Wouldn’t it be great if we could walk into a supermarket and buy any product with the confidence of knowing it was safe? Besides, if it wasn’t safe, the FDA wouldn’t allow it to be sold, right? Wrong. Currently, 70% of the foods in our supermarkets have genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in them and most people don’t even know it. But what’s so wrong with GMOs you ask. Well, there is an abundance of evidence which suggest that GMOs pose serious dangers to your health.
The Dangers of GMOs
Since the massive invasion of GMOs into our food supply from 1996, chronic diseases and food allergies have doubled. After reviewing more than 600 scientific journals, world renowned biologist Pushpin M. Bhargaa concluded that GMOs are a major contributor to the sharply deteriorating health of Americans.
In what has been called the most comprehensive and first ever study of GMO foods on mammalian health, researchers at the Committee of Independent Research and Information on Genetic Engineering found direct links between organ damage and the consumption of GMO corn. The study clearly showed negative impacts on the kidneys, liver, dietary detoxifying organs, heart, adrenal glands, spleen and the hematopoietic system which is responsible for production of red blood cells. In addition to this, other studies have shown that:
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Rats fed GMO tomatoes got bleeding stomachs and several died.
•GMO potatoes damages rats.
•Rats fed GMO corn had multiple health problems.
•Rats fed GMO bt potatoes had intestinal damage.
•Workers exposed to bt cotton developed allergies.
•Sheep died after grazing on GMO bt cotton fields.
•Pigs and cows became sterile after eating GMO corn.
•Twelve cows died mysteriously after eating GMO corn.
•Mice fed GMO Round-Up ready soy had liver cell problems.
And there are many more documented examples.
Exactly What Are GMOs?
GMOs are the result of the genetic alteration of the genetic codes of organisms. It involves taking the gene traits from one organism and splicing it with the genes of another organism resulting in a new mutant gene. Genes can be taken from other forms of life, including other plant forms, insects, bacteria and even viruses.
For example, scientists have created a GMO sweet corn which is resistant to insects because it produces its own pesticide. The genetically modified corn is called Bt-corn, because the insect-killing gene in the plant comes from the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis. This process creates mutant organisms and dangerously mutating genes, which have never been actually tested on humans and the environment before their release.
How to Identify GMOs in our Food Supply
The FDA, which is heavily influenced by the food industry, has prevented the mandatory labeling of GMOs in the US. Labeling requirements would allow consumers to identify which foods contain GMOs and allow them to decide whether or not they wanted to buy them. 53% of Americans said that they would avoid GMOs if they were labeled. Countries such as France and the United Kingdom already have mandatory labeling requirements for GMO foods. However, despite the overwhelming evidence suggesting the dangers of GMOs, the US has yet to ban it, or at the very least require mandatory labeling of GMO foods.
Despite the lack of labeling of GMO foods, you can identify them by the PLU numbers. PLU stands for Price Look Up and refers to the five digit standard code supermarkets used to label produce. Most produce have PLU numbers labeled on them. If the first digit of the PLU number is a 9, the item is organic. If it is an 8, it is GMO! Conventionally grown fruits or vegetables have a 0 for the first digit, but usually the 0 is dropped. Most conventionally grown produce will actually have only 4 digits on the PLU tag if you don't see a 0 at the beginning.
How to Avoid GMOs
The best way to avoid GMOs is to:
•Eat only organically grown fruits and vegetables.
•Avoid produce with PLU codes which start with 8.
•Avoid byproducts of the five most genetically engineered crops which include
soy, corn, canola, cottonseed and sugar beets.
This would mean to avoid all soy byproducts including oil and tofu unless the soy is
organic. Most blended oils contain canola and cottonseed oils.
Most of the corn is GMO. Corn byproducts such as corn flakes, corn chips, high
fructose corn oil, corn starch, corn oil, corn syrup are ingredients in many processed
products. GMO corn also enters our food supply as the primary feed to cattle
other livestock which ends up on our plate.
Most white sugar is now made from GMO sugar beets so all items with sugar are at
risk of being GMO.
Get Your Free Non-GMO Shopping Guide!
Another great way to help you avoid GMO foods is by downloading a free copy of the Non-GMO Shopping Guide here. This great guide lists both GMO and non-GMO foods in your supermarket to help you become a better informed and healthier consumer.
