Faux News: Breast Milk for Weight Loss
This week while trawling the web I came across an article in a Japanese website that talked about research into Lactoferrin. Apparently daily supplements of lactoferrin led to a significant reduction in visceral fat.
The richest source of lactoferrin is human breast millk or colostrum. After a bit of research I decided the article was to be placed in the dubious tabloid category.
Unbelievably Fox News have actually reported this in their Health news section: Is Breast Milk the Next Diet Fad?
A quick read of the japanese article presents us with some outrageous puns:
Lion plans to commercialize its discovery, hoping that using the breast milk substance to prevent people from getting fat will fatten its bank accounts. Economist Takuro Morinaga predicts lactoferrin could produce a boom from the bust.
More research shows that this is an english translation of an article printed in sleazy Japanese adult magazine Asahi Geino.
Yes, Fox, that really is groundbreaking news.
As to the Lactoferrin - it is a protein with antimicrobial activity found in many secretions - and from cow's milk as well as human milk. Whey protein isolate also contains lactoferrin. A claim of a 22% drop in body fat from lactoferrin supplement seems dubious as best.
At worst it's complete nonsense.
And... in case you are curious. Some people actually sell breast milk.
I wouldn't mind getting breast milk protein; it's the best available for muscle growth.
Reply...Okay, this made me laugh.
ReplyAnd I really want to make the joke that popped in my head... but because most of you will likely be disgusted and not amused, I will not.
I have to laugh at people who sneer at cow's milk, saying that it is produced ONLY for baby cows, and therefore it isn't fit for human consumption. By that reasoning, EVERYTHING except human milk is meant for some other purpose (beans and seeds are for producing new plants, tubers are for food for new plants, meat is for allowing animals to move around while they're alive, fruits are for attracting birds, honey is food for bees, etc etc etc). So while we're praising the merits of human milk, one has to ask, what are all those women of child-bearing age going to consume in order to produce milk for the rest of the human race?
Yes, I realize that this post is in reference to a silly article in a sleazy men's magazine and a breathless report by FOX network that is meant to pass for real medical news reporting. But lots of people are going to take this "info" seriously.
Thanks for the amusing "news" report.
ReplyHi Judy, I can understand your perspective however I have to disagree.
It only takes a simple understanding of the differences in the digestive processes of cows and humans to realise that human milk is far superior and "more healthy" for people than cows milk.
The digestive system of baby cows is designed to consume grass which is vastly different to the digestive processes of humans. Furthermore human milk is primarily designed for consumtion by human newborns who do not have the digestive ability to obtain goodeness from meats, fruits or vegetables, or for that matter grass. It is because of this difference that formulae fed babies feed every four hours compared with every 2-3 hours for breast fed babies. Newborns take significantly longer to obtain nutrition from cows milk than from breast milk as they have difficulty digesting the differing proteins. We do know that from 6 months of age human babies need breast milk along side of solid foods to maintain optimal health and growth. This is when meats and fruits and vegetables become important to the human diet.
Breast milk contains vital and unique proteins essential for immunity and brain development. There is also a protein in breast milk that kills cancer cells.
Evidently while adult humans do not require breast milk in order to sustain life it is my belief that human beings will definately obtain far more health benefit from consuming milk designed for human digestion rather than milk designed for baby cows, or milk based on plants such as soy (as these do not contain the amazing proteins that breast milk does).
On the point of what will breastfeeding women consume to produce all this milk? Did you know that even women in third world contries who are themselves starving can breast feed? Nature has designed things so that the baby will always have access to breast milk, this is part of the reason women put on body fat during preganacy. Thankfully though most women have access to enough healthy food and water in order to sustain their needs as well as their milk production requirements. Who knows some of these women may in the future choose to drink their own milk rather than that of cows given the immense health benefits it gives.
ReplyKind regards,
Libby Gregg
Even if they could proove it's effectiveness, it isn't going to be a big hit. I think that women who are interested in selling breast milk could not meet the demands of the people who needs weight loss.
ReplyThis reminds me of the joke about 'dihydrogen oxide' being a miracle compound - able to speed up processes, found naturally occuring in large quantities, can't live without it ...
ReplyInteresting "science". My kids got chubby when they were breastfed -- then slimmed down after being weaned!
My friends and I donated our extra breast milk to a infant girl who needed extra. We had spare and it was great to be able to give food to a child who needs it. But, I'd never give or even sell it to an adult (whether it's for a nursing fetish, or to help them lose weight) -- it violates my personal "yuck" factor!
ReplyHI Jen,
I can understand your perspective regarding adult consumption of human breast milk. I however hold an alternitive perspective.
Breast milk contains a protein called alpha lactalbumin that attacks and kills cancer cells. Given this property, when my friends 9 year old daughter was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour and doctor's gave her two weeks to live and said there was nothing they could do, we decided to try breastmilk.
She consumed approx 5ooml per day in the form of a smoothie with fruits and sorbet etc. Within two days of starting breastmilk she started to improve. She is now 4.5 months down the track and has gone back to school full time. She still has a tumour there but it has significantly reduced in size.
The other huge benefit for her is the boost to her immunity and the improvement in repair and growth of brain cells that breast milk facilitates.
There have been a huge number of amazing and generous breastfeeding mums providing their extra milk for her. We are so greatful to all these mums.
I have a strong belief that breast milk is an extremely powerful tool to use when fighting cancers of any type and at any age. I also believe it will help people suffering things such as MS, Parkinsons and autoimmune disorders (given the amazing proteins and immune factors in breastmilk).
When you think about adult consumption of breast milk from this perspective you may find it less offensive to you as a mother and possible milk supplier.
Kind Regards,
ReplyLibby Gregg
my sister has ms and she decided to give my breast milk a try. it's only been a couple of months but we can already see noticeable improvements in her gait, speed, tremor reduction and speach. also, i just came across an article about a Perth researcher who discovered stem cells in breast milk. liquid gold, this stuff!
Replymy sister has ms and she decided to give my breast milk a try. it's only been a couple of months but we can already see noticeable improvements in her gait, speed, tremor reduction and speech. also, i just came across an article about a Perth researcher who discovered stem cells in breast milk. liquid gold, this stuff!
ReplyWell, while the person ingesting the milk would probably gain weight and have a higher IQ (the fats in the human breast milk insulate brain neurons better then anything else) the only person getting thin would be the women aka the milk producer.
Wouldn't it be nice if it were that easy?
ReplyInterestingly, I just learned there are already uses for breast milk besides just for babies in need. From http://www.nationalmilkbank.org/donorinfo_faq.html --
There's no mention of weight loss, though ;-)ReplyThere are also patient suffering from Crohn's and Colitis that use breastmilk to avoid flair ups.
Breastmilk is great for the immune system as it is filled with anti-bodies and is perfectly adjusted to be digested by the human body. It is digested very quickly, hence the chemotherapy patients consumption, (digest before you throw up).
ReplyGood taste prohibits me from saying the things I want to say right now...:-)
Brian
ReplyThis was a fun entry...
FWIW, there's also an organization that collections human milk for distribution to countries where there's not enough: Breast Milk Project Home Page.
ReplyAll i can say is,.....WTF?
ReplyLike what Susan said, most infants slim down after cutting off breast milk. It certainly shows something in the opposite.
ReplyMy children became "chubby" while being breastfed and then began to slim down when they became active, crawling, walking, so on. And they continued to breastfeed.
ReplyActually the only infants that slim down after breastfeeding has stopped are those that are to young to be active by walking and all that good stuff.
Children that are breastfed until naturally weaned and solids are not introduced before 6 months are the children that don't gorw to be fat when older.