With all the labels on milk pledging “rBGH free” and “no artificial growth hormones” you’d think conventional milk was practically poison.
The biotechnology company, Monsanto, came out with an artificial growth hormone, Posilac (referred to as rBST or rBGH), that could be injected into cows to increase their milk production. In the past few years, consumers have become afraid of milk treated with these hormones.
In researching milk and growth hormones, I expected to find study after study pointing to cancers, reduced fertility and other frightening problems associated with drinking milk from cows treated with rBGH. But I didn’t.
There was one study done in 1999, widely quoted by organic milk advocates, which showed growth hormones lead to increased insulin growth hormones, which do cause a problem in human cells.
But a study done by the American Dietetic Association showed compositionally, there is not that much different between conventional milk, organic milk and milk not treated with growth hormones. The study tested milk from all over the U.S. and found that there were more of the hormones progesterone and estradiol and more bacteria in the organic milk! Insulin-like growth hormone 1 was also tested for and it was found that the levels in conventional milk were the same as those found in the rBGH-free milk.
Even the American Cancer Society does not have a stance on rBGH milk, stating they have “no formal position” on growth hormones in milk. The American Cancer Society website goes into more detail on the matter, stating that while insulin-like growth hormone poses a cancer risk, “there is no evidence that drinking milk, produced with or without rBGH treatment, increases circulating IGF[insulin-like growth factor] levels into the range of concern.”
If there is no difference in the milk itself, what else should you think about when deciding between the various brands of milk? Animal welfare and environmental impact are two considerations.
Cows treated with growth hormones are actually better for the environment. If the same amount of milk can be gained from fewer cows, there is a reduced need for housing, feeding and watering the animals which all take their toll on the environment.
However, getting more milk from fewer cows is stressful for the animals. Ethically, milk from cows treated with rBGH is not the best choice. The increased milk production can lead to shorter lives for the cows and a lower quality of life because of health problems associated with the extra milk production.
In the end, you don’t really need to stress too much about the choice between non-rBGH milk and regular milk. The panic circulating around the rBGH buzzword was enough to effectively kill the bovine growth hormone industry.
Monsanto sold the rights to Posilac and more and more major companies like Walmart and Starbucks are pledging to sell milk from cows not treated with growth hormones.
The decline in rBGH use is not as good for the environment but it’s good for the cows, and really, of not much concern to the average milk drinker.
