- #1
Graeme M
- 325
- 31
I am writing a blog post about dairy and it suddenly occurred to me to wonder at the value of human breastmilk. That is, if cow's milk is so good for us, yet is from a different species, how would we get on if we drank human milk? A search of the web turned up nothing much at all. A slew of articles mid 2015 cast doubt over the idea, but on reading these, all I really learned is that human milk contains less protein. Hardly surprising. And that tells me nothing about the relative quality and quantity of protein in human milk vs cow's milk. Nor does it tell me much about the relative nutrient profiles of each. Current dietary guidelines suggest quite moderate consumption of low-fat forms of milk, cheese and yoghurt in order to maximise benefit and minimise risk. But could similar nutritional value be derived from human milk without the risk factors (assuming identical production quality), presumably through greater daily consumption. This is just a hypothetical as opposed to any serious suggestion, mind you. I'm not aiming to drink human milk anytime soon...
Note: I am referring to adult consumption, rather than by infants.
Note: I am referring to adult consumption, rather than by infants.
Last edited: