Reason found for increase in twin births: it was the milk

scientific american ^ | David Biello

[S0122017]

Diet Linked to Twin Births

Over the last 30 years, the number of twin births has nearly trebled. This rise seems to have followed the introduction of in vitro fertilization and a preference for having children later in life. But in the mid-1990s, doctors began limiting the number of embryos transferred in the course of in vitro fertilization and still the proportion of twin births rose. Now new research seems to show that bovine growth hormone in the food supply may be responsible. Using data obtained from mothers by way of questionnaire, physician Gary Steinman of the Long Island Jewish Medical Center and his colleagues compared the number of twin births from moms who consumed meat and/or milk and those who consumed no animal products at all. They found that the omnivores and vegetarians were five times more likely to have fraternal twins than the vegans.

In a report published in the current issue of the Journal of Reproductive Medicine, Steinman argues that insulin-like growth factor, a protein released by the liver in response to growth hormone, may be the reason. Studies have shown that the protein increases ovulation and that it persists in the body after entering via digested food, particularly milk. Drinking a glass of milk a day over a 12-week period raised levels of the protein in the body by 10 percent. Vegan women, it turns out, have 13 percent lower concentrations of it in their blood.

Steinman observed in the May 6 issue of The Lancet that although the twinning rate in the U.K.--where bovine growth hormone is banned--rose by 16 percent between 1992 and 2001, it increased by 32 percent in the U.S., where the substance is not banned. Of the new work he says: "This study shows for the first time that the chance of having twins is affected both by heredity and environment or, in other words, by both nature and nurture." --David Biello

[S0122017]

Looking how cute woman think twins are, I guess that means milk becomes more popular.

[al baby]

I bet the moms also chewed lots of doublemint gum

[madison10]

Are they sure it's the milk? Women are having children at an older age. Women over 40 are more likely to have twins anyway.

I suppose they accounted for that.

[Ditter]

I am surprised that vegans are healthy enough to even conceive considering how they restrict nutrients. On a vegan diet I would not have the energy to get out of my own way.

Meat mum, we need more meat!

[Maelstrom]

There are probably other effects, possibly psycho-sexual in nature, that are also the result of bovine growth hormone.

It's time to re-consider the hormone, or re-consider my hamburgers.

Damned growth hormone. I swore I'd start a civil war if they tried to get rid of my hamburgers...instead they poisoned them!!!

[CertainInalienableRights]

As my statistics instructor once said; "corrolation does not imply causality".

[FormerACLUmember]

Ridiculous research. Fertility drugs are in extremely common use these days and are the cause of the increase in multiple births: from twins to quintuplets.

[null and void]

I've been saying for decades that the reason girls are 'growing up' so young is hormones in the meat and milk.

I've been regularly told I'm an idiot, and the food supply is free of these additives.

Therefore, I call BS on this explanation of why there are more twins...

[atomicpossum]

Fertility drugs are in extremely common use these days and are the cause of the increase in multiple births: from twins to quintuplets.

Not in our case, nor in the cases of the several incidents of twins we know.

[Red Badger]

Got twins?...............

[Lucretia Borgia]

Maybe this is Nature compensating for the lower birth rate?

[in hoc signo vinces]

Exactly, some times it's just a good ole "double" shot of mother nature.
:-)

[S0122017]

Im sure there are other causes too, but it seems like rather coincidental if this hormone does nothing at all!

1)Bovine growth hormone is known to increase insulin-like growth factor levels.
2)Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) levels increase ovulation.
3)Increased ovlation increases chance on twins.

Too bad they don't mention whether UK has more use of fertility drugs, but I suppose the researchers probably mention it in their actual article and not this summary. I hope.

[Walkingfeather]

I would like to see the statistics of actual live births that Vegan's have. Everyone I have met look like they are in horrible health and need a bath come to think of it...?

[meanie monster]

lmao

[CertainInalienableRights]

Im sure there are other causes too, but it seems like rather coincidental if this hormone does nothing at all!

True enough, and it certainly indicates that more research in that area is needed. However, from the title "Reason found for increase in twin births: it was the milk", the author is implying a cause-and-effect relationship which, although it very well may be the case, cannot be established by mere corrolation alone.

A ridiculous example is something like "everytime my neighbor leaves for work, the sun rises, therefore my neighbor's leaving causes the sun to rise"

It could be that the growth hormone causes some other process that is responsible for the births, or it could be that some other chemical, that is nearly always fed to livestock along with BGH, is the cause. Or, it could be that the sample group wasn't large enough, or controlled enough to even take the data as significant.

In fact, on reading the article at the source, there was no study at all. The "researcher" looked a the twinning rates of the overall population, looked at the use of BGH, and pronounced a connection.

The U.S. has more SUVs than the UK, and vegans tend to drive compact cars - perhaps that's really the cause of the higher twinning rate!

[Rytwyng]

I've been saying for decades that the reason girls are 'growing up' so young is hormones in the meat and milk.

Actually, it's the massive amounts of phytoestrogens found in soy. Nice how the veggie-fascists pinned the blame on meat and milk when it's actually their favorite soybean idol that's to blame.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

How about as a vegan it is impossible to get enough nutrition to provide for all of the needs of even one baby to develop to their full potential. If twins formed the likelihood of a miscarriage would increase.

[ExTexasRedhead]

I have one-year old twin grandchildren (a girl and a boy) and my daughter rarely drinks milk and didn't use fertility drugs. Our twins are absolutely adorable, but lots of work.

[caryatid]

I've been saying for decades that the reason girls are 'growing up' so young is hormones in the meat and milk.

I've been regularly told I'm an idiot, and the food supply is free of these additives.

I am with you on this one and have been saying the same thing for years! You are not an idiot. I am seeing far too many little girls become "women" when they are ill prepared emotionally or developmentally for such a thing ... and should still be pushing a baby carriage with a cat dressed in doll clothes.

I even go so far as to wonder if the growth hormone is having other deleterious effects and may be somehow indirectly involved in the increase in diabetes and other conditions.