1. ) Hormones- are chemicals that are naturally produced in the bodies of all animals, including humans. 2. ) Diethylstilbestrol(DES)- the cancer causing anti-miscarriage drug, in two shipments of American beef. 3. ) Estrogen- Any of several major female sex hormones produced primarily by the ovarian follicles of female mammals, capable of inducing estrus, developing and maintaining secondary female sex characteristics, and preparing the uterus for the reception of a fertilized egg: used, especially in synthetic form, as a component of oral contraceptives, in certain cancer treatments, and in other therapies.
4.) Phytoestrogens- any of various plant compounds which have oestrogenic properties 5. ) Oestrogenic- any of the several steroid hormones, that are secreted chiefly by the ovaries and placenta, that induces oestrus, stimulus changes in the female reproductive organs during the oestrus cycle, and promote development of female secondary sexual characteristics. 6. ) Carcinogen- any substance or agent that tends to produce a cancer. 7. ) rBGH- recombinant bovine growth hormone. 8. ) Food and drug Administration(FDA)- a federal agency responsible or monitoring trading and safety standards in the food and drug industries.
| Bibliography | * Perotti, Kathryn. “Food Democracy. ” Food Democracy. Health Environmental Coalition,Web. 29 Apr. 2013. <http://fooddemocracy. wordpress. com/2007/10/12/hormones-in-milk-beef-could-put-kids-at-even-higher-risk/>. * Wilkinson, Juliet. “Are Hormones in Meat Affecting Humans? ” LIVESTRONG. COM. 6 June 2011. Web. 29 Apr. 2013. <http://www. livestrong. com/article/464430-are-hormones-in-meat-affecting-humans/>. * BrovallXXXX, XXXXSandra. “Hormones In Food: Should You Worry? ” The Huffington Post.
TheHuffingtonPost. com, 31 Jan. 2011. Web. 29 Apr. 2013. <http://www. huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/31/hormones-in-food-should-y_n_8153 85. html>. * Gandhi, Renu. “Consumer Concerns about Hormones in Food. ” Consumer Concerns About Hormones in Food. , June 2000. Web. 29 Apr. 2013. <http://envirocancer. cornell. edu/factsheet/diet/fs37. hormones. cfm>. Alicia Ally Is the U. S. food supply safe?
The food supply of the United States is needed not just in the United States but they also supply other countries around the world. Do you feel like our food supply is safe? Do the hormones that are being injected into the animals pose a higher risk of diseases for humans? I believe that the U.S food supply is unhealthy for both adults and kids. The hormones that are being injected into cows are being left in the breast, which makes it get into the milk that we are drinking.
Also, the hormone that is injected to fatten the meat pose a high risk for diseases. Finally, the hormones not only bring diseases but it can lead to a very deadly type of infection, cancer. When the cows are treated with the rBGH hormone, it is being left into the milk. This builds up and becomes bacteria that can be very harmful. FDA allows the use of the hormone rBGH to increase milk production.
As early as the 1930’s, it was realized that cows injected with material drawn from bovine pituitary glands produce more milk. Later the bovine growth hormone rBGH from the pituitary gland was found responsible for the effects. “The amount of chemicals [and hormones] in our food are horrifying,” (Kathryn Perrotti Leavitt/Children’s Health Environmental Coalition, 2007) this quote was said by Rose, she is a mom who is concerned about her kids health. She wonders about what the chemicals in the milk her son drinks everyday can do to him.
“rBGH-treated cows also suffer higher rates of mastitis, an infection of the udder. Milk from infected cows can be contaminated with pus and bacteria and require treatment with antibiotics. ” (Kathryn Perrotti Leavitt/Children’s Health Environmental Coaltion,2007)“There are a lot of unknowns around rBGH, and if you look at it in terms of risks and benefits, there’s absolutely no benefit for humans,”( Kathryn Perrotti Leavitt/Children’s Health Environmental Coalition,2007) says Michael Hansen, Ph. D. , a research associate with Consumer Policy Institute, a division of Consumers Union.
Farmers use rBGH to increase their cows’ milk output by as much as 25 percent, and the drug is injected into anywhere from 5 percent to 30 percent of the cows in the U. S. , With humans there is basically no benefits, unlike you are the one who is going to sell the milk, you want your cow to have more milk. Eighty percent of U. S. cows are injected with hormones to increase their size, lean meat production and feed use efficacy. “Although the European Union stopped buying U. S. meat in 1985 due to hormone use, the public opinion on its safety remains torn.
U. S. cattle and sheep are fed, implanted or injected with hormones. ” (Juliet Wilkinson, June 6th 2011) Unless store-purchased meat is marked with USDA Organic Certified, there is a chance it contains residual hormones. Although the hormones are ingested by anyone who eats non-organic meats, there are a few populations who face a much higher health risk. Women who are pregnant and nursing, for instance, must weigh the benefits of a meal high in iron and protein vs. the scare of ingesting and feeding hormones from the meat to their unborn child.
“Opponents of hormone use suggest that young females enter puberty sooner due to ingesting hormones, which is verifiable by the decreasing age at which girls start their menstrual cycle. “ (Juliet Wilkinson, June 6th 2011). Some of the hormones that are being injected into the animals are said to be cancerous. The hormones that are being placed into the animals may give you a higher risk breast cancer or prostate cancer. The FDA has concluded that the amount of hormone residue in our food is negligible compared to the amount that the body produces naturally.
However, two hormones estradiol, a type of estrogen, and progesterone are considered probable carcinogens by the National Toxicology Program at the National Institutes of Health. Estrogen has been linked with breast cancer in women and testosterone with prostate cancer in men, while progesterone has been found to increase the growth of ovarian, breast and uterine tumors. ‘Several studies have found that IGF-1 levels at the high end of the normal range may influence the development of certain tumors. Some early studies found a relationship between blood levels of IGF-1 and the development of prostate, breast, colorectal, and other cancers.
’ (American Cancer Society, 2011) There are a few who are convinced that our food supply is safe. Many people claim that these hormones are microscopic comparing to what our body produces so we can handle it. The sex hormones that are produced in our bodies are more of a large amount than the amount left in the milk or meat. Early onset of puberty, increasing incidence of twin births and reproductive problems have all been blamed on the hormones in meat. Opponents to hormone use suggest that these growth hormones are linked to cancers, such as breast and uterine cancer, and developmental problems in children.
The FDA denies that the microscopic amount of hormones in consumed meat can cause any health problems such as these. The bottom line remains buy organic if it is a concern. “USDA Certified Organic meat cannot contain any artificial hormones, antibiotics or artificial chemicals. ” ( Juliet Wilkinson, June 2006) In conclusion, the United States food supply is a worldwide supplier. Some countries have decided to stop accepting dairy and meat products from the United States because of the growth hormone that is being injected into the animals.
These hormones are said to be the cause of cancer, infections and other malfunctions in adults and kids. These hormones are being left into the milk and it form bacteria. Others say that the food supply is safe because our body produces way more sex hormones than those that we receive from the animals. I believe it is unsafe after all of the research that I did. Personally, I think that, that is a choice you have to make on your own. If you feel like it is unsafe you should drink and eat organic products and you will feel safe and less likely to get a disease. Is The U. S. Food Supply Safe?