From: Samantha Atkins (samantha@objectent.com)
Date: Wed Jul 17 2002 - 00:23:08 MDT
Rafal Smigrodzki wrote:
> Samantha Atkins wrote:
>
>
> The US is the only developed
> country I know of that allows using recombinant bovine growth
> hormone in feeding its dairy cows. This stuff passes into our
> milk supply.
>
> ### I'm quite surprised to hear that - do you mean it
actually is excreted
> in the milk *and* absorbed into our bloodstream *and* acts on
the growth
> hormone receptors of human *and* there is enough of it to
measurably affect
> our bodies? Please provide some references if you will.
> >
> -------
> There is a fair amount of evidence that the age of
> menarche for American females is dropping rapidly (on occassion,
> as low as 3 years old).
>
> ### Do you mean there is a difference between the age of
menarche in the
> /filthy growth hormone polluted/ American population and the
other
> industrialized /but hormone-free/ countries? Are you saying
that the cases
> of menarche at age 3 is indeed caused by environmental
factors, especially
> such easily measurable ones as growth hormone concentrations?
Or is it just
> an unrelated, natural phenomenon, usually caused by enzymatic
deficiencies
> in steroid hormone synthesis, or pituitary and hypothalamic
tumors, but with
> suitable shock value to improve retention of the claims you
present, and
> make them more likely to be believed?
>
Fair questions. On the question of younger age at menarche and
general earlier development of secondary sexual characteristics
the phenomenon is real but not as extreme as the worst report of
3 years. But still of serious concern. Causes still debated
but increasing acceptance that the phenomenon is real.
URLs
------------
http://healthanswers.telstra.com/FeaturedArticles/default.asp?articleid=421
sites US studdies published in Journal 'Pediatrics', 1997
http://www.pcrm.org/issues/Ethics_in_Human_Research/fdapetition.html
- raises concerns...
http://www.monitor.net/rachel/r566.html - more alarming slant on
'Pediatrics' study
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/living/DailyNews/earlypuberty010207.html
- more controversy on issue and above study
on rGBH
---------
Here is what I had heaard and what I dug up on rGBH. Overall,
science seems to be on the side of BGH/BST/rBGH being safe in
milk for human consumption. I stand corrected on that and will
be more careful to research such claims in the future.
Prosilac, from Monsanto Corp., is is the commercial version of
rBGH that is injected into dairy cows to increase milk
production in the US. Prosilac has been identified as a likely
carcinogen in a study commisioned by Monsanto in 1990. It was
linked to the development of prostate and thyroid cance in rats.
It is quite well known that many chemicals present in the
blood of pregnant mammals make their way into their milk so it
is no great surprise that rBGH can.
Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH) is a naturally occurring hormone
produced by milk cows. Closely resembling the natural growth
hormones in human children, the presence of BGH in milk has been
shown to significantly elevate hormone levels in people,
creating a host of growth problems. Cows injected with rBGH also
produce milk with quite high levels of Insulin Growth Factor-1
(IGF-1), which is a known cancer promoter. There are recent
studies linking elevated IGF-1 to increased risk of breaast and
prostate cancer. A secondary consequence of use of Prosilac is
increased disease conditions in cows which in turn lead to a
significant increase in the amount of antibiotics used that also
partially taint the milk.
Doing a bit more of a search for supporting data gives a mixed
bag of results. However, the CON side against this being a
significant risk by far is the most convincing.
