American Milk: Colon and Breast Cancer Risks

American dairy farmers use rBGH hormone to increase milk production

rBGH increases cancer risk of milk
Citizen advocacy groups escalate efforts against rBGH
Study Warns of Colon and Breast Cancer Risks from rBGH Milk

January 23, 1996, Washington, DC - The Cancer Prevention Coalition and Food & Water, released a study today reporting that milk from cows injected with recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) increases risks of breast and colon cancers in humans. This study is published in the January issue of the International Journal of Health Services, a peer-reviewed, leading international public health journal.

The study summarizes evidence that rBGH increases levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) in milk. IGF-1 is a powerful stimulator and regulator of cell-growth and division in humans and cows. The study concludes that increased IGF-1 levels are risk factors for breast and colon cancer.

rBGH poses an even greater risk to human health than ever considered," warned Samuel Epstein M.D., Professor of Environmental Medicine at the University of Illinois School of Public Health and Chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition, author of the new report. "The FDA and Monsanto have a lot to answer for. Given the cancer risks, and other health concerns, why is rBGH milk still on the market?"

Since 1986, independent scientists have expressed concern about the lack of research on the potential health effects of IGF-1 in rBGH milk. More recently, the Council of Scientific Affairs of the American Medical Association admitted that: "Further studies will be required to determine whether the ingestion of higher than normal concentrations of bovine IGF-1 is safe."

Increased IGF-1 levels in rBGH milk exert their cancer promoting effects directly on cells lining the colon, and on breast cells, following absorption into the blood.

" Monsanto 's claims that rBGH is perfectly safe have been proven dead wrong today. This study further validates the health concerns of millions of consumers about this controversial product," said Michael Colby, Executive Director of Food and Water. "Only Monsanto is benefiting from this drug. It's time for dairy companies to side with consumers by adopting a policy that they will not allow rBGH, under any circumstances, to be used by their farmers."

Epstein concluded, "The entire nation is currently being subjected to a large-scale adulteration of an age-old dietary staple by a poorly characterized and unlabeled biotechnology product which is very different than natural milk."


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Statement by the Cancer Prevention Coalition on IGF-1 and Breast and Colon Cancer

The FDA has ignored the wide range of converging evidence that associates increased consumption of insulin growth factor-i (IGF- 1), which increases in milk from rBGH treated cows, with a potential risk of breast and other types of cancer.

Published research shows that rBGH use on dairy cows induces a marked and sustained increase in levels of insulin-like growth factor-1, or IGF-1, in cow’s milk. This is admitted by FDA (Juskevich & Guyer, 1990), and more explicitly by others (Prosser 1988; Prosser 1989; Mepham, 1992). A recent admission by another manufacturer of rBGH (Eli Lilly & Co.) reports a ten fold increase in IGF-1 levels. Furthermore, there is suggestive evidence that IGF- 1 in rBGH milk is more bioactive than in non-hormonal milk (Mepham, 1992).

IGF-1 regulates cell growth, division and differentiation, particularly in children. Human and normal bovine IGF-1 are identical, they are largely bound in protein and thus probably less biologically active than unbound IGF1 in rBGH derived milk.

IGF-1 is not destroyed by pasteurization. In fact this process substantially increases IGF-1 levels in milk. (Juskevich and Guyer, 1990). Nor is IGF-1 destroyed by digestion. Moreover, FDA admits that IGF-1 is readily absorbed across the intestinal wall (Juskevich & Guyer, 1990); this was also previously admitted by Monsanto in 1987. Further confirmation is also provided by other authorities (e.g. Mepham, 1992). Additionally, recent research indicates that IGF-1 can be absorbed into the bloodstream where it can effect other hormones. (Donovan and Odle, 1994)

FDA and other industry sources have not published any detailed studies on the oral toxicity of IGF-1 Rather, they have consistently refused to make available their findings and raw data. A highly condensed summary of an IGF- 1 Monsanto short term test in mature rats was released by FDA (Juskevich & Guyer, 1990). The agency alleges that this study confirms IGF- 1's "lack of oral activity." At the outset it should be noted that the Monsanto test was contracted out to Hazelton Laboratories, which has a two decade history of misrepresentation of scientific data. (Epstein, 1978). However, even the cited Monsanto/Hazelton data explicitly reveal statistically significant evidence of growth promoting effects. Feeding relatively low doses of IGF-1 to mature rats for only two weeks resulted in statistically significant and biologically highly significant systemic effects: increased body weight; increased liver weight; increased bone length; and decreased epiphyseal width. These results are confirmatory of prior theoretical predictions.

