Jun 18, 2015 11:17 AM EDT
Breast Milk Feeding: Adults Purchasing Breast Milk Online Risk HIV, Syphilis And Hepatitis

Breast milk feeding is the first type of food any human being - and mammals in general - consumes in their lifetime, rich with nutrients so babies can grow to eat a wider variety of foods, but a new trend in adults is turning into a real health threat.

Over the past few months, there has been a breast milk feeding trend in adults where fully grown men and women purchase fresh milk online from unknown women, and The Queen Mary University of London is now officially warning against this, explaining that this is a fast way for a number of diseases to pass from one person to another.

According to Time Magazine, this new online breast milk-feeding trend initially started when new mothers had trouble producing enough milk of their own for their newborn babies, so they turned to online communities to purchase actual breast milk; however, due to the heavy nutritional content, the trend has continued to adults.

These virtual marketplaces dedicated to breast milk feeding are popular among bodybuilders, those with fetishes and even cancer patients, as breast milk has been proven to increase the proficiency of the immune system in babies.

However, as Sky News reports, the Queen Mary University of London has warned that the mere fact of breast milk feeding from an unknown woman - as it's clear the milk isn't processed later in any sort of way - can actually expose drinkers to all sorts of conditions the mother is afflicted with, including some of the most damaging sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis, HIV and hepatitis.

"Online forums are replete with posts boasting about the immune, recovery, nutritional and muscle building benefits of human milk," said Dr. Sarah Steele from the University in an article posted at the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, according to The Mirror. "Such purported benefits do not stand up clinically, however. Nutritionally, there is less protein in breast milk than other milks like cow's milk."

In all, it was discovered that the benefits of breast milk feeding from online sellers are ultimately lower than its risks, and the professor seriously advises against this practice.

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