HARMFUL FOODS Menubar
GMO Foods - Detrimental to immune and reproductive systems
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) negatively affect reproduction and immune system
Genetically Modified (GM) Food
Elimination or alteration of genes
Overwhelming evidence of adverse health effects from dietary GMOs
When you stop buying GM foods you are not only protecting
your own health, you are literally saving the ecosystem of our planet and the destruction
of our food supply !
. . .There is more than a casual association between GM
foods and adverse health effects. There is causation. . ."
- The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM)
"When future historians come to write about our era they
are not going to write about the tons of chemicals we did or didn't apply. When
it comes to glyphosate
The only benefit is that it affects the bottom - line of a few
companies. There's no nutritional value ."
- Dr. Huber, an expert on GM toxicity in foods, who has taught
plant pathology, soil microbiology, and micro- ecological interactions as they relate
to plant disease as a Professor on staff at Purdue University for 35 years.
Link to an article by Jeffrey Smith, author of best- seller "Seeds of Deception",
that tells of the overwhelming evidence discovered by scientists on the serious
and irreversible harm ensuing from GMO's in our diet today, and let's you know the
great lengths that companies go to in an effort to cover- up this evidence and discredit
these brave whistle-blowing scientists:
Overwhelming evidence
against GMOs
What are GMO's?
Genes are artificially inserted into the DNA of an organism, usually
food crops or animals. Genetic Modification (GM) can be engineered
using recombinant DNA technology, which combines DNA molecules from bacteria, viruses,
insects, plants, animals, or even humans into one molecule to create a new set of
genes.This DNA is then transferred into an organism. Transgenic organisms, in particular,
have DNA inserted that originated in a different species (called horizontal gene
transfer).
The three main current uses of GMOs in crops
(1) Herbicide tolerance (~63%)
Most GM crops have been altered to tolerate direct application of glyphosate
Commonly known by the trade name "Roundup" (produced by Monsanto),
glyphosphate is the most widely used herbicide in the world.
Contrary to the popular belief propagated by industry, glyphosate
use has significantly increased Data showed that glyphosphate
use in the U.S. more than doubled from 2005 to 2010USDA. 2010. Agricultural
Chemical Use Program. National Agricultural Statistics Service. /
http://grist.org/article/usda- downplays- own- scientists- research- on- danger-
of- roundup . This is a serious problem for more reasons than one:
GM food crops saturated with more herbicides than ever before
- which ends up in your body when you eat them;Glyphosate may be killing the soil itself. This startling
conclusion comes straight from one of the USDA's own scientists, Dr. Kremer.
However, his employer has opted to more or less ignore his findings, which,
according to this
article in Grist , include evidence that glyphosate causes:Damage to beneficial microbes in the soil.
Increasing the likelihood of infection of a crop by soil pathogens;Interference with nutrient uptake by the plant. E.g.
iron, manganese and zinc can be reduced by as much as 80- 90 % in GM plants.
Any herbicide or pesticide is a metal chelator, it grabs onto and immobilizes
micronutrients, and according to Dr. Huber, an expert on GM toxicity in foods,
who has taught plant pathology, soil microbiology, and micro- ecological interactions
as they relate to plant disease as a Professor on staff at Purdue University
for 35 years:
"Glyphosate is very unique and was first patented as a chelator
by Stauffer Chemical Co. in 1964, because it could
bind with any positively charged ion . If you look at the essential minerals
for plants, you see calcium, magnesium, potassium,
copper, iron, manganese, zinc , and all of those other critical transition
elements . . . they all have an ion associated with them. It's the micronutrient
that is an ion - that is really critical for a particular enzyme function.
. . .You have to realize that this
mode of action immobilizes a critical essential nutrient. Those nutrients aren't
just required by the weed, but they're required by microorganisms. They're required
by us for our own physiologic functions. So if it's immobilized, it may be present
if we do a regular test, but it's not necessarily physiologically available in the
same efficiency that it would have been if it wasn't chelated with glyphosate. .
."
Reduced efficiency of symbiotic nitrogen fixation;
Overall lower- than- expected plant productivity
Weeds ARE becoming "Super Weeds"
Reports of glyphosate-resistant weeds, or "super weeds,"have been on the rise
since GM crops started gaining momentum, and these weeds now total 15 species—up
from 2 species in the 1990s.
