Toxic Dinner by Shaye

Why is our food being made and modified by the world’s largest pesticide manufacturer? “GMOs, or “genetically modified organisms,” are plants or animals that have been genetically engineered with DNA from bacteria, viruses or other plants and animals. These experimental combinations of genes from different species cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding.” (nonGMOproject) Many studies indicate the possible long term health risks associated with the consumption of genetically modified foods such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, food allergies, and diabetes. Consuming genetically modified foods presents a huge risk to human health and can significantly impact the viability of human cells.

            In the 1980’s, scientists discovered that specific pieces of DNA could be transferred from one organism to another. From that discovery on, genetic modification took off. In 1983, the first transgenic tobacco plant that was resistant to antibiotic’s was created. Then, genetically engineered cotton was successfully field tested in 1990. Then in 1995, Monsanto, the leading biotech company, introduced herbicide-immune soybeans which are also known as “Round-Up-Ready.” Round-Up-Ready crops are designed to survive applications of their Roundup herbicide. Between 1996 and 2008, US farmers sprayed an extra 383 million pounds of herbicide on GMOs. (responsible technology) Monsanto then took genetic modification to the next level, our food source. As of 2004, genetically modified crops were being grown by 8.25 million farms. Genetically modified foods were not tested on humans, and started being sold in grocery stores with no labels to inform the people what they were eating. Monsanto’s untested, unlabeled products successfully made their way into our lives without us even knowing. Genetically modified foods represent a double chemical dose delivered directly to your dinner table- both inside and outside of the plant. (gmo-awareness) Since GMOs have been on the market, the rate of allergies, auto immune disease, Alzheimer's and autism has sky rocketed. Is it just a coincidence that after people started ingesting this toxic, modified, food that the rate of cancer and other diseases started increasing exponentially?

            Not only does the heavy use of chemicals harm the environment, but GM foods contain higher residues of toxic herbicides. “According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is a very real risk of out-crossing, which refers to the transfer of engineered genes (transgenes) from genetically modified crops to conventional, cultivated plants or to related crop species in the wild. This may happen by means of wind, insect pollination, or other transfer.” (Natural News) If the foreign genes happen to cross contaminate with other species, it could result in hybridization of the genetically modified crop plant with a non-GMO plant. This could alter entire ecosystems and pose an indirect threat on food safety. In September of 2010, the World Health Organization reported an incident in which traces of a GM corn variety that was only approved to be used as livestock feed was found in corn products that were for human consumption in the US market.  Genetically modified crops greatly increase the use of herbicides and pesticides. “Scientists estimate that crops that are genetically modified to be herbicide-resistant tend to greatly increase the herbicide use. Knowing that their crops are more herbicide tolerant, farmers are more likely to use these often-toxic chemicals more liberally.” (Natural News) Genetic Engineering reduces genetic diversity of plants which means they would not be able to handle drought, fungus, or insects.

            Monsanto Company is an American  multinational chemical and  agricultural  biotechnology corporation. It is a leading producer of  genetically engineered seed and of the herbicide glyphosate, which it markets under the Roundup brand. Monsanto claims that GMOs will feed the world with the greater crop yields, drought resistance and increased nutrition. It also claims that GMOs are completely safe for human consumption since all genes are broken up and rendered inert during digestion. Monsanto states that it has done numerous studies that show no signs of genetically modified foods causing health problems. However, their studies were performed very quickly over the time span of just a few months, which does not give a sufficient enough amount of time to observe the effects of GMOs. Also, new, independent, studies are disproving that GMOs are broken up and rendered inert during digestion. A study in Norway, published in July of 2012, proved that GMO genes are in fact transferred through the intestinal wall into the blood. During this study pieces of genetically modified DNA were in large enough segments to be identified in the blood, muscle tissue and liver. When GMOs were tested on animals, they showed an increase in weight, increase in appetite, decrease in immune function, different intestinal micro-structure and more. Don’t these side effects make you think of the entire US population? It is not surprising that Monsanto does not want GMOs to be labeled in our country. We are all being blindsided into eating fake, toxic, genetically engineered food, and few people truly know what it is doing to their delicate bodies.

            Genetically modified foods could be the reason for the astounding disease and cancer rates in the United States. When GMOs started becoming more and more prevalent in the American diet between 1997 to 2008, the Pediatrics Journal reported a 250% increase in the prevalence of autism in American children. What is most disturbing about this increase is that the main dietary causes of autism include soy, which is the number one GMO crop, food starches, most of which are made from GMO corn, and gluten in all forms. When the health statistics of the Unites States were compared to health statistics of other nations where GMOs are outlawed, the results were alarming. Americans have the highest rate of cancer out of any other country on the planet- 1 out of 2 men and 1 out of 3 women are expected to get cancer in their lifetime. Even scarier, only 1 out of 10 breast cancers in women are inherited, leaving the other 9 incidences of beast cancer to be triggered by the environment. Those who do not buy GMO free food are ingesting 3 chemical meals a day and increasing their risk of getting cancer.  (gmo-awareness) In order to make crops more resistant to pests, a gene called a Bt-toxin is inserted into corn and cotton plants. The toxin attacks the stomach lining of  insects, killing the pests within a couple of days of ingestion. Over 65 percent of corn crops in the U.S. contain this gene that produces the insecticide. Biotech companies and the EPA assure the public that genetically engineered toxins such as Bt-toxin are safe. They claim that it dissolves quickly in the stomach, and won’t cause any side effects. This claim is very suspicious, as the Bt-toxin belongs to a family of bacteria (Bacillus Cerus) that cause food poisoning in humans. “When natural Bt spray was sprayed over regions of Vancouver and Washington State to control the gypsy moth population, 500 people reported adverse reactions. The majority complained of allergy or flu-like symptoms and six others were hospitalized for severe allergic reactions or asthma flare-ups. Farmers and workers exposed to Bt sprays have reported eye, nose, throat, skin and respiratory irritations.” (Underground Health Reporter) If these issues arose just by breathing this toxin, the consequences of eating it could be even more horrifying.

