Review of Hormones Effects from Milk Consumption

in Adults and Children

Amber Myers
California State University, Fullerton
800 North State College Boulevard, Fullerton, CA 92831
ambiepie@csu.fullerton.edu
Guidelines used from Nutritional Journal
(http://www.nutritionj.com/authors/instructions/review)

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Abstract
Cows milk contains high amounts of hormones such as insulin-like growth factor
1 and estrogens that may stay bioactive after human consumption. These hormones
have been seen to significantly increase in adults and children after consumption of
milk. Recent studies show that these hormones may be causing an impact on human
health involving height, body mass index and the risk of cancers. Positive correlations
between milk consumption with height, body mass index and endometrial cancer has
been recorded. Results show that long term, not short term, consumption of milk lead to
these physiological changes.

Keywords: milk, hormone, IGF-1, estrogen, pre-pubertal children, endometrial cancer

Introduction
Consumption of cows milk has been widely recommended for human nutrition.
However, consuming large quantities of milk may have a negative impact. Cows milk
has evolved in order to develop healthy calves yet humans continue to drink milk long
after human weaning period is over [1]. Milk contains hormones and growth factors that
are identical to human hormones [1]. If these hormones and growth factors remain
bioactive after consumption, they potentially have effects on human growth and
increase the risk of cancer. This review will summarize the major results between milk

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consumption with height, body mass index, and endometrial cancer from the past ten
years.
Hormones
Since a portion of milk is produced by pregnant cows, the milk contains large
amounts of steroid hormones such as progesterone and estrogens including estrone
and estradiol [2,3]. Estrogens are produced in both men and women. In women,
estrogen plays a role in the growth of uterine lining and development of breast during
adolescence and pregnancy. Pre-pubertal children secrete very little to no estrogens [2].
If these hormones are raised in children, it may affect their growth and maturation
[2,4,5]. Increase in estrogen concentration may also lead to a higher risk of endometrial
cancer [3].
Milk contains growth factors such as insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) which
plays a role in the regulation of growth [1,5,6]. Consumption of milk may increase IGF-1
levels in adult and children and potentially change heights, weights and body mass
index (BMI), especially in pre-pubertal children [1,5,6].

Results
Hormone Concentrations after Milk Consumption
Hormone concentrations were measured by blood or urine samples. In blood
samples of men, hormone concentrations of estrone and progesterone significantly
increased an hour after consumption of milk but estradiol concentrations did not

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fluctuate much [2]. Estrone and progesterone peaked from 102.3 pg/mL to 128.9 pg/mL
and 0.66 ng/mL to 0.75 ng/mL, respectively, thirty minutes after consuming milk [2]. In
urine samples of men, estrone, progesterone and estradiol concentrations increased
after milk consumption [2].
The urine samples of pre-pubertal children had a much larger hormone
concentration increase than that of men after milk consumption. In children the
hormones estrone, estriol, estradiol and pregnanediol significantly increased [2]. Studies
showed children had changes in other hormone concentrations. There was a significant
increases in the growth hormone (GH), IGF-1, and the ratio of IGF-1 and insulin-like
growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) after milk consumption [1,6]. One study noted
there was no increase in these growth factors from consumption of meat [6].

Associations with Endometrial Cancer with Milk Consumption

A positive correlation was found between total dairy intake and the risk of
endometrial cancer [3]. Total dairy included products such as low, skim, and whole milk,
cheese, cottage cheese, ice cream, yogurt and butters. Low fat milk and cheese
consumption both individually had a positive correlated with endometrial cancer [3].
However, the amount of consumption of whole milk, yogurt and butter did not show a
correlation. The amount of dairy intake in the past 30 days did not correlate with the risk
of endometrial cancer [3]. Endometrial cancer is highly influenced by long exposure to
estrogens [3].

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Associations with Height and BMI with Milk Consumption

Studies showed that large milk intake correlated with height growth. Height
increased more in children who consumed more milk per day than children who
consumed less [4,5]. Other studies noted a rapid height growth and weight gain in
children who were in milk experimental groups than those who were in control groups
[1,5,6].
The BMI was higher in children 2-4 years who consumed more dairy intake when
compared to children of the same age who consumed less [5]. However, children
among 5-10 years did not show a correlation with BMI or total dairy intake [5]. For total
milk consumption, children 2-4 years and 5-10 years did show a positive correlation with
BMI. BMI increased with increasing milk consumption [5]. When recent total milk
consumption was assessed from the past month, BMI did not correlate [5].

Conclusion
All articles have indicated hormone concentrations of estrogens, progesterones
or IGF-1 increase after consumption of milk [1-6]. One study suggests these hormone
concentrations may accumulate over time [1]. It is still unclear whether or not the raise
in hormones is due to milk hormones remaining bioactive after ingestion or if other
minerals found in milk such as zinc or calcium possibly simulating the production of
these hormones in humans.

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The correlation between endometrial cancer and milk intake is very inconsistent.
Less than half of studies have shown increased risk of endometrial cancer with high
intake of milk while others have seen no association between the two variables [3]. This
association may be inconsistent because milk contains both estrogens and
progesterones. Estrogens increase the cell division in endometrial cells while
progesterone reduces it [3].
Half of studies identified physiological changes in increase of height and BMI
from high intake of milk. One study noted children who avoid milk tended to be short
than those who drank milk [6]. It is uncertain whether hormones in milk are increasing
height and BMI because there are many other factors that may contribute to this. These
factors include daily activity and protein, calcium and other nutrient content in milk.
Overall these studies had some limitations. Some required to follow-ups on
participants for several years. This made the study extremely long and over time a loss
in sample size due to participants withdrawing. Many studies also did questionnaires to
determine how much an individual as consumed milk which can be faulty and
inaccurate.

Abbreviations
BMI = Body mass index
GH = Growth Hormone

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IGF-1 = Insulin-like growth factor 1

IGFBP-3 = Insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3

References
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Tserendolgor U, et al. Milk consumption and the prepubertal somatotropic axis.
Nutrition Journal. 2007; 6:28.
2. Maruyama K, Oshima T, and Ohyama K. Exposure to exogenous estrogen
through intake of commercial milk produced from pregnant cows. Pediatrics
International. 2010; 52: 33-38.
3. Ganmaa D, Cui X, Feskanich D, Hankinson SE, and Willett WC. Milk, dairy
intake and the risk of endometrial cancer: a 26-year follow-up. International
Journal of Cancer. 2012; 130: 2664-2671.
4. Berkey CS, Colditz GA, Rockett HR, Frazier LA, and Willett WC. Dairy
consumption and female height growth: prospective cohort study. Cancer
Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2009; 18:6.
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analysis of NHANES 1999-2004. American Journal of Human Biology. 2010; 22:
517-525.
6. Hoppe C, Molgaard C, Juul A, and Michaelsen KF. High intakes of skimmed milk,
but not meat, increase serum IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in eight-year-old boys.
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2004; 58: 1211-1216.

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