Scientists tell how breast milk tastes and whether adults can drink it

Scientists have long known that newborns love breast milk. And some adults wonder why this happens. And, of course, many are interested in how breast milk tastes. Scientists told Live Science what breast milk contains and whether adults can drink it.

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According to Alexa Mises Malchak, MD, family physician at the Center for Family Medicine, North Carolina, USA, breast milk tastes completely different from cow’s milk. And the taste of this milk is affected both by the food consumed by the mother of the child, the time of day, and the lifestyle of the mother of the newborn.

How does breast milk taste?

As recent studies by American scientists have shown, the taste of breast milk is different for different mothers. However, it is known with certainty that breast milk often has a sweet and creamy taste. At the same time, according to scientists, breast milk is different from cow’s milk. Yes, they’re both made up of similar ingredients that contain lactose, but cow’s milk is higher in fat and contains more minerals and protein.

This does not mean that all this is not in breast milk, only cow’s milk contains elements that are more necessary for the cow. At the same time, breast milk contains antibodies, stem cells, enzymes and hormones, as well as minerals, proteins and fats that are necessary for the newborn in the first stage of his life.

Research shows that the creamy taste of breast milk is most likely due to the 3.5% to 4.5% fat it contains. This is exactly the fat content of breast milk. At the same time, after processing, cow’s milk has only 3.25% fat content. Also, breast milk is always very warm compared to regular milk from the supermarket, with a temperature of around 37 degrees Celsius.

According to Mises Malczak, breast milk, like cow’s milk, can spoil if kept in a separate container for too long. As a result, breast milk begins to smell rotten and taste bitter. According to the research of American scientists, freezing breast milk to preserve it will cause its taste to become unpleasant.

What can affect the taste of breast milk?

According to Alexa Mises Malchak, breast milk contains all the nutrients necessary for a child’s development. But these substances consist of food consumed by a nursing mother. But nature has made sure that milk contains exactly the substances that a newborn needs for growth and development, especially in the first six weeks of a child’s life.

“The first milk that the mother drinks after birth is called colostrum. It is very low in sugar, but contains enough of the elements necessary to strengthen the baby’s immune system. After about a week or two, the mother receives another type of colostrum. It already has more sugar and also more other nutrients. And after a month and a half, breast milk consists of a more or less constant composition of nutrients, such as sugar, fats, vitamins and minerals, and this milk does not change until the end of breastfeeding, “says Mises Malchak.

But scientists say the taste and composition of breast milk can also be affected by antibodies from the mother if the mother gets sick. Even during a feeding, the taste and fat content of milk can change. If it is juicier at first, it is oilier at the end of the feeding.

Research shows that the taste of breast milk is influenced not only by the foods a nursing mother consumes, but also by physical activity as well as alcohol or smoking. For example, spicy or high-sugar foods can alter the taste of milk.

“What the mother eats, the ingredients in her food, definitely passes into breast milk. This also applies to alcohol and even caffeine,” says Mises Malchak.

Can adults drink breast milk?

American family doctors recommend that if a mother decides to breastfeed, she should do so only during her child’s first year of life. But Mises Malchak believes that the greatest benefits of breast milk are felt only in the first six months of a child’s life.

If this milk is this healthy, can adults drink it? Scientists say unequivocally that this cannot be done. There is nothing useful in breast milk for adults, because it is designed specifically for newborns. Scientists say that boosting your immune system in this way will definitely not work.

Focus He has already written that scientists are describing why newborn babies need a lot of sleep. And there is a very important reason for this.