healing w breast milk--crazy, yucky or worth considering?

[suz]

My mind is still blown after a neighbor brainstormed with me about my crappy gut issues.
She said I sounded like her son when he was a colicky baby, and only breast milk would sooth him. She was unable to nurse him.
So she said maybe breast milk would be healing—and maybe even reboot my entire immune system.

I haven’t done a ton of reading about it yet, and neither of my babies were colicky, so I don’t have any experience other than my own and horses.
I see the merit in the idea–what do you think?

[Canaqua]

Crazy and yucky and not worth considering!

Colicky babies often do better on breastmilk because, well, it’s designed to be easy for babies to digest. That does not translate to adults. Adults are not designed to be able to digest milk at all, except for that 15% that have a genetic mutation that allow them to digest lactose into adulthood.

It wouldn’t do anything for your immune system. The antibodies in breast milk are made by the mother to be specific to that particular baby, at that point in time, in that particular environment. It’s a very cool, constant feedback, system, she makes what baby needs for age and which bacteria and viruses are in their environment on that day. Useless for an adult somewhere else, even if the antibodies DID survive pasteurization and storage.

Plus, it’s someone else’s bodily fluid! Who knows what the woman has been eating and drinking and what viruses she is carrying.

Not a good idea.

What does your doc say about your crappy gut issues? Do you have any idea what is causing them? I have IBS myself and it is better if I exercise regularly, avoid any fresh dairy products (aged is OK) and take a wheat dextrin fiber supplement very day (other forms of fiber supplement make it worse or don’t help).

[Chall]

They (doctors!, the mayo clinic!) do fecal transplant, for some human digestive issues. So breast milk from the right person might work. I say “right” person because if someone can introduce good bacteria, then someone else might introduce “bad” bacteria. At least that sounds reasonable to me.
Here’s the mayo clinic on fecal transplant, 90% cure rate for c-difficile.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/medical-professionals/clinical-updates/digestive-diseases/quick-inexpensive-90-percent-cure-rate

[suz]

The doctors say I have fatty liver disease and sclerosing panniculitus—they want me to take massive doses of antibiotics and steroids—which really worries me as my gut condition became such a huge problem after doing exactly that. I know its also a dx tool, and they aren’t certain I have those things, which makes me very headshy about it. The only relief I’ve achieved is by switching from commercial dairy to raw, so i’m inclined to heal nutritionally if at all possible.

Guys I see your points, thank you for your thoughtful responses. And it makes me wonder, is it possible mares milk might be helpful for some colicky horses?
I love outside the box thinking–it gets me so curious!

[keepthelegend]

I doubt it would work. Babies have an “open gut” to allow antibodies from breastmilk into their bloodstream so you would not get much immune benefit.

I feel even stronger that it would not help a colicky horse. Horses drink zero milk as adults and most colic is due to gas or torsion. Introducing a foreign liquid the mare has no microbes to digest easily would cause more irritation and gas and certainly would not help a twisted intestine!

[poltroon]

You might try finding a dietician who is interested in gut health, and who will work with your doctors on an appropriate regimen for your fatty liver disease. It can also be worth trying an elimination diet - simplifying to some very few foods and then adding them back. There are some nutrients that are especially good for healing and gut health, and of course probiotics may also be helpful to you. Good luck.

[suz]

Thanks so much–I’ve been pursuing this exact thing for the past few months.
So far the Drs just shrug their shoulders and offer me pills.
Raw dairy instead of commercial dairy has made a HUGE difference, so i’m following that yellow brick road in addition to al of the above.

[QUOTE=poltroon;8275018]
You might try finding a dietician who is interested in gut health, and who will work with your doctors on an appropriate regimen for your fatty liver disease. It can also be worth trying an elimination diet - simplifying to some very few foods and then adding them back. There are some nutrients that are especially good for healing and gut health, and of course probiotics may also be helpful to you. Good luck.[/QUOTE]

[ChelseaR]

The window has long since closed.
Dairy (or well milk of any kind) is not a natural or usable food source for most adult mammals including many humans.

Those that do have the mutation that allow us to digest dairy as adults (many people have issue with consuming dairy - some are only minority impacted and may not realize it, some can digest and use dairy just fine) can get good nutritional value from it but I wouldn’t count dairy as a ‘natural healing food’ for adults in any form.

Human milk might be a closer bet but still unusable by most adults.
Even then like a foal having a limited window for colostrum there is no real value above basic nutrition in milk for adults or older children.

If you are seeing an improvement with unprocessed milk you might try eliminating dairy entirely and seeing how that impacts you.

[arapaloosa_lady]

[QUOTE=suz;8275072]
Thanks so much–I’ve been pursuing this exact thing for the past few months.
So far the Drs just shrug their shoulders and offer me pills.
Raw dairy instead of commercial dairy has made a HUGE difference, so i’m following that yellow brick road in addition to al of the above.[/QUOTE]

You need to find the right doctor for you. You are hesitant to follow the path of conventional medicine… which is what is taught in medical school. You’re going to need to find a doctor with an interest in alternative medicine.

I’d start by looking at DOs, because their education includes at least a little bit of alternative medicine. Some creative googling and networking should help you find one.

And I would be concerned about the communicable diseases in breastmilk. For the same reason I wouldn’t want a blood transfusion from someone without careful disease screening (even if we were typed). And pasteurization is going to negate the benefits.

[Ambitious_Kate]

honestly, breast milk doesn’t even do anything for babies beyond the first three months. Be scientific and think about what you are trying to say - adults aren’t even capable of digesting milk well. This magikal “boost my immune system” phrase - why do you need your immune system boosted? My guess is that your immune system is working just fine.

[Ambitious_Kate]

[QUOTE=suz;8275072]
Thanks so much–I’ve been pursuing this exact thing for the past few months.
So far the Drs just shrug their shoulders and offer me pills.
Raw dairy instead of commercial dairy has made a HUGE difference, so i’m following that yellow brick road in addition to al of the above.[/QUOTE]

This is what I’m talking about. Switching to ‘raw milk’ - what did that do for you? It probably eliminated some part of food which you are not processing well. Try eliminating milk all together. You don’t sound like you have any scientific idea of what you are saying, just trying things you have heard and repeating them.

[suz]

thank you for your thoughts.
my stomach problems started during chemo and radiation two years ago.
eliminating dairy, gluten, sugar and grains did nothing to alleviate my symptoms.

adding raw dairy made a difference and my Dr supports the food.
I know about fecal transplants and colostrum for very ill pts which is why I asked the question.