Italiano
As it comes to the world of Food and Beverage, there are hundreds of false myths.
And, there is one, which has actually been around since the dawn of time: “Beer increases breastfeeding, as it promotes milk production”.
Not much of an overstatement there.
This belief has literally existed for millennia!
A long way back!
In ancient Egypt, zythum, a malt beer, was produced in bakers’ shops. This, despite being appreciated by all social strata of the population, was recommended to women both as a remedy for intestinal disorders and as a galactagogue (as those substances that induce and improve lactation in mammals are called).
The custom arrived in the Greek Poleis and in Imperial Rome: beer was considered a substance for women, used for cosmetics and, indeed, as a galactagogue (catchy name, isn’t it?).
In the Middle Ages, the fortunes of beer took different paths depending on the geographical area: far more appreciated north of the Alps than in the Mediterranean.
However, it was also recognized as having healthy properties, such as stimulating diuresis (which it actually does, right??).
What does Science say?
Centuries pass, and… this myth is still alive!
But what is the truth?
Well, like everything related to science, there is no truth, other than what scientific studies have so far proven true or false.
There is a study, called Beer and Breastfeeding (B.Koletzko, F.Lehner, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany), which claims that, yes, «there are clear indications that beer can stimulate prolactin secretion which may enhance lactogenesis».
However, this is due to a polysaccharide from barley, and not to the beer itself.
Indeed, to be honest, some studies have even «shown a reduced breast milk intake by infants after moderate alcohol consumption of their mothers», although there have not yet been any research showing more solid evidence.
In conclusion, citing another research on the subject, Alcohol and breastfeeding, by a team of scholars from the OUH Odense Universitetshospital – Svendborg Sygehus, (Denmark): «occasional drinking while breastfeeding has not been convincingly shown to adversely affect nursing infants».
Wait! Hold back your toasts…
Even if a beer every now and then doesn’t hurt either the mother or the baby, it is still recommended that «lactating women should simply follow standard recommendations on alcohol consumption».
Anyway: if you work in catering and/or hospitalityindustry and you are interested in my #copywriting and/or #contentwriting services, just DM me!
