicated that the babies exposed to flavors when they are in the uterus or while breastfeeding may like the same flavors when they grow ³⁾.

However, if you find your baby upset or irritable, or you feel a heartburn then try taking a milder diet for some time. Give the baby a little more time to accept it. To check if your little one loves spicy flavored milk, go by a trial-and-error method.