Text/Nara Shaojie

Interns/Chen Ailing and Li Yongzhen

Breastfeeding has sparked heated discussions recently.

First, on May 20, China Breast Milk Promotion Day, the Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center announced the establishment of the first "Breast Milk Bank" in mainland China. At the same time, with the support and joint efforts of all parties, the "Breast Milk Love" public welfare project was officially launched, and the first volunteer team to promote breastfeeding, the "Breast Milk Love" volunteer team, was also organized.

Then, shortly after the report that the "Breast Milk Bank" successfully rescued several endangered infants was released, the media exposed the news that "wet nurses provide adult breastfeeding services" in Shenzhen. It is said that it is no longer a rare thing for adults to pay for breast milk.

Although the nutritional value of breast milk is beyond doubt, how much do we still not know about breast milk?

1

About Breast Milk Bank

It is understood that the breast milk in foreign "breast milk banks" is donated free of charge and used for a fee, just like China's blood banks. However, "breast milk banks" are still a new thing in China after all, and the relevant laws and regulations do not stipulate the corresponding charging standards at all.

According to Liu Xihong, director of the Clinical Nutrition Department of Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center and initiator of China's Breast Milk Bank, the situation of the first breast milk bank established in Guangzhou is still: the stored breast milk is donated voluntarily and used free of charge. Mothers who donate breast milk must pass serological tests for infectious diseases such as HIV, hepatitis A, and hepatitis B, and the cost is about 400 yuan, which is currently paid by Guangzhou Women and Children's Hospital. In addition, breast milk analyzers, electric breast pumps, water bath disinfection boxes, storage refrigerators, disposable milk storage bottles, etc. are also needed when donating breast milk. The average cost of consumables for each donated breast milk is at least 128 yuan, which is paid by the special fund established under the "Breast Milk Love" public welfare project.

The first breast milk bank welcomed quite a lot of breast milk volunteers from all over China. However, as the first breast milk donor of the breast milk bank, Guangdong Radio DJ Liangliang said on Weibo: "In the future, we need more "comrades-in-arms" to join."

2

Nutrition of breast milk

Suitable for infants, not necessarily suitable for adults

Breast milk can be divided into four categories according to the stage: colostrum, transitional milk, mature milk and late milk. It contains nutrients such as protein, amino acids, fat, lactose, inorganic salts, trace elements, etc.

For infants, the most important significance of breast milk is that it has a high content of whey protein and is easy to digest. This protein contains disease antibodies, which will not be broken down by the baby's intestines and can be directly absorbed, so drinking breast milk is equivalent to directly "delivering" resistance to the baby. In addition, breast milk is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, among which long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are extremely important for the growth and development of infants. Most importantly, the other nutrients in breast milk also meet the needs of human infants, with high bioavailability and low fat content. In addition, breast milk also contains immunoglobulins, DHA, etc.

But as far as the nutrients in human milk are concerned, they are actually what you can get from ordinary fruits and vegetables and meat. Moreover, the content of protein, minerals, fat and sugar in vegetables and meat is much greater than that in breast milk.

Compared with the same weight of milk, breast milk has a lower protein content. Every 100 ml of breast milk contains 1.3g-2g of protein, while every 100 ml of whole milk contains 7.86g of protein, which is more than three times that of human milk; the calcium content of breast milk is not as high as that of milk, which is only equivalent to 1/3 of that of milk; the calories of breast milk are 69 kcal per 100 ml, while every 100 ml of whole milk contains 146 kcal, which is more than twice that of human milk; in addition, every 100 ml of whole milk contains 98 mg of sodium and 349 mg of potassium, while in the British standard food composition table, every 100 ml of human milk contains only 15 mg-47 mg of sodium and 58 mg-70 mg of potassium. (See the attached table for detailed standards)

So breast milk is suitable for infants, but not necessarily for adults. At least the various effects are not so significant for adults. There is no scientific basis for the claim that adults drink human milk to supplement nutrition. First of all, the body mechanism of adults will break down the protein in breast milk. In addition, the main source of nutrition for infants is lactose, and they have a strong ability to digest lactose. However, according to research, humans usually lose 90% of their lactose digestion ability at around 4 years old. This is the so-called "lactose intolerance", which has been written into human genes. This feature is particularly obvious in Asian races. Most adults who drink human milk are more likely to suffer from diarrhea, bloating, and indigestion. Of course, there are great differences between individuals.

