Information on the dangers of consuming genetically modified foods seems to mount daily as scientists have the opportunity to research them after their introduction into the agricultural system and the marketplace. One of the most important studies of recent years, and one that needs revisiting as we mount an effort against Monsanto and their takeover of the food system, is one that came from researchers in Canada, finding that pesticides from genetically modified organisms are not only found in women, but can be passed to their unborn children.
This study was the first of its kind and can be read in the February 2011 volume of Reproductive Toxicology. For the study, researchers looked at 30 pregnant and 39 non pregnant women, analyzing the presence of GMO-associated toxins in their blood.
They detected the presence of several GMO remnants including 3-MPPA (a metabolite of glyphosate) and Cry1Ab (a Bt toxin). The dangers of both of these substances is well documented.
Studies have associated the bacterial toxin bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) with cancer and kidney damage, particularly when the toxin is combined with Monsanto’s flagship RoundUp. Despite what the seed-giant would have you think, researchers in one such study concluded, “Bt toxins are not inert on nontarget human cells, and that they can present combined side-effects with other residues of pesticides specific to GM plants.” Other residues like those from glyphosate.
One only has to scan the headlines here at NaturalSociety to find that glyphosate has been linked to cancer cell growth, reproductive problems, mental illness, obesity, and more. Most troubling is that it is being detected in human urine. In other words, this toxic pesticide is in our bodies doing who-knows-what without our consent.
Back in Canada, both Bt and metabolites of glyphosate were not only found in women and pregnant women, but also in their unborn babies, potentially causing disease and destruction on the most vulnerable of us all.
The authors concluded:
“Given the potential toxicity of these environmental pollutants and the fragility of the fetus, more studies are needed, particularly those using the placental transfer approach. Thus, our present results will provide baseline data for future studies exploring a new area of research relating to nutrition, toxicology and reproduction in women. Today, obstetric-gynecological disorders that are associated with environmental chemicals are not known. Thus, knowing the actual concentration of genetically modified foods in humans constitutes a cornerstone in the advancement of research in this area.”
As Anthony Gucciardi has reported, the power to take back our food system from corporations like Monsanto lies with us, the people. Their takeover has turned the average conscientious consumer into an activist who can “no longer sit by and watch as our food supply and freedoms are tarnished at the same time by a merger of corporate and government corruption.”
Your role in this battle for a healthy and honest food system is clear—get informed, buy from companies who have committed to non-GMO products, and speak out against Monsanto and genetically modified foods at every chance. It’s not too dramatic to say the next generation could depend on our willingness to speak up.
This article first appeared at NaturalSociety.com.