Research
Macro partitioning
The recommended protein increment during lactation should be approximately 20 g/day (rather than 15 g/day) when accounting for non-protein nitrogen in human milk, a value consistent with nitrogen balance studies.
Increase your daily protein intake by about 20 grams while breastfeeding. This accounts for the protein lost in milk, including non-protein nitrogen components.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
However, if one takes into account the protein cost of non-protein nitrogen in human milk, the recommended increment in protein is about 20 g/day. The latter value is consistent with data from nitrogen balance studies in lactating women.
Why this rating
Based on factorial calculations and nitrogen balance studies, though some metabolic studies suggest needs may be even higher.
Source
ENERGY AND PROTEIN REQUIREMENTS DURING LACTATION
Kathryn G. Dewey · Annual Review of Nutrition · 1997
DOI 10.1146/annurev.nutr.17.1.19
narrative_reviewCited 176×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- The additional energy requirement for exclusive breastfeeding is approximately 670 kcal/day, but allowing for gradual maternal weight loss reduces the net dietary increment needed to approximately 500 kcal/day.Strong
- Lactating women with adequate fat reserves can sustain milk volume and energy output despite moderate negative energy balance (gradual weight loss up to 0.5 kg/week) without adverse effects on lactation performance.Good
Related findings · Macro partitioning
- Total daily protein intake of 1.6 g/kg/day is sufficient for maximizing resistance training-induced muscle gains, with an upper confidence interval of 2.2 g/kg/day.Strong
- Resistance exercise training combined with sufficient dietary protein intake acts synergistically to maximize skeletal muscle hypertrophy, with protein intake saturating around 1.6 g/kg/day for general populations and potentially requiring 2.0-2.2 g/kg/day for resistance-trained individuals.Strong
- Trans fats should be completely eliminated from the diet, as they increase LDL cholesterol, decrease HDL cholesterol, and are directly associated with increased coronary risk.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →