A new mother made an excellent profit of $13,000 after putting her breastmilk for sale online and building a steady stream of customers of bodybuilders or weightlifters.
Mila De'brito in the U.K. revealed in a TikTok video that her "liquid gold" is in demand online. She proceeded to show pouches of breastmilk that are considered a "superfood" for weightlifters.
But since De'brito didn't expound on how she manages her online business, her post was inundated with comments, mostly from mothers who want to know how they can put up their breastmilk for sale online as well.
One mom said she has an oversupply and could use the money to help with the bills. Another mother revealed that she had tried selling her breastmilk before and made at least $4,000. However, she also received "weird messages" from strangers.
@mila.debrito #liquidgold ♬ original sound - rico
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Why Bodybuilders Say Breastmilk is a Superfood
The notion that breastmilk is a superfood has been around for some time among bodybuilders. One episode of the Netflix documentary series "(Un)well" showed how many of these men rely on breastmilk to buff up and build their muscles because it has high calories and it's a nutritiously dense food that's naturally designed to help babies grow. Thus, they also believe that it can be a viable supplement for human adults who are working on their bodies, according to sports dietitian Brian St Pierre, per Men's Health.
One cup of breastmilk is packed with 170 calories, 20 times more than the calories adults can drink from whole milk. Breastmilk also contains protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and growth hormones.
However, Marc Halpern, a registered dietitian, doesn't recommend putting breastmilk for sale because it's considered a restricted supply. Halpern reasoned that it's not like anyone can buy breastmilk off the store shelves.
At breastmilk banks that donate to communities in need, the average cost of breastmilk is $1.50 per ounce. Unfortunately, since this market and the product are not regulated, others can get away with selling these online in communities like Reddit, Facebook Marketplace, or Craigslist.
Halpern also said that the lack of regulation makes breastmilk for sale risky because bodybuilders might get a batch with terrible quality. He noted that some diseases could also be transmitted through the mother's milk.
St. Pierre said that despite the notion that it's a muscle-builder, there's no scientific evidence to suggest otherwise. What people find online is simply anecdotal evidence from bodybuilders.
An Unethical Business?
De'brito might have gained a windfall for selling her breastmilk online to bodybuilders, but she was also criticized for her business idea. Some of her followers felt that, even if it's not illegal, it seemed unethical of her to make money off her breastmilk when plenty of mothers cannot produce and feed their babies.
However, some of De'brito's followers defended her by saying that breastmilk donations have many limitations and conditions, so her liquid gold might be better off going to bodybuilders instead of the trash bin.
New mom, Rafaela Lamprou of Texas, said she gave away or donated her excess breastmilk to struggling moms in Texas. However, she also started receiving messages online from bodybuilders, including the U.K., and decided to pump breastmilk on demand. She told Fox News that business has the support of her husband for as long as she could still produce milk.
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