Progesterone in cows' milk

[PurpleMaman]

Hi

I've come across some research which suggests that there are worrying levels of progesterone in cows milk, due to an increasing trend of milking cows during pregnancy. This trend has been linked to breast cancer and prostrate cancer (see links below). We've recently moved from formula & breast milk to cows milk for my 12 month old. I can't find any mention of this issue on the Department of Health's website, or NHS direct, or some of the charity cancer research websites (and I'm not convinced of the validity of the websites below). Does anyone know any more about this?

Thanks.

www.erieping.de/english.htm

www.eps1.comlink.ne.jp/~mayus/eng/

purple, I suppose that is one of the reasons why some people go dairy free!
Tbh, we do have dairy, but we are not in the cowsmilk is oh so important camp, because you can get everything you need other ways....so if you are worrying about it than maybe look into going dairy free! You nwill see that milk is not as important as it is made out to be...I think it is more a economical/political reason that milk is pushed so much!

Cows have always been milked in pregnancy from year dot otherwise you ould only get milk one month a year.

Stop listening to all the crap that is spouted about milk.

Sorry, cows have a pregnancy of 9 months, they have a dry period of 6 weeks to 2 months before their calf is due then the calf is born and then they start milking, to get milk from a cow they have to be pregnant.

here here 5gomad!!!

And FWIW we have all been brought up on unpasteurised mil (3 boys 4 girls plus 3 grandchildren) and nothing wrong with us.

well they dont have to be pregnant to get milk s such, but you get them in calf again so that ideally they calf every year, and as 5gomad says hey have a short dry spell just before calving again

Sorry you are right but the quality and quantity goes down.

as was I and my dh, and all of my dc except the youngest 2 who I buy milk for atm.

I was advised not to give them unpasteurised milk until they were 5, but I cook with it for them, just buy them milk to drink/pour on their cereal

Hmmm. This article says that the milk humans make when babies are tiny has 0.25 ± 0.12 μmol/dL of progesterone in it (decreases as baby gets bigger).

This article says that the milk cows make have between 22.8 and 0.8 ng/ml.

Unfortunately, converting from μmol/dL to ng/ml is beyond me.

But if progesterone is in human milk, surely it being in cow's milk isn't a problem?

lol 5gomad

the dairy industry should employ us!

Take it you are dairy farmers then. How are you coping?

Sorry, by "μ" I mean 'goofy thing that looks like a cursive M and dips below the line.

tbh, I suppose the progesterone is the least of your worries....but all those hormons that are pumped into cows etc..

I am not sure this is true, but you know how kids going earlier and earlier into puberty, and there is a suggestion that, because we drink more cowsmilk and because of the hormones cows are given, tht there is some kind of connection

Ok, I did it - so, all in ng/ml, humans have a max of 3.7 progesterone, cow's milk has a max of 22.8. I think.

ok can I thread crash and ask a stupid question of you dairy farmers - is it ok/normal for cows to be covered in mud much of the time in the winter? And to be standing in mud?

Can you tell I am an ignorant townie?

I am sorry but what hormones?

what hormones?

pumped in eh? sorry you have lost me....

as for the standing in the mud, I think you my have seen some outwintered beef suckler cattle......

yes fivegomad, for our sins we are dairy farmers

AFAIK the hormones thing was connected to beef cattle in Italy in the early 90's. Never heard of any dairy herds been wintered outside except on the Archers.

oh...will look tomorrow....it as an article I read like ages ago...like I said...am not to worried myself, but also don't believe one missees out not drinking milk, iykwim...

I think it was growth hormones
also, you people are obviously in the know...but saw a documentary, and it said that calfshget artificial milk, instead of their mothers milk...that kinda made me said, I have to say...is that true though?

no they are dairy cattle

they come in at night in the winter - is that outwintered?

so, is the hormone thing more of an issue of actual beef consumption?

i am genuiely just wondering.... I'm not trying to offend anyone, just looking for information if its normal

Outwintered means out all the time.

Yes they do get powdered milk, but here the calves stay with mummies for a while

oh...erm...fields do get muddy, but I don't think animals tend to be to bothered....but if cows are anything like horses footwise...then of course feet have to be looked after...