No guideline we read bans ghee while breastfeeding or recommends it, and we found no human trial showing that ghee increases breast-milk supply. India's ICMR-NIN guidelines add 600 kcal a day for the first six months of breastfeeding but give no ghee figure for nursing mothers. Your doctor or lactation consultant knows your health and your baby's, so follow their advice first.
At a glance
- ICMR-NIN's Dietary Guidelines for Indians (2024) add 600 kcal a day in the first six months of lactation and 520 kcal a day in the next six.
- ICMR-NIN's fats chapter says visible fat should be restricted during pregnancy and lactation, and gives no ghee figure for breastfeeding mothers.
- ICMR-NIN's balanced-diet table lists 35 g of fats and oils a day for a lactating woman, which is 7 teaspoons at its 5 g teaspoon.
- A 2020 Cochrane review of 41 trials of foods, herbs and medicines given to increase milk does not name ghee among the foods tested.
- A 2023 AIIMS-DST clinical guideline on weight after childbirth says added fat and refined sugar in ladoos and panjirees should be discouraged.
Is it safe to eat ghee while breastfeeding?
The guidelines we read neither forbid nor prescribe ghee while breastfeeding. ICMR-NIN counts ghee as a visible fat and a source of saturated fat, and says visible fat should be restricted during lactation. The NHS says breastfeeding mothers do not need a special diet. Whether ghee fits your own diet is a question for your doctor.
The Dietary Guidelines for Indians (2024) from the ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition say that vegetable oils, butter and ghee make up dietary visible fats. They list ghee with coconut oil, palm oil, butter and lard among the foods that contain saturated fatty acids. For adults in general, they advise limiting ghee or butter to 1 to 2 teaspoons a day, or avoiding it if possible.
The same guidelines also say there is no need to avoid any specific foods because of wrong food beliefs and taboos. So neither the belief that ghee is harmful nor the belief that it is essential is a reason to change your diet. Our article on ghee during pregnancy covers the months before birth.
What do the ICMR-NIN guidelines say about breastfeeding mothers?
ICMR-NIN says a lactating woman needs an extra 600 kcal and 13.6 g of protein a day in the first six months, and an extra 520 kcal and 10.6 g of protein in the next six. It says most of these needs can be met through a balanced diet, with daily iron and folic acid supplements.
On fat, the guidelines say two things. The fats chapter states that during pregnancy and lactation, oil seeds, nuts, beans and fish must be encouraged to meet the higher fat and essential fatty acid needs of the foetus and infant. It then states that during these periods visible fat should be restricted and trans fat avoided.
Separately, the guidelines' balanced-diet table (Table 1.6) lists daily food groups by body weight. Its fats and oils figures:
| Group in ICMR-NIN Table 1.6 | Fats and oils a day | Teaspoons (÷ 5 g) | Energy from that fat (× 9 kcal) | Total energy of the day's foods |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woman, 55 kg, sedentary | 25 g | 5 | 225 kcal | ~1,660 kcal |
| Woman, 55 kg, moderate activity | 30 g | 6 | 270 kcal | ~2,125 kcal |
| Lactating woman, 0–6 months | 35 g | 7 | 315 kcal | ~2,245 kcal |
| Lactating woman, 7–12 months | 35 g | 7 | 315 kcal | ~2,200 kcal |
The table lists fats and oils as one group. We found no ghee figure for breastfeeding mothers anywhere in the guidelines, so this article gives none.
How does grams of fat turn into teaspoons of ghee?
ICMR-NIN's household measures put one teaspoon at 5 g, and the guidelines say fat provides 9 kcal per gram. So one level teaspoon of ghee is about 5 g and about 45 kcal. Two teaspoons, the top of the guidelines' general limit for ghee or butter, are about 10 g and 90 kcal.
- One teaspoon: 5 g × 9 kcal = 45 kcal.
- Two teaspoons: 10 g × 9 kcal = 90 kcal.
- Against the extra 600 kcal: one teaspoon is 45 ÷ 600 = 7.5 per cent of it; two teaspoons are 90 ÷ 600 = 15 per cent.
- Against the table's 35 g of fats and oils: two teaspoons of ghee would be 10 of those 35 g, leaving 25 g for every other oil and fat used that day.
So even at the general limit, ghee would be a small share of the extra energy. Our guide to ghee spoon measures in grams explains why a heaped spoon holds more than a level one, and our article on how much ghee per day covers the adult limits in detail.
Does ghee increase breast-milk supply?
We found no human trial showing that it does. A PubMed search on 12 October 2026 for ghee with lactation, breastfeeding or breast milk returned 29 records, and none was a trial of ghee and milk supply. A 2020 Cochrane review of 41 trials of foods, herbs and medicines given to increase milk does not name ghee among the foods tested.