According to the British Institute of Science in Society , the US has fared the
worst, now combatting 13 different glyphosate-resistant weed species in 73 different
locations. E.g.
Thousands of acres in the South have been abandoned to resistant strains of
giant pigweed.
(2) Insect Resistance (~18%)
Insect resistant GM Plants produce their own Bt- toxins to kill bugs.
GM corn and cotton are engineered to produce built-in pesticide
Bt-toxin. This chemical is produced by Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)bacteria in soil.
When bugs bite the plant and consume the Bt- toxin, it kills them by splitting open
their stomachs.
Pests have become more resistant. In the U.S., GM
crop production actually increased pesticide use by more than 4% between 1996 and
2004, despite early signs that GM use might be tied to an overall decline.
Engineered GM Bt- toxin, touted as safe by biotech companies, is not
safe:
Designed to be more toxic. Has
properties of an allergen.
1000's of times more concentrated than spray on form .
Although used by organic farmers as a bacterial spray against insects, the Bt-toxin
produced in GM plants is thousands of times more concentrated and can not be
washed off the plant. Even the less toxic "natural" spray can be harmful.
According to studies, when dispersed
by planes to kill gypsy moths in Washington and Vancouver, about 500 people
reported allergy or flu-like symptoms . The same symptoms are now reported
by farm workers from handling Bt cotton throughout India.
Washington State Department of Health, "Report of health surveillance activities:
Asian gypsy moth control program," (Olympia, WA: Washington State Dept. of Health,
1993;
Green M et al., "Public health implications of the microbial pesticide Bacillus
thuringiensis: An epidemiological study, Oregon, 1985- 86," Amer. J. Public
Health 8;
Ashish Gupta et. al., "Impact of Bt Cotton on Farmers'Health (in Barwani and
Dhar District of Madhya Pradesh)," Investigation Report , Oct- Dec 2005.
(3) "Stacked" (The rest %)
A combination of both herbicide tolerance and insect resistance
GMO Uses Under Experimentation
Increased Yield (under experimentation)
Increased yield GM plants are promoted by Monsanto as part
of the global solution to impending food shortage crisis, although there are currently
no GM crops available to increase yields.
GM modified plants supposed to increase yields but don't -
New study shows that yield improvements have actually come as a result of improved
farming practices and traditional plant breeding, not gene splicing, and concluding
that modified crops won't help solve poverty, hunger, or climate change. Despite
those findings, millions of farmers continue to plant genetically modified seeds.
Livestock producers and feed makers are pushing for this technology
2008 Report of 400 scientists approved by 50 countries casts serious
doubt on GM crop role in addressing food security - and pointed to more
effective alternatives.
Climate Resistant Plants ("Climate ready")
(still experimental)
There is a significant investment into research to develop GM crops that may
be able to adapt to changing climate conditions like drought and extreme temperatures.
E.g.one project called "Water Efficient Maize for Africa" to develop drought-tolerant
corn. However, substantial technical obstacles are delaying this possibility.
How widespread is GMO cultivation?
GM crops are world-wide
America currently leads the world in GM crop acreage with 123 million.
Followed by Argentina (42 million) and Brazil (23 million). Soybeans topped
the list of GM crops worldwide at 60%, followed by maize (corn) at 24% and cotton
11%.
GM crops available commercially since 1996.
GM planted acreage has been growing at annual double- digit rates. Small
farmers in countries such as China, India, and Brazil are making more use of GMO
plants that allow them to grow more crops while reducing pesticide use.
How much of our crops are genetically modified? GM food crops grown by U.S. farmers include
corn, cotton, soybeans, canola, squash, papaya, alfalfa, sugar beets .
Other commercially available GM crops, such aspotatoes, and sweet corn, have yet
to be widely adopted by farmers. Currently on the way is GM salmon, which will be
the first approved non- crop GM food. As of 2011, close to 100% of the following
crops and foods are genetically modifed:
>95% of soybean crop - is genetically engineered not to die when sprayed
with round up herbicides.
86% of corn - is genetically engineered to produce an insecticide or
survive applications of herbicide;
93% of canola oil
93% of cottonseed oil - is a from a GM variety
95% of sugarbeets (2008- 2009) were "Round- up"ready - the courts
then banned planting of GM sugarbeets and reapproved it in 2011
Nearly 1/3 of the agricultural land
in the U.S. is planted in gene-altered crops.
