In current events, Lamar Odom is said to have ingested herbal supplements in addition to illicit drugs which contributed to his near-fatal overdose. The ramifications of his deadly cocktail of drugs got me thinking…Herbal supplements are not approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA). And the thing of it is, I always sing the same cautionary tune when mothers ask me, or I happen to overhear mothers talking about taking Fenugreek. Fenugreek is commonly touted as an herb that enhances milk production in the breastfeeding community. However, no studies (not-a-one) have ever proved such claims. So in the spirit of raising awareness, please know that Fenugreek is also classified an herbal supplement. And as such, it is not approved for medicinal use by the FDA. It is unknown what the side effects of Fenugreek are when combined with other medications. No measures have been taken to determine what is “too” much Fenugreek to be ingesting at any given time. Women can potentially overdose on Fenugreek. That makes it potentially dangerous. And Fenugreek’s claims are anecdotal- meaning there is no evidence to back any claim that it enhances milk production any more than a placebo sugar pill said to achieve the same thing. Many things may have contributed to Lamar Odom’s accident, but we do know that herbal supplements were a contributing factor. Yes, I will be the first to admit other IBCLC’s in practice (especially the old-school ones) encourage these herbal supplements— but any recent lactation course will discourage such practices. It is part of our professional code of ethics to practice evidenced-based medicine and stay up to date on the most current research studies and results. So why is Fenugreek even part of the conversation anymore? It shouldn’t be. Fenugreek should never be encouraged, and shame on those lactation professionals that do.

If you are having milk production issues, seek help. Ask for a second opinion before resorting to ingesting Fenugreek. Protect yourself, and always be skeptical of anything that advertises itself as a miracle pill for (fill in the blank).

Keep pushing Lamar, keep pushing. Wishing you a world of future wellness and sobriety.