rBGH and rBST in Dairy Production

The additive I chose to discuss is the dairy hormone combination rBGH and rBST. In the United States cows are injected with these hormones for the purpose of causing an increase in growth and milk production, while also keeping them healthier since they live in crammed spaces where diseases are easily transmittable. In addition to the original hormone injections, cows may also have reactions to the hormones, which result in the need for more antibiotics. This potentially leads to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which may or may not end up in our diets. The issue that humans must deal with regarding the hormone injections is that the hormones remain in the milk we drink, which has been connected to various cancers.  As the European Union banned the use of hormones in dairy cows, experts said in an article discussing the decision, “The growth hormone increases the cow’s level of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1)… Women with breast cancer have high level of IGF-1.”  It frustrates me that rBGH and rBST are allowed to enter our food supply since scientists believe the hormones reach our table; if it is possible that the high levels of IGF-1 in women with breast cancer are due to the hormones in milk production, how are they sold legally? The reason is that milk production in the United States has a high enough demand that the producers must manufacture enough dairy products. This, combined with increased profits and satisfied corporations, leads to the “needed” use of hormones to increase milk production. Hopefully the United States will eventually follow other countries in the prohibition of hormones in dairy production resulting from the risk of cancer-causing hormones.

http://www.cmaj.ca/content/161/6/677.full