As far as I can tell from reading the original article, Bob, it doesn't.
What the use of rBGF does is increase the level of a naturally occurring
hormone; IGF-1. The report then goes on to ask the following question:
Does IGF-1 promote cancer? In January of this year a Harvard study of
15,000 white men published in SCIENCE reported that those with elevated
--but still normal --levels of IGF-1 in their blood are 4 times as likely
as average men to get prostate cancer.[1] The SCIENCE report ends saying,
"Finally, our results raise concern that administration of GH [growth
hormone] or IGF-1 over long periods, as proposed for elderly men to delay
the effects of aging, may increase risk of prostate cancer."
This, and other lingering questions, plus the (to me) questionable manner
in which approval was gained for use of this drug (hormone) in the first
place, idicates to me there should be a moriatorium on the use of rBGF
until further testing can be done to determine if there is a real elevated
risk of cancer to humans drinking milk from treated cows.
This appears to be one of those cases where a small amount of a substance
is OK or even beneficial, but a large amount is dangerous. Floride in
water comes to mind. Very low concentrations are beneficial to the teeth
of children and to a lessor degree to adults. But Floride in larger
dosages is a lethal poison.
The normal levels of IGF-1 appear to be harmless. But the higher levels
produced by drinking milk from treated cows creates a four times increased
risk to cancer if the Harvard Study is correct.
--Dan in Sunny Puerto Rico--
ddworley@caribe.net
dan.worley@mindless.com
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