CON
--- IDFA - obvious strong bias for but their latest statement seems clear on the surface: http://www.idfa.org/reg/biotech/talking2.htm http://www.accessexcellence.org/AB/IE/bgh+bst.html - a bioethics site that gives BGH/BST a clean bill of health and is quite persuasive. http://www.msue.msu.edu/msue/imp/modda/11119209.html - cites FDA study published in Science, August 24, 1990 "Bovine GH is not biologically active in humans, and oral toxicity studies have demonstrated that rbGH is not orally active in rats, a species responsive to parenterally administered bGH. Recombinant bGH treatment produces an increase in the concentration of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in cow's milk. However, oral toxicity studies have shown that bovine IGF-I lacks oral activity in rats. Additionally, the concentration of IGF-I in milk of rbGH-treated cows is within the normal physiological range found in human breast milk, and IGF-I is denatured under conditions used to process cow's milk for infant formula. On the basis of estimates of the amount of protein absorbed intact in humans and the concentration of IGF-I in cow's milk during rbGH treatment, biologically significant levels of intact IGF-I would not be absorbed." PRO --- http://users.westnet.gr/~cgian/rbst.htm - critque of Canadian study approving plus references to another study disapproving rBGH http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/li/BGHpress1.html - petition to FDA to remove rBGH pending further study in 1998 ===========Bibliography============================== [1] Susan E. Hankinson and others, "Circulating concentrations of insulin-like growth factor I and risk of breast cancer," LANCET Vol. 351, No. 9113 (May 9, 1998), pgs. 1393-1396. [2] Jeff Holly, "Insulin-like growth factor-I and new opportunities for cancer prevention," LANCET Vol. 351, No. 9113 (May 9, 1998), pgs. 1373-1375. [3] June M. Chan and others, "Plasma Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I and Prostate Cancer Risk: A Prospective Study," SCIENCE Vol. 279 (January 23, 1998), pgs. 563-566. [4] C.J. Xian and others, "Degradation of IGF-I in the adult rat gastrointestinal tract is limited by a specific antiserum or the dietary protein casein," JOURNAL OF ENDOCRINOLOGY Vol. 146 (1995), pgs. 215-225. [5] R.K. Rao and others, "Luminal Stability of Insulin-Like Growth Factors I and II in Developing Rat Gastrointestinal Tract," JOURNAL OF PEDIATRIC GASTROENTEROLOGY AND NUTRITION Vol. 26, No. 2 (February 1998), pgs. 179-185. [6] Toshikiro Kimura and others, "Gastrointestinal Absorption of Recombinant Human Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I in Rats," THE JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY AND EXPERIMENTAL THERAPEUTICS Vol. 283, No. 2 (November 1997), pgs. 611-618. [7] Douglas G.G. Burrin and others, "Orally administered IGF-I increases intestinal mucosal growth in formula-fed neonatal pigs," AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY Vol. 270, No. 5 Part 2 (May 1996), pgs. R1085-R1091. [8] A.F. Philipps, "Growth of artificially fed infant rats: effect of supplementation with insulin-like growth factor I," AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY Vol. 272, No. 5 Part 2 (May 1997), pgs. R1532-R1539. [9] Peter F. Bruning and others, "Insulin-Like Growth-Factor-Binding Protein 3 is Decreased in Early-Stage Operable Pe-Menopausal Breast Cancer," INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER Vol. 62 (1995), pgs. 266-270. [10] J. P. Peyrat and others, "Plasma Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) Concentrations in Human Breast Cancer," EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER Vol. 29A, No. 4 (1993), pgs. 492-497. [11] David J. Hunter and Walter C. Willett, "Diet and Body Build: Diet, Body Size, and Breast Cancer," EPIDEMIOLOGIC REVIEWS Vol. 15, No. 1 (1993), pgs. 110-132. [12] See Monsanto's rBGH information at http://www.monsanto.com/protiva/ where rBGH is referred to by its trade name, Posilac, or by another name Monsanto invented for the product, bovine somatotropin or BST. [13] One of Ms. Shalala's milk ads was reprinted in the BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL Vol. 316 (February 14, 1998), pg. 498. The caption reads, "Donna Shalala, the United States secretary of health and human services, has been criticised for her promotion of milk. The milk industry is a powerful lobby in the US and critics say the endorsement could be the first step on a slippery slope." [14] Samuel S. Epstein, "Unlabeled Milk from Cows Treated with Biosynthetic Growth Hormones: A Case of Regulatory Abdication," INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HEALTH SERVICES Vol. 26, No. 1 (1996), pgs. 173-185. Rafal Smigrodzki wrote: > Samantha Atkins wrote: > > > The US is the only developed > country I know of that allows using recombinant bovine growth > hormone in feeding its dairy cows. This stuff passes into our > milk supply. > > ### I'm quite surprised to hear that - do you mean it actually is excreted > in the milk *and* absorbed into our bloodstream *and* acts on the growth > hormone receptors of human *and* there is enough of it to measurably affect > our bodies? Please provide some references if you will.
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