Is It Safe To Eat Nuts During Breastfeeding?

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Do you love munching nuts to satiate your hunger pangs in a healthy way while nursing your little one? Many nursing mothers wonder about consuming nuts during breastfeeding, especially given concerns about allergies and how their diet affects their babies. You need to consume a healthy diet while breastfeeding, as your breast milk is the only source of sustenance for your fragile newborn. Eating nuts while breastfeeding might be a good idea, as nuts are a rich source of vitamins and antioxidants. Read on to discover the benefits of nuts during breastfeeding, potential concerns, and how to safely enjoy them while nursing your baby.

What Are Nuts?

A nut is a fruit that has a hard shell and a delicious seed inside (1). The seed is rich in essential nutrients that can support breastfeeding mothers. You can incorporate nuts into your postpartum diet – powdered, chopped, or whole. There are many nuts available in the market, such as hazelnuts and chestnuts. Walnuts and pistachios enjoy immense popularity as nuts, although they may not fit the exact botanical definition.

What Are The Benefits Of Eating Nuts While Breastfeeding?

Nuts are a rich source of unsaturated fat, Omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin E, fiber, Plant Sterols, and L-arginine. All these nutrients are beneficial for heart health. Intake of nuts can lower the LDL (bad cholesterol) level in your blood. It can work wonders for your heart in the following ways (2):

• Prevents thickening of blood and thereby reduces the risk of heart attack.
• Helps to keep the lining of arteries (blood vessels) free from plaque that causes chest pain and heart attacks.
• L-arginine present in nuts helps make the walls of arteries flexible and prevents clots and blockage.
• Fiber present in nuts helps in regulating bowel movements, lowering your cholesterol and reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
• Nuts are rich in antioxidants, which help eliminate free radicals from the body and protect it from oxidative stress.
• Nuts are rich in Vitamin E and, therefore, help in nourishing and moisturizing your skin and hair.
• Breastfeeding mothers need plenty of calcium to keep their bones strong and help their baby’s bones grow correctly. Eating nuts such as almonds can contribute to the 1,000 mg of calcium mothers need daily while breastfeeding (3).
• Eating peanuts and tree nuts while breastfeeding and giving these foods to your baby early may help prevent your child from developing nut allergies (4).

Aranda, a mother and blogger, shares why she included walnuts to her pregnancy and nursing diets. She says, “I ate walnuts daily throughout my pregnancy as I knew they were good for my baby’s brain and eye development. So, I continued to eat them after Cyrus (her son) arrived to help maintain my milk supply. It’s fair to say they are one of the best foods for all-day energy! (ⅰ).”

Nutrition fact

Brazil nuts have high levels of selenium that support thyroid function and the immune system (5).

Can I Eat Nuts While Breastfeeding?

USDA recommends that a dietary plan for a breastfeeding mother should be balanced and wholesome. It advises lactating mothers to include vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy, protein food and fluids in their diet (6). You can go ahead and include nuts, as they are a rich source of proteins, dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins; besides providing ample nutrition, they can also help you sustain energy throughout the day.

According to popular belief, if a pregnant woman or a nursing mother includes nuts and peanuts in her diet, it could lower her baby’s chances of food allergy. A study analyzed the diets of 8,205 children and found that among the 8,059 mothers without a P/TN (peanuts and tree nuts) allergy, those who consumed P/TN more frequently (≥5 times per month) had offspring with a significantly lower incidence of P/TN allergy compared to those who consumed them less than once a month. 

The study concluded that “The incidence of P/TN allergy in the offspring was significantly lower among children of the 8,059 nonallergic mothers who consumed more P/TN in their peripregnancy diet (≥5 times vs <1 time per month).” However, among the 146 mothers who had a P/TN allergy, no significant association was found between their P/TN intake and their child’s risk of developing a P/TN allergy (7). Hence, if you, your spouse, or a family member have a history of nut allergies, it’s best to avoid eating nuts.

How To Know If A Baby Is Allergic To Nuts?

A breastfed baby may develop a food allergy after the mother consumes certain food or drinks like cow’s milk, soy, eggs, seafood, wheat, nuts, eggs, and peanuts. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), two or three out of every one hundred exclusively breastfed babies demonstrate an allergic reaction (8). In most cases, the reaction is to the cow’s milk in the mother’s diet.

The common symptoms of food allergy in babies are:

• Hard stools
• Stomach ache
• Spitting or vomiting
• Skin rashes
• Blood or mucus in the stool
• Breathing trouble
• Swelling of the face in rare cases

If you see any of the above signs, consult your pediatrician immediately. If your baby is having trouble breathing, take them to the nearest emergency room.

If you suspect your baby might have a food allergy, it’s a good idea to note down your daily diet and watch out for food allergies in your baby. It will help you identify the food that proves to be an allergen for your infant and avoid its consumption while nursing him.

Expert says

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious disease suggests that infants with severe eczema or an egg allergy are at high risk for peanut allergy. These children must be screened for peanut allergies before introducing peanut products (4).

Infographic: Symptoms Of Nut Allergy In Breastfed Infants

Nuts are incredibly delicious and a source of many healthy fats. However, they can also cause allergies in babies. So, it is essential you know the symptoms of it in your breastfed infant. The infographic below presents some of these signs of nut allergy in babies. Check out!

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Illustration: Is Eating Nuts While Breastfeeding Safe?

Image: Dalle E/MomJunction Design Team

Exclusive breastfeeding has been linked to a reduced risk of nut allergies in babies. Learn more in this video.

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Reviewer Author Editor Fact Checker

Dr. Jessica MaddenMD, FAAP, IBCLC

Jessica Madden is a pediatrician, neonatologist, lactation consultant, and mother of four, who has been taking care of newborns for more than 19 years now. She works as a neonatologist in the NICU at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, and founded Primrose Newborn Care, a newborn medicine and “4th trimester” home-visiting and telemedicine practice, in 2018.

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