Is it true that Katuk Leaves Make Milk More Smooth?

Medical Video: Chakramuni Sauropus androgynus known as sweet leaf: katuk shrub

Does your milk just come out so that you feel unable to meet the baby's needs? This is a common problem in nursing mothers. Some relatives around you might suggest you eat katuk leaves. Yes, katuk leaves are claimed to be able to help increase breast milk production so that breast milk expenditure is more smoothly.

However, is this true or just a suggestion?

Popularity of katuk leaves in Indonesia to facilitate breastfeeding

Breast milk is the baby's main food that contains all the nutrients needed by the baby, so it is recommended for all mothers to give breast milk to their babies immediately after giving birth until the baby is 6 months-2 years old. However, some of you may encounter problems when giving breast milk to babies.

Sometimes in the middle of the road, some mothers feel that their milk is little and not enough for the baby. Various ways are done by mothers to still be able to provide enough milk for their babies. One of the traditional ways trusted by Indonesians is to eat katuk leaves.

Katuk leaves or Sauropus androgynus (L.) Merr is a plant that exists in Indonesia and various countries in Asia that have many benefits. One of the benefits of the famous katuk leaf is to facilitate breastfeeding. Nursing mothers are usually advised to consume katuk leaves by cooking them first or eating them directly as fresh vegetables. Some may consume it by making it into herbs or boiling katuk leaves and drinking the stew water. However, along with the times to make it easier for nursing mothers to benefit from katuk leaves, now there are many products from katuk leaves.

Is daun katuk proven to facilitate ASI?

Some studies show that katuk leaves can facilitate milk production. One of them is research published by the Indonesian Ministry of Health's Research and Development Agency in 2004. This study shows that giving katuk leaf extract to nursing mothers with a dose of 3 x 200 mg per day for 15 days after giving birth can increase milk production compared to breastfeeding mothers not given katuk leaf extract. This study was attended by 96 breastfeeding mothers who were divided into two groups, and the group of breastfeeding mothers who were given katuk leaf extract could produce 50.7% more milk than breastfeeding mothers who were not given katuk leaf extract.

Review by A. J. A. Petrus regarding Sauropus androgynus (L.) Merr published by the Asian Journal of Chemistry, explains that katuk leaves function to facilitate ASI is related to the content of galactagogue in it. Galactogogue is a compound that can trigger an increase in milk production.

Other ingredients in katuk leaves are carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamin A, some B vitamins, vitamin C, calcium, iron, and many more. The content of vitamin C in the leaves of katuk adds to the function of leaf katuk as an antioxidant.

Another reason why katuk leaves can facilitate ASI production is probably because of the hormonal effects it causes. The study, published by the Journal of Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics in 2010, proves that katuk leaves can increase prolactin and oxytocin gene expression in breastfeeding mice. Please note that prolactin and oxytocin are two hormones that affect milk production.

However, you can't just eat katuk leaves

One of the compounds that can increase ASI production is galactagogue. In addition to the katuk leaves, galactogogue can be found in fenugreek, blessed thistle, and alphaalfa. However, galactogogue only works when breast milk is often excreted or smoked by babies. Therefore, galactogogue in katuk leaves is more effective in increasing milk production when breastfeeding mothers also often give breast milk to babies.

If you only eat katuk leaves but still rarely breastfeed your baby, maybe the katuk leaf function to facilitate breastfeeding cannot work optimally.

For you breastfeeding mothers, katuk leaves may be a food that you must consume, especially for those of you who experience problems with little breastfeeding. However, once again keep in mind that the consumption of katuk leaves should be accompanied by breastfeeding more frequently to babies so that ASI production is more maximal. Baby sucking is one of the triggers of ASI production by giving signals to the brain to release the hormones needed for milk production.

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