So my girlfriend and I got into an argument about beef hormones the other day, and some googling isn’t brining much data here. Some innocent conversation led to her statement “Your parent’s should have fed you more beef and milk, cause they contain hormones that are making people taller.” I told her the same thing is said about girls and puberty, as well as the blame for obesity, and that it isn’t likely it isn’t causing anything. In fact, I have never seen any scientific evidence to suggest that our bodies are even affected by beef hormones.
So what is the Straight dope on this? Are beef hormones making everybody taller, fatter, or giving an early puberty to 8 year old girls? Is there any evidence linking anything with beef or milk?
“Your parent’s should have fed you more beef and milk, cause they contain hormones that are making people taller.”
The controversy is about insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). The question is if cows treated with rBST have elevated levels of IGF-1. No studies have shown this to be true. Further, there is no evidence that even if it were true that it would affect growth.
From pdrhealth.com “Orally administered IGF-1 has very poor bioavailability. There is no credible evidence that IGF-1 is absorbed from the oral mucosa if administered as a spray. It is likely that orally administered IGF-1 is digested in the small intestine to the amino acids that comprise the molecule.”
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Is there any evidence linking anything with beef or milk?*
Not in the sense that your gf means.
It isn’t up to you to disprove anything. Ask her to backup anything she says with credible studies.