3

Historical Records Breast Milk

Cixi Used Human Milk to Preserve Her Beauty

The efficacy of breast milk has been widely concerned in ancient China.

Shen Yue, a Liang Dynasty man in the Southern Dynasty, recorded in "Book of Song¡¤Biography of He Shangzhi": Prime Minister He Shangzhi suffered from labor disease for many years, and he was cured by drinking women's milk.

In the book "Sui Xi Ju Diet" written by Wang Shixiong during the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty, it was recorded that human milk can "replenish heart blood, replenish fluid, transform qi, regenerate muscles, calm the mind, improve intelligence, grow tendons and bones, benefit organs, strengthen the stomach and spleen, and improve hearing and eyesight". It is said that the most favorite health secret recipe of Emperor Yongzheng in his life was the "Guiling Collection Recipe" composed of 33 good medicines, among which the most important good medicine was human milk. When the frail Emperor Guangxu was in danger of death, the imperial physician prescribed him a life-saving recipe of stewing human milk (Wen is a perennial aquatic plant, belonging to algae, and the whole plant can be used as medicine).

Li Shizhen, the medical saint of the Ming Dynasty, also said in "Compendium of Materia Medica": human milk can cure diseases such as "deficiency and fatigue, deficiencies and wind speech, and aphasia due to stroke". Li Shizhen also recorded a "Breast-feeding Song" that was popular in society at that time: Xianjia wine (referring to breast milk), Xianjia wine, two pots of Lu Sheng and one bucket. The five elements produce the true essence, which is everywhere in the world. If the dantian is dry, swallow the cistanche to moisten the dryness. If you can drink more than one liter in the morning, you will be young and young forever.

In addition to curing diseases, the ancients also believed that breast milk has the effect of beauty and health preservation. Li Shicai of the Ming Dynasty said in "Leigong's Preparation of Medicinal Properties¡¤Human Section": human milk "tastes sweet, is mild in nature and non-toxic, enters the three meridians of the heart, liver, spleen, and is mainly responsible for strengthening the limbs, nourishing the five internal organs, strengthening the pores, soothing the skin, calming the spirit, benefiting the joints, brightening the eyes, and long-term consumption prolongs life."

Xie Zhaozhe of the Ming Dynasty also recorded in "Wu Za Zu" that "there is a person in Rangcheng who is 240 years old. He no longer eats grains, but only drinks the milk of his great-grandson's wife." Although this statement is a bit outrageous and hard to believe, it is a solid fact that Empress Dowager Cixi relied on human milk to maintain her beauty and health in the Qing Dynasty. It is said that in addition to breast milk in her childhood, Cixi never stopped drinking human milk for nearly 50 years from the age of 26 until her death at the age of 75. Every day, three wet nurses provided her with sufficient and healthy milk. In addition to Empress Dowager Cixi, other concubines in the Qing Palace also drank human milk. It is recorded that the Qing Palace would select 40 wet nurses every season, set up a special room in the inner court for maintenance, called "sitting and showing wet nurses", and select another 80 to live in the palace, and the inner court would provide special food, called "point-in-time wet nurses", that is, "substitute wet nurses". These wet nurses were also replaced every season.