The FDA has failed to investigate the effects of long-term feeding of IGF- 1 and rBGH-milk on growth, or on more sensitive sub-cellular effects, in infant rats or infants of any other species.

Significantly, cows injected with rBGH show heavy localization of IGF-l in breast (udder) epithelial cells; this does not occur in untreated cows. (Furlanetto, et al, 1984; Gregor, et al, 1985; Campbell, et al, 1986.) IGF-1 induces rapid division and multiplication of normal human breast epithelial cells in tissue cultures. It is highly likely that IGF- 1 promotes transformation of normal breast epithelium to breast cancers. (Furlanetto, et al, 1984; Harris, et al, 1992, growth factors such as IGF-1 "are responsible at least in part for the evolution of normal breast epithelia to breast cancer...'). Moreover, IGF-1 maintains the malignancy of human breast cancer cells, including their invasiveness and ability to spread to distant organs. (Lippman, 1991, 1993). IGF-l has been similarly associated with colon cancer (Tricolo, et al, 1986).

The undifferentiated pre-natal and infant breast is particularly susceptible to hormonal influences. (Ekbom, et al. 1992) Such imprinting by IGF-1 may increase future breast cancer risks, and may also increase the sensitivity of the breast to subsequent unrelated risks such as mammography and the carcinogenic and estrogen-like effects of pesticide residues in food, particularly in pre-menopausal women. (Elwood, et al, 1993).

Concerns about increased levels of IGF- 1 in milk from cows treated with rBGH are not new. In 1990, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus panel on rBGH expressed concerns on adverse health effects of IGF-1 in rBGH milk, calling for further study on the treated milk's impacts, especially on infants. (NIH, 1991). In a 1989 letter to the FDA, I warned that the effects of IGF-1 "could include premature growth stimulation in infants, [breast enlargement] in young children and breast cancer in adult females." More recently, the Council on Scientific Affairs of the American Medical Association stated: "Further studies will be required to determine whether the ingestion of higher than normal concentrations of bovine insulin-like growth factor is safe for children, adolescents and adults." (AMA, 1991). Instead of further study, the FDA allowed for uncontrolled, unlabeled sales of treated milk to unwitting consumers.

Given the potential health impacts of consumption of milk and other dairy products derived from rBGH treated cows, all such products at a minimum be labeled so that consumers are aware of what they are purchasing and consuming. More prudently the FDA approval of rBGH should be withdrawn until the agency performs adequate long term testing on the impacts of increased levels of IGF- 1 in milk and other dairy products derived from rBGH treated cows.

来源：http:/ / www. preventcancer. com……/ colon_cancer/ milk_colon. htm

── 沈药子曰：“日蒸大地，万物耗散。”

1996年4月﹐本书作者霍华˙李曼先生在美国著名的谈话性节目欧普拉脱口秀(The Oprah Winfrey Show) 中揭露了工厂化农场以包含牛﹐被安乐死的猫﹐狗在内的动物制品作为牛的主要蛋白质饲料而震惊社会。以动物喂养牛不但有违牛的草食天性﹐尤有甚者由于这是狂牛病的主要传播方式﹐影响大众食品安全甚巨。李曼因直言获咎﹐和The Oprah Winfrey Show 主持人欧普拉˙威恩佛瑞(Oprah Winfrey)及其节目的制作公司在同年六月被德州的养牛业者以食品诽谤（food disparagement）的罪名一状告入法庭﹐此案在1998年2月判决李曼及威恩佛瑞胜诉﹐并不准再上诉最高法庭。本书在作者幽默的陈述其经过中展开。

第一章一开头就陈述了当年在电视节目上震惊了所有人的牛吃牛的事实。当牛被宰杀后﹐无法为人食用的部份﹐在收容所被安乐死的猫﹐狗﹐以及死于车祸﹐和其他一些在动物管制中心安乐死的动物﹐全都被放在一起绞碎蒸煮。浮在上层的含油物被再提炼加工制成化妆品﹐肥皂﹐蜡烛等物﹐剩下含蛋白质部份则被制成被称之为“浓缩蛋白质”的褐色粉末物。这种含百分之二十五动物粪便的浓缩蛋白质再被回收用于宠物食品﹐并被喂回给牲畜食用。另外﹐回收的动物粪便亦是牠们的主要食物之一﹐将动物粪便卖回制成饲料对农场经营者来说是极具经济价值且便利的事。

