Breast feeding... Babies versus Adults, who needs it more...

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The World Breastfeeding Week kicked off this year from 1 - 7 August, 2017, and this year is about working together for the common good!

However, what is breast milk, is it beneficial for adults as it is for babies? find out more below...

According to Wikipedia, "Breast milk is the milk produced by the breasts (or mammary glands) of a human female to feed a child. Milk is the main source of nutrition for newborns babies before they are able to eat and digest other foods; older infants and toddlers may continue to be breastfed, either exclusively or in combination with other foods from around six months of age when solid foods may be introduced". This is in conformity with the advise from WHO, that suggests - "its best to do exclusive breastfeeding for first 6 months of birth, with solid foods gradually being introduced around this age when signs of readiness are shown", as such, feeding your baby breast milk is recommended because of the nutritional benefits it provides.

Breast milk is best for your baby but is it equally good for adults?

Breast milk is known to be the best for babies because of its many vitamins, mineral, proteins and enzymes that breast milk contains, however, of recent, a new health trend is sweeping the US as babies might not be the only ones with a taste for breast milk. Already, many adults in America are using breast milk as health and fitness supplement of which the trend is already in the UK.

According to babygaga, below are some reasons everyone should be drinking breast milk-

It is all natural
Potentially very cheap
It can boost energy
Good way to gain weight fast
Good for acne
Can sooth a sore throat
Can fight against E-coli
Fights Against Crohn’s Disease
It Is Good For Diabetes
It Can Be Used To Treat Arthritis
*It Can Be Used During Intimate Moments Between Partners
*It Could Be Used To Fight Cancer etc

The belief that breast milk can fight cancer or any other medical problem is controversial, just as are any health benefits of breast milk for adults, but it is not entirely crazy. In short, breast milk contains what is called Hamlet, which has been confirmed to attack cancer cells. It has been shown to attack cancer cells in 40 different kinds of tumors. Needless to say, this could be a major breakthrough in cancer research. It is still early to get too excited about it, but who knows what the future could bring.

Furthermore, as reported by Newsweek, The breast milk black market is lucrative and booming, as the nourishment for babies has become increasingly popular among some men who believe drinking it improves athletic performance or can cure life-threatening and chronic diseases such as cancer and erectile dysfunction. Some men who buy breast milk on the black market also claim to be fulfilling a fetishistic need, while others say it is a “clean” source of protein or contains antibodies that could boost the adult immune system.

However, experts are puzzled by this strange phenomenon as breast milk is meant for babies and not adults. It may be vital to point out that we are not the first to use breast milk as adults. In ancient Egypt, breast milk was blended with honey and used as medicine. Today, some men are using nutrient rich breast milk as key to their gym success. According to New York Magazine, a source said that "It gives me incredible energy I don't get from other food and drinks."

Another said- “I don’t believe in steroids or other energy supplements, none of that garbage… I want natural stuff that’s God-given.” And on bodybuilding forums across the internet, bodybuilders are praising breast milk benefits, with some of them calling it “the greatest supplement ever” (BodyBuilding.com)

However, since this is not a product you can get at the store, as such, when men are seeking for breast milk, some are turning to sites such as onlythebreast.com, which connects lactating woman wanting to sell or donate their milk with buyers.
Founder of OnlyTheBreast.com said the company has had mainly “Men Buying Breast Milk” category since inception adding it's not surprising there’s demand for breast milk among men. In an interview with TODAY.com, Snow said that “We think breast milk is amazing and can be used for many health and wellness purposes regardless of the age or gender of the person seeking its benefits,”

More so, The men’s classified ads feature pleas for breast milk from all corners of the U.S., including “a retired firefighter looking to fix my health” in Lewiston, Idaho, and an “older man seeking fresh breastmilk for health reasons” in Fort Worth, Texas. (Some of the ads appear to ask for more than just nourishment, such as the “Niagara Region gentleman” looking for both breast milk and an “ongoing personal relationship.”)

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Furthermore, Snow said, only a small fraction of the site’s members seek milk for their own health and wellness, with most focused on helping mothers share milk with babies in need.

In a different opinion, Elisa Zied, author of “Younger Next Week.” who is a registered dietitian nutritionist in New York, said that there is no evidence that breast milk has a protective role in the health of adults, as "Human breast milk is designed to nourish babies — not grown men" as she pointed out that it is "unsubstantiated by science"

More so, Dr. Claire McCarthy, a pediatrician and medical communications editor at Boston Children’s Hospital surmised that...
"Breast milk contains immunoglobulins that help fight infection—but they are immunoglobulins that, for the most part, adults have and infants don’t" According to McCarthy..." human milk was meant for humans while cow’s milk was meant for cows, so by that reasoning, human milk would be healthier for people to drink than cow’s milk. But at the same time, it’s also meant for human babies, not adults" Both contributors in this debate against adults drinking breast milk ( Zied & McCarthy) were worried about the risk of disease when drinking breast milk from unknown source.

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In the words of McCarthy..."“Milk is a bodily fluid and can carry infections that are present in the body, such as HIV, hepatitis and others” In the same vein, FDA warns that "Human milk that’s obtained directly from individuals or through the Internet is not likely to come from a donor who was adequately screened for disease or contamination risk"
The agency recommends that parents who are seeking donor milk for their babies contact the Human Milk Banking Association of North America, which dispenses milk by prescription or by hospital purchase order only. The association has safety guidelines for screening donors, and collecting, processing, handling, testing and storing milk.

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It should also be noted that certain women who sell their breast milk on the black market are not concerned with quality control as such may not have sufficiently sanitized before pumping or made sure their milk was refrigerated during transport. Like any product, milk can become contaminated with bacteria, causing food-borne illness. More so, breast milk from black market may contain other pathogens that cause serious infectious diseases, such as hepatitis and syphilis. Since some diseases do not have symptoms, a woman may not even be aware that she is infected when she sells her breast milk. Also a study found human milk bought and sold on the Internet may be contaminated. As such, Zied advised adults to stick with proven nutrition guidelines.

So my lovely Steemians, my question is;
Which do you prefer

Human breast milk
Cow milk
Goat milk
I do not drink milk

Give reasons for your answer in the comment option...

Remember to be health smart, eat right, exercise daily and get enough rest as life has no duplicate. Resteem this vital info for others to benefit and follow me for more. Support by upvoting.

Do check my previous post titled-Natural ways to treat tumors in human & pets -
https://steemit.com/health/@kenhudoy/natural-ways-to-treat-tumors-in-humans-and-pets

Find out more info on what makes breast milk so good for your baby, and how to store breast milk plus section on breast pumping here- http://www.parents.com/baby/breastfeeding/breast-milk/

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