Galactogogues: Foods, Herbs, and Medications to boost your milk supply

Jun 6
5 min read

Foods, Herbs, and Medications: Do They Really Work?

In this article, we will explore galactogogues : foods, plants, and medications which have the reputation to boost maternal milk production, and their potential efficacy.

For many breastfeeding mothers, producing enough milk is a major concern, leading them to seek natural solutions to stimulate lactation.

What Are Galactagogues?

Galactagogues are foods, plants, or herbs reputed for their ability to increase breast milk production. The term comes from the Greek galactos (milk) and gen (to produce). These substances have been used for centuries in various cultures to support breastfeeding mothers. Approximately 30% of breastfeeding mothers in the USA use them.

As soon as mothers feel their breasts becoming softer, they often start taking these products, wrongly fearing that their lactation is collapsing, even though softer breasts are a natural stage of breastfeeding after a few weeks.

There are also pharmaceutical galactagogues.

The supposed mechanisms of action include increasing prolactin levels, stimulating prolactin receptors, or providing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects (1). Other proposed mechanisms include histamine-induced prolactin release or sensitizing mammary epithelial cells to insulin in the case of Galega officinalis (French rue).

If you feel you have a drop in lactation, please contact me.

1. Foods Reputed to Be Galactogogues

Among foods reputed to promote breast milk production, we find, among others:

Quinoa
Lentils
Oats
Almonds
Brewer’s yeast
Barley malt

2. Herbs Reputed to Be Galactogogues

Common herbs include:

Lemon verbena
Nettle
Fennel*
Fenugreek
Moringa
Anise
Cumin
Milk thistle
Galega officinalis

Every tea brand proposes its own composition of herbs.

Fenugreek This is one of the most studied galactagogues. However, it seems that some women respond negatively to this plant. It can cause hypoglycemia and should be avoided in cases of diabetes. However, it may be effective for breastfeeding issues related to insulin resistance or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) (7).

Galega officinalis It may be effective for cases of mammary hypoplasia (6) and in the context of PCOS. However, a recent 2024 article highlights the lack of high-quality studies on this subject; its efficacy remains to be proven (1).

Moringa It may help increase baby weight (6), and the 2024 article (1) reports several studies indicating possible efficacy.

Wild Asparagus (Asparagus racemosus, also known as Shatavari) Used in India in Ayurvedic pharmacopoeia. Its roots contain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory components. Two small but relatively well-conducted studies revealed the galactagogue activity of this plant, showing an increase in milk quantities or baby weight in the treated group compared to the placebo (1).

It is recommended to discuss the use of these plants with your doctor or pharmacist, as they can induce adverse effects or interact with medications.

In 2024, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) does not recommend teas based on fennel due to potential toxicity in humans.

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3. Pharmaceutical Galactagogues

Galactogil

Concentrated extracts of barley malt, fennel seeds, green anise fruits, and calcium. This pharmaceutical specialty is often prescribed, but its safety could be questioned as it contains fennel.

Domperidone

Domperidone is sometimes suggested to promote lactation. Indeed, this molecule increases prolactin and sometimes has the side effect of inducing lactation. It has been studied notably in mothers of premature babies, where a moderate increase in lactation of around 80 ml/day was observed.

Its use as a galactagogue is off-label in France; its authorized indication is limited to the relief of nausea and vomiting.

Due to rare but serious cardiac side effects associated with its use (notably QT interval prolongation, torsades de pointes, severe ventricular arrhythmia, or even sudden death), the ANSM (French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products) issued recommendations in 2014 (2) to limit cardiac risk (notably a maximum dosage of 30 mg/day and the shortest possible duration, not exceeding one week). Recently, in 2019, its use was restricted to people over 12 years old.

In the use as a galactagogue at a dosage of 30 mg/day for 7 days, a meta-analysis published in 2019 shows an average milk production increase of 94 ml, and extending the duration to 14 days offered no additional benefit in terms of production (3).

The protocol from the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (4) on the use of galactagogues, published in 2018, mentions a very low incidence risk of arrhythmias in postpartum women taking domperidone, but this risk can increase depending on medical history, BMI, dosage used, and drug interactions. Special precautions (dosage, monitoring) are proposed in case of prescription.

There is also a risk of psychiatric disorders upon stopping this medication (5).

4. What do Scientific Studies say?

The quality of studies concerning galactagogues leaves much to be desired. According to Philip O. Anderson (1), notable issues include:

Inability to define the products tested.
Use of multi-ingredient mixtures.
Absence of double-blind methodology.
Absence of placebo control.
Inability to define the studied population.
Inappropriate evaluation criteria.
Inability to use intention-to-treat analysis.

He highlights biases in certain studies: for example, mothers receiving the plant also receive more breastfeeding education. He indicates that there is certainly a significant placebo effect.

This author also highlights the disparity in active ingredient composition of galactagogues among producers and countries.

What Do Scientific Societies Say About These Herbs?

The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, the reference scientific society in the field of breastfeeding, states in its Protocol #9: "While the fact that these herbs have been used for centuries without apparent danger is reassuring, there is little or no scientific evidence of their efficacy or safety."

Here are the conclusions of a Cochrane Review (6) on galactagogues:

"Due to extremely limited evidence and very low confidence, we do not know whether galactagogues have any effect on the proportion of mothers who continued breastfeeding at 3, 4, and 6 months. There is little evidence that pharmacological galactagogues can increase milk volume. Some subgroup analyses suggest that natural galactagogues may have a beneficial effect on child weight and milk volume in mothers of term, healthy infants, but due to substantial heterogeneity of studies, imprecision of measurements, and incomplete reporting, we are very uncertain about the magnitude of the effect."

Conclusion

After generations of babies fed with artificial milk and the medicalization of infant rhythms, breastfeeding, though "natural," has become a largely forgotten practice.

Many mothers wrongly fear a drop in lactation, an anxiety that largely benefits supplement manufacturers. While some plants and foods are reputed to stimulate lactation, studies do not provide solid proof on this subject, suggesting rather a probable placebo effect.

Instead of resorting to infusions with questionable taste (who really likes fennel?), a diversified diet, rest, proximity with the baby, combined with regular and effective breast drainage, remain the most natural and effective approach to support milk production.

A Cochrane Review: This is a review of several studies on a health topic. Cochrane Reviews are globally recognized as providing the highest level of evidence-based care.

Disclaimer: This article is intended to provide general information and does not in any way replace medical advice. It is essential to consult a healthcare professional for any questions regarding your personal situation.

For personalized support with your breastfeeding, you can book an appointment.

References

Philip O. Anderson. Herbal Galactogogues: Some “New” Arrivals. Breastfeeding Medicine 2024;19(10):752-755.
Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament et des produits de santé. Point d’information sur la dompéridone. Available [here] (consulted 03/12/2019).
Lactmed Database. Dompéridone Fact Sheet. (Consulted 03/12/2019).
Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. ABM Clinical Protocol #9: Use of Galactogogues in Initiating or Augmenting Maternal Milk Production, Second Revision 2018. (Consulted 03/12/2019).
Majdinasab E, Haque S, Stark A, Krutsch K, Hale TW. Psychiatric Manifestations of Withdrawal Following Domperidone Used as a Galactagogue. Breastfeed Med. 2022 Dec;17(12):1018-1024. doi: 10.1089/bfm.2022.0190. Epub 2022 Nov 11. PMID: 36367713.
Foong et al. Cochrane review 2020. Oral galactagogues (therapies or natural medications) for increasing maternal milk production in non-hospitalized mothers of term infants.
Lisa Marasco. Making more milk. 2020.