The Risks and Benefits of Cleansing While Breastfeeding

You’ve undoubtedly heard people talk about ‘cleansing’ or doing ‘detox diets.’ While some plans can be very helpful with weight loss or improving health, others can be potentially harmful, so it’s important to know all the facts. Breastfeeding parents need to be especially careful as certain diets can negatively affect breast milk. Let’s dig a little bit deeper to discuss what cleansing is, the benefits, the potential risks, and how to do it safely while breastfeeding.

What is cleansing?

A cleanse or detox is defined as a restrictive, short-term diet primarily intended to remove toxins from the body. While this can be done for substance abuse and certain medical conditions, I’ll be discussing general health improvement through cleansing. The most common eating/drinking methods that people use to accomplish this are juice cleanses and ‘clean’ eating cleanses. Juice cleanses usually last a shorter period of time (2-5 days) and pull out toxins and waste more quickly. Clean eating cleanses last longer (usually 2 - 6 weeks) and release toxins gradually.

Risks of a juice cleanse

Because they pull out toxins and waste more quickly, juice cleanses can result in a higher level of circulating toxins in the body, which can be passed on to the baby through breast milk. That is something we obviously want to avoid, so this type of cleansing is not recommended while breastfeeding. This type of cleanse can also lead to more extreme side effects and symptoms as well as fatigue and dizziness from calorie restriction. The calorie restriction usually results in initial weight loss, but this is typically temporary and will be regained when eating returns to normal. Calorie restriction can also signal the body to go into starvation mode, which can slow the metabolism and reduce breast milk supply.

Benefits of a juice cleanse:

If a person typically sticks to a “clean” diet and has no health complications, a short juice cleanse can safely act as a reset by giving the system a “rest” from digestion. Some common results include increased energy, improved digestion, weight loss and improved skin tone.

**Note** If a company is selling a product that you are encouraged to purchase to complete the cleanse, it’s very important to dig deeper into the ingredients and reputation of the company. Unfortunately, supplements (including protein shakes and vitamins) are not regulated very well, so companies do not have to abide by strict health or quality standards. It’s recommended to discuss any drastic changes in diet with a healthcare provider such as your doctor or a dietitian before getting started, especially if you have any sort of existing medical condition.

Risks of a clean eating cleanse:

Detox symptoms and results will vary on an individual basis, depending on the beginning level of toxicity. The more processed the diet is leading into the cleanse, the more symptoms a person will likely experience as toxins are pulled out of the system. If this is a concern, the diet can be modified to make the process more gradual.

Benefits of a clean eating cleanse:

All the foods being consumed during a “clean” eating cleanse are high quality, unprocessed, and the body is still receiving an appropriate caloric intake. Therefore it’s not such a shock to the system and the body can function normally while working to clean out the cells. It’s also a more sustainable way of eating and can help form better eating habits. This type of cleanse is safe for breastfeeding because toxins are pulled out gradually in smaller amounts and breast milk is largely unaffected. As with juice cleansing, increased energy, improved digestion, weight loss and improved skin tone are commonly reported.

Should you do it?

When asked professionally whether I would recommend a clean eating cleanse while breastfeeding (or otherwise), my answer is usually yes. The thought behind it is, what’s better? Continuing to eat processed foods that add to the toxicity (which could also have an effect on the breast milk)? Or gradually ridding your body of garbage, which will ultimately be a positive change for your’s and your baby’s health?

There is also a place for juice cleansing and it can be very effective for people who are already in good health. As mentioned before, if cleansing or healthy eating is new to you, or if there are any existing health issues, consult a doctor before making any drastic changes.

If you have questions about this topic or are looking for guidance on how to implement a cleanse yourself, I provide 1:1 nutrition counseling to work through your individual situation.