            Genetically modified corn and its derivatives are in just about all of the processed foods sold in America. Constantly ingesting this engineered corn is especially dangerous to human health and could be one of the reasons that Americans are becoming sicker and sicker as the years progress. A study led by Gilles- Eric Séralini, a leader of the Committee for Independent Research and Information on Genetic Engineering, followed 200 rats for a span of two years. The rats were divided into 10 groups, each containing 10 male and 10 female rats. Six of the groups were fed different amounts of Monsanto’s GMO corn. Three other groups were given different doses of Roundup in their drinking water, with the lowest dose being that of what might be found in tap water in the United States. The 10th group was of course the control group. Those rats were fed non GMO corn and plain water. The results were petrifying.  Séralini’s study found that in the group that ate genetically engineered corn, up to 50% of males and 70% of females dies before they would from normal aging. On the other hand, the deaths in the control group were only 30% of males and 20% of females. An astounding 50 to 80 percent of the female rats developed massive tumors, compared with only 30% of the control rats. (NY times) This study shows the danger of consuming genetically modified foods. Monsanto’s goal is not to feed the world healthy food, nor to grow it in a sustainable way. It simply wants to make money on their patented seed, upon which they spray their patented chemicals. Monsanto tries to silence all studies being done by third parties that show the dangers of GMOs.

            People need to be aware of what they are eating, and the effects that genetically modified foods have on the human body. There is no surprise that in the years GMO foods have been on the shelves, cancer rates have sky rocketed. Our bodies are not made to ingest chemicals and genetically engineered foods. Humans are unknowingly ingesting the chemical “Round Up,” which suppresses the growth of beneficial gut bacteria in humans, inhibits healthy reproductive capacity, and even enhances the toxicity of other chemicals and food additives. (Natural News) Monsanto is trying to hide the risks from the people because it knows just how unsafe GMOs are. In the United States, the FDA is supposed to protect the public from unsafe foods and drugs. However, isn’t it a conflict of interest that the FDA is being run by ex-Monsanto executives? If our government cares so much about our food safety, why is it protecting Monsanto by passing the Monsanto Protection Act, which bans the courts from stopping the sale of Monsanto’s genetically-modified seeds? It is blatantly obvious that our government is run by big corporations and it is all about the bottom line, the mighty dollar.

            If Monsanto is so proud of its product, why would it fight against labeling it? Why would they be so opposed to doing long-term studies on the health effects of GMOs?  It is extremely evident that Monsanto is up to no good. We do have the power to stop Monsanto from treating us like a science project. If genetically modified foods are boycotted, Monsanto will have no choice but to stop what they are doing. Just by moving to the US, a person’s risk of cancer increases by 400%. This statistic alone proves that the United States is doing something wrong. Over 60 countries have either banned GMOs or placed heavy restrictions on them, and we need to be next to stand up and fight for our rights to know what we are eating.  The answer to this outbreak of health issues is as simple as sticking to organic, non-GMO foods that the body knows how to digest. Monsanto is a company that only cares about money, not about the health and well-being of its consumers. Just ask yourself this question: would you spray the chemical Round Up on a salad before serving it to your family? Because when you eat GM foods, Round Up is part of the plants DNA.  Don’t let Monsanto trick you into giving yourself cancer; stay away from Genetically Modified Foods.

CITATIONS

"All About GMOs." GMO Awareness. N.p., 8 Mar. 2013. Web. 02 Nov. 2013.

Pollack, Andrew. "Disputed Study Links Modified Corn to Greater Health Risks." NYtimes. New York Times, 19 Sept. 2012. Web. 03 Nov. 2013.

"What Is GMO?" Nongmoproject. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2013.

"GMO? Hell No!" The Nation. Danny Khol, 28 June 2001. Web. 05 Nov. 2013.

"10 Reasons to Avoid GMOs." Institute for Responsible Technology. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2013.

Dill, John. "The Dangers of GMOs." NaturalNews. N.p., 28 Sept. 2010. Web. 01 Dec. 2013.

Collins, Danica. "Do Genetically Modified Foods Cause Cancer, Lung Damage & Birth Defects?" Underground Health Reporter. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2013.