A Little Milk with Your Antibiotics and Hormones?

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.” Sir Walter Scott

A recent article in the New York Times disclosed that the F.D.A. has questioned the illegal levels of antibiotics in commercial milk, while the dairy industry refuses to allow testing. Reporter William Newman wrote that despite the Food and Drug Administrations intention to begin testing for antibiotics in milk, sometime this month, the dairy industry claims that testing “could force farmers to needlessly dump millions of gallons of milk while they waited for test results.”

Naturally, the F.D.A. granted the industry a reprieve while a faster testing method could be developed; but all is not well on the U.S. milk front. Traces of antibiotics have been showing up in the nation’s milk supply for some time now and when the F.D.A. becomes alarmed, it must be pretty bad indeed. Surprisingly, what Neuman failed to mention was that it was because farmers accepted Monsanto’s offer to increase milk yields in their cows by injecting Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) that led to higher levels of antibiotics being used.

Europe and Canada were intelligent enough to ban the use of rBGH because of concerns over human health and animal welfare. In American dairies the average lifespan of a dairy cow has decreased from a natural lifespan of 25 years to a mere 5 years, and those years are spent in a constant cycle of providing milk from painfully engorged udders. The pus from a cow developing mastitis ends up in the milk, which required raising the levels of antibiotics.

So, to review, milk from cows treated with rBGH contains more antibiotics, bovine growth hormone, more pus, and something even more dangerous, Insulin-Like Growth Factor or IGF-1, one of the most powerful growth hormones in the human body and naturally present in cows’ milk.

The concern is over the presence of rBGH in a dairy cow’s blood, because it is known to stimulate the production of IGF-1, which is what actually stimulates the production of milk. So here’s the equation: Since rBGH increases levels of IGF-1 in cows and IGF-1 causes cells to divide in humans, will increasing IGF-1 in milk cause cell division in humans that leads to tumor growth and cancer? Dr. Samual Epstein’s research points to that conclusion. “Excess levels of IGF-1 have been incriminated as a cause of breast, colon, and prostate cancers. The risks of cancer to consumers and particularly their children, including those enrolled in the National School Lunch Program, are indisputable.”

A once pure and unadulterated protein and mineral source for humans has evolved to become a highly pasteurized, homogenized, hormone loaded, antibiotic protected, pus infested product no longer resembling the original natural substance. Yes, it is cheaper than pasteurized, homogenized organic milk, but then again, you always get just what you pay for.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Christine J.

5:48AM PST on Feb 28, 2013

I wonder why people drink cow's milk? We were all brought up on it, but why? I don't drink it any more.

February 28
send a green star

debera d.

7:44AM PDT on Apr 14, 2012

MILKSUCKS.COM.....THESE POOR ANIMALS ARE TREATED SO BADLY IT IS EVIL....PLEASE DRINK SOY, COCONUT, RICE OR MANY OTHER LIQUIDS INSTEAD...WE ARE THEIR VOICE AND NEED TO STOP THIS MADNESS....

April 14
send a green star

Grace J.

8:21AM PST on Dec 7, 2011

this is exactly why I stopped buying milk and only buy organic for my family and my kids I know its costs more but I just factor that into our budget I learned about this practice a few years back. I don't drink cow milk I drink almond milk and organic taste much better. After age of 5 we don't really need milk and our bodies don't processes it as well

December 7
send a green star

Danuta W.

2:46AM PST on Dec 2, 2011

Thanks for sharing.

December 2
send a green star

Eternal G.

9:19PM PST on Mar 11, 2011

Always thought milk drinking isn't healthy!

March 11
send a green star

9:13PM PST on Mar 11, 2011

No thanks!

Bill K.

5:29PM PST on Mar 6, 2011

humans drinking milk beyond their infant stage is as pointless as wearing diapers to the office. the only purpose of cow's milk is to make baby cows fat fast. if adult humans feel the need to regress to their infancy at least stick to milk from their own species.