What does rbgh do to humans

Our Work. Take Action. Press Releases. Healthy Home. About rbGH. Share this:. In fact, many sources say hormones are more commonly used in meat production than dairy, although actual usage data is unavailable. Of course, organic standards prohibit the addition of any synthetic hormones—the amount of milk and meat a healthy and happy cow can produce naturally is good enough for us!

Thanks to consumer pressure, use of rBGH has been declining in recent years. However, it is incredibly important to remember that rBGH is not the only synthetic livestock hormone used in conventional agriculture. Opponents of rBGH contend that milk from treated cows has higher levels of growth hormone than milk from non-treated cows. However even though studies have shown this to be true , the FDA says that there is no evidence of biologically active growth hormone being absorbed by humans.

In other words, although rBGH appears at higher levels in milk from treated cows, the FDA is not convinced it has any effect on humans who drink it. Other public interest groups and governments have reached different conclusions. While there may be a link between IGF-1 blood levels and cancer, the exact nature of this link remains unclear. But this same finding has also been reported in people who drink soy milk. This suggests that the increase in IGF-1 may not be specific to cow's milk, and may be caused by protein, minerals, or some other factors in milk unrelated to rBGH.

There have been no direct comparisons of IGF-1 levels in people who drink ordinary cow's milk vs. At this time, it is not clear that drinking milk, produced with or without rBGH treatment, increases blood IGF-1 levels into a range that might be of concern regarding cancer risk or other health effects. These were:. At least 8 other national and international review committees have evaluated the evidence concerning potential health effects of rBGH on humans and dairy cows.

These reviews and the most recent year they convened are listed below. Research on the link between rBST and breast cancer has produced mixed results, and more study is needed to evaluate the potential association.

IGF-1 has been shown to stimulate growth of human breast cancer cells. A recent review of the relevant epidemiological data revealed no associations between consumption of cow milk and breast cancer. Reviewed [1] European Commission. Brussels: EC, Topics: Glossary of Exposures. Take Action Donate. What evidence links rBST to breast cancer?