Hey!

   I work in the poultry industry (I do mainly research, tho, not industry) and have had some experience with dairy cattle in the past. Let me assure you that the majority of animals out there do not recieve hormones. Advances in production are due mainly to genetics and advanced feed formulation. We can get a 1.3 feed conversion ratio (the bird grows 1lb eating 1.3lb of feed) with a chicken with nothing but good old corn, soy, and a vitamin/mineral mix. I will admit, some cattle growers out there do use growth hormones, but growth hormones are not steriods. With poultry, I’d be more concerned about antibiotic use than steriods.

    About kids starting puberty earlier, this is due to better overall nutrition- not because kids are recieving extra growth hormone through tainted products. It is easier for kids today to recieve all essential vitamin/mineral/caloric requirements than it was 30 years ago. For example, this earlier puberty phenonemon has been of great interest in Latin America in the past couple of years. One of the professors I work with actually did a tour there just to assure people that earlier puberty is related to better nutrition, not hormones.

    Last of all, think about some basic biochemistry. Does your son’s cortisol collect in his muscle tissue? No, it is utilized by his body. The same thing goes with growth hormone. And what happens to growth hormone when it goes through the digestive tract? It’s digested and rendered useless as a hormone. That’s why children taking GH must take shots, because your digestive juices wreak havok on it’s biochemical structure.

   Please don’t think I’m poo-pooing on organic foods! I’d just focus more on no antibiotics/no pesticides advantage than worrying about ’normal’ foods upsetting your son’s endocrine condition.

Martha