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Hormones in Food & Excessive Hair Growth

Hormones are used in the meat and poultry industries to promote the growth and health of the animals. Trace amounts of those hormones do end up in the human food supply, but there is little evidence to say that they have any effect on human health.

  1. Hormones

    • Hormones are chemicals used by the body to signal a tissue or organ to perform a function. In humans, human growth hormone is produced by the pituitary gland and signals bones to grow, muscles to get bigger, cells to multiply, and hair to grow.

    Hair Growth

    • Human growth hormone is not the only hormone involved in hair growth. During puberty, estrogen and testosterone signal the development of secondary sexual characteristics in women and men, respectively. One of these characteristics is hair growth in the underarms and pubic area.

    Hormones in Food

    • Hormones used in animals for food production do end up in the food supply. The concentrations of hormones in everyday food are small and sometimes undetectable. Nevertheless, the fact that they are used at all causes concerns in consumers.

    Misconceptions

    • According to a 2000 report from Cornell University's Program on Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors, there is no evidence to indicate that the hormones used in food production have any ill effect on the human body, including excessive hair growth. Furthermore, hormones used in animals are not compatible with the functions of the human body.

    Alternatives

    • There are plenty of alternatives to eating food from animals treated with hormones. Organic and small, local food producers do not routinely use hormones or any other additives in their foods. Alternatively, you may want to limit your consumption of animal-based foods.

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