Is Black Pepper safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what LactMed, the Drugs and Lactation Database published by the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), reports about Black Pepper. The text below is quoted from that source — it is not our own verdict.
Summary of use during breastfeeding
Black pepper (Piper nigrum) contains piperine, which is the main pungent component. Piperine is often incorporated into turmeric products because it enhances the oral bioavailability of curcumin. Piperine can be found in breastmilk after maternal ingestion, but the piperine levels appear to be far below the taste threshold after ingestion of typical dietary amounts of pepper.[1] No studies have been performed with ingestion of piperine-containing pharmaceutical products. Black pepper and the related long pepper (Piper longum) are reportedly used to increase milk supply in India;[2] however, no scientifically valid clinical trials support this use.
Effects on the breastfed infant
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Effects on milk supply
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Levels in milk
Maternal Levels. Thirteen nursing mothers who were nursing their infants were served a curry dish that contained an average piperine concentration of 264 nmol/gram (75 mcg/gram) of the curry sauce. The peak piperine concentration in milk of 31.2 nM (8.9 mcg/L) occurred at 1 hour after the meal in these mothers with a low basal piperine concentration in milk. The authors assumed that the concentration of piperine was too low for conscious detection by the nursing infant, but that it could contribute to a sensory desensitization toward pungency in later life.[1]
Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
“No published information” means the studies do not exist yet — not that Black Pepper is known to be harmful, and not that it is known to be safe. Your prescriber or pharmacist can weigh your baby's age and whether a better-studied alternative would do the same job. Worth asking before stopping a medicine you need.
Source: Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), via NCBI Bookshelf, record “Black Pepper” (black_pepper). LactMed on NCBI Bookshelf. LactMed is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Educational summary of an authoritative source — not medical advice. Never start, stop, or change a medicine while breastfeeding without confirming with your doctor.