Posted on 05/31/2006 7:05:41 AM PDT by 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
I bet the moms also chewed lots of doublemint gum
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.
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!!!
As my statistics instructor once said; "corrolation does not imply causality".
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.
Not in our case, nor in the cases of the several incidents of twins we know.
Got twins?...............
Maybe this is Nature compensating for the lower birth rate?
Exactly, some times it's just a good ole "double" shot of mother nature.
:-)
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.
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...?
lmao
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.
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.
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.
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