I might add - some additional research analysis of herbal products in
general have found large differences between brands in what is said on
the bottle and what was actually in the product. The brand name IS
important. Also, I live in dairy country and there is discussion about
using fenugreek hay as a galactagogue. Also, we give our mamas oats to
help with milk production.
-----Original Message-----
From: Lactation Information and Discussion
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Lisa Marasco IBCLC
Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 8:43 PM
Subject: Re: fenugreek safety, Reglan
>>I recently heard from another lactation professional that attended the
>>CLC
course that new research is showing that Fenugreek is unsafe. It thins
the blood, causes blood sugar issues and other dangerous outcomes. I
have always known there are some concerns about blood sugar and that
there are people that Fenugreek might not be good for, but "dangerous"
and no longer recommended? She also said a study showed that it did not
increase milk supply at all.
Is it that serious? Wouldn't we be seeing a lot more problems?
Also, she said Reglan is now considered useless as well. It was shown in
a study not to increase milk.<<
Micky,
Fenugreek has possible side-effects, but let's talk about how often they
occur, let alone at the common dosages used for lactation. There has
been a lot of laboratory analysis of fenugreek, breaking it down into
chemical constituents and then speculating on possible consequences. But
plants are more than just the sum of their chemistry, just as human milk
is superior to the chemical imitation called formula. There are also
animal studies, which typically use large dosages. But what about actual
human usage?
Fenugreek is a *food* used in middle-eastern cooking. The mothers in
India call it "methi" and they know to chew the seeds directly to
increase lactation; they don't even make it into a tea per se. Now in
large doses fenugreek does have medicinal properties, but how often do
you even see it used in real life for any of the potential things you
listed? How often do these things actually occur? Find me some articles
beyond diabetic applications.
It is important to be aware of potential interactions and to screen
appropriately. Heck, people with gluten intolerance need to be careful
of what foods they eat, too! And anyone can be allergic to anything; my
own son is allergic to rice, which is commonly prescribed for the
"caveman"
elimination diet. We certainly need to keep track of reactions, but call
it dangerous?
All this hysteria over fenugreek has far more to do with lack of
cultural familiarity and ignorance more than anything. It would help to
have more human research to "prove" safety, but in essence the common
usage and relatively small number of people experiencing mild adverse
effects is a proof of its own kind.
Effectiveness: I'd like to see the study proving that fenugreek doesn't
work for milk supply. I recently reviewed an article comparing fenugreek
to two other potential galactogogues that reached this conclusion, but
much to my amusement noted that the amount used was something like two
~600mg pills a day, while we typically use 6-9! Apparently the authors
weren't familiar with appropriate dosages so I don't respect their
conclusions.
Other potential pitfalls of research include study populations: are we
looking at the ability to boost supply in women with normal supplies
already, or are we looking at women with low supply of various origins?
If the study group comes from the latter, fenugreek may or may not be
able to address the underlying cause, which is no reflection on its
general galactogogue properties. How about the brand used, and the form?
I find Nature's Way and Vitamin Shoppe to be more effective, GNC and
Solaray to be less effective (pill form). Are the people conducting the
research well-versed in all these variables? Pamela Berens MD and a
colleague conducted a study using mothers as their own controls, and
found varying degrees of increase in milk production with the addition
of fenugreek. I think that study was a good start.
Reglan: If the study being referenced is from a family medicine journal,
you ought to pull it and read it. They started the Reglan within the
first few days after birth. I discussed this study with Tom Hale, who
said, "I can explain those results! They started the Reglan too early,
when prolactin was still very high. Of course it didn't make a
difference!" Again, study protocols, when conducted ignorantly, can
result in bad conclusions. Other studies have shown the effectiveness of
Reglan, and certainly many mothers can vouch for it as well. Now I don't
particularly like the drug due to its side effect profile, but please
don't tell me it isn't an effective galactogogue for general purposes!
In summary: While your program is trying to be "research-based," there
may be a lack of familiarity and experience with these issues leading to
the presentation of research that may not be legitimate. Just because
something is in print doesn't make it valid. Now I may stand corrected
if you dig up something I have not read, but I do try to keep up on
these particular issues. I will also comment, since I'm on a soapbox
here for a moment, that each course director has their own personal
philosophy (as we all do) that is reflected in what they teach. They
also respond to the political climate, and right now IBLCE's recent
attempt at a Standards of Practice certainly leaned away from the
recommendation or usage of any substances/modalities/galactogogues. So
the presentation you received may be a reflection of the political
situation as well as personal bias.
Okay, off my soapbox.
~Lisa Marasco MA IBCLC
***********************************************
Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
Mail all commands to [log in to unmask] To temporarily stop
your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet
mail (or [log in to unmask])
To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet or
([log in to unmask])
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
***********************************************
Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
Mail all commands to [log in to unmask]
To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail
To start it again: set lactnet mail (or [log in to unmask])
To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet or ([log in to unmask])
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
|
