Warning - High-Fat Dairy May Increase Progesterone Levels

[Harry Hirsute]

SAN ANTONIO, TX -- December 14, 2007 -- Physicians may want to advise patients who are at high risk for breast cancer and other progesterone-sensitive conditions to avoid ice cream, butter and other fatty dairy products, based on a study presented here at the 30th Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS).

People absorb significant amounts of bovine progesterone (identical to human progesterone) from dairy products, thanks to the practice among dairy farmers of keeping dairy cattle pregnant most of the time, according to research led by William H. Goodson III, MD, Senior Clinical Research Scientist, California Pacific Medical Research Institute, San Francisco, California.

"Given the magnitude of milk use, we must consider the possibility that a single change in food production technology might have a major influence on the health of young persons who, with the best of intentions, are encouraged to drink milk," the report said.

Dr. Goodson presented the findings in a poster session on December 14. His group measured salivary progesterone levels in 17 male volunteers at baseline and 24 hours later after consuming three servings of high-fat dairy foods (2 tablespoons butter, 2 ounces cheese, and a quart of premium ice cream) between morning and afternoon. The procedure was repeated a week later.

Salivary progesterone levels were seen to spike by 30% to 100% in nearly all subjects after both sets of feedings.

Dr. Goodson said males were chosen because their normal concentrations of progesterone are lower and less cyclic than in females and hence an effect would be easier to measure.

https://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/852571020057CCF6852573B1007803AD

 

[bifrost99]

The group was given milk fat products and their progesterone was tested -- so how can this prove that the fat they ate had bovine progesterone? :roll: Such switching of facts easily reminds me of my brother -- he's a magician.

It is highly possible that the body made its own progesterone from the fat provided by the milk products.

Isn't it a LOT EASIER to simply test those fat products for their bovine progesterone content (if we wanted to know that progesterone did come from those products)?

Okay so there's progesterone rise in the subjects. But concluding that the cause was high bovine progesterone in the product is obviously NOT part of the study. So why mention such conclusion, which is more of an assumption?

And "keeping dairy cattle pregnant"??? :roll: Pregnant cattle do NOT produce any milk. Progesterone inhibits milk production. Drop in progesterone during parturition is what stimulates lactation.

Another thing, why was there no control group? It could have been a positive control (take in progesterone itself) or a negative control (take in other type of fat) or a placebo group. Twenty-four hours seems like a long interval as well. Progesterone has a very short half-life.

Gerry

 

[Harry Hirsute]

From the full text of the article:

The group measured progesterone levels in high-fat dairy products. Foods that were 70% to 80% dairy fat contained 175 to 300 ng/mL of progesterone, they found.

Also, while a control would be preferable ... the fact that the results were replicated (a week later) is a pretty good starting point.

 

[bifrost99]

Oops. Sorry. I thought your quote was the whole article. My mistake.

Gerry