Organic or not Organic Dairy Products?
In the United States many of our dairy farms feed the cows that we get our meat and milk from growth-promoting hormones, appetite stimulants, pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides and aflatoxins that collect in the animals’ tissues and milk. Many of the cows on our dairy farms are bred for mass milk production and receive an injection of Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH, BST, rBGH or rBST) for the sole purpose of increasing milk production in the cow. Studies show that rBST in cow’s naturally increases bovine insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in the cow. IGF-1 is a cancer accelerating hormone which is naturally produced in cows that receive the Bovine Growth Hormone injection. IGF-1 is not destroyed in the pasteurization process and actually increases the IGF-1 levels during pasteurization. IGF-1 is considered active in humans and linked with breast, prostate and colon cancers. European nations and Canada have banned Bovine Growth Hormone to protect their citizens from the dangers of IGF-1.
Organic products can be very expensive and milk is a necessity in our everyday lives. Keep in mind that you don’t have to buy organic to get rBGH free milk, cheese, ice-cream, yogurt or other dairy products. Just read the labels and look for rBGH FREE or NO rBST. If the label does not say that it doesn’t contain the Bovine Growth Hormone then assume it does. Here is a list of rBST or rBGH FREE products that may be available to you at your local market.
http://www.nwrage.org/downloads/ORPFSR_rbghConsumerGuide.pdf
Interesting reads about Bovine Growth Hormone, Dairy Farmers and their relationship with the Pharmaceutical Companies.
http://www.preventcancer.com/consumers/general/milk.html
http://ejnet.org/bgh/nogood.html
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