Various natural supplements

[sandikiyomi]

I saw my ND today and she suggested various supplements for candida, adrenal stress, thyroid issues, and mthfr, and I want to check their safety for breastfeeding before ordering. My daughter is 2 years old and still nurses 6+ times a day:

Kirkman's Yeast-Aid:
vit c 500mg
biotin 900mcg
selenium 70mcg
olive leaf extract 200mg
pau d'arco extract (bark) 200mg
goldenseal extract (rhizome & root) 100mg - wonder if this dries up milk?
caprylic acid (calcium caprylate) 100mg
cranberry extract 25mg
oregano 100mg
-(serving size is 4 caps). My dose would be 2 caps a day for 60 days.

Burbur detox made with Desmodium molliculum (burbur leaf extract) - 5 drops 4x/day, 60days

Other items suggested:
pregnenolone - 1.2ml (=1 drop). i'm supposed to do 5 drops 3x a day and then decrease drops over 9 wks
molybdenum 250 - 1 tab a day
P-5-P 50mg - 1 cap a day
phospholipid complex

Thyroid Support by Gaia:
Total Alcohol Free Extracts
L-Tyrosine 300 mg
Coleus root (Coleus forskohlii) 154 mg
Ashwagandha root (Withania somnifera) 120 mg
Schizandra Berry (Schisandra chinensis) 78 mg
Kelp fronds (Laminaria digitata) 65 mg
Bladderwrack fronds (Fucus vesiculosus) 28 mg
Validated Full Spectrum Profile
Iodine from seaweed 0.15 mg

[admin-james]

Hi, thanks for your post.

Thank you for writing to us. We have a policy of not commenting on the safety of combination herbal products. There is rarely satisfactory literature published on the safety of an herb in breastfeeding women. It is not ethical for us to make a recommendation based on anecdotes. Also, herbal products are not regulated by the FDA and there can be significant variations in the potency and purity between different products or even between different lots of the same product. Herbs can also interact with each other and with prescription medications, so we tend to advise not taking them at all.

There is often more information available about the effectiveness of an herb than there is about the specific situation of safety in breastfeeding. Try looking up each ingredient in the Natural Standard database (www.naturalstandard.com) to see how likely it is to have the effect you want. The decision whether or not to take a supplement should include information about both the risks and benefits.

Please call us at the InfantRisk Center if this has not completely answered your question.*(806)352-2519

-James Abbey, MD

[sandikiyomi]

Thanks for this information. I understand the policy on herbal products. I checked out the Natural Standard database website, but it looks like I need to buy a subscription in order to see any data. I will try to call the InfantRisk Center again if I have more questions. I tried earlier today and couldn't get through. I was still wondering about a few other things I had listed that were separate/individual supplements that were not herbal.

[admin-james]

I'm sorry, I didn't realize Natural Standard was a subscription service. I get in through an institutional account and it's always logged in for me. Here are some comments on the stand-alone products you mentioned:

Pregnenolone - No safety data available. Could produce side-effects similar to corticosteroids in a breastfeeding infant or toddler.
Molybdenum - US RDA for breastfeeding women is 50mcg (micrograms). Typical dietary intake for women is 75mcg. Upper limit is 2mg (=2000mcg). Risk of toxicity is very low if daily intake is <2mg.
P-5-P - This is the active metabolite of Vitamin B6. US RDA for breastfeeding women is 2mg. Upper limit is 100mg. Risk of toxicity is low if daily intake is <100mg.
Phospholipid complex - No safety data available for phosphotidylcholine or phosphotidylserine.

-James Abbey, MD

[sandikiyomi]

I was just about to call the line to check on these. Thanks so much!

[CharlesMartell]

Thanks for this information. I understand the policy on herbal products. I checked out the Natural Standard database website, but it looks like I need to buy a subscription in order to see any data. I will try to call the InfantRisk Center again if I have more questions. I tried earlier today and couldn't get through. I was still wondering about a few other things I had listed that were separate/individual supplements that were not herbal.

Agree with you this information is really nice, I am too thankful to this post of herbal products.