美国每年有九千人死于食物中毒﹐而其中百分之八十是由于肉类污染。到底有多少疾病是经由牛吃了被污染的﹐或由不健康的动物制成的浓缩蛋白质而传染的﹖更严重的是﹐以反刍动物为饲料喂养反刍动物被认为是牛海绵状脑病（Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, BSE）起初的传播方式。牛海绵状脑病俗称狂牛病。现在普遍认为﹐患牛乃因吃了患有骚痒症(scrapie)的羊而感染狂牛病﹐羊骚痒症是一种发生在羊体的海绵状脑部疾病。美国每年有数十万的牛因不明原因在一夜之间倒地不起﹐由于死牛无法被送往屠宰场做成牛排汉堡﹐所以这些牛最后会终于前文提到的蛋白质饲料。只要其中之一是狂牛病的患牛﹐那么又会有数不清的牛和其他动物再吃了患牛而感染。反刍动物虽然已在1997年被立法禁止作为饲料喂养反刍动物﹐此法案虽胜于无﹐但决非有效解决问题的方法。因为业者仍可将如猪﹐马的其他动物喂给牛﹐而我们确知狂牛病可跨越不同物种传播。再者﹐牛血并不在此法令禁止之列﹐仍可被作为饲料喂食牲畜﹐所以仍然扮演着狂牛病的直接传播的媒介。

狂牛病目前无药可医﹐其唯一的诊断方式是解剖病患的脑部组织。其病源是一种被称为朊毒体(prion)的变异蛋白质﹐朊毒体不同于病毒﹐他不具核酸﹐因此不会被放射处理毁灭。由于狂牛病的潜伏期极长﹐到底已有多少带病牛在发病前就以进入肉牛市场是一个还没有答案的问题。然而﹐可以确定的是﹐目前在世界各地已确定的病例只是冰山之一角。狂牛病的这些特质﹐加上现代化农场的喂食方式﹐造成了一个严重威胁大众健康但尚未被正视的问题。本书详细的讲述了狂牛病在英国发现的经过﹐和英国政府对整件事情的处理态度。狂牛病第一个病例于1986年在英国被发现。为了保护养牛业者的利益﹐英国政府尽一切可能掩盖狂牛病会传染给人的危险。为了向大众表示牛肉仍可安全食用﹐英国农业部长甚至在电视上喂他四岁的女儿吃汉堡。直到1996年三月﹐当前所未有的十位年轻英国人患上一种离奇的新变种克雅氏病（CJD﹐人类海绵状脑病）而死去﹐英国政府才开始正视问题的严重性并且承认这新变种克雅氏病与狂牛病之间有密切的关联。作者不断呼吁美国政府不要重蹈复辄。狂牛病在美国极有可能已是一个潜而未发的世纪灾难﹐应该尽早尽一切努力杜绝其传播。本书提供了一般消费大众有权利知道并且的事实﹐有助于大众更客观的思考吃肉之必要性和危险性。也是所有用“现代化”方式喂养牲畜的世界各国业者的借镜。

另一样应当为消费大众认知的是肉类食品中的致癌物﹐喂养牛的农作物中农药含量远超过人类食用的农作物。由于这些致癌物会积存在动物的脂肪中﹐当这些动物又吃其它动物时﹐他们等于是吃入浓缩的致癌物﹐当人类再以这些动物为食时﹐不可避免的吃入浓度最高的致癌物质。恶名炤章的DDT虽已在二十五年前就被禁用﹐在土壤中残存的DDT仍然会进入食用农作物中。1975年的一项研究指出﹐我们吃入DDT的百分之九十五来自肉类食品及奶制品。因此不以动物制品为食即可避免吃入大部份的残余农药。作者引用一篇发表于新英格兰医药杂志的研究﹐指出素食妈妈的母奶中的农药含量只有全国平均值的百分之一至百分之二。大部份的人都会勤洗蔬菜或选择有机蔬菜以避免吃进农药﹐但有多少人知道我们吃进的农药大部份却是由肉类食品而来﹖

