Does eating corn after childbirth cause a loss of breast milk?

Corn is a nutrient-rich food with abundant vitamins and minerals, highly beneficial for health. Many postpartum mothers eat corn to replenish their health, improve skin, and prevent constipation. However, mothers need to consume corn properly to ensure sufficient milk supply for their baby and to avoid potential health risks.

1. Why Should Postpartum Mothers Eat Corn?

Is corn beneficial for postpartum mothers? The answer is: Yes. Research indicates that corn is a nutrient-rich food containing protein, minerals, and various vitamins (B1, C, E, etc.), which are highly beneficial for health. Women who eat corn after childbirth can gain the following benefits:

• Effective weight loss support: Corn is rich in vitamin C, water, and fiber, which help reduce fat and excess weight in the body. Eating corn provides a feeling of fullness, reduces snacking, and helps control weight effectively;
• Provides nutrition and improves milk quality: To the question of whether eating corn causes a loss of milk supply, the answer is no. On the contrary, eating corn supplements the body with protein, vitamins, calcium, and iron, enhancing the mother's health after childbirth while improving milk quality for the baby. According to Traditional Medicine, postpartum mothers who eat corn cooked with rice wine water will have an abundant milk supply and firmer breasts;
• Improves skin and prevents aging: Corn contains vitamin C and vitamin E, which promote cell division and enhance skin elasticity;
• Protects cardiovascular health: Eating corn after childbirth provides vitamin B, which reduces homocysteine levels—a substance that can damage capillaries, leading to heart attacks and strokes. Thus, eating corn helps protect the cardiovascular health of postpartum mothers;
• Supports digestion: Corn is rich in fiber, which helps alleviate constipation in postpartum mothers. Additionally, corn has cancer-preventing properties and benefits brain health.

2. Other Benefits of Corn

According to traditional Eastern medicine, corn is sweet, neutral, tonifies the middle burner, boosts energy, and is good for health. Some additional benefits of corn include:

• Treats goiter and malaria: Eating corn provides the body with essential vitamins, regulates thyroid function, enhances iodine absorption, and helps prevent malaria.
• Supports cancer treatment: For patients with stomach or pancreatic cancer, grind 100g of corn kernels (not into a fine powder) and cook into a porridge to eat, which helps relieve pain effectively. For liver cancer patients, boil 60g of corn silk with 60g of Jiaogulan and drink the decoction as a tea daily.Prevents
• Cardiovascular diseases: Boil corn silk to obtain a large bowl of broth, discard the silk, and use the broth to cook soup with pork heart. Regular consumption can reduce fatigue, improve breathing, and enhance sleep quality.
• Treats hypertension: Patients can drink boiled water from corn silk, corn cobs, stalks, or husks to help manage blood pressure.
• Treats painful urination, urinary retention, kidney stones, and edema: Boil corn silk or cobs to make a drinkable solution.

3. Some notes to be careful about for pregnant women to eat corn after giving birth

• Enhances kidney function, strengthens the yang, replenishes vital energy, and improves appetite and sleep quality:
  • Roasted corn water: Roast whole corn kernels until golden, then cook and drink the water as a daily tea. You can also cook this water with ingredients like pig stomach, pigeon meat, shellfish, or testicles.
  • Corn soup with pork bones: Prepare 0.5 kg of pork bones and 1 corn cob, then simmer until tender and eat. This helps treat sexual weakness.
• Liver, gallbladder diseases, jaundice, or gallstones: Prepare 30g of corn silk and 30g of Bupleurum, steep or decoct the mixture to drink as a daily tea to enhance bile secretion. You can substitute the corn silk with corn stalks and use the water for drinking.
• Stomach issues: Patients can eat corn porridge or drink corn silk water. It helps relieve symptoms of acid reflux, bloating, and gastric prolapse. However, this remedy is not recommended for those with gastric ulcers.
• For children with fever, crying, or whooping cough due to measles: Use corn silk to cook water for the child to drink.
• For children with poor appetite or diarrhea with undigested food: Cook young corn porridge with carrots or white beans and feed it to the child.

3. Some Precautions for Postpartum Mothers Eating Corn

Although corn offers many benefits for postpartum women, improper consumption can pose health risks. Specifically:

• Postpartum women who eat too much corn may develop a corn allergy. The baby may experience stomach pain, skin rashes, or fussiness when breastfeeding. Therefore, mothers should monitor for any unusual symptoms in their babies after consuming corn;
• Postpartum women should avoid consuming too much corn over extended periods, as it may lead to digestive difficulties. This is because corn contains cellulose, which the human body cannot fully digest.
• Overconsumption of corn can irritate the intestinal mucosa, affecting the digestive system. Additionally, excessive consumption of boiled corn may lead to chronic diseases, as the ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 in corn is 25:1, which can harm the body.
• Corn is high in carbohydrates, and consuming too much can raise blood sugar levels. Therefore, women with diabetes should limit their intake of corn.

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