The effect of Moringa oleifera capsule in increasing breast milk volume in early postpartum patients: A double-blind, randomized controlled trial

This Thai study examined whether moringa leaf capsules could help new mothers produce more breast milk in the critical first days after birth. Researchers gave 88 women either 450mg moringa capsules or placebo pills twice daily for three days, starting within 72 hours of delivery. While the moringa group produced 47% more breast milk on average (73.5mL vs 50mL), this difference wasn't statistically significant (p=0.19). However, the study found an encouraging long-term outcome: 52.3% of mothers in the moringa group were still exclusively breastfeeding at 6 months, meeting the World Health Organization's target of 50%. The study was well-designed as a double-blind, randomized controlled trial, meaning neither mothers nor researchers knew who received moringa versus placebo. The short 3-day intervention period may have limited the ability to detect significant differences in milk production, as lactation establishment typically takes several days to weeks. Despite the mixed immediate results, the higher rate of sustained exclusive breastfeeding suggests moringa supplementation in early postpartum may have beneficial effects on long-term breastfeeding success.