Consumers still at risk from hormone injected in dairy cows

This horrific hormone might still be in your food

As the saying goes, you shouldn’t cry over spilt milk — but milk that comes from cows injected with hormones is another story!

I’m talking about a drug called recombinant bovine growth hormone, better known as rBST (or rBGH), that farmers shoot into their cows to (slightly) increase milk production.

And ever since this genetically modified drug made its appearance on dairy farms several decades ago, there have been serious health concerns over its use. For one, the cows typically suffer from udder infections (meaning more antibiotics!) and lameness, and they give birth to calves with serious defects because of it.

But what about those of us who consume their tainted milk? Well, that’s an even scarier story.

It involves another hormone that treated cows make more of that’s linked to several deadly cancers.

The good news is that more and more dairy farmers are considering the drug to be poison ivy for their industry. A recent story out of the dairy capital of America states that nearly 90 percent of Wisconsin milk will be rBST-free this year.

The bad news is that there are still holdouts — big-name companies that are continuing to make ice cream, butter, and cheese with milk from cows injected with this drug.

This means that you still can’t be 100 percent sure that the dairy products you’re buying are safe or completely free of artificial growth hormones. So, here’s what you need to know, as well as what to look for – and look out for.

Scary dairy

At this point, rBST has been banned all over the world, including the European Union, Canada, Australia, and Japan… with others soon to follow. And I’m guessing that the FDA will be the last public health agency on Earth to continue to allow it to be used!

As I mentioned, this hormone can do some nasty things to dairy cows. But people who consume their yogurt, cream, milk, or anything else aren’t in the clear, either.

One of the known health risks has to do with the fact that these rBST-injected cows produce higher levels of another hormone, one called insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1).

IGF-1 is a hormone naturally found in the body, one that’s necessary when you’re a child to grow properly. In adults, however, high levels of it indicate a huge increase in the risk of certain cancers.

Research going back decades has found that those with the highest levels of IGF-1 can have four times the risk of colon and prostate cancer. And women with elevated amounts in their blood are at double the risk of developing breast cancer.

And even the “don’t worry, be happy” American Cancer Society says that studies have found a 10 percent increase in the blood levels of IGF-1 in adults who drink milk versus those who shun dairy.

But fortunately, more and more cooperatives and retail chains are requesting rBST-free dairy due to increased demand from their shoppers.

And as one Wisconsin dairy co-op acknowledged, “The move to making our milk supply rBST free really was in response to customers,” particularly those in the infant formula business.

So, while the use of this hormone is much less than it was just a few years ago, it’s far from gone. And that means that you need to be on guard — only buy organic dairy (which has always been free of rBST) or look for manufacturers who positively state on the label that they don’t use milk from treated cows.

Also, be wary of conventional dairy products that don’t make a point about not containing added or artificial growth hormones.

And if your favorite product still isn’t rBST-free, call, write, or email the company and tell them that it’s time to wake up and smell the coffee creamer – and get this drug out of their milk!