4

Overseas Research

α-Whey protein can fight cancer

Foreign scientists also discovered lactoferrin in breast milk in 1960. This protein is also present in the body fluids and various cells of some organisms. A large number of studies have shown that lactoferrin LF is a natural protein in animal colostrum. It is a multifunctional protein with broad-spectrum antibacterial and antiviral effects. It can regulate the balance of iron in the body, regulate the production of bone marrow cells, promote cell growth, regulate the body's immune function, enhance the body's disease resistance, and inhibit human tumor cells. It can work synergistically with a variety of antibiotics and antifungal preparations to treat diseases more effectively.

In 1998, researchers from the National Cancer Center Research Institute of Japan and the Institute of Virology of Kyoto University confirmed the antiviral and antioxidant effects of lactoferrin through animal experiments and clinical trials.

In recent years, another research report showed that scientists have discovered a compound called "alpha-lactalbumin" (α-lactalbumin) in human breast milk. This compound is a natural whey protein, an excellent source of essential amino acids and branched-chain amino acids, and the only whey protein that can bind calcium. Scientists say it can also kill nearly 40 types of cancer cells, and in the process of eliminating cancer cells, it will not cause the lethal side effects that chemotherapy and other methods often cause.

However, whether these beneficial ingredients can be absorbed by adults by drinking breast milk directly is still unclear.

In addition, American scientists have also found that breastfed babies are less likely to wet the bed during childhood. This research report was published in the American Journal of Pediatrics in 2006. The authors are researchers from the Robert Johnson Medical School in the United States. After investigating 55 children aged 5 to 13 who wet the bed and 117 children of the same age who did not wet the bed, they found that only 45% of the children who wet the bed were breastfed, while 81% of the children who did not wet the bed were breastfed. The researchers said that it has been confirmed that in many cases, bedwetting is caused by delayed development of the nervous system, and certain fatty acids in breast milk can promote brain and nerve development, so breastfed babies are less likely to wet the bed.

5

Folk remedies

Can treat bee venom and beautify

Perhaps it is precisely because all kinds of information show that breast milk has too many magical effects. In recent years, not only has the "adult breastfeeding" service appeared, but some people have even launched "human milk banquets" and cooked hundreds of dishes such as "human milk abalone" and "milk soup crucian carp" with human milk.

Some practices are indeed like the "Nyotaimori" of the year, with the bad consciousness of consuming women's bodies. There are also too many controversies and moral crusades. For example, whether adults hiring "wet nurses" and consuming breast milk involve relevant legal issues? Cai Xianfeng, a lawyer at Guangdong Hengyun Law Firm, said that there is no relevant law involved in this, and it does not constitute a legal problem, but there are some inappropriate practices. Other legal professionals believe that this move may violate the principle of "public order and good customs" in Chinese legal provisions. But many people still enjoy it.

There are also many folk remedies for breast milk, which are considered to have miraculous effects.

For example, it is said that breast milk can cure bee venom and other poisonous insect bites.

Some people say that breast milk is also very effective for arc light burns to the eyes. To use it, just find a breastfeeding mother to squeeze some fresh milk and drip it directly into the eyes. In addition, symptoms such as red eyes and excessive eye mucus caused by eye inflammation can also be relieved after dripping fresh breast milk.

Many women also like to use breast milk as a mask. Mix one and a half spoons of milk powder with an appropriate amount of fresh breast milk, stir it into a viscous state, apply it directly to the face, and then wash your face with warm water. It is said that after using this mask, the face will become white and tender.

Some mothers also use excess breast milk to mix water to bathe their babies, which is said to clear away heat and prickly heat and reduce redness and swelling. Applying breast milk to the child's hair and eyebrows can also make the hair grow better and darker.

But all of the above are just folk legends. Some experts believe that the enzymes and proteins contained in breast milk may provide some nutrients and nourishing agents to the skin or hair follicles, but breast milk itself does not have the effect of sterilization and anti-inflammatory.

