I remember watching a PBS documentary in 2001 called Harvest of Fear.
This 2-hour special on genetically-modified (GM) foods thoroughly
presented potential dangers to this planet and its inhabitants alike
when and if these crops were allowed to grow in abundance. After seeing
this, I was certain that our government and its agencies (FDA, USDA,
EPA, Dept. of Agriculture) would prohibit rapid expansion and provide
adequate testing of each new item. I also thought that if Americans
knew of these dangers that we would follow our European counter parts
in banning GM crops and banning together to not allow ‘Frankenfoods’
into our food chain.
As it turns out, most people didn’t see this documentary, in fact eight
years later, many people are not aware of what a genetically modified
organism (GMO) is; what foods are involved in this technology; and how
harmful it is to the planet and our bodies. Since this documentary
aired, within the U.S., 81-86%of all corn, 88-90% of all soybean and
81-93% of all upland cotton are GM crops. That is an astounding amount
considering what we now know about the ramifications to the environment
and the negative health effects these crops have posed. In addition to
soybeans, cotton and corn, rice, sugar beets, canola, and potatoes are
also among the predominant GM crop planted in the U.S. and Canada.
What are GMOs and GM Foods?
From Wikipedia: “a genetically modified organism (GMO) or genetically engineered organism (GEO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering
techniques.” The environmental organization, Environmental Commons
explains, “genetic engineering is a process whereby genes from one
organism are moved into the genome of another organism. In the case of
genetically engineered foods, genes from bacteria or other plants or
other organisms are moved into crop varieties with the assistance of a
viral vector. This provides herbicide-tolerance and/or insect
resistance to existing domesticated plant varieties. In many cases,
biotechnology breaks down natural species boundaries. The genes
inserted cannot be removed and thus become released into the
environment during the pollination process.”
In other words, the DNA within seeds is spliced and inserted with other
genes that serve a specific purpose. For instance, a common gene used
is the family of toxin proteins derived from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis
(Bt) that is resistant to glyphosphate (a pesticide more commonly known
as Roundup made by Monsanto). This gene creates a plant that is
‘Roundup Ready’ or Roundup resistant. When the pesticide is sprayed on
the plant, the plant is unscathed however the surrounding weeds die
thus reducing production costs and creating higher yields. In theory,
the use of this pesticide would diminish, as the plant would also have
a natural ability to fight off the insects.
Invasion of Superweeds, Superbugs and Superbacteria:
Unfortunately what was predicted back in the early days of GM experimentation failed to materialize. Weeds have become superweeds. Due to unavoidable cross-pollination, these weeds have absorbed the same GM genes also becoming resistant to Roundup.
Because of these superweeds, the use of pesticides has actually gone up
so much so that in the United States critics suggest that the
regulatory agency that monitors for effects on the quality of life due
to pesticide use has lost its power to test for levels of pesticides in
foods, damage to the environment and to the public. This regulation was
quietly removed from the Department of Agriculture’s jurisdiction in
2008 for so-called budgetary reasons. According to an article posted in
the Chicago Times: “The Bush administration has abruptly halted a
government program that tests the levels of pesticides in fruits,
vegetables and field crops, arguing that the $8 million-a-year program
is too expensive — a decision critics say could make it harder to
protect consumers from chemicals in their food. Data from the
18-year-old Agricultural Chemical Usage Program administered by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture were collected until this year, and the
Environmental Protection Agency used the data to set safe levels of
pesticides in food.”
Insects and bacteria have also become super-resistant requiring a
significant increase in the amounts of insecticides into the
environment and into our bodies.
What Foods Contain GM Ingredients?
Major brands such as Nabisco®, Frito-Lay®,
Proctor & Gamble, and Kraft® are using genetically engineered
byproducts. In fact, most major brands including private label brands
of bread, crackers, cereals, canned soups or frozen dinners contain GM
ingredients. And to protect the chemical companies that create these
foods, the U.S. government has allowed genetically modified organisms
to be released into our food supply without adequate labeling or
testing.
GM and GMO Testing and Regulation:
A report prepared by Brian Tokar for the
Institute for Social Ecology Biotechnology Project in June 2006 finds
that “no federal laws have been passed to specifically regulate
genetically-engineered crops. Since 1986, responsibility for GE foods
and crops has been divided among three federal agencies (USDA-APHIS, EPA, FDA),
based upon preexisting statutes.” These statues are antiquated and
offer no regulation for protection or scrutiny to the public and
environment.
GM Food Safety
What is most astonishing from Toker’s
report is that “GE crops are only subject to "voluntary consultations"
with companies who choose to consult with the agency about their
products. Because the consultations are voluntary, FDA does not specify
a required list of studies or test methods, but instead accepts
superficial in-house summaries of whatever testing the company has
chosen to do. FDA requests for additional data sometimes go
unfulfilled.”
In essence, we humans have been the testing sites or guinea pigs for
Frankenfoods. Since introduction of GMOs into the marketplace in 1996,
numerous studies have since shown significant negative and toxic
effects of ingesting GM ingredients as well as being exposed to
increased amounts of pesticides, herbicides and insecticides.
In a 2001 article entitled: “Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients -
Health Concerns & GMO Food; genetically modified” by Jule Klotter,
one of the most common problems is newly developed allergins to foods
once deemed low on the allergy list. The FDA has concluded: “Genetic
engineering may transfer new and unidentified proteins from one food
into another, triggering allergic reactions. Millions of Americans who
are sensitive to allergens will have no way of identifying or
protecting themselves from offending foods. Allergic reactions can
cause more than simple discomfort -- they can result in
life-threatening anaphylactic shock." As an example, Trypsin-inhibitor,
a major allergen with anti-nutritional effects, was 26.7% higher in
Monsanto's RR soybeans. The York Nutritional Laboratory, which
specializes in food sensitivity, reported a 50% increase in soy
allergies in 1999-2000.
Klotter also discloses that soybeans aren’t the only problem as
scientists have also found that genetically-engineered potatoes have
caused "significant damage" to rats among other genetically-engineered
food crops.
The Institute for Responsible Technology has published a comprehensive
pamphlet, Unintended GMO Health Risks, which sums up the reasons why we
should avoid GM foods: They have been linked to thousands of toxic and
allergenic reactions, thousands of sick, sterile, and dead livestock,
and damage to virtually every organ and system studied in lab animals.”
The guide briefly outlines information on allergic reactions to GM
foods as well as liver and reproductive problems, sterility, disease,
death and even infant mortality linked to GMO consumption.
The evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of reducing and eliminating GM
foods from your diet. The good news is that organic foods do not
contain GMOs, pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and
other toxic elements that are proven to harm the body.
How do you detoxify your body and remove allergens from your body? Eat
organic food, eat as close to nature as you can – raw, lightly cooked
and well washed fresh produce, if you eat fish and meat, eat wild fish
and organic meats and stay away from processed foods. Drink filtered HydroMag treated water to support your body’s return to a natural alkaline state. HydroMag treated water will enable your cells to fully hydrate and release the body’s stored toxins.
See a holistic healthcare practitioner to help you detoxify your body gently and naturally. At HealthWalk we have the modalities (Vital Hematology live blood analysis, Functional Nutritional Counseling, Brain Technologies, Adrenal and Hormonal analysis)
and natural products and supplements to analyze your health condition
and to support your path back to full vitality and health.
By Julie Gengo, HealthWalk™ Marketing Coordinator
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