Category: Nutrition

What does GMO stand for?

Foods that have been manipulated by scientists, such that desired genes from plants, bacteria and viruses have been inserted into their genome are titled genetically modified or engineered, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), transgenic, and bioengineered.¹ Because these foods are relatively new on the market, and they were never adequately tested for and verified safe, each and every consumer is technically a guinea pig.  The consumer may be exposing himself to the possible effects of these foods, perhaps learning too late of the deleterious effects they have had on his health. This fear does not concern scientist in the least.  On the contrary, the more bioengineered foods are made, the better.  Scientist believe they are saving the world as, “(1) the number of people in the world is increasing rapidly and food production must increase to keep them from starvation (and) (2) because the land available for growing food is limited, biotechnology –and only biotechnology –can increase food productivity.”¹

The possibilities of food biotechnology are vast.   Personally, I am frightened thinking how much power this new technology gives scientists.   Where does it end? Although it can be used for ‘good’ reasons such as enhancing flavor, and texture, boosting freshness, increasing vitamin levels, proteins, chemicals, sugars and nutrients and improving the overall plant food to suit our needs and desires, we do not know how these genetic changes effect humans in the long run.  For example, many GM crops are genetically modified to resist very toxic herbicides (which help to kill weeds) or, they are genetically modified to produce pesticides themselves.  Over time though, these crop require more and more toxic herbicides in order to be effective.  The crop remain unharmed because they are genetically modified but what about the consumer who is now ingesting much more herbicides?  

Scientists are beginning to study the effects of long term exposure to so many of these GM crops, and the results are highly concerning.  Studies show that long term exposure to crop which are genetically modified to resist glyphosate, the most common herbicide,  is linked  to a whole list of chronic health conditions. ^{2, 3} 

 

 MOST COMMON GMO FOODS: 

-Soybeans

-Corn

-Cottonseed

-Canola oil

-Papayas  

-Milk   (Animal foods are also bioengineered to help achieve increased dairy output and increased health.) ^1-147

-Sugar

-Aspartame

-Yellow and green squash

-Salmon (farmed)

How to avoid GMO foods? 

1. Buy organic foods. All organic food is Non-GMO verified because the national and state organic certifying agencies do not allow their certification on genetically modified foods. 

 

 

2. Buy foods with the Non-GMO Project verified seal which looks like this 

 

 

 

References:

1. Nestle M. Safety As A Surrogate: The Ironic Politics of Food Biotechnology. In: Safe Food: Bacteria, Biotechnology, and Bioterrorism. Berkeley, CA. University of California Press, 2003:  139-140
2. Jasmine George, Sahdeo Prasad, Zafar Mahmood, Yogeshwer Shukla. Studies on glyphosate-induced carcinogenicity in mouse skin: a proteomic approach. J Proteomics. 2010 Mar 10;73(5):951-64. Epub 2010 Jan 4. PMID: 20045496
3. Daiane Cattani, Vera Lúcia de Liz Oliveira Cavalli, Carla Elise Heinz Rieg, Juliana Tonietto Domingues, Tharine Dal-Cim, Carla Inês Tasca, Fátima Regina Mena Barreto Silva, Ariane Zamoner. MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THE NEUROTOXICITY INDUCED BY GLYPHOSATE-BASED HERBICIDE IN IMMATURE RAT HIPPOCAMPUS: INVOLVEMENT OF GLUTAMATE EXCITOTOXICITY. Toxicology. 2014 Mar 14. Epub 2014 Mar 14. PMID: 24636977