Comparison of nutrient components of breast milk at different stages

Date

Protein%

Fat%

Sugar%

Mineral%

Colostrum (1-12 days)

Transitional milk (13-30 days)

Mature milk (2-9 months)

Late milk (2-9 months)

2.25

1.56

1.15

1.07

2.83

2.59

0.30 77

4.87

3.26

3.16

7.74

7.50

7.47

0.2407

0.2062

0.1978

Breast milk ¡°byproducts¡±

Breast milk cake

According to the British Daily Express, a 30-year-old woman from Bristol, England, found that her breast milk was enough to feed her daughter when she was 8 months old, so she tried to make cakes with breast milk.

She said the idea came from a trip to India because she found that Indian mothers often cooked food with breast milk. She uses a breast pump to extract excess breast milk, puts it into plastic containers and freezes it in the refrigerator, and then can use it at any time to make "breast milk desserts" such as paper cupcakes, swirl coffee cakes, fruit pies, smoothies and even meat sauce mille-feuilles.

Abby not only uses this "breast milk dessert" to entertain relatives and friends, but also goes to some "food festivals" held in the UK to promote and sell it to strangers. Although Abby claims that her breast milk is very healthy and she goes to the hospital for routine health checks before making pastries every time, most customers still shake their heads and say they dare not "try it."

Breast milk lollipop

A company called Lollyphile in Texas, USA, has launched a special lollipop - breast milk lollipop. In fact, it is not made of real human milk, but it tastes like human milk. The company's R&D personnel said that the original intention of designing this thing was to appease the naughty children in their own family, but it turned out that this lollipop can really calm the children down quickly.

After some research, they found that the smell of breast milk can indeed soothe children.

Breast milk "express delivery"

A 27-year-old Australian woman learned that her father had colon cancer and liver cancer more than a month after giving birth. After feeding her child every day, she would express the excess breast milk to her parents' home, asking her mother to mix the breast milk with milk and give it to her father as breakfast. She hoped that this would improve her father's ability to fight cancer.

Breast milk storage tips

Breast milk can be stored, but you must pay attention to the storage method and period.

It is best to use plastic products that are suitable for freezing and well-sealed, such as breast milk storage bags, followed by glass products, and it is best not to use metal products. The active factors in breast milk will adhere to glass or metal, reducing the nutrients in breast milk.

The milk storage container should not be filled too full or the lid should be closed tightly to prevent the container from freezing and bursting.

Based on years of research, the International Breastfeeding Association has listed the following timetable for the storage period of breast milk:

Storage at room temperature:

Colostrum (milk squeezed out within 6 days after delivery)--can be stored at room temperature of 27¡æ-32¡æ for 12 hours.

Mature breast milk (milk squeezed out after 6 days after delivery)--can be stored at room temperature of 15¡æ for 24 hours; 19¡æ-22¡æ for 10 hours; 25¡æ for 6 hours.

Storage in the refrigerator: 0¡æ-4¡æ can be stored for 8 days.

Frozen storage:

The frozen storage of breast milk is related to the situation of the freezer--

If it is the small freezer box in the refrigerator, the storage period is two weeks. If it is a freezer separate from the refrigerator, but the door is often opened and closed to take items, the storage period is 3-4 months. If it is a deep freezer, the temperature is kept below 0¡æ, and the door is not often opened, the shelf life is up to 6 months or more.

Stored breast milk will decompose and look a little blue, yellow or brown, which is normal.

Also pay attention when thawing frozen breast milk. You should first rinse the sealed bag with cold water, gradually add hot water until the breast milk is completely thawed, or place it in the refrigerator to slowly thaw and defrost. Do not heat breast milk directly on the stove or microwave, as this will destroy the nutrients in the breast milk. Thawed breast milk must be consumed within 24 hours and cannot be frozen again.

How to donate and participate in Guangzhou¡¯s first breast milk bank:

1. Follow Weibo: Breast Milk Love Volunteer Service Team

2. Phone registration: 020-38076328

3. Donation account name: Guangzhou Youth Development Foundation

Account number: 800119718708093001

Donation note: Guangzhou Breast Milk Love Charity Development Fund

Contact number: 020-83303161

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