Nutritional Needs During Lactation: A Clean Food Supply for Your Baby

A diet built entirely from fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes has the added advantage of reducing levels of environmental contaminants in breast milk. Studies show that women who consume meat of all types and dairy products have higher levels of chemical contaminants in their breast milk, probably because these chemicals tend to concentrate in animal tissues.¹ Plant foods have much lower levels of contaminants than foods from animal sources and are even cleaner when they are grown organically.

Fish is often very high in contaminants. It commonly contains mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and other organochlorine pesticides, which can pass through breast milk to nursing babies. These contaminants, which have been linked to cancer and other health problems, tend to accumulate in body fat and remain in the body for decades.

Dairy products, including cow’s milk, raise this same contamination concern. Since pesticides and other contaminants tend to concentrate in milk, nursing mothers who eat dairy products pass them along to their babies. Cow’s milk proteins can also enter breast milk. These proteins can cause colic, as well as contributing to allergic reactions and a whole host of other problems in babies.

References
1. Dagnelie PC, van Staveren WA, Roos AH, Tuinstra LG, Burema J.Nutrients and contaminants in human milk from mothers on macrobiotic and omnivorous diets.  Eur J Clin Nutr. 1992 May;46(5):355–66