That review, by Foong and colleagues, covered 3,005 mothers of healthy term babies and rated the overall certainty of the evidence low to very low. The natural foods and herbs named in its summary include fenugreek, fennel, ginger, moringa and palm dates, but not ghee.
ICMR-NIN describes milk supply in different terms. It says on-demand feeding and frequent suckling ensure optimal breast-milk production, and that adequate growth of the baby indicates an adequate supply. It also says that inadequate secretion of breast milk is only a misconception, and that mothers should not stop breastfeeding because of it.
If you are worried about your supply, ask your doctor or a lactation consultant.
What are panjiri and gond laddu, and why are they given to new mothers?
They are traditional postpartum foods in parts of India, made with fat and sugar and given to new mothers by their families. A 2025 Punjab interview study describes panjiri as a high-calorie snack of ghee, nuts, dried fruits, sugar and herbal gums, given to improve lactation and warm the body. That is what families believe, not a tested effect.
The Punjab study, by Sharma and colleagues, interviewed 20 first-time mothers. Women who had a vaginal birth were encouraged to eat panjiri, prepared by their mothers and mothers-in-law. Doctors advised women who had a caesarean section to avoid it, because high-calorie foods are believed to slow wound healing. A questionnaire in a 2023 AIIMS-DST clinical guideline lists gond ladoo, dry fruit panjiri and excessive ghee among foods believed to increase milk formation.
The same guideline takes a cautious line on them:
- It notes that new mothers are usually fed ghee and other high-calorie foods, such as ladoos rich in fat and sugar, to meet higher energy needs.
- It says the focus on calorie-dense rather than nutrient-dense foods generally results in weight gain and micronutrient deficiencies after birth.
- It advises that, after delivery, emphasis should be laid on avoiding excessive ghee and sugar-rich foods.
- It says added fat and refined sugar in ladoos and panjirees should be discouraged.
The guideline was written for managing overweight and obesity after childbirth, so ask your doctor how it applies to you.
Which popular claims hold up?
None of the common claims about ghee and breastfeeding has trial evidence behind it. The extra energy need is real, but ICMR-NIN says most of a lactating woman's needs can be met through a balanced diet, and it names no single food. Each claim against what we found:
| Popular claim | Evidence found | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Ghee increases breast-milk supply | No human trial found; not named in a 2020 Cochrane review of 41 trials | No evidence found |
| A new mother needs a lot of extra ghee for energy | ICMR-NIN adds 600 kcal a day but says visible fat should be restricted; no ghee figure | Not supported |
| Panjiri and gond laddu help recovery after birth | Tradition described in a Punjab interview study and a 2023 guideline; no trial found; a 2023 guideline discourages their added fat and sugar | Tradition only |
| Ghee must be avoided while breastfeeding | No guideline found that bans it; ICMR-NIN says not to avoid foods because of wrong beliefs | Not supported |
Who should ask a doctor before eating more ghee?
Every breastfeeding mother can ask, but advice matters most if you had a caesarean, have diabetes, high cholesterol or a heart condition, are trying to lose weight gained in pregnancy, or are undernourished. A doctor, dietitian or lactation consultant can fit your diet to your recovery and your baby's growth.
ICMR-NIN also says lactating women should not take medicines without medical advice, and that many medicines, caffeine and alcohol pass into breast milk. At Himdhara we make ghee, so we have an interest in people eating it. That is why this article reports what the guidelines say and suggests no amount of its own. The laboratory report for each Himdhara batch is on our lab reports page.
The short version
No guideline we read bans or recommends ghee while breastfeeding. ICMR-NIN adds 600 kcal a day for the first six months, says visible fat should be restricted during lactation, and gives no ghee figure for nursing mothers. We found no human trial showing that ghee increases milk supply, and panjiri and gond laddu are tradition rather than tested foods. A teaspoon of ghee is about 5 g and 45 kcal. Follow your doctor's or lactation consultant's advice on your own diet.
Sources
Further reading behind the figures above. Himdhara's own numbers — yields, batch results — come from our production records and the batch reports on the lab reports page.
- ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition (2024). Dietary Guidelines for Indians. ICMR-NIN, Hyderabad.
- Foong SC, Tan ML, Foong WC, Marasco LA, Ho JJ, Ong JH (2020). Oral galactagogues (natural therapies or drugs) for increasing breast milk production in mothers of non-hospitalised term infants. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
- Kumari A, Ranjan P, Vikram NK, et al. (2023). Evidence and consensus-based clinical practice guideline for the management of obesity and overweight in postpartum women: An AIIMS-DST initiative. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care.
- Sharma P, Bagga R, Khan M, et al. (2025). Maternal health education and social support needs across the perinatal continuum of care: a thematic analysis of interviews with postpartum women in Punjab, India. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth.
- NHS (2026). Breastfeeding and diet. NHS website.