# "Should adults drink breast milk?"



## nogutsnoglory (May 31, 2014)

Bolding is mine for parts I think are most noteworthy for our community. 

"While breast milk offers many health benefits for babies, some adults claim that the benefits don’t stop once you are too old for a crib.

Men who consume breast milk were interviewed recently by New York Magazine about the questionable practice. *The men report significant health benefits from their breast milk habit, such as boosting energy levels and strengthening the immune system. One father stated that breast milk eased the nausea he experienced while receiving chemotherapy.*

This is not a new fad. Men in China, especially those in ill health, have been partaking of breast milk for quite some time, according to The Telegraph.

*The American Pregnancy Association states that breast milk contains fats, proteins, carbohydrates and special immune-boosting cells. Scientists hope to be able to take the beneficial qualities of breast milk and create a treatment for adults who suffer from a wide variety of maladies, including chronic conditions like Crohn’s disease.*

The sale of bodily fluids, including breast milk, is banned on mainstream websites like Craigslist, but there is a growing underground market seeking to meet the increased demand. *Buying breast milk online from strangers comes with significant risks, as breast milk can be contaminated with disease-causing bacteria, such as staph and strep.

Mainstream medical experts are skeptical about the practice. So far, there is only anecdotal evidence that adults gain health benefits from drinking breast milk."*
http://m.ktvu.com/news/news/should-adults-drink-breast-milk/ngBRk/


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## wildbill_52280 (May 31, 2014)

they probably should, but not from a stranger of course.


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## Eternal_Howl (May 31, 2014)

All I can really say is treat it like blood. It might be highly charged with nutrients and antibodies, but it can also be loaded with nasty things. Apart from personal 'question marks' surrounding such practices, I don't really see an issue, as long as the 'donor' doesn't and the milk is 'clean'.
Also, if they go through cleaning cycles, will that involve pasteurization that might kill off the good stuff? I don't think it could become a conventional 'treatment', but remain alternative in nature. However, on saying that, they use poop now to help people (and definitely NOT on the same level), so who knows?


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## kiny (May 31, 2014)

Don't know. Breast milk is filled with antibodies, I wrote something about it: http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?t=47570 . If you drink breast milk the antibodies are going to end up in your intestine.

Here is article too: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2014/01/29/1315792111


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## Kero (Jun 1, 2014)

Interesting info guys. I wonder how many of us were breastfed as babies though. I know I was because my mom was poor


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## nogutsnoglory (Jun 1, 2014)

I was breastfed too but didn't seem to make the difference in preventing IBD.


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## Eternal_Howl (Jun 1, 2014)

nogutsnoglory said:


> I was breastfed too but didn't seem to make the difference in preventing IBD.


Me too.


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## Axelfl3333 (Jun 2, 2014)

Yeuch!no way I,d do that


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## mf15 (Jun 2, 2014)

I have been thinking about this for quite some time. 
It might be able to repopulate the gut bacteria from scratch,provided the bacteria in the milk can survive the acid in an adult stomach. They have just found in the not to distant past like a few months ago that the milk contains the mothers colon bacteria which is then transferred to the baby. They don't know how it gets to the milk.

Another interesting thing they just found out is that the nipple has an immune system which samples the bacterial/virus antigens in the babies mouth, then the mothers immune system makes antibodies, which then go into the milk,and kill the pathogens in the baby.
Old Mike


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## my little penguin (Jun 2, 2014)

My kiddo was breast fed - still dx with Ibd.
I will say any Gi bug he got as an infant /toddler was over quickly compared to the rest of the family when he was nursing - just not sure his it correlates to adults since most infants are breastmilk only which is similar to enteral nutrition only diets on some level .


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## greypup (Jun 8, 2014)

Colostrum, can be taken as a supplement.  It is the property in breast milk that aids the immune system.  

From Wikipedia...
Human colostrum[edit]
Newborns have very immature digestive systems, and colostrum delivers its nutrients in a very concentrated low-volume form. It has a mild laxative effect, encouraging the passing of the baby's first stool, which is called meconium. This clears excess bilirubin, a waste-product of dead red blood cells, which is produced in large quantities at birth due to blood volume reduction, from the infant's body and helps prevent jaundice. Colostrum is known to contain immune cells (as lymphocytes)[4] and many antibodies such as IgA, IgG, and IgM. These are the major components of the adaptive immune system. Inter alia IgA is absorbed through the intestinal epithelium, travels through the blood, and is secreted onto other Type 1 mucosal surfaces[citation needed]. Other immune components of colostrum include the major components of the innate immune system, such as lactoferrin,[5] lysozyme,[6] lactoperoxidase,[7] complement,[8] and proline-rich polypeptides (PRP).[9] A number of cytokines (small messenger peptides that control the functioning of the immune system) are found in colostrum as well,[10] including interleukins,[10] tumor necrosis factor,[11] chemokines,[12] and others. Colostrum also contains a number of growth factors, such as insulin-like growth factors I (IGF-1),[13] and II,[14] transforming growth factors alpha,[15] beta 1 and beta 2,[16][17] fibroblast growth factors,[18] epidermal growth factor,[19] granulocyte-macrophage-stimulating growth factor,[20] platelet-derived growth factor,[20] vascular endothelial growth factor,[21] and colony-stimulating factor-1.[22]

Colostrum is very rich in proteins, vitamin A, and sodium chloride, but contains lower amounts of carbohydrates, lipids, and potassium than mature milk. The most pertinent bioactive components in colostrum are growth factors and antimicrobial factors. The antibodies in colostrum provide passive immunity, while growth factors stimulate the development of the gut. They are passed to the neonate and provide the first protection against pathogens.


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## nogutsnoglory (Jun 8, 2014)

The supplement version is from animals so I don't know how that would fare against human breast milk. I doubt there are any head to head or in this case breast to breast lol studies.


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## greypup (Jun 8, 2014)

LOL. You're right, the colostrum I was giving to our daughter was bovine.

BTW, she was also breastfed for a year. She never had any formula.


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## sir.clausin (Jun 9, 2014)

But the question is, does it contain MAP, the colostrum that is? I Believe the risk is there, but I would love to hear from people that have taken it.


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## greypup (Jun 10, 2014)

FWIW, my daughter took it for a few months, after diagnosis and after surgery.  It was the first supplement that I removed when she continued to have abdominal pains b/c I don't think dairy agrees w/her.  However, we later found out that her pains were due to constipation.  I did not add it back in.


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## David (Jun 13, 2014)

My wife is currently nursing and producing far more milk than our son needs.  It's amazing how many people have offered to purchase it.


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## kellil (May 4, 2017)

though this tread started years ago.  I take Bovine Colostrum that has been a life changer.  However, no transitional milk in it so those of us (me) who has the dairy issues I take it just fine.  I do have to say there is only one certified colostrum out there.  Make sure it's certified 6 hour colostrum with 3rd party testing.   It's been amazing!!!!


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