Search for foods that boost breast milk and you will find confident lists and confident numbers. Treat the numbers with suspicion: no food or herb has a proven percentage effect on milk production.
Garlic and Other Traditional Beliefs
Garlic is the classic example. It is traditionally believed to help supply, but tradition is not measurement, and there is no proven percentage increase to quote. What eating garlic actually does is flavour the mother’s diet. If you enjoy it, eat it as food, not as a treatment with an expected result.
The same applies to herbal mixtures and simmered seed preparations made to exact teaspoon quantities. Precise quantities make a recipe look scientific; they do not turn a traditional belief into a proven one, and herbal products are not tested for safety in breastfeeding the way medicines are.
Eating for the Mother
A varied, adequate diet supports the person doing the feeding: regular meals, a mix of protein foods, grains, dairy or alternatives, fruit and vegetables, and drinking to thirst rather than forcing fluids. That is the honest role of food here.
What Actually Increases Supply
Milk supply is driven by frequent, effective milk removal, with a good latch. Feeding or pumping more effectively is what tells the body to make more milk. If supply is a worry, ask a midwife or lactation consultant to assess a feed, and speak to a doctor if your baby is not gaining weight as expected or has few wet or dirty nappies.
This article is general information only and is not medical advice. Please consult a healthcare professional for personal advice.