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Subject:
From:
"katherine a. dettwyler" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 31 Aug 1995 15:20:46 -0500
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Julie Brill writes:

>I also grew up believing that it was a good thing that my generation began
>getting our periods earlier than our moms and grandmoms. We were told this
>was due to better nutrition. I think now though that it's related to all
>those growth hormones in our food supply?!


The process known as "positive secular trend" in which children grow faster
and end up taller and have their menstrual periods earlier when
environmental conditions change to better nutrition and less disease -- is
found whenever and whereever nutritional stress is removed, either from
better diet or fewer diseases/parasites to cope with.  Lower age at menarche
(first menstruation) is found in all populations where the diet in childhood
improves, including many places where there are no growth hormones in the
food supply.  Thus, there is very little evidence that these hormones affect
humans.  Also human growth hormone is biochemically very different from
bovine growth hormone, and there is no evidence that bovine growth hormone
can affect human growth.  In fact, you have to have either real or
synthetically manufactured *human* growth hormone in order to treat human
children with growth hormone deficiency.  You can't just give them cow
growth hormone because it has no effect.  There are other reasons to not
like the use of bovine growth hormone in cows, but worrying about your
children going through puberty too soon shouldn't be one of them.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Katherine A. Dettwyler                                email: [log in to unmask]
Anthropology Department                               phone: (409) 845-5256
Texas A&M University                                    fax: (409) 845-4070
College Station, TX  77843-4352

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