Is It Safe To Drink Milk From Cows That Were Given BST, While I’m Pregnant?
It is common for pregnant mothers advised to watch their calcium intake, to worry about consuming milk – which is one of the easiest and best sources of calcium – fearing presence of artificial additives, especially BST, or Bovine Somatotropin, usually administered to cows to increase milk production. It is known to positively increase production in lactating cows, by preventing mammary cell death in them.
BST is actually a hormone, already present in the cows. It started originally when they were drained from cows after their death and were used to inject into other cows to increase their milk production, until around the 90s, when they were artificially manufactured using the DNA code and technology and were marketed commercially.
In general, it has been declared safe for consumption, by some central authorities like the US Food and Drug Administration. Some others like the European Union prohibits the use of BST on the grounds of animal welfare, and not due to adverse effects on humans, since animals administered BST usually show decline in health in the long term. While there are some that lobby against it, on the grounds that milk with BST is carcinogenic and may promote cancer in humans.
The grounds on which it is declared safe –
- BST and the resultant growth hormones like IGF are not digestible by the human digestive system and hence are not absorbed and are eliminated. Their genetic structure is very different and cannot be digested by humans.
- Their quantity diminishes after processes like pasteurization to negligible levels which will not affect human health.
- There is no conclusive evidence confirming the negative effects of milk with added BST content on the mother and fetus, during pregnancy. It seems to be a matter of personal comfort with the real facts, monitoring and staying aware of body signals and feelings at all times.
Though milk is a part of daily consumption across households, and is very essential for pregnant ladies during and after pregnancy to ensure bone health, it may be wise to also use many alternative sources of calcium, instead of relying solely on milk. It is not recommended to completely stop the consumption of milk. Some examples of Calcium sources include almonds, fish (like salmon), green leafy vegetables like spinach, broccoli etc. Soy milk, though a popular option amongst many, is not a good bet during pregnancy due to its composition (isoflavones with estrogen like properties) which may have negative effects on health of the mother and baby.
So, be aware, consult the doctor to monitor progress of the fetus, at all times and listen to your body!
