Is Breast Milk the Ultimate Energy Drink?


Is Breast Milk the Ultimate Energy Drink?

Watch out, Red Bull. There’s a new natural beverage in town

You know how it is. You’re at the gym, pumping iron, benching 250, maybe 300. It’s fine, it’s OK, but you’re not fully satisfied. You want to take your weight training to the next level. You could pound a protein shake, but that won’t give you quite the boost you need. If only there was a better option, a game-changing energy drink.

According to some athletes, there is: breast milk!

Yup, you heard me. The latest nutrition fad among athletes and bodybuilders involves imbibing human breast milk. Stay with me here: breast is (famously) best for infants, the list of health benefits for babies of “liquid gold” is so long that it almost defies belief. Really, it was only a matter of time before a grown man got to thinking and concluded that what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Why should little babies monopolize this magical manna?

Thanks to Craig’s List and special breast-milk exchange websites like Only The Breast, anyone who is willing to shell out $2.50 per ounce can enjoy a nice frothy cup of human milk. Mothers who are having trouble nursing are the most obvious purchasers, but male bodybuilders are right behind them—and gaining, fast.

The fad’s got enough momentum among bodybuilders that experts are chiming in. And, as you might or might not expect, what they are saying is this: Don’t throw out the protein shakes just yet. Because not only is breast milk not particularly beneficial for adults, but it could even be harmful.

Consider that the breast-milk market is unregulated. As such, customers don’t actually know what they’re consuming. The New York Times reported last October that “64% of samples from milk-sharing sites were contaminated with staph, 36% with strep, and almost three-quarters with other bacterial species.”

Not quite so thirsty now, are you, boys?


Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com

Nicole C. Kear, is the author of Now I See You: A Memoir, recently published by St. Martin’s Press. Kear, who lives in New York City, is also an editor, speaker, and mother of three.

Please feel free to contact us with any comments or questions.


Send to friend

Download our ESME app for a smoother experience.

Get the app Get the app