Additionally, after rBGH was approved in , the FDA ignored appeals from consumers, food safety organizations, and scientists to reverse its approval of the hormone, or to even require labeling of foods containing rBGH. While the potential ramifications of rBGH use for humans are certainly worth examining, so are the risks for the cows being given them.
In cows treated with rBGH, health problems often develop. According to a meta-analysis published in , injecting cows with rBGH increases the risk of three important health conditions:. An increased risk of mastitis is particularly concerning—for cows and the rest of the world—because these infections are treated with antibiotics, and the high use of antibiotics in livestock can create antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Given that growth hormones are produced naturally by cows, they can be expected to register at some level in all milk samples. However, data shows that organic milk contains less bovine growth hormone than conventional milk. A study conducted by Emory University in collaboration with The Organic Center found that bovine growth hormone levels were 20 times higher in conventional milk than in organic milk. Not only does eliminating rBGH and other livestock hormones from dairy and meat reduce potential risk for humans, it also promotes humane animal treatment by reducing the proven health risks for the cows who provide us with food.
Additionally, it can be argued that cows produce plenty of milk and meat without the need for added hormones. To us, keeping milk simple and natural is just plain common sense.
The human form of growth hormone, also called somatotropin , is made by the pituitary gland. It promotes growth and cell replication. Recombinant bovine growth hormone rBGH or recombinant bovine somatotropin rBST refers to bovine growth hormone that is made in a lab using genetic technology. Some rBGH products on the market differ chemically from a cow's natural somatotropin by one amino acid.
Both the natural and recombinant forms of the hormone stimulate a cow's milk production by increasing levels of another hormone known as insulin-like growth factor IGF Concerns about possible health effects on humans from milk produced using rBGH have focused on 2 main issues.
If it does, would this be expected to have any health effects in people, including increasing the risk of cancer? Several scientific reviews have looked at these issues and are the main focus of this document. Second, cows treated with rBGH tend to develop more udder infections mastitis. These cows are given more antibiotics than cows not given rBGH. Does this increased use of antibiotics lead to more antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and is this a health concern for people?
Canadian and European regulators have found that the FDA completely failed to consider a study that showed how the increased IGF-1 in rBGH milk could survive digestion and make its way into the intestines and blood stream of consumers. These findings are significant because numerous studies now demonstrate that IGF-1 is an important factor in the growth of cancers of the breast, prostate and colon. Thankfully, consumer outcry over the unlabeled use of rbGH has led to many dairy companies going rbGH-free, and labeling their products as such.
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