What is the function of men's nipples?

I believe everyone knows that both women and men have nipples, but women's breasts are much larger than men's, so women need to feed their babies after giving birth, while men don't, because men's breasts are just for show and cannot produce milk. Therefore, many people are confused about the role of male nipples. Today, I will explain to you what is the specific role of male nipples?

Male breast cancer is rare, and male lactation is even rarer.

Yes, under certain circumstances, men can produce breast milk.

In the animal kingdom, male cats, goats, and guinea pigs can produce milk under certain circumstances. Only male fruit bats can produce milk normally, and science has not yet explained why this is the case. Fruit bats can transmit several dangerous viral diseases to humans, which is really a monster from the perspective of male bats producing milk.

Men and women have cells in their breast tissue that can produce milk, but these cells alone cannot produce milk. Milk production depends on prolactin, which is produced by the pituitary gland. Both men and women have it, but women have twice as much prolactin as men. During and after pregnancy, the prolactin in women's bodies increases nearly 10 times, making milk production a reality.

Because of the existence of nipples, milk-producing cells and prolactin, men already have the ability to produce milk. What is missing is how to make the prolactin in the body reach a level that can produce milk. Once a high level of prolactin appears, milk will flow from a man's nipples.

This is not just a possibility, but a fact. During World War II, the conditions in the Nazi concentration camps were extremely harsh. The survivors' body functions were destroyed to the extreme, especially when they were starving to the point of being skin and bones. After being rescued, they received sufficient nutrition and their body functions began to recover. However, the recovery of various functions was not as synchronous as during development. The function of the pituitary gland recovered before the liver function, so the prolactin they produced could not be processed by the liver in time, resulting in excessive prolactin in the body. Some male concentration camp survivors had milk.

Similarly, if the liver function is damaged, men may also produce milk. Patients with cirrhosis have produced milk. Similarly, if there is a problem with the pituitary gland and excessive prolactin is produced, men may also produce milk. In 2010, Canada reported a case in which a man had milk because of a pituitary tumor that affected the healthy tissue that controls prolactin. The production of prolactin could not be controlled, and the man produced milk.

Over the past 100 years, there have been cases around the world where men fed their children with their own breast milk. Some of these were because their wives died or became ill, and some were because their wives had their breasts removed. In short, when there was no breast milk or milk substitutes, father's milk came into play. Of course, these are extremely individual cases, because under natural circumstances, men cannot feed their children whenever they want.

In recent years, international authoritative organizations have strongly advocated breastfeeding, but many mothers cannot exclusively breastfeed for various reasons. If male prolactin can be stimulated by some means without side effects, father's milk can be stimulated, which can be used as a supplement or substitute for breast milk, and can also allow men to enjoy the obligation and pleasure of feeding children. In modern society, most women go out to work, and feeding children has become a great burden. If both husband and wife can feed their children, it will be a great liberation for breastfeeding women. Same-sex marriage has been legalized in many places in the United States, and many same-sex couples will adopt children. If male milk can be stimulated, same-sex couples can enjoy the fun of being parents more.

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