Robyn Kozierok asked:

What amount of that hormone (IGF-I) is naturally occurring in the human
body?

Dear Robyn,

That is a great question!  I recently had that conversation with
Margaret Miller, Ph.D.  Dr. Miller is recognized as the world expert on
IGF-I.  She helped develop the genetically engineered bovine hormone and
was hired by FDA where she ended up reviewing her own research.

Dr. Miller asked me the same question.

I answered, "There are approximately 500,000 nanograms of IGF-I in the
average human blood serum."

She agreed.  She then asked, "How could 3,000 nanograms in one glass of
milk have any significant impact or difference?"

It was my turn to ask questions.  I asked Dr. Miller if she had any glue
in her house.

She responded, "Yes.  Perhaps a cup."

I then told her that she was wrong.  She has 55 gallons of glue in her
house.  It's in her furniture, the floor tiles, the sheetrock.  Most of
the glue in her house is bound and will never act like glue again, but
it's still glue.  I explained to her that the current ways of measuring
or assaying IGF-I reveal only their presence.  IGF-1 binds or attaches
to other proteins in just a matter of seconds and the growth potential
or effects are deactivated.

She then stated, "Nobody has ever measured the actual levels of 'free'
unattached IGF-I in the human body."

I then said, "No, Dr. Miller, you are wrong.  Frysdyk measured it in
Finland in 1995 and found that the average adult male has approximately
2,500 nanograms of free and unbound IGF-1 in his blood at any one time.
When you drink milk, you more than double the amount of this powerful
growth hormone.  However, in milk, IGF-I remains bioactive for 30
minutes, not a few seconds like the naturally produced IGF-I."

I hope that answers your question.

Robert Cohen