生长贺尔蒙是另一个随肉入口的东西﹐作者在第六章中以专章讲述目前所谓的“生物技术”对牛及吃牛肉的人的影响。1993年美国食品药物管理局（FDA）核准一种名为Posilac的合成牛生长贺尔蒙（rGBH－recombinant bovine growth hormone）上市使用﹐乳牛业者用其来刺激乳牛的牛奶产量﹐然而在1985年的一项实验就已发现rGBH对牛的健康极其不利。由于牛奶的过度生产﹐牛的积存能量和脂肪被压榨殆尽﹐大部份的牛无法再受孕﹐或因骨骼中的钙质大量流失而倒地不起。不同于一般牛一次只产一只小牛﹐用了rGBH而还能成功受孕的牛全都怀上双胞胎或三胞胎﹐而多胞胎更加速的压榨母牛的健康。Posilac的制造商将实验结果保留在被委托进行实验的农场中秘而不发。当乳牛业者发现Posilac对牛只造成的伤害﹐他们想出了一个天才主意﹕用更多的高蛋白质的动物饲料喂牛来养成超级牛。身为消费者的我们因此这般就同时面对了狂牛并和生长贺尔蒙的威胁。在本书发稿时﹐美国大约有百分之三的乳牛施打rBGH﹐通常是在他们被送往屠宰场之前﹐这样他们是否会受孕或骨质流失就和业者的获利全然无关了。抗生素是另一个和rBGH并生的问题。施打rBGH的乳牛的乳腺炎发病率极高﹐因此其生产的牛奶含细菌量显著的高于一般的乳牛生产的牛奶。业者因此大量使用抗生素来对抗乳腺炎并降低牛奶的细菌含量。目前抗生素的使用法规让业者有漏洞可钻﹐不但被查到的可能不大﹐就算被抓到﹐初犯也只是收到封不具单位署名的斥责信罢了。一项在美国东北各州的研究指出市上贩卖的牛奶百分之六十三有可测得的抗生素, 1998年在依利诺州的调查显示百分之五十八的乳牛业者用药是未经核准的。

另外﹐胰岛素生成指数(IGF-1; Insulin Growth Factor-1)是另一项伴随rBGH而来的问题。使用rBGH的肉牛的肉和乳牛的牛奶都有显著高含量的IGF-1﹐IGF-1无法被杀菌过程或消化而去除活性﹐会积存在人体血液中。IGF-1目前被怀疑是可能的致癌因素。

正如作者指出﹐我们总自然的以为政府会替我们照料到所有该照料的食品安全。然而事实并非如此﹐目前法令及官僚体制让业者有太多的空隙可钻﹐我们每天入口的肉食中含有太多不为大众所知的东西。作者在书中对此提供了大量的事例。

那么﹐以传统有机方式饲养出的牲畜就可放心食用来吗﹖相较于素食﹐动物制品虽然也可提供一些我们需要的营养﹐但是在吃进这些的同时﹐我们也同时吃进胆固醇﹐饱和脂肪和动物蛋白等这些文明病的元凶。书中有详实的数据（第二章）指出肉类食品和心血管疾病﹐中风﹐肥胖﹐ 高血压﹐糖尿病﹐骨质酥松症﹐及一些癌症的关联。素食者上述文明病的发病率显著的低于非素食者。例如﹐素食者心脏病的发病率是一般人的三分之一﹐然连奶蛋制品都不吃的严格素食者的发病率则仅有一般人的十分之一。现在已经有越来越多的数据证实只要吃的均衡﹐素食绝对可以比吃动物制品更健康。“缺少了动物蛋白就会营养不良”﹐或是“少了奶制品身体就会缺钙”﹐这些长期以来深植在社会大众脑中的错误观念﹐部份是由于动物蛋白一直以来被视为富人的食品﹐亦是由于即得利益的肉牛及奶牛业者大力误导的结果。

除了健康之外﹐奶肉牛养殖业更大规模的毁坏地球生态。诸如养殖场和耕地的过度开发造成树林和表层土的流失﹐土壤的沙土化﹐地下水的减少﹐以及温室效应﹐牛儿释放出的甲烷及化肥中氧化亚氮都是温室效应的催手。还有大量的农药﹐由于人类食用粮食的法规并不适用于动物饲料﹐农药理所当然的被超量加在种植动物饲料的农田中。然而﹐这些都是可以由放弃动物食品而改善的。再者﹐全球性粮食缺乏也会大有改善。原因很简单﹐以饲料喂养牛肉的制成极无效率﹐大约消耗十六磅的谷物才能生产一磅的牛肉。目前在美国﹐七成至八成的粮食是用来喂养牲口而非人类。只要肉类的需求降低﹐用我们有限的地球资源生产的粮食就可以喂饱更多的人。肉类食品不但对健康无益﹐其生成过程更毒害生态浪费资源。吃肉带来的破坏已经超出一家一室的尺度﹐已经不再是仅只于个人选择﹐可以用“干卿底事”来回答的问题了。

