Monday, December 20, 2004

Parents: Is Bovine Growth Hormone a Part of Your Child's Diet?

NOB HILL--I do not consider myself to be an expert on anything; I can only tell you what I have seen. I taught elementary school for 31 years, 19 of them in 4th and 5th grade classrooms. These are kids who are usually 9, 10, 11 years old. Here is one thing that I have noticed. And I am not alone in noticing this. Ask any elementary teacher with a lot of experience.

Girls, especially, seem to be going through puberty earlier and earlier. Fourth and fifth graders. I do not know what causes this, but I have my suspicions.
  1. High fat diets.
  2. So many hormones in livestock, specifically milk from cows injected with bovine growth hormone.
There is an excellent summary of the problem put out by the Vermont Public Interest Group. You owe it to your children or grandchildren to read it. It starts out with "How cows make milk" and continues right through to the dangers associated with rBGH, and the growth hormones it stimulates: such as IGF-1. This is important...really important for youngsters. The article does not address early puberty...that is my issue.

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