A number of male athletes are apparently turning to human breast milk as a natural alternative to energy drinks.
Anthony, a 30-something athlete from Queens, New York, told NYMag.com that he’s met ‘a lot of guys’ at different gyms who consume ‘the good stuff’.
He typically buys the rich and creamy fluid online, from sites including Only the Breast and Human Milk 4 Human Babies, for about $2.50 an ounce. The fitness fanatic says that it gives him ‘incredible energy’.
Addressing critics who may brand him ‘weird’, he continued: ‘I don’t believe in steroids or other energy supplements, none of that garbage.
‘I want natural stuff that’s God-given, and if it’s okay with moms looking to get rid of [the breast milk], I’ll take it.’
Other less athletic men who drink breast milk agree that it makes them feel healthier.
‘I want natural stuff that’s God-given, and if it’s okay with moms looking to get rid of the breast milk, I’ll take it’
David, 42, from Brooklyn, told the site that he first drank breast milk three years ago in a bid to alleviate nausea caused by chemotherapy.
He said that the ‘sweet’ and ‘ambrosial’ drink was an effective remedy.
And Jason Nash, 55, who tasted breast milk when he and his wife welcomed their first baby, believes it staves off illness.
He is still quaffing it 17 years and four children on, either drinking it neat or stirring it into his morning coffee.
He is fastidious about where his breast milk comes from though, refusing to buy via mail order, UPS, or FedEx.
Jason says he insists on meeting donors in person and even checks their medical records.
And it would seem there is some sense in those precautions.
The sale or donation of human breast milk is not regulated by the government, therefore there are no formal safety standards for collecting and storing it.
Last year, researchers from the Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, purchased breast milk from a popular breast milk-sharing website and analysed the samples for contamination.
They found that 74per cent were contaminated with disease-causing bacteria caused by improper collection, storage and shipping.
Given the risk of contamination, the Food and Drug Administration strongly recommends against websites that buy, sell or donate breast milk.
Americanpregnancy.org notes that breast milk has three different and distinct stages.
Colostrum is the first stage of breast milk that occurs during pregnancy and lasts for several days after the birth of the baby.
It is either yellowish or creamy in color, thick in texture and is high in protein, fat-soluble vitamins, minerals, and antibodies.
Transitional milk occurs after colostrum and lasts for approximately two weeks.
The content includes high levels of fat, lactose, water-soluble vitamins, and contains more calories than colostrum.
Mature milk is the final milk that is produced. To maintain hydration of the infant, 90per cent is water and the other ten per cent is comprised of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats which are necessary for both growth and energy.
Jan Barger, a lactation consultant, told NYmag.com that it is common for chemotherapy patients to drink breast milk because it’s easier to digest than the animal equivalent.
However, she doubts that breast milk would offer benefits to healthy people since it’s designed to feed infants, not 200-pound-plus men.
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