The taste of breastmilk and the aroma, this is the explanation

Some people grow up on breast milk in the first two years of life. After a long period of stopping consuming it, many adults forget and are curious about the taste of breast milk. Diet also has a big influence on the taste produced. So, what does breast milk actually taste like?

What does breast milk taste like?

Generally, breast milk tastes similar to regular milk. The most widely circulated description is that it tastes like almond milk, but sweeter. Some children who still remember the taste also described breast milk as similar to milk given added sugar.

However, there are also those who taste other flavors such as cucumber, sugar water, melted ice cream, honey, and even melon.

The sweet taste in breast milk is actually influenced by the presence of lactose. Lactose is one of the main ingredients in breast milk, this content is in high concentrations, making it taste sweeter.

Breast milk also contains fat which will determine the thickness. When freshly expressed, the milk comes out in the form of a more watery liquid, but the more frequently breastfeeding the milk texture will slowly become thicker and higher in fat content.

Although most explain that there is not much difference between breast milk and cow's milk, the texture of breast milk is still lighter and thinner than cow's milk. There are even some mothers who describe it like mineral water with white dye.

What affects the taste of breast milk?

Source: Global News

As previously mentioned, the food that the mother consumes every day can have an effect on the taste of the milk produced.

If the child has not started eating complementary foods with breast milk, it is better to consume more fruit, especially for nursing mothers so that the child can taste the taste of these foods. When the child starts to grow up, the child may be better prepared to accept other tastes from the breast milk that is consumed.

Apart from diet, there are other factors that can contribute to changes in taste or aroma. One of them is hormonal changes as a result of menstruation or the onset of pregnancy.

Exercise also has an effect on the taste of breast milk. When the buildup of lactic acid in the body mixes with sweat water around the breasts that results from exercise, of course, the effect of breast milk is a little salty. To fix this, you can wipe the breasts from sweat before starting to breastfeed the baby.

Not only exercising, certain conditions such as mastitis can have a salty taste effect on milk, sometimes the salty taste also tends to be strong. Mastitis is inflammation of the breast. If you have this condition, breastfeeding is still safe. However, the change in taste may make the baby reluctant to be breastfed.

Can adults consume breast milk?

Adults drinking breast milk is okay. However, breast milk is still part of the fluid secreted by the body, so it is important to know that the milk you drink comes from healthy mothers. Certain diseases such as HIV and hepatitis can be transmitted through breast milk.

On the other hand, there are those who use breast milk as a therapy for cancer treatment. Breast milk is believed to have tumor-destroying components that can kill cells. Unfortunately, there is very little research that proves this to be true.

However, the consumption of breast milk should only be limited to babies. Breast milk has many nutrients, but they have no effect on the body of a healthy adult.