Author: Leticia Celentano
Time for reading: ~1
minutes
Last Updated:
August 08, 2022
The presence of recombinant bovine growth hormone (GHG) in cow's milk cannot accelerate the process of puberty.
The claim that frequent consumption of fresh milk can cause earlier puberty is completely wrong.
The presence of recombinant bovine growth hormone (RGHR) in cow's milk cannot accelerate the process of puberty due to its rapid degradation in the body and insignificant biological effect, experts explain.
To disprove previous beliefs, researchers from China tracked the health and development of 7,500 girls and boys over a period of 13 years.
The parents of the children were interviewed about the frequency of milk consumption, the length of the breastfeeding period or the use of formula during the first 18 months after birth.
10 years after the start of the study, mothers were re-interviewed, this time requiring the indication of the frequency of milk consumption by children when they were 6 months, 3 and 5 years old.
Throughout the study, children were observed for the appearance of external signs associated with puberty, such as changes in the intimate parts, breast enlargement , the beginning of the menstrual cycle, mutations in the vocal cords and others.
In early childhood, 57% of children are never breastfed, 36% are breastfed throughout the age period, and 6.4% - for a period of three months after birth.
At the age of 5, 33% of children consume cow's milk once, 21.2% - 2-5 times a week, and 45.2% drink fresh milk daily.
The average age for puberty in girls is 9 and a half years, and in boys around 11 years of age.
Researchers have found that the consumption of cow's milk cannot accelerate the process of entering puberty if it is not genetically predisposed . It is well known that some children develop faster than others in this regard. Body weight also affects the onset of puberty.
Breastfeeding protects the baby and prevents obesity. The longer she is breastfed, the more likely she is not to be overweight and to enter puberty normally, experts say.
The results and data from the study are published in the journal. Pediatrics.