Greetings Group,

My mother has an incredible health care library and she frequently loans me articles
that she feels I should be made aware of.  Along those lines she gave me a March 1996
edition of Vegetarian Times magazine which had the above headline in their "In the News"
column written by Amy O'Connor.  If it had not been for the information I've learned
from this list I would have breezed on by this article.

Here is a synopsis of the article:

BOVINE GROWTH HORMONE LINKED TO CANCER IN HUMANS

The first study to suggest that milk treated with synthetic bovine growth hormone (BGH,
also known as BST) can promote cancer in humans may intensify anti-BGH sentiment, but
scientists say it probably won't have much effect on federal policy.

BGH was approved by the U.S. FDA in 1985 for use in boosting milk prodution in cows.
Since then, controversy has surrounded its use.  Scientists have conducted the first
systematic analysis of the available data, and have identified BGH as a human-health
risk.  "This research will be the death knell of BGH in Europe which already has a
moratorium on BGH until the year 2000", says Samuel Epstein, M.D., professor of
environmental toxicology at the Univ. of Illinois-Chicago and author of the sudy in the
winter issue of the peer-reviewed International Journal of Health Services.

Using the government's own data, as well as research conducted by BGH manufacturer's
Monsanto, Dow Chemical and UpJohn, the study argues that BGH may put humans at risk for
breast, colon and other gastrointestinal cancers.  Levels of the insulin-like growth
factor IGF-1, which has been linked to cancer and tumor growth, are higher than normal
in BGH-treated milk.  Despite the FDA's response that IGF-1 passes harmlessly through
the human digestive system, Epstein cites evidence that the human intestinal wall can
absorb proteins that have a larger molecular weight than IGF-1, suggesting that it can
readily pass through the gut.  He notes that children's and infant's more permeable gut
walls may absorb IGF-1 more easily and warns that pasteurization increases IGF-1
concentrations in milk.

Epstein goes on to state that he doesn't think the FDA will reconsider it's approval of
BGH because the FDA's interest in BGH is so "intertwined" with the manufacturerers.

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The fact that the data has been gleaned from the FDA's and Monsanto's own files truly
infuriates me.  As far as I'm concerned these people are ten times worse than the
tobacco manufacturers using cigarettes to deliver nicotine!!

Our government at work for us.

POWER CORRUPTS,....ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY!

Apologies....some times I just get so angry.  Anybody care to discuss Vaccinations!!!
Another one of my "hot" buttons.

Later,
Pamela