Do you know what GMO foods are? GMO stands for “genetically modified organisms.” They are genetically modified, scientifically created foods that are unnatural at their core. You know, like where they alter the food at the DNA level to create a corn that manufactures its own pesticides….
Sounds odd, but actually, according to the FDA, 75 percent of processed food in the United States may contain GMOs. Gee, that’s a lot. And, you wouldn’t know it. There are no labeling laws. Unless your processed food is certified organic, it probably contains some GMO ingredients. Another reason to skip those chips and cookies!
Should you care? Yes! There is very limited science being the safety of GMO. What little there is was sponsored by GMO growers…. or raises some bright red flags. That’s why 30 other countries around the world, including Australia, Japan, and all of the countries in the European Union, have significant restrictions or outright bans on the production of GMOs. They are not considered safe. Yet, in the US, it’s no big deal.
Animals have to be forced fed to eat GMO. Something about the food causes their instincts to reject it. Nevertheless, animals have been force-fed the foods for scientific studies. Here are some red flags from “Just Say No to GMO” by Dr. Joseph Pizzorno:
• A preliminary study from the Russian National Academy of Sciences [found] that more than half the offspring of mother rats fed GM soy died within three weeks (compared to 9% from mothers fed natural soy).
• [An] estimated 10,000 sheep died in India within 5-7 days of grazing on GM cotton plants engineered to produce their own Bt-toxin pesticide.
• The only human GM feeding study ever published show[ed] that the foreign genes inserted into GM food cropscan transfer into the DNA of our gut bacteria. This study gives new meaning to the adage, “You are what you eat.” Long after those GM corn chips you munched are history, your intestinal flora may still be churning out the “Bt” pesticide GM corn plants have been engineered to produce.
What to do? Here are some tips from Healthy Child Healthy World:
• Check food labels for soy-, corn- and cottonseed-based additives, most likely to be genetically engineered.
• Buy 100% certified organic especially for corn, soy, potato and animal products.
• Choose a wide variety of fresh, whole foods over processed foodsthat are likely to contain bioengineered additives. Check the PLU code on produce to identify if it’s genetically engineered. PLUs consist of 4 to 5 numbers (4 numbers = conventional produce, 5 numbers starting with 9 = organic produce, 5 numbers starting with 8 = genetically engineered produce).
• Look for the Non-GMO Project verified label (visit their website to find products they have tested).
• Buy locally grown produce from farmers’ markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms where you can talk to the producer.
• Prepare meals at home so you know exactly what you are eating.
I think that the most common response to all the food health politics is… frustration. We just want to be able to go to the grocery store and buy food. You know, without poisonous pesticides. Without crazy-engineered genes. Without a dose of growth-hormones or antibiotics. The more you learn about the way food is produced in our country, the more frustrated you get. And the easiest response is to turn a deaf ear, because it’s all so confusing and so seemingly out of our control.
