IS BREAST MILK THE NEWEST SUPERFOOD?

We're all for investigating the many alternatives to
plain ole cow's milk that are available these days, but
this might be a few steps too far: Apparently the
trendiest superfood in the world of bodybuilding is
human breast milk, and there's a very active, obviously
unregulated market driven by athletes trying to get
their fix.
It's actually not an entirely new fad—whether breast
milk can help athletes build more muscle (or "make
gains") has been a topic of discussion on popular
bodybuilder forums for a few years now. (One
2011 entry from bodybuilding.com reads: "Lately breast
milk often gets a bad wrap [sic] among bodybuilders
for several reasons... none of which I fully understand.
Some claim they get fat, others claim it is too expensive
(???) and still others complain of gastro-intestinal
disorders...Going back in time, you'll find that our
heroes of yore such as Arnold Scwarzenegger [sic] and
Tom Platz accredited much of their gains to breast
milk.")
But apparently demand has been so high lately that
new moms are seeing some serious business potential.
Fox Detroit profiled a Michigan woman this week who
sells her extra breast milk on Craigslist "to the highest
bidder" to the tune of $1 an ounce, minimum. Her
main clientele? Mothers who have trouble nursing,
and...body-builders. She even revealed a text from a
would-be client who noted that his typical offer was $3,
$4 for single moms "to help out." (Charitable!)
MORE FROM HEALTHY EATING
But if the market's booming and this has been a health
trend with these athletes for a while now, the hype
must be justified, right? Actually, no: While breast milk
is, of course, packed with nutrients and vitamins to
help babies thrive and grow as nature intended,
medical professionals would like us to note that it
doesn't have the same worth for adults. (And, let's be
frank—this would have to be really worth it.) "There is
nothing specific in breast milk that will cause adults to
gain muscle mass," Mt. Sinai gynecological director Dr.
Jacques Moritz emphasized to ABC News . In fact, breast
milk actually has less than a third of the protein found
in cow's milk. That's without even mentioning the very
high cost of obtaining it on the Internet, or the fact
that it's quite likely to be contaminated when
purchased this way. (Because, again—not exactly
regulated.)
"It has a higher nutritional profile in some ways, but
it's certainly not worth the effort sourcing it or even
the social distaste from consuming it," nutritionist Dana
James told us when we asked for her thoughts on the
matter. "You'd be better off training for an extra
ten minutes per day than seeking out breast milk."
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But apparently demand has been so high lately that
new moms are seeing some serious business potential.
Fox Detroit profiled a Michigan woman this week who
sells her extra breast milk on Craigslist "to the highest
bidder" to the tune of $1 an ounce, minimum. Her
main clientele? Mothers who have trouble nursing,
and...body-builders. She even revealed a text from a
would-be client who noted that his typical offer was $3,
$4 for single moms "to help out." (Charitable!)