Real Facts That Show If Milk Hormones Are Scary!

Many people hear the word "hormone" and worry what it means. When they hear a scary hormone like "Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin" they immediately start wondering how will that affect their lives. Well I have 10 facts that show if rbST is scary.

1. Ever thought how much hormones you eat? A LOT!

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Actually, everything you eat has hormones, from organic, raw, gluten free, cholesterol free, kale to the juiciest steak. Hormones are simply the signals a multi-cellular organism (such as yourself) uses to communicate with its self. (US National Library) Without hormones we wouldn't be able to live. rbST for example is simply a hormone used to help the cow utilize feed to produce more milk. Does rbST produce any harm? Let's see!

*US National Library of Medicine

medlineplus.gov/hormones.html

2. Is rbST safe for everyone? What about babies, adults, elderly, pets, Martians, etc.?

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Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin has been researched for the past 50 year and reviewed by 50 countries, including United States, Canada, and the European Union. Twelve world health organizations have also conducted many researches concerning rbST's health effects. All studies have shown it is completely safe! It does not harm the cow or the person drinking the milk. rbST is completely safe and only helps the farmer and the consumer. (Capper JL et al. 2008)

No study has been conducted if it harms Martians.

Capper JL et al. The environmental impact of recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST)

use in dairy production. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2008 Jul 15;105(28):9668-73

3. Cow hormones don't work on humans!

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Some people think hormones in milk may cause kids to go through puberty early. Studies have shown early onset of puberty has no correlation to milk consumption. Recombint Bovine Somoatotropin has no effect on humans because human are simply not cows. You could actually inject rbST directly into your blood stream and nothing will happen. (Anderson SE and Must A. 2005) Hormones need to bind to their biological receptors to exert their biological effect. (Youngs C. 2016) Humans have no proper receptors to activate rbST.

Anderson SE and Must A. Interpreting the continued decline in the average age at

menarche: results from two nationally representative surveys of US girls studied 10 years

apart. J Pediatr. 2005 Dec;147(6):753-60.

Curtis Youngs Ph. D. Lecture given at Iowa State University 2016

4. Does rbST play an important role on the environment?

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All food production has some impact on the environment regardless of how it is produced. rbST allows the cow to produce more milk with less feed. By reducing the required amount of feed to produce a unit of milk means a huge leap forward in helping the environment. Since rbST has been used there has been a 8-9% reduction in the carbon footprint per gallon of milk! If only 15% of U.S. dairy herds were to use rbST the reduction of the carbon footprint would be equal to 400,000 cars off the road each year or planting 300 million trees annually! (Capper JL et al, 2008)

Capper JL et al. The environmental impact of recombinant bovine somatotropin

(rbST) use in dairy production. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 2008 Jul 15;105(28):9668-

73.

5. This is just a milk dancing carton.

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A simple laugh break from all the big science stuff.

6. Is rbST safe for the cow?

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The answer to this is unmistakably yes! In fact cows that receive the supplement are healthier. This is because rbST helps the cows utilize the nutrients better. The FDA has reviewed many scientific reviews involving over 20 years and 35 million dairy cows. These studies are simply clear evidence that commercial use of rbST is in no doubt healthy and safe for the cow's welfare. (animalsmart.org)

animalsmart.org

7. So rbST is safe for people and the environment, but does it change the quality?

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In short, rbST has no effect on the composition what so ever. The quality of milk is altered by many factors such as genetics, environment, age of the cow, etc. Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin doesn't effect the quality of the milk. The milk from supplemented cows is identical to organic milk. Any dairy products such as yogurt, cheese, butter, etc. also are not effected. (Vicini J et al. 2008)

Vicini J et al. Survey of retail milk composition as affected by label claims regarding farm

management practice. J Am Diet Assoc. 2008 Jul;108(7):1198-203

8. Drinking Milk is still a very healthy source of vitamins and protein.

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Both organic and supplemental milk is an excellent source of protein, Vitamin D, Potassium, riboflavin, and other essential nutrients. Children can obtain a high quality nutrients at an affordable price. (everydayhealth.com) So regardless if you prefer organic or conventional, we call all gain more nutrient from our diet.

Recommended serving sizes for growing kids:

Children ages 2 to 3 years: 2 cups

Children ages 4 to 8 years: 2 1/2 cups

Children age 9 years and older: 3 cups

www.everydayhealth.com

9. Now you earned yourself a tall cold glass of milk!

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Literature References

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Cited References

Anderson SE and Must A. Interpreting the continued decline in the average age at

menarche: results from two nationally representative surveys of US girls studied 10 years

apart. J Pediatr. 2005 Dec;147(6):753-60.

animalsmart.org

Capper JL et al. The environmental impact of recombinant bovine somatotropin

(rbST) use in dairy production. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 2008 Jul 15;105(28):9668-

73.

Curtis Youngs Ph. D. Lecture given at Iowa State University 2016

www.everydayhealth.com

medlineplus.gov/hormones.html

Vicini J et al. Survey of retail milk composition as affected by label claims regarding farm

management practice. J Am Diet Assoc. 2008 Jul;108(7):1198-203