An Overview of Glutamine and Breastfeeding
Glutamine (sometimes known as
L-glutamine) is an amino acid. Although it is found in many foods, glutamine is produced naturally by the human body and is also available in
dietary supplements. It is not known whether glutamine supplementation is safe for breastfeeding women. Until more information is available, it is probably a good idea to avoid glutamine supplements while breastfeeding.
Is Glutamine Safe for Breastfeeding Women?
At this time, there is no information available to suggest that glutamine supplements are either safe or unsafe for use while breastfeeding.
Logically, it makes sense that glutamine supplements would be perfectly safe for breastfeeding women, since it is just an amino acid that is found in many foods (and produced naturally by the human body). However, this may not be the case. Just because a normal dietary intake of glutamine through food is safe, it cannot be assumed that taking glutamine supplements is equally safe. Perhaps the higher levels due to supplementation could cause problems, or perhaps the glutamine in supplements is slightly different from the glutamine found in foods. Or, it is possible that glutamine supplements could contain contaminants or other ingredients that are not safe for breastfeeding women. Until more information is available, it is probably wise to wait until after breastfeeding your child to try glutamine supplements.