李曼在书中讲述了他自己成为农场主﹐以及之后如何弃农从政并且成为一个素食者的生活经验（第三﹐四章）。李曼曾经营养牛业二十年。他的曾祖父在蒙大那州拥有一家庭农场﹐传到他时以是第四代。他自四岁始即在农场工作﹐和土地有着脐带相连的浓厚感情。自他接掌农场经营后﹐有鉴于父祖的有机传统养殖法获利不善﹐拥有农业学士学位的李曼学以至用﹐将祖业扩展成占地千亩﹐牛只数千头的大农场。他引进现代养殖技术﹐在喂养牛的农作物上大量的使用化肥和农药﹐并且每天在农场喷洒的大量杀虫剂。这四处喷洒的杀虫剂自然不可避免的也落在牛儿的食物饮水中而最终进入牛的体内再为人所食用。抗生素甚至在牛还没生病前就开始使用﹐并需不断变换以和抗药性赛跑﹐其中也包含已被禁止使用的抗生素。业者并大量囤积已不准贩卖的生长贺尔蒙﹐虽已立法明禁﹐业者仍在牛只送往屠宰场前两周使用生长贺尔蒙以增加获利。作者通过其亲身经历讲述了典型美国农场在近几十年的转变过程﹐和一般业主如何为了牟利而逐渐沦为化学制药公司的奴隶和帮凶﹐让读者如身临其境的了解现代化学农场的运作。

1989年他因脊椎肿瘤卧病在床﹐在等待手术的前一夜﹐他回首往事意识到他挚爱的农场已今非昔比。大量的农药及化肥使得儿时的肥沃土地变的如沙土一般﹐鸟儿不再栖息在农场的树上。甚至当他下工回家﹐身上带的农药居然可以毒死了家里的盆栽。抚今忆昔﹐他了解到现代化的化学农业是无法永续发展且传诸子孙的。他必须要对自己负责﹐扭转他所作的破坏。当手术奇迹的成功后﹐他试图改变其农场为有机作业。其后他以“干净的空气﹐水和食物”为诉求竞选议员﹐但随即遭到银行威胁而被迫卖掉了大部份的农场。 他在议员选举落败后上走华府成为全国农民联盟（National Farmers Union）的游说员。任内注意到狂牛病对美国的潜在威胁而着手调查。

此外﹐他在任内也推动了一些有机农业产品标准的建立。然而从立法的建立至法案的实际推行又需要一段时间和可观的金钱﹐并且不管再怎么立法保护﹐有机农场仍然在逐年减少。他想到了各种各样的问题﹐包括生态的恶化﹐雨林的减少﹐世上每天有十亿人口日无裹腹之粮﹐同时有一些饱食终日的人用十六磅的粮食喂养牛儿以取得一磅的肉食﹐他想到很多的朋友为心脏疾病所苦﹐社会上癌症患者不断增加﹐而他自己体重超过三百五十磅﹐胆固醇超过三百﹐血压超高并且常常流鼻血。忽然他意识到这一切都是因为一个错误﹐一个广泛为社会文化认可并识为正常的大错误。这个错误不仅是慢性自杀﹐也正在一步一步破坏我们的山河海洋。然而这些都有一个简单的解决方法﹔所有问题的答案就从刀叉边上﹗他领悟到改变必须从基层的消费者开始。唯有将真相告诉消费者﹐改变消费大众的饮食习惯﹐否则有庞大资金后盾（而此资金正是来自每一个消费者的腰包）的肉牛及牛奶工业仍可持续灌输消费大众错误的营养资讯﹐甚至操纵政策的制定。多年盘绕在心中的问题一朝有了答案﹐作者因此而弃荤就素﹐更进一步变为连奶蛋都不吃的严格素食者。

全书行文平实亲切﹐幽默风趣﹐由于多是作者切身经验﹐读来极具说服力﹐对世人认清现代化养殖业提供了很大的帮助。本书在1998年初版﹐作者曾任国际素食联合会(International Vegetarian Union) 的主席﹐目前为拯救地球国际组织(Earthsave International) 的主席﹐并四处演讲宣扬素食的好处﹐提醒大家现代化农业对消费者健康和土地的危害。本书的英文书名"疯狂牛仔Mad Cow Boy" 一语双关﹐疯狂一字也可解为愤怒﹐作者用意不但在陈述现代牛仔不顾后果的疯狂作法﹐也表明他这个老牛仔对此情形的忧心及愤怒。

正如作者所言﹐所有仍在消耗肉类产品的人有权利知道牛是如何在养殖场养成﹐以及到底在吃肉的同时还吃进了什么。并应了解每天享受肉食的同时﹐也就是在剥削世上受饥饿所苦的十亿人口的粮食﹐也同时加入了破坏环境的阵营。本书为上述几点提出了简单清楚的事实﹐是值得一读的好书。

来源：http://www. lca. org. tw/ report/ b6. htm