Whats the big deal With Genetically Modified Foods

There has been much hoopla made about Genetically Modified (GM) foods and the hidden dangers they pose to humans. Ironically if you asked the average person what their thoughts were on the matter, they would probably shrug their shoulders and say they have no clue what GM foods are. With that being said, I would wager that over 50% of your diet is made up of GM foods. Essentially, unless foods products in the US say USDA Organic on the label, then that commodity probably has GM ingredients. This ranges from your basic corn flakes, tomatoes, strawberries……

Now what exactly are GM food? GM foods are produced from genetically modified organisms (GMOs), specifically, genetically modified crops. GMOs have had specific changes introduced into their DNA by genetic engineering techniques. These crops are able to grow in most environments and are for the most part are resistant to insects, and diseases. Sounds like a good thing right? Because of this mindset, leading GM crop creators such as Monsanto and Syngenta, have been able to commercialize their products with much success over the last 17 years.

So what is the problem with GM foods? So as not bore you with too much detail, I am going to focus primarily on the human dangers, and not environmental problem posed by GM crops. Well how about this for starters. If you recall I mention GM crops are for the most part insect resistant. Essentially, when an insect eats takes a bite of out of say GM corn and cotton plants engineered to produce Bt-toxins, their stomach splits open and they die. There have also been several documented cases where pig farmers toss GM corn to the animals, but they simply sniff it and walk away. However, when non-GM corn was tossed to the same animals, they devour it. No one quite knows why the animals react in this way, but perhaps their instinct to detect to danger is more developed than ours.

This instinct is for good reason. In a study done in 2009 by the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM), it concluded that when lab animals do eat GM feed, the result was not pretty. "Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food," says the AAEM policy paper. Some of the issues the paper cited was “infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system, among the impacts of eating GMOs. There is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects, there is causation..." The AAEM believes we should take a lesson from the animals and stay away from GM foods. Bear in mind the AAEM is a very reputable medical organization, “which first recognized such dangers as food allergies, chemical sensitivity, and Gulf War Syndrome.” The AAEM has even called on all physicians to prescribe non-GMO diets to all patients. They also called for a moratorium on GMOs, long-term independent studies, and labeling.

Now how does the human body react to GM foods? The answer to that is no one really knows, because we do not have enough independent long term studies. In fact, most of studies commissioned, have been too short, and get this, they are often paid for by the Biotech companies that produce GM crops like Monsanto. These studies of course conclude that GM foods are perfectly safe for human consumption. But here is an odd fact, soon after GM soy was introduced to the UK, soy allergies skyrocketed by 50%. Ohio allergist Dr. John Boyles says "I used to test for soy allergies all the time, but now that soy is genetically engineered, it is so dangerous that I tell people never to eat it."

Biologist such as Dr. David Schubert of the Salk Institute have said, "If there are problems [with GMOs], we will probably never know because the cause will not be traceable and many diseases take a very long time to develop." In the 9 years after GM crops were introduced in 1996, Americans with three or more chronic diseases jumped from 7% to 13%. Allergies doubled in less time. The incidence of low birth weight babies, infertility, and infant mortality are all escalating. But without any human clinical trials or post marketing surveillance, we may never know if these or other disorders like autism, obesity, and diabetes, are triggered or made worse by GMOs.

I believe we should take a few lesson from the animals and avoid GM foods. To learn how to avoid GM foods, check out the Non-GMO Shopping Guide (www.NonGMOShoppingGuide.com). Stores such as Trader Joes do not carry GM foods. Other stores like Wholefoods, has stated that “by 2018, all products in its U.S. and Canadian stores must be labeled to indicate if they contain GMOs.” Also as I indicated earlier, if a label says USDA Organic, then it cannot contact GMO ingredients.

I hope you found this information useful. Stay fit and well family.