I’ve always been under the impression that cows milk is good for an athlete - packed with protein and nutrients, helps you recover etc. However I never realised that cows milk is packed with estrogen :eek: - obviously this was a shock to me, how much of an effect do you think these external estrogens could have? Would the body not produce more testosterone and cut it’s estrogen production due to this external source?? some scientists reckon it’s the estrogens in cows milk that are the culprits for some cases prostate cancer!
Milk does contain IGF-1 however which (for an athlete) would be beneficial.
I’ve read health concerns relating to Cheese and whey as they’re more concentrated forms of the ‘dangerous’ parts of milk… on the skimmed/whole argument I think whole is better than skimmed, i’m from the country and farmers give their pigs SKIMMED milk to fatten them up. Some recent studies in children seem to prove this in humans. The most common theory is that milk fat is so nutritious that the body uses it for growth and repair rather than storing it a excess fat.
The estrogen thing is the most concerning to me though.
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1986;464:75-86.Links
Hormones in milk.
Schams D, Karg H.
Protein hormones (especially prolactin) and steroid hormones (gestagens, estrogens, corticoids, and androgens) can be detected by bioassay and radioimmunoassay in milk in a variety of species. In addition, milk contains vitamin D and beta-casomorphins (opiate-like peptides). It has been assumed that most of the hormones are transferred into milk by diffusion. However, evidence is available for active mechanisms like those for progesterone in goats and prolactin in cows. Most of the hormone profiles in milk are similar to the ones in blood plasma. Hormone concentrations in milk seem to be a good estimate of the average hormone content in plasma, especially for the measurement of longer-lasting secretory activities like progesterone and estrogen release during the estrous cycle or seasonal changes of prolactin in ruminants. Determination of progesterone and estrone sulfate in milk serves as a diagnostic tool in fertility control, especially in cows. Enzyme immunoassay kits are available for this monitoring purpose. [b]Exogenously administered hormones are also transferred into milk. Residue studies have shown that the dilution is so great that it may be assumed that there is no potential risk for the consumer.
J Agric Food Chem. 2006 Dec 27;54(26):9785-91.Click here to read Links
Naturally occurring estrogens in processed milk and in raw milk (from gestated cows).
Malekinejad H, Scherpenisse P, Bergwerff AA.
Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Veterinary Public Health Division, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
The occurrence of the steroid hormones estrone (E1), 17alpha-estradiol (alphaE2), 17beta-estradiol (betaE2), and estriol (E3) in processed bovine milk with different fat contents and in raw milk from (non)gestated cows was investigated. Following liquid extraction, optional enzymatical deconjugation, C18 solid-phase extraction, and derivatization, estrogens were analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Free and deconjugated E1 (6.2-1266 ng/L) was the major estrogen followed by alphaE2 (7.2-322 ng/L) and betaE2 (5.6-51 ng/L), whereas E3 was detected regularly at the detection limit of 10 ng/L. The lowest and highest concentrations were determined in raw milk from nonpregnant and from cows in the third trimester of gestation, respectively. The estrogen concentration in processed milk coincides with that of raw milk between first and second trimesters, reflecting the contribution of lactating pregnant cows to the final consumable product.[b] The daily intake of total investigated estrogens through milk is 372 ng, which is dramatically more than currently recognized.[/b]
Thanks for the info lylemcd - and yea I have been reading alot of ‘anti-milk’ pages, I wonder why they’re so anti though as they don’t seem to gain anything from it whereas companies advertising milk do -
Would the estrogen consumed through milk actually effect us?
While cow’s milk has some use, I am always amazed that we think it’s normal to drink it…
We’re the only animal on the planet who drinks other animal’s milk…Milk designed for baby COWS, not people!
I have seen some literature (although I can’t quote it here) that does suggest that quite a portion of the population can’t absorb much of the nutritional value of cow’s milk…
Now, if we could just find a way to keep drinking human milk throughout our lifetime…
You’re right, a large portion of the population can’t drink milk. And 10,000 years ago no European could at all, however due to the wonderful phenomena of evolution we now can.
It’s interesting you bring this up now. In the past couple of months this fact has been used as evidence in the argument that the human ability to adapt its environment to suit it has not actually slowed evolution - instead it has increased the rate at which it occurs.
I think you also have to look at the source of the milk because I know things that are banned in europe are allowed in North America - especially in relation to the things done to cattle to improve milk production etc.
If you are of European ancestry, you are probably (>95% chance) fine with milk. The ability to process and tolerate dairy is the one the most selected for genetic traits over time.
Anyhow, a little off topic, but my fiancee was watching Americas Next Top Model, and the one chick drinks her own milk. That was probably the most disgusting thing I ever heard.
I personally think this is a little bit overrated. What is the chance that those things make it through the cows intact, survive pasteurization, and also make it through the human digestive tract intact?
