Hoodia Safety: Can I Take Hoodia Diet Pills While Breastfeeding?

I just had a baby a little over a week ago and I want to lose a little weight. Will hoodia affect breastfeeding? -Holly

Holly:

Congratulations on the birth of your baby! That’s exciting stuff. Authentic hoodia has been shown to be very safe with virtually no side effects. However, the general recommendation is that women who are breastfeeding should not take hoodia diet pills. While I have never been able to find out why that is (despite extensive research), I suspect the primary reason for this recommendation is that there is a possibility that the effects of hoodia gordonii could be passed to the baby in the breastmilk. The end result is that you could suppress the baby’s appetite which is the last thing you want to do!

I suppose another possibility for the recommendation is that nursing women need to make sure they get the proper amount of food and nutrition. After all, anything mom eats baby gets! Hoodia gordonii is an appetite suppressant. It has the ability to make you feel full so you’ll eat less. If you eat less, especially if the reduction in the amount of food you eat is significant, you may not get the proper amount of food and nutrition for baby (or for mom).

Based on what I know about hoodia gordonii, and given the recommendation that breastfeeding women should not take hoodia diet pills, I suggest you hold off taking hoodia until after you are breastfeeding.

I hope this helps!

Travis