Breast milk has benefits galore! We know you probably already knew that, but seriously, it’s actually really amazing when it comes to fighting illness.
If you don’t believe us, check out what this totally viral breast milk experiment shows.
So, you’ve heard “breast is the best” no less than a zillion times. Well, one science student smarty shows us that in this case it’s really, really true.
Vicky Greene is a first year Biosciences student at South Devon College. She’s also a mum of three. For her research project, Greene took on breastmilk. More specifically, how breastmilk and bacteria interact. She used samples from two different women – one who is nursing a 15-month-old and one who is nursing a 3-year-old.
Greene shared the photo of her project on Facebook, explaining how the experiment worked and what happened. She took nine petri dishes that were filled with the bacteria M. Luteus and added discs soaked in breastmilk.
What happened to the bacteria?
A small area around the discs cleared (meaning that there were no bacteria around them). It seems that the milk actually stopped the growth of the bacteria. Um, wow! Yeah, you knew that breastmilk was awesomely amazing. But, inhibiting bacterial growth? Yep, apparently it does. Or, at least in the case of the bacteria that Greene used. She’s also trying the experiment with MRSA and E. coli, but hasn’t posted her results.
If you’re wondering, “So, does this mean that breastmilk is a magical natural antibiotic?” Well, kind of. Maybe. Keep in mind, this is only one experiment. From one person. Using two women’s breastmilk. It’s not so much of a, “Woo-hoo we made a major discovery” as it is a start. Not only is this a start, but it also shows the world what breastmilk can do.
Whether breastmilk truly stops bacterial growth, just slows it or only works on this specific sample, Greene’s experiment is pretty cool. In her own words, “The future is bright, the future is breastmilk.”
