‘Drink breast milk to build muscles’: Viral fitness claim sparks doctor backlash

Subhashri Srikanth

May 20, 2026

Health

Health

A fitness influencer told his followers to start drinking breast milk. 15 million people watched.

Health

“Start drinking breast milk. Your body will automatically get built. It’s not just me, many pro bodybuilders consume it,” said Tanish Yadav in an Instagram reel.

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The reel sits at the centre of a growing trend where fitness communities promote donor breast milk as a superfood for adults. Doctors are now pushing back.

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The claims circulating online lean on terms like “immune booster”, “natural”, “anabolic” and “human growth hormone.” Doctors say none of it holds up to scrutiny.

Health

While the fitness trend grows, the people who depend on donor breast milk most are premature and critically ill newborns in NICUs across India.

Health

Doctors warn that adult demand for breast milk does not exist in a vacuum. It pulls directly from a supply meant for infants who have no alternative.