What Is the Effect of Hormones in Food on Your Liver?

When you eat animal products, you ingest not only the hormones an animal produces naturally, but also the hormones fed to the animal. Your body breaks down hormones in the liver. Some alternative practitioners claim that the increased load of breaking down added hormones stresses the liver's ability to filter out toxins. The United States Food and Drug Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture claim that hormones fed to animals have no negative effects on the people who eat them, according to the Meat Poultry Nutrition website. The European Union, on the other hand, has banned the use of hormones in animals used for food.

Around 66 percent of the beef commercially available in the United States was treated with hormones to accelerate growth or increase milk production, according to the Sustainable Table website. Growers can't treat poultry and pork products with hormones. Dairy cows receive rBGH to boost milk production by as much as 20 percent, the Cancer Prevention Coalition reports. Commonly used hormones in the United States include three natural hormones -- estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone, plus three artificial hormones -- zeranol, melengesterol acetate and trenbolone acetate. The European Union’s Scientific Committee on Veterinary Measures Relating to Public Health has banned the use of all six hormones plus rBGH in European beef, due to health concerns.

Hormones, like many substances, must pass through the liver for breakdown and metabolism. Because the liver must process and break down most of the toxic and waste products that enter the body, anything that places extra stress on the liver, such as hormones from animal products, could affect the liver's ability to filter out other toxins.

Scientific studies haven't proven that hormones in animal products damage the liver in any way. In Europe, however, use of hormones is banned in animal products because of concern that the liver won't properly break down the extra load of hormones. Inability to metabolize excess hormones could lead to human hormone imbalances, some researchers fear. High levels of hormones could contribute to hormone-dependent tumors such as breast or prostate cancer, warns an article on the Sustainable Table website.

Producers of organic free-range beef don't feed their animals hormones. The animals feed on grass and hay rather than corn, which causes more stomach problems for the animals. Free-range beef cattle are also less likely to be given antibiotics to treat complications caused by hormone use such as mastitis, an infection of the udders. You can purchase free-range beef online if it's not available in your local supermarkets.

Article reviewed by Samantha Prust Last updated on: Feb 7, 2012

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