Supplementing with Vitamin D while breastfeeding (prevents infant deficiency) | Biology of Breast Milk
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Vitamin D is crucial for many aspects of infant development. Breast milk contains negligible amounts of vitamin D and is typically considered inadequate to prevent vitamin D deficiency in exclusively breastfed infants. But evidence suggests that supplemental vitamin D in lactating women can increase breast milk concentrations to levels that are adequate to reduce the risk of deficiency in breastfed infants. In this clip, Dr. Rhonda Patrick describes the data suggesting that maternal supplemental vitamin D can reduce the risk of deficiency in breastfed infants.
Breast milk also contains very little vitamin D, certainly not enough to prevent vitamin D deficiency in exclusively breastfed infants. But recent studies have shown that moms who take a daily high dose vitamin D supplement of 6,400 IUs a day can increase the vitamin D concentration of their breast milk to a level that provides sufficient vitamin D intake for their infant.
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Micronutrients News
- Vitamin D, iron, and protein may improve hair growth and thickness while sugar-sweetened beverages and alcohol may worsen hair loss.
- Copper-rich diets can boost cognitive performance by up to 25% in older adults.
- Regular intake of vitamin K1, found in leafy greens and plant oils, reduces risk of atherosclerotic disease-related events by 29% and related deaths by 43% among older women.
- Nearly half of people with type 2 diabetes have multiple micronutrient deficiencies—the most common being vitamin D.
- Lower levels of active B12 linked to slower visual processing and cognitive decline, suggesting current guidelines may not adequately ensure brain health.
