Milk from BGH-injected Cows: Does it Do a Body Good?

What is Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH)? Is it safe for human consumption?

The answer to the first question is that BGH or recombinant BGH (rBGH) is an artificial hormone injected into cows that causes them to produce 15-30% more milk. Monsanto spent a billion dollars to  develop it and it's been on the market, and in milk an milk products, since 1994. It's marketed to dairy farmers under the name POSILAC.

Is it safe? Well, that's a good question. As with so many things, it hasn't really been tested on humans. One of the troubling findings of injecting cows with BGH is that it causes them to produce milk with higher concentrations IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor). Evidence is growing that IGF-1 promotes tumor growth expecially in the breast and colon. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and most of Europe banned BGH because of health concerns and there is evidence that the hormone isn't all that great for cows either. It increases mastitis and foot problems requiring more antibiotics which also cross over into the milk: 

Despite warnings from scientists, such as Dr. Michael Hansen from the Consumers Union and Dr. Samuel Epstein from the Cancer Prevention Coalition, that milk from rBGH injected cows contains substantially higher amounts of a potent cancer tumor promoter called IGF-1, and despite evidence that rBGH milk contains higher levels of pus, bacteria, and antibiotics, the FDA gave the hormone its seal of approval, with no real pre-market safety testing required. (For more go here.... )

A team of investigative reporters was set to do a piece on Monsanto and BGH on a Tampa, Florida FOX TV station in the mid 90s, but the piece was pulled after Monsanto threatened "dire consequences" if it aired. To the credit of the reporters who were threatened and bribed to alter the piece to be Monsanto friendly, they refused to lie and accept money to be silent. God bless them! Here's the video that tells their story:

I tracked down a transcript of the investigative report FOX squashed. It's on this website. Just click on the transcript button on the right. It's really interesting to see the changes FOX insisted on.  You can read it here and decide for yourselves whether you want to consume milk products laced with BGH. The reporters ended up suing. They won the intitial lawsuit but lost on appeal

When I think of artificial hormones, I immediately think of the pill. When it was initially placed on the market it was treated as a miracle for women. And, of course, it was touted as having no health problems. Now 50 years later, we know a lot more about the pill and its dangerous side affects: the link to breast cancer, strokes, blood clots, heart attacks, etc. Even after changes to the pill to make it less dangerous the contraindications fill a leaflet two feet long in small print. Can anyone be cavalier about introducing artificial hormones into milk, milk products, and baby formula?

All I can say is that I'm glad we get our milk from a Mennonite family whose cows are grass fed and who raise their own winter feed. And from now on, I'm buying organic milk products or doing without.