Most people are aware of how beneficial it is for babies to consume breast milk. In many ways, breast milk is the perfect food for babies because it is packed with nutrients and ingredients that strengthen the immune system. The thing is that experts are learning that breast milk is not just for kids, in part because of these same advantages, so let’s take a look at this in more detail.

The Basics

The first thing that you should know is that the studies on adults consuming breast milk are not that commonplace. Very few studies have been done on the phenomenon, so naturally the results are mixed. For one thing, breast milk is made for babies, who have completely different nutritional needs than adults. For this reason, it is never necessary for adults to consume breast milk, although it doesn’t seem to hurt them either.

There are, however, some very interesting ways that breast milk can be used, but keep in mind that breast milk has to come from a reliable source. Raw breast milk can have bacteria and other things in it that make it unhealthy for you. If you’re serious about using breast milk for anything mentioned in this article, it’s a good idea to purchase it from a milk bank because it will be screened for impurities before it is sold to anyone.

That being said, if you’re lactating yourself and you wish to use your milk for other things besides feeding your infant, you can go ahead and do so. When it comes to breast milk, it’s true that adults can have it too, but it’s crucial that you get the milk from a source you can trust.

Breast Milk and Home Remedies

If you’re curious about some of the home remedies that involve breast milk, here are a few that will pique your interest:

• Faster recuperation.
  One of the surprising benefits of breast milk for adults when sick is that it can make your recuperation time much faster. It shortens both the length and the severity of illnesses such as colds and the flu.
• Eye and ear infections.
  Even eye infections like pink eye are usually cured with a little breast milk. Just a few drops placed in your ears or eyes can help them heal quickly.
• Good for the skin.
  If you have sore or cracked nipples, eczema, chapped lips, or even dry itchy skin, rubbing a little breast milk on the affected area can help you feel better much quicker. It even works on diaper rash!
• Sore throats.
  Many people claim that if you gargle with breast milk, you can get rid of dry or sore throats.
• Stinging or itching.
  Breast milk can relieve the itchiness or stinging related to bee stings, insect bites, poison oak or ivy, and even chicken pox.
• Wounds and burns.
  Many minor cuts, burns, and small wounds can be relieved with a little breast milk. It also wards off infections due to these things.
• Cleansing properties.
  Breast milk can also be used to clean your skin, clear up acne, remove makeup, and even rinse off contact lenses.

The important thing to remember with all these things is that there needs to be more testing on them before we know for sure that they will work on all individuals in the same way. This is why most experts recommend that you check with your doctor before using breast milk for any of these purposes.

Why Is it Important to Get the Right Breast Milk?

Just like any newborn nurse can tell you, breast milk is best for a baby, but if you need another reason to make sure the breast milk you use comes from the right source, it’s easy to find one. First of all, in several studies, raw or unpasteurized breast milk was shown to contain bacteria over 90% of the time. This includes gram-negative bacteria that can cause both digestive and respiratory issues.

If you know of a trustworthy lactating woman, you can certainly get good breast milk from her, but if you don’t, there are now online breast milk banks that you can order from, and they go through extensive screening and pasteurization so that the milk is safe to use. This is important whether you’re drinking the milk or using it for other purposes.

Other Uses for Breast Milk

If you’ve decided that you’d like to add breast milk to your diet, either temporarily or permanently, here are some other uses for it that you can consider:

• It can be used in place of regular milk in foods such as ice cream, creamer for coffee, cereal, and even when making cheese or butter
• People who have compromised immune systems can often build up their immune systems by consuming breast milk
• Some people claim that consuming breast milk can be used as preventative medicine

To be sure, if you do your own online research, you may be able to come up with a few other reasons to consume breast milk.

Conclusion

In addition to asking if adults can consume breast milk, you should also ask, should adults be consuming breast milk? To be honest, that will depend on what source you use for the answer. It appears that consuming breast milk is not necessary but neither is it harmful for adults, unless, of course, you use raw breast milk from an unknown source. If you’re careful about where you get the milk from, it should be safe to use it.