Mind Lab Pro warns against nootropic use during pregnancy and breastfeeding

Brain health supplements brand Mind Lab Pro is flagging the potential safety risks of new mothers consuming nootropics to manage mental fatigue and brain fog while breastfeeding. While supplements are commonly taken during pregnancy, it warns that not all are safe or suitable when nursing because ingredients can pass into breast milk and affect infants. 

Nutrition Insight speaks to Dr. Andrea Utley, Ph.D., scientific advisor for Mind Lab Pro, who clarifies why most nootropic supplements and smart drugs should be avoided while breastfeeding unless a healthcare provider gives specific approval.

She also discusses how “commonly used” doesn’t automatically mean “safe for everyone” and why the risk-benefit equation changes when nursing an infant is involved.

Which nootropic ingredients raise the biggest concerns during breastfeeding, and why?
Utley: The lack of research evidence makes it difficult to establish the implications of one particular ingredient on infants who have been breastfed. As a consequence, there are many uncertainties related to possible exposure of infants to nootropics and the consequences thereof.

This mainly applies to botanical nootropics, adaptogens, medicinal mushrooms, and synthetic cognitive enhancing drugs, where quality scientific research in lactating women is virtually absent.

For example, ingredients such as ashwagandha, rhodiola, Bacopa monnieri, Ginkgo biloba, lion’s mane mushroom, and racetam-class ingredients should be avoided while breastfeeding, as there is not enough evidence of their safety.

Velazquez warns that in botanical nootropics, adaptogens, medicinal mushrooms, and synthetic cognitive enhancing drugs, quality scientific research in lactating women is virtually absent.The compounds taken by the woman can be transmitted through her breast milk, and an infant’s metabolism system is not fully developed and may react to these compounds in another way than the adult body would. For instance, the kidneys and liver are not functioning at full capacity in newborns.

Are there cognitive support ingredients with stronger safety profiles during breastfeeding?
Utley: In all cases, the general recommendation is that the use of nootropic supplements by nursing mothers is best avoided unless recommended otherwise by a medical professional.

Although some nutrients and substances widely consumed by people have more established safety profiles than most nootropic herbs, the issue with the entire nootropic class is that there isn’t enough research in relation to breastfeeding. The natural nature of the substance does not necessarily equate to safety.

This point is crucial for cognitive health product companies to understand. Just because there are cognitive benefits proven by research among healthy individuals does not mean that these ingredients are safe for use by nursing mothers. It must be remembered that young infants are a vulnerable group.

Which mechanisms determine whether a nootropic ingredient can transfer into breast milk?
Utley: There is no one mechanism for drug transport during lactation, and the physicochemical drug properties influence transport. Drug substrates may be transferred via passive transport, carrier-mediated transport, lipid co-transport, or transcytosis.

The important factors here are the ability of the substance to be absorbed into the mother’s blood system, the molecular weight of the substance, the lipophilic nature of the substance, the rate at which it binds proteins, the half-life, and how it is metabolized.

It is important to note that despite the minimal amount of the substance being secreted into the breast milk, the baby’s metabolic rate is very slow due to the developmental stage of the kidneys and liver of the baby, compared to that of an adult.

What mistakes do consumers and brands most commonly make when assuming a nootropic is “safe” during breastfeeding?
Utley: The first of these misrepresentations is to assume that “natural” must always mean “safe.” Very few plant compounds and botanicals have been tested adequately in lactating women.

Another erroneous assumption is to make conclusions based on efficacy or safety data from healthy adults. Proof of cognitive enhancement in adults does not prove safety for lactating mothers and babies.

Companies can unwittingly exaggerate their certainty about certain compounds by using terms that imply safety in the context of lactation despite a lack of such information.

How should cognitive health brands approach formulation and communication for postpartum consumers without overstepping safety evidence?
Utley: Transparency is preferable to marketing claims regarding brands. Rather than marketing the nootropic as a solution to brain fog and fatigue after birth, the company would be better served by communicating that breastfeeding presents a physiological condition for which there is little safety data available.

It is irresponsible for companies to create formulations containing ingredients that have not yet had sufficient research done on lactation safety, but even more so for companies to claim breastfeeding safety based on an ingredient being natural or clinically studied. Consumers need to be encouraged to speak with their healthcare professional regarding taking any supplements.

In conclusion, the key to maintaining consumer confidence is to be transparent about the current data available. There should be a clear message — safety first.