We’ve encountered plenty of strange takes on building muscle during our time covering the fitness industry — from simple tips that increase muscle growth by 1700% to Hollywood’s new favourite vitamin — but none have involved human breast milk… until now.
5x IFBB Champ and Arnold Classic Champ Sadik Hadzovic went viral this week after revealing that he loves nothing more than to start off his day with a glass of cold breast milk. Claiming that it tastes “mad good” and is somewhat reminiscent of the sweet substance left at the bottom of a bowl of sugary cereal, the video has sparked a divisive conversation online.
Hadzovic also claims to purchase the milk on the “dark web” for approximately $5 USD per ounce which, as a 2015 study by the Journal Of The Royal Society Of Medicine notes, is eminently possible thanks to a boom of interest in the substance led to enthusiastic vendors setting up online-shops back in the 2010s. But what exactly do people like Hadzovic believe is the benefit of drinking breast milk? The study explains:
“For those seeking a competitive edge, this milk is supposed to deliver significant returns. A ‘clean’ super food, it is purported to lead to ‘gains’ in the gym, to help with erectile dysfunction, to be more digestible and to contain positive immune building properties.”
Sarah Steele et al.
However, the study quickly goes on to explain that the purported benefits are not only largely invalid — human breast milk contains less protein than cow’s milk by a significant margin — but that consuming human breast milk actually brings with it a large number of risks that far outweigh those associated with “traditional” dairy milks:
“No scientific study has evidenced that direct adult consumption of human milk for medicinal properties offers anything more than a placebo effect… raw human milk purchased online or in an unpasteurised state poses many risks… Research into breast milk bought online identified the presence of detectable bacteria in 93% of samples.”
Sarah Steele et al.
While this puts the question of whether human breast milk is actually good for bodybuilding, immune system strengthening, or whatever else decisively to bed, what’s arguably more interesting is the support that Hadzovic’s habit has garnered online.
Seemingly in line with (or at least tangential to) the much wider ancestral diet trend, whereby people have become massively sceptical of large-scale modern food production — take a look at the viral storms created by Eddie Abbew as an example — and instead crave a return to more archaic nutritional habits enjoyed by our ancestors, many commenters praised Hadzovic for his leftfield approach…
“I don’t get it, how are people disgusted with human breast milk but drink cow breast milk?”
@fitness_virgins
Others took an entrepreneurial approach, with mothers spotting a nascent business opportunity…
“So I had… 1500 dollars on my fridge?!”
@esmizu
Perhaps the most insightful comments, however, came from those calling b*llshit on the video, suggesting that this was likely a lowbrow tactic to go viral from Hadzovic, likely with the help of his willing wife…
“Going to assume this is just silly talk while his wife records him as he still has it in pumping bottles and there’s a bottle washer at the sink lol. Anyone buying breastmilk would receive it in freezer-safe storage bags…”
@courtneymayo_
Clearly it’s a divisive issue and we’d love to know where you stand on it. Are you a breast milk bulker? Does the very thought of it make your head spin? Or do you think this is all a social media smokescreen? Let us know.