The government has funded science to research how to modify foods for various reasons. By taking the genetic make up of various desired traits of different plants and combining them, they can manipulate things like the ability to grow with less water, produce seedless grapes and watermelon, and allow for more crops in shorter growing periods. It's almost impossible to avoid GMOs.
The Pros
There are a few government agencies that oversee the modification of various processed foods. The World Health Organization, the National Academy of Sciences, and the American Medical Association all claim these crops are at least as safe as, and often safer than, foods changed the old-fashioned way, such as when a new plant is bred from two different types.
There are three specific organizations in the U.S. who oversee GMOs. The EPA rates genetically modified plants for their effects on the environment and the USDA decides whether the plant is safe to grow -- it won't harm other plants or animals. The FDA decides whether the plant will make anyone who eats it sick.
The above mentioned organizations claim genetically modifying our plants and food sources allow for;
More food produced in shorter period of time.
The seeds can resist cold, heat and drought. They multiply quicker which allow for larger crops in a shorter period of time. It's kind of like the mentality of injecting animals with growth hormone and antibiotics to produce a faster turn around rate from birth to market... Ahhhhh but that's another blog for another time!
Less stress on the environment.
With the GMO seeds' ability to resist pests and drought, less pesticides are needed and less "chemicals" introduced into the earth. Better products. Scientists claim to be able to produce crops that are better able to resist disease. They claim they can add traits that increase various nutrients in the food being genetically grown.
The Cons
These "genetic modifications" have raised suspicion among many, including myself. Some concerns among various groups include allergies such as Celiac Disease, peanut allergies, make our bodies resistant to antibiotics, increase the rates of various cancers etc. When I was growing up, we brought peanut butter sandwiches to school all the time. It was rare to find anyone who was allergic to wheat products or various nuts and seeds. I have personally seen a dramatic increase in clients I have trained through various cancers and chemo, radiation etc.
Top concerns about GMOs include:
Health problems.
The GMOs process often mixes and adds proteins to plants which can cause allergies. Because the GMOs are inexpensive to grow they are manufactured in just about everything from our snack foods to feed given to animals - think High fructose Corn Syrup. Many of the farms used to raise animals which naturally fed off grass such as cows and chickens are forced to eat feed made from corn which will bulk them up for market in a shorter period of time. This combined with various growth hormones and antibiotics are passed onto to us bodies. This not only affects our immune systems but also our hormonal levels. Don't believe it? Children are reaching puberty at much early ages and to find a 200 lb muscular teen back in the 80s or early 90s was not as common at today.
"Frankenfood" fears.
"The long-term effects of adding new genes to common crops are still unclear. While the industry and health leaders cite hundreds of studies to support its safety, not to mention 20 years of animal data, experts like Krimsky say studies that show bad effects on animals -- like harm to the kidneys, liver, heart, or other organs -- should carry more weight. “The prominent scientists who say the controversy surrounding GMOs has been resolved are dismissing at least 23 studies showing ill effects,” he says. “It has to be a balancing act that weighs the benefits of GMOs against the risks, and that is driven by science, not political pressure or profits.” The FDA’s only litmus test for safety is based on a policy that says GM foods are close enough to natural foods that they don’t need regulation. “The question is, how can they make that determination?” Krimsky says."
*Quote taken from webmd.com
The Bottom Line...
GMOs are found in many products which have corn, soy and cotton. This includes baby formula, feed given to animals. and most of our processed foods! It is used to feed livestock which is then transferred to our bodies. I was in shock when I found out that the skim milk I was drinking contained the same chemical used to give white paint it's colour! Modifications are made to food for profit. It is hard to find natural food. We are eating man made, synthetic foods modified to increase shelf life, modified to make the colour more appealing and to produce larger quantities of food in shorter periods. A loaf of bread can be made in an hour as opposed to a day. In fact the loaf of bread you buy at the market has been modified and even in most cases injected with fat to prolong the shelf life!
Many farmers no longer have control of their crops and livestock. Companies such as Monsanto who have genetically modified seed for harvest own the rights to the harvests and have filed lawsuits to farmers who keep "their seeds". Many farmers are dependent on large companies like Tyson, Perdue and Monsanto in order to stay competitive and therefore must follow their policies or be forced to shut down because they can't be competitive. If you see a small local farmer like the one on route 114 in Barrington selling fruits and veggies at their roadside stand, chances are they are organic and grown the way nature intended. I will go out of my way to support them and let them know I appreciate them!
Food companies like Nature’s Path and Gerber baby food choose to use non-GM ingredients. Some restaurants like Chipotle have removed GM foods from its menu. Whole Foods Market has vowed to label all GM products at its U.S. and Canadian stores by 2018.
Unless it specifically states on the label "Certified Organic" or "HMO Free", you are putting a GMO in your body.