Beer is an excellent source of vitamin B due to brewer’s yeast. A frequent deficiency of vitamin B in the 60’s influenced the fact that beer began to be associated with breastfeeding.
But an expert rarely recommends breastfeeding women to drink beer. Namely, the thesis that beer contributes to lactation has not been scientifically proven.
Still, as one of the most common fears of young mothers is that they will run out of milk and not be able to breastfeed, they kneel and follow the advice of “grandmothers”.
Mostly someone shyly mentions it, like did you hear, is that possible? The vast majority of mothers are against any alcohol.
They say that the myth is that beer stimulates milk production, and the fact that beer is alcohol also passes directly to the child through breast milk. Even non-alcoholic beer is not one hundred percent alcohol-free; they claim.
Only a couple of them stand in defense of a different attitude; they point out that it is a glass every other day or once a week, and they are sure to cite the example of an acquaintance who was helped.
To substantiate their position, they cite authorities who advised them a small beer as a welcome help on the road to long-term breastfeeding.
Most experts are against any alcohol, including beer, and do not think that it helps more than water or tea. It is the attitude of pediatricians, and even nutritionists do not find the magic beer formula.
– I think that, as far as lactation is concerned, a plate of boiled chard and potatoes will help more than a bottle of beer – say the world’s nutritionists.
Top Picks
1. Erdinger Weissbier German Wheat beer Non-alcoholic Beer – Editor’s Pick
It is one of the best German beers made in Bavaria. This type of Erdinger is non-alcoholic, full-bodied, and without added chemical additives.
The package comes as six pieces of 330 ml. It is made according to the strictest Bavarian Purity Law 1516, using malt, water, hops, and yeast, and It has less than 0.5 percent alcohol.
2. Beck’s Non-Alcoholic Beer – Best Beer With Fruity Taste
Beck’s non-alcoholic beer is not bitter at all; it has a light taste and is reminiscent of classic German beers. It has a slightly fruity taste and a vibrant color in appearance. It is made according to the purity law of 1516 and has 0.5 percent alcohol.
It would be best to drink this beer 2 hours before breastfeeding, never drink beer and breastfeed at the same time.
3. Big Drop Chocolate Milk Stout
This beer has a beautiful brown taste and less than 0.5 percent ABV. They knew that there was very little alcohol in it, and the chocolate taste did not take over the taste of beer but was just enough. With a balanced taste, this can be the right choice for breastfeeding mothers.
History of the beer
And when it is already quite clear which attitude is more accepted, an unusual beer is a beer for breastfeeding mothers and athletes—Samuel Smith oatmeal stout, dark beer, made in an 18th-century factory in Yorkshire, England.
Namely, beer was immediate, in prehistoric times, recognized as a beverage with a beneficial effect on human health and hygiene. “It is made from boiled water, it contains alcohol, it is stabilized with carbon dioxide, all of which prevented epidemics, so beer is essential,” says one Czech doctor.
Throughout history, beer has proven beneficial: it stops osteoporosis, protects against skin infections, prevents tooth decay, reduces the risk of heart attack, lowers blood pressure, eliminates fear, increases muscle efficiency, and improves mental health.
Mentioned oat stout (oatmeal) due to its warm and mild nature was often a nutritional drink and has long been recommended to breastfeeding mothers.
As for milk, there used to be a trendy beer in the British Isles called Milk Stout. This English dark strong beer was produced with the addition of lactose (milk sugar), but in 1946 the use of the name Milk Stout was banned because consumers thereby misled, thinking that milk was added to the beer. In some other countries, the name is still used.
As for Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout, it is produced with oatmeal and restores the type that was once very popular. But the British have an even better oat stout – MacClay Oat Malt Stout, which is cooked in Scotland, not from oatmeal, but malted oats.
There are many others, and in addition to Britain, they are especially popular in America and often have recommendations for pregnant women and mothers in advertising campaigns.
Future and current young mothers see some other beers as their target group, which can be seen from their promotional messages.
“The risk of alcohol in pregnant women is enormous, and it is often underestimated,” says the author of the Great Czech Beer Book. “It’s not just the first three months of pregnancy when the fetus is most vulnerable.
There are scientific papers that prove that one drunken mother around the sixth month of pregnancy can cause permanent damage to children. It can be dyslexia, dysgraphia, social behavior, or aggression.
Such phenomena, usually called “mild brain dysfunction”, which are not uncommon, fall into all sorts of reasons, and one of them is undoubtedly the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy.
But despite the awareness that beer is nutritious and healthy, and even if we believe it promotes lactation, it is not difficult to understand the angry reactions of doctors who reject any thought that young mothers should be recommended.
Namely, there is still alcohol in beer; it is addictive, so it is inappropriate for its consumption to be supported by someone who, by the nature of things, would have to stand up for the opposite.
Therefore, we also add the usual fence, which we never forget: only moderate consumption is good consumption.
