One of the most contentious issues today is that of GMOs. Also called GM crops, GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) have been heralded as the answer to the world's food shortage crisis and derided as agribusiness's attempt to take over the world's food supplies. Geopolitical arguments aside, are GMOs safe for consumption? This, too, is a hotly contested debate.
A Natural Therapies Pages article, What are GM Foods? outlines in more detail what GM foods are. The article quotes the Australian government's stance on the safety of GM foods. According to Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), unless modifications substantially alter the genetic makeup of an organism and produce "novel proteins", they are not considered to have been modified significantly enough to require GMO labelling. Moreover, FSANZ states that, "we have identified no safety concerns with any of the GM foods that we have assessed" and proponents of GMOs argue that they have been extensively used for over 15 years, with no negative health effects having been reported. This claim, however, has been seriously contested.
The evidence against GMOs
While scientific studies on humans are lacking, studies and observations of GMO diets in cattle have concluded that GMO grains fed to cattle seem to cause numerous health disorders. Farmers began noticing problems when they started feeding their livestock GM grains and noticed that the problems cleared up within days of switching back to non-GM feedstock. Some of the disorders reported by farmers include:
- Diarrhoea
- Infertility
- Miscarriages
- Restlessness
- Reduced auto-immunity, leading to increased incidences of pneumonia and other diseases
Although the evidence is anecdotal and has not been subjected to scientific scrutiny, the numbers of humans who report dramatic improvements in health after removing GMOs from their diets is growing as well. These reports, together with the findings of animal studies and their own research, led the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) to call for a moratorium on GM foods in 2009.
Outspoken GMO critic, Jeffrey M. Smith, executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, outlines a number of Dramatic Health Recoveries Reported when patients stopped eating GM foods on their doctor's recommendation:
- In one instance, a woman suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) was told she would have to take medication to control cramps and diarrhoea for the rest of her life. Internist Emily Lindner, MD recommended that she remove all GMOs from her diet. When she did so, her formerly chronic condition disappeared within two months.
- Another IBS sufferer found relief after just two and a half weeks and also reported relief from allergies and other formerly chronic conditions.
Although critics acknowledge that research does not prove that GMOs are at fault, they do point out that since they were first introduced into the diet in 1996, the number of Americans with three or more chronic diseases increased from 7 percent to 13 percent in 9 years. Food allergies, autism, digestive disorders and reproductive disorders are amongst the serious health problems that have been on the increase since the introduction of GMOs into our diet.
Even more disturbing are the findings of the first long term study of the effects of GM corn on laboratory mice. Previous 90 day studies showed no ill-effects, but this long term study conducted by researchers at the University of Caen showed tumours developing in as few as four months in males and seven months in females. The mice were fed NK603 "Roundup Ready" Monsanto maize or were given doses of Roundup deemed "safe for consumption" while the control group was given a GM free diet and pure drinking water. Aside from significantly more tumours than the control group, the maize or Roundup fed mice also suffered severe kidney and liver damage and more of them died prematurely. The peer reviewed study was reported in The Grocer and other major UK publications and has led to a backlash against GM foods in many European countries.
What's the verdict about GMOs? It depends on who you listen to. If you are concerned about their possible effects on you and your family, you may want to get the opinion of a good holistic doctor or try going without GMOs in your diet and see if you notice an improvement. You needn't go without nutritional food to go without GMOs. Look for certified organic foods in your local health foods store and avoid commercial food products that contain soy, corn and cotton seed additives, most of which contain GM versions of those foods.
Originally published on Jul 25, 2014
