Is it healthy to drink your breast milk?

December 20, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the World Health Organization, breast milk is the ideal food for infants, providing all the necessary nutrients for the first months of life. However, when it comes to adults, the question of 'is it healthy to drink your breast milk?' is far more complicated and the answer is not what many people expect.

Quick Summary

Despite its immense benefits for infants, there is very little scientific evidence to support the health claims of breast milk consumption for adults, and purchasing it from unregulated sources carries significant risks of bacterial contamination and disease transmission. The nutritional profile is tailored to a baby's needs, and the protective factors are less effective in an adult's more acidic digestive system. Health risks from unscreened milk outweigh any unproven benefits for adults.

Key Points

Limited Adult Benefit: While crucial for infants, breast milk offers no scientifically proven or significant health benefits for a healthy adult's established digestive and immune system.
High Contamination Risk: Breast milk from unregulated online sellers is often unpasteurized and can be highly contaminated with dangerous bacteria and even diluted with other substances.
Disease Transmission: Unscreened breast milk is a bodily fluid that can transmit serious infectious diseases, including HIV and Hepatitis B and C, to adult consumers.
Nutritional Inefficiency: The nutritional profile of breast milk is not optimal for adults, containing less protein than other common milk sources, which makes it ineffective for goals like muscle building.
Safer Alternatives Exist: For immune support and nutritional needs, adults should rely on a balanced diet, exercise, and scientifically proven supplements, which are more effective and safe.
Ethical Concerns: The adult market for breast milk raises ethical issues about commodifying a resource intended for vulnerable infants, particularly those who rely on donor milk banks.
Donor Milk Banks are Safe: In contrast to online markets, regulated milk banks provide screened and pasteurized breast milk to infants in need, ensuring its safety and optimal use.

The Proven Benefits of Breast Milk for Infants

Human breast milk is a dynamic, biologically complex substance specifically designed to meet an infant's needs. It provides a perfect balance of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins that change over time as the baby grows. More than just nutrition, it is a living tissue containing hormones, stem cells, antibodies, and beneficial bacteria that help build the baby's immune system and establish a healthy gut microbiome. Colostrum, the first milk produced, is especially rich in immune-boosting components like secretory IgA. For infants, these elements protect against infections, aid brain development, and reduce the risk of long-term health issues like obesity and diabetes.

Why Adults Do Not Receive the Same Benefits

While the components of breast milk are undoubtedly powerful, they are most effective when consumed by the specific body they were designed for: a human infant. An adult's digestive system is mature and highly acidic, which breaks down many of the protective immune factors, rendering them far less effective. Additionally, the nutritional balance of human milk is not optimized for a grown-up's dietary requirements. The protein content, for example, is significantly lower than that of cow's milk, making it a poor choice for muscle building. claims that it acts as a 'superfood' for athletic performance or general health are not supported by robust scientific evidence.

The Serious Risks of Adult Breast Milk Consumption

For adults, particularly those sourcing milk from unregulated channels, the risks far outweigh any purported benefits. The biggest danger comes from contamination, as breast milk is a bodily fluid that can transmit infectious diseases.

Bacterial Contamination: Studies have found high levels of bacterial contamination, including harmful gram-negative bacteria, in breast milk purchased online. This is often due to improper sanitization during expression, storage, and transport, and can lead to serious illnesses, including pneumonia and gastrointestinal issues.
Disease Transmission: Without proper screening, breast milk can transmit infectious diseases such as Hepatitis B and C, HIV, and syphilis. Reputable human milk banks meticulously screen and pasteurize donor milk to eliminate these risks, but this process is absent in private, unregulated sales.
Adulteration: In some cases, online sellers have been found to dilute breast milk with other liquids, such as cow's milk or water, to increase the volume sold. This not only reduces any potential nutritional value but also introduces additional risks of contamination.

Comparison of Human Milk for Infants vs. Adults


Feature	For Infants	For Adults
Nutritional Composition	Perfectly balanced with fats, carbohydrates (lactose), and proteins for rapid growth.	Suboptimal nutritional profile, lower in protein than cow's milk, unsuitable for adult needs.
Immune Factors	Contains living immune cells, antibodies (IgA), and human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) to build an immature immune system.	Highly acidic adult stomach degrades most protective immune factors before they can provide benefit.
Gut Health	HMOs act as prebiotics to establish a healthy gut microbiome with beneficial bacteria like Bifidobacterium.	Established adult gut flora receives no significant benefit from these components.
Digestion	Lactase enzyme production is high in infants, allowing for efficient digestion of milk's lactose.	Most adults lose the lactase enzyme, leading to potential digestive issues from high lactose content.
Safety Source	From a known, healthy mother or screened/pasteurized via a human milk bank.	Unregulated and unscreened sources like online forums present serious risks of contamination and disease.

Ethical Considerations and Safer Alternatives

Beyond the health risks, purchasing and consuming breast milk from unregulated sources raises significant ethical concerns. The commodification of a fluid meant for vulnerable newborns is often criticized. For individuals seeking to support their immune system, boost muscle growth, or improve gut health, countless safe and proven alternatives exist. These include a balanced diet, regular exercise, high-quality probiotic supplements, and other protein sources that are much more effective and, most importantly, safe. If a lactating individual has a surplus of milk, donation to a regulated human milk bank is a much safer and more beneficial option, as it provides a life-saving resource for vulnerable premature infants. This supports the health of those who truly need it, rather than fueling a potentially hazardous market for unproven adult health fads.

Conclusion

While human breast milk is a miraculous, life-giving fluid for infants, the notion that 'it is healthy to drink your breast milk' as an adult is not supported by scientific evidence and carries significant health risks. The milk's composition is specifically tailored for an infant's needs, and an adult's digestive system nullifies many of its beneficial properties. The unscreened, unpasteurized nature of milk from online sources exposes consumers to potentially life-threatening diseases and bacterial infections. For immune support, nutrition, and general wellness, adults should rely on scientifically-backed and safe alternatives. The best use of any surplus breast milk is to donate it to a legitimate milk bank, where it can provide proven, life-saving benefits to those who are most in need. To explore the critical safety standards employed by regulated milk banks, consider learning more from the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA).

Frequently Asked Questions

While generally considered safe from a disease transmission standpoint if the partner is well-known and tested for infectious diseases, there is still no proven health benefit for the adult. The adult's digestive system significantly degrades the beneficial components, making it nutritionally inefficient.

No, this is a misconception. Breast milk contains less protein than other milk sources like cow's milk and is not optimized for adult dietary needs, making it an ineffective and inefficient way to support muscle growth.

There is no robust scientific evidence to suggest that consuming breast milk can treat diseases like cancer or immune disorders in adults. While some components show promise in preliminary lab studies, a healthy adult's consumption does not translate to a therapeutic effect.

The risks include potential bacterial contamination (like E. coli or salmonella), transmission of infectious diseases (such as HIV or Hepatitis), and the possibility of adulterated milk. These risks are significant and far outweigh any unproven health benefits.

An adult's stomach acid is much stronger than an infant's and will break down many of the delicate immune factors and antibodies in breast milk before they can be absorbed and utilized effectively by the body. In contrast, a baby's digestive system is less acidic and more permeable.

Yes, a mother can consume her own breast milk with no inherent risks, provided she handles and stores it correctly, following the same hygiene protocols as she would for her baby. However, just like for any other adult, the nutritional and immune benefits are negligible.

Instead of consuming breast milk, adults can focus on a balanced diet rich in whole foods, exercise regularly, and consider donating any surplus breast milk to a certified human milk bank where it can safely benefit premature and vulnerable infants.