The U.S., Canada, and Argentina
together grow 80% of all commercial biotech crops
Beet sugar has recently entered the market, rice is next
- Iran is already using gene-altered rice and in China, scientists are developing
a wide variety of modified crops. Rice comprises nearly half the total calories
eaten by the human race.
More than half the fields in Argentina and Paraguay sown with GMO plants
Some European countries have banned GMOs With advocacy groups
long pointing out the environmental risks of GMO crops.
Bulgaria effectively banned cultivation of genetically- modified
crops for scientific and commercial reasons (3/2010).
Germany has banned the cultivation of GM corn (4/2009) - claiming that Monsanto's MON 810 is dangerous
for the environment. MON810 produces a toxin to fight off the voracious larvae of
the corn borer moth.
Five E.U. member states currently apply 'safeguard clauses'on
GMOs in the EU banning cultivation of MON810 - Austria,
France, Greece, Hungary and Luxembourg.
Several other European countries are now growing some biotech
crops - Spain uses them widely.
GMO's are contaminating non-GM crops
Even if the U.S.D.A acts on the spread of GM crops in the U.S., it won't
stop their proliferation in other nations. Almost 100 million
acres of GM crops are planted in the U.S.. It is becoming increasingly difficult
for non- GMO crops in the area to be truly "organic", as GM crops produce pollen
that contaminates the organic crops as far as the winds, birds and bees will carry
them.
GM seeds are patented. Monsanto's GM crop traits are
found in more than 85% of global GM crop hectares, and the company controls 23%
of the global proprietary seed market.
Cost of GM seed is sky-rocketing
Seed used to be fairly inexpensive.
Largely due to the practice of planting seed collected and saved from the previous
year. With GM seeds, this traditional farming practice is no longer employed and
farmers must buy new seed each year. GM Seed prices have sky-rocketed. The 2009 Organic Center report, titled The Magnitude and Impacts
of the Biotech and Organic Seed Price Premium, states that farmers who purchase
Monsanto's Roundup Ready 2 soybeans in 2010 will pay 42% more per bag than they
paid in 2009. Contrast this to the overall rise of 63% in soybean seed prices over
the last 25 years.
After 30 years of GMO experimentation,
the data shows :
No increase in yields. On the contrary GM soya
has decreased yields by up to 20 percent compared with non- GM soya. Up to 100%
failures of Bt cotton have been recorded in India. And studies by scientists from
the USDA and the University of Georgia in 2008 found that
growing GM cotton
in the U.S. can result in a drop in income by up to 40% .
No reduction in pesticides use. On the contrary,
USDA data shows that GM crops have increased pesticide use by 50 million pounds
from 1996 to 2003 in the U.S., and the use of glyphosate went up more than 15-fold
between 1994 and 2005, along with increases in other herbicides to cope with rising
glyphosate resistant superweeds. Roundup is used in more than 80% of all GM
crops planted in the world.
GM crops harm wildlife. As revealed by UK and U.S.
studies. Roundup herbicide is lethal to frogs and toxic to human placental
and embryonic cells.
Bt resistant pests and Roundup-tolerant superweeds render the two major
GM crop traits useless. The evolution of Bt resistant bollworms
worldwide have been confirmed and documented.
Epidemic of suicides in the cotton belt of India.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau of India, more than 182,900 Indian
farmers took their own lives between 1997 and 2007 as a result of failed GM crops.
It estimated that 46 Indian farmers committed suicide every day!
Transgene contamination is completely unavoidable. As
science has recently revealed that the genome (whether plant, animal or human) is
NOT constant and static, which is the scientific base for genetic engineering of
plants and animals. Instead, geneticists have discovered that the genome is remarkably
dynamic and changeable, and constantly 'conversing'and adapting to the environment.
This interaction determines which genes are turned on, when, where, by what and
how much, and for how long. They've also found that the genetic material itself
has the ability to be changed according to experience, passing it on to subsequent
generations.
GM food and feed linked to deaths and sicknesses. Both
in the fields in India and in lab tests around the world.
Additional References
http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5950
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/04/27/19- studies- link-
gmo- foods- to- organ- disruption.aspx
www.ResponsibleTechnology.org
