Blog
#17 What Are GMO’s?
The World Health Organization defines GMO’s as organisms in which the
genetic material has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally. An extreme example of this was a tomato plant
that had a fish gene spliced into its DNA.
This tomato was never used commercially, since it was not frost
resistant. There is much debate about
the safety and efficacy of GMO’s (genetically modified organisms) used in
agriculture. Proponents of GMO
technology claim that GMO food has significantly reduced green house gas
emissions, herbicide run-off and soil erosion.
They say that they are producing plants which can better withstand
drought, disease, and insects and which require less natural resources and
pesticides to produce. These plants are
immune to the negative effects of one or more pesticides, including RoundUp, which
disrupts the digestive processes in insects.
Monsanto, a major inventor and distributor of many GMO seeds, has spent
a lot of money developing GMO’s and has chosen to patent the seeds, making it
necessary for farmers to purchase new seeds every year rather than use seeds
from the previous year’s plants.
Although numerous scientists have asked that more time be allowed to
test GMO products for safety before placing them on the market, Monsanto and
other companies refused to wait, making the U. S. and world population the
testing ground for product safety. Some
results of animal testing since GMO’s have been in use are as follows: thousands of sheep, buffalo and goats in
India died after grazing on GM cotton plants; mice eating GM corn for a large
portion of their lives had smaller and fewer babies; more than half the babies of
mother rats fed GM soy died within three weeks and were abnormally small;
testicle cells of mice and rats fed a GMO soy diet changed significantly by the
3rd generation; most hamsters fed a GMO soy diet lost the ability to
reproduce. Also, in the U. K., human soy
allergies increased by 50% soon after GM soy was introduced. Approximately 85% of commercially produced
foods in the U.S. contain some GMO ingredients; however, we often don’t know
which products or ingredients they are, since food manufacturers are not
required to inform the public.
GMO plants also effect the environment.
Unintended and uncontrolled mutations tend to occur in GMO plants, and
when these interact with other organisms in the environment, they generate
unintended, unpredictable side-effects.
For example, when ordinary commercial corn or organically raised corn is
exposed to the pollen from GMO corn, GMO corn characteristics take over in
future generations, threatening the existence of non-GMO corn and organic
corn. The same is true for other GMO
crops. Some of the plants that are now
genetically modified include corn, white potatoes, cotton, wheat, sugar beets,
zucchini, tobacco, tomatoes, strawberries, alfalfa, peas, soy, rapeseed (the
source of canola oil), sorghum, papaya, pineapple, and some trees. There also
are plans for the use of GMO salmon in the very near future. Cows, poultry, sheep, and other animals that
are fed GMO foods also may have an unfavorable effect on our health and the
environment compared with animals raised humanely and organically.
It is my opinion that until the safety of GMO foods has been proven, it
would be advisable to avoid consuming them as much as possible. Many countries, including Australia, Brazil, Norway,
France, Germany, and Spain have chosen to protect their citizens and
environment with partial or complete bans on some GMO seeds and/or
products. Ways to eliminate GMO foods
from the diet in the U. S. are by consuming only certified 100 % organically
grown foods, growing your own food, checking the labels on produce (5 digits
beginning with a 9 means that the food was organically produced), purchasing
foods only from local farmers whom you trust, and only buying foods with the
following certifications: QAI, Oregon Tilth, or CCOF. USDA Organic standards are nowhere near as
stringent as the former three. Below are
a few links which I would strongly recommend you explore for even more
information about GMO foods.
This month’s offer: contact me if
you have any questions about particular foods containing GMO ingredients. Either I will talk with you over the phone or
ask you to come into my office along with the particular food(s) in
question. Depending on the time I spend
with you, I may charge a small fee. The
first 15 minutes are free of charge.
