The debate about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) rages on. No matter which side of the fence you’re on, there are some serious questions that need to be answered. The dangers of GMO foods might seem trivial until you recognize that incredibly few studies have been conducted by independent facilities (not involved in the manufacture of the foods being studies).
In fact, one review of studies conducted on genetically modified foods was published in the International Journal of Biological Sciences in 2010.
The authors stated, “The most detailed regulatory tests on the GMOs are three-month long feeding trials of laboratory rats. The tests are not compulsory and are not independently conducted. The test data and the corresponding results are kept in secret by the companies.”
In other words, the tests are done by the manufacturers, are short-term lab rat trials, and the results aren’t shared with consumers.
Consumer watch groups wanted to know more but GMO producers refused access to in-house testing that supposedly proved them to be safe for human consumption.
It was a blatant conflict of interest from the very beginning that couldn’t be denied.
The lack of scientific oversight and secrecy sparked public outcry about possible GMO dangers. Worry and frustration worsened when the food industry lobbied against listing GMO ingredients on their product labels.
Genetic “Modification” – Then and Now
Throughout mankind’s history, we’ve gradually modified our crops.
Over time, we’ve learned better ways to grow and sustain our food supply. Our very presence – and massive population – has changed some aspects of the air, water, and soil of the planet.Throughout mankind’s history, we’ve gradually modified our crops. #GoOrganic #SayNoToGMOClick To Tweet
As we mastered agriculture and the domestication of animals, we altered the natural order of wild flora and fauna. Animals which had always roamed free were kept in pens. Spaces were cleared for crops and cooking gardens – edging out the plant life that once grew there.
We introduced plants and animals to different states, countries, and continents. As a result, some foods have evolved naturally, becoming stronger or bigger due to growth cycles and habitat.
These changes were slow – likely taking place over hundreds of growth cycles – and a direct reaction to the environment nurturing the plant or animal.
We wanted to kill the weeds and stop the insects from destroying our food. Humans created pesticides and herbicides to curb the encroachment of indigenous bugs and weeds. This caused further alterations to the soil and the crops that grew there.
Chemicals used by our ancestors included sulfur, lead, mercury, and arsenic. In the early 20th century, pesticides created from tobacco, root vegetables, and chrysanthemums were introduced.
By the mid-century, we were using powerful synthetic chemicals (many now outlawed worldwide). DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) was in use as a crop insecticide for almost two decades before scientists discovered it was mutating the reproductive cycles of birds and animals exposed to it. It took another decade for it to be banned.
Then, beginning in the seventies, scientists and food manufacturers started experimenting with changing plants and animals at the cellular level.
Since 1996, this field has become a monster that is out of control in so many ways. Much like the debate over DDT, it could be decades before we understand what we’ve done.
GMO Dangers Found in 5 Critical Numbers
1. A study published in the Reviews on Environmental Health journal in 2009 determined that more than 1 billion pounds of pesticides are used annually in the United States alone. Use for the entire world combined is 6 billion pounds.
2. Corn is the most common crop grown in the United States. More than 88% of our corn is genetically modified.
3. Soy is used as a filler for many processed foods. Currently, more than 93% of our soy is genetically modified.
4. Approximately 54% of the mass quantities of sugar we consume in the United States is made from sugar beets. More than 90% of the sugar beet crop is genetically modified.
5. Canola, cottonseed, and alfalfa are all critical to cattle feed, found in huge quantities of our food, and represent great swaths of farmland in the U.S. Genetically modified crops account for more than 90% of these plants
Some GMO foods may be safe for human consumption but manufacturers of these seeds and pesticides are not waiting to be certain. They’re running the safety experiment right now, in real time, on people like you and me.
Many GMO dangers are still theoretical as we wait for the effects of genetic modification of a vast majority of our food supply to show themselves.
The market is being flooded with GMO ingredients without testing, without assurances that these foods won’t impact our long-term health.Stores are being flooded with GMO ingredients without testing, GMO foods can impact our long-term health. #SayNoToGMOClick To Tweet
Scientists around the world have provided enough evidence to convince their countries to ban GMO goods. In the United States, we not only allow more than 90% of our critical crops to be genetically modified, we allow food manufacturers to hide their use.
In the past twenty years of GMO introduction to our food supply, we’ve seen dramatic increases in the following areas:
1. Chronic illness (three or more for one individual)
2. Food allergies
4. Cross-pollination and cross-contamination to non-GMO crops
5. Greater use of GMO-friendly chemical agents (Round-Up)
6. Negative environmental impact to plants, insects, animals, and water life
7. Government and manufacturer secrecy
There are also serious, legitimate concerns regarding damage to the human reproductive system and carcinogenic dangers of GMO foods.
Whether you think GMO foods are dangerous or safe – you should be informed of their presence in a product and choose whether or not to put them in your body.
In the name of greed and power, that choice is being taken out of your hands.
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