You Are Likely Eating Genetically Modified Foods--And Don't Even Know It.

Steps to Help You Avoid GMOs...And Their Potential Health Risks.

Gentically modified foods (GMOs) are the experimental blend of science and agriculture. Genes and viruses from one organism are manually inserted into the DNA or another organism--in this case in plants--resulting in a hybridized version of a plant that has another organism's genetic qualities.

For example: Arctic cod genes are spliced into some tomato plants to make them cold resistant. Soybeans are genetically modified with Round-up herbicide resistant genes, so they won't die when sprayed with this chemical.

And the list goes on and on.

Why Such A Secret?

The only problem is--food manufacturers do not have to tell you which of the foods you are buying in the supermarket, contain these GMO foods.

The reason this is worth knowing comes down to something quite basic--science and agriculture are tampering with Nature's food chain, altering foods in such ways that they are producing unnatural
"Frankenfoods", the health risks of which are largely unknown.

Here's an example: Monsanto corporation developed a type of corn that will kill certain insects that try to eat the developing plant or plant fruit (corn)--they called this "Bt Corn", and I'll explain some of the health risks it presents...

Pesticide On The Cob, Anyone?

In the case of Monsato's Bt Corn, they genetically spliced a soil borne bacteria (Bacillus thuringiensis) into their corn seeds.

When certain insects (corn parasites and other non-parasitic insects) ingest Bt, it forms Bt-toxin--which ruptures the digestive tract of those insects when they eat it. This effectively kills the insects.

Bt is a natural pesticide--which is good news when you apply it on the outside of plants, where it can be washed off--but it is not such good news when you engineer it into every cell of the the plant.

And worse, this natural pesticide is being spliced into plants that people are going to eat.

In short, dear reader, you are being used as a GMO guinea pig.

There's A Fish in My Tomato

One of the troubles with GMO foods, like Bt corn, is that they are not tested over a long period of time, to see whether or not they are safe for human consumption.

Monsanto says they are safe because short-term trials have not shown any negative effects on people--but short-term and long-term effects vary--just like smoking one cigarette won't cause much damage--but smoking two packs a day for years, is another matter.

What are the long-term effect of eating natural insectides with your corn chips, or having Arctic Cod fish-genes spliced into your tomatoes to make them more resistant to cold weather?

How will your body adapt to foods that are also pesticides, insecticides or fungicides?

Nobody really knows.

Just knowing the uncertaintly of how these foods might affect you in the future, is enough reason for me to steer clear of Gentically Modified Foods altogether.

Trouble Lifts Its Ugly Head

Back to Bt corn for a minute. Monsanto has sworn up and down that it is only dangerous for insects, and perfectly safe for humans, when consumed in food.

Recent studies are questioning that stance, finding that Bt toxins are migrating from pregnant women, to their developing fetuses.

There's also been anectdotal evidence that Bt plants are toxic to animals that eat them. An example of this comes from India, where a small herd of 13 buffalo grazed on Bt cotton plants for one day.

The next day, all 13 of the buffalo were dead.

Coincidence? Doubtful.

Safe technology for humans to eat? Also doubtful.

Potentially risky technology to splice into your food chain?

I'd say so.

And if buffalo eating Bt plants are dying from grazing on them--for only one day, mind you--what is this stuff doing to you now?

What will the cumulative effects of GMO's be on you and your family 10, 20 years down the road?

Honest answer: Nobody knows...but we'll find out one way or the other, before too long. 

That said-- you are being used as a GMO guinea pig.

It Doesn't Stop There

Bt foods are just one of the many, many foods being altered, modified and chemically changed forever. Changed by people in white coats and laboratories throughout the world.

When it comes to GMO in the USA, the following crops are the chief offenders, with a major portion of these crops being GMO:

• Corn 
• Soybeans 
• Canola (and its resulting cooking oil) 
• Hawaiian papaya 
• Cotton 

A large percent of GMO foods are being engineered for use as animal feed--forcing animals to grow faster, produce more meat/milk or fat.

Navigating Your Own Non-GMO Path

If you want to completely steer clear of GMO's, you'll have to buy organic products, or shop from local sources you know to be non-GMO.

If you are buying organic fruits, for example, look at the four digit stickers that are put onto fruits (known as the price look up or PLU code). Organic items will have a "9" as the first number in that price look up (PLU) code--like 9874 for example.

If you are not buying organics, these foods are not likely to contain GMO technology:

• Apples 
• Oranges 
• Bananas 
• Broccoli 
• Lettuce 
• Citrus 
• Avocado 

Food Allergies, Funny Foods and You

GMO foods basically tip our food chain on its head.

The foods that have evolved naturally over time, the foods to which we've grown accustomed and to which our digestive tracts have adapted--these foods are no longer the same foods as their GMO counterparts.

Now that some soybeans have Brazil nut genes spliced into them, it seems logical that people with a Brazil nut allergy could have an allergic reaction to that type of GMO soy.

If you have a serious reaction to Brazil nuts, and you are eating GMO soybeans in products that nobody (not the seed company, or food manufacturer) is required to mention to you...you could be in big trouble.

Because you are not told which foods contain which type of GMO technology, shopping becomes a kind of "Russian Roulette" for those with food sensitivities or serious food allergies.

The Mainstream Takes Notice

As I was writing this, I decided to look online for recent GMO research, and found something that was appropriate--and even trendy--now that Dr. Oz is talking about this!

If you'd like to see that information, try this link: 

http://www.responsibletechnology.org/blog/1412

Conclusion:

I say that GMO foods are a tragedy. I know, some people are saying these foods are a great leap forward in technology.

I disagree.

The hidden threat of GMO's reaches all of us. What is happening now is, foods that are not GMO are being hybridized (by pollination in nature) with GMO technology.

For example, organic canola seeds hardly exist anymore because all of the canola is being hybridized with Monsanto's Round-up ready technology.

If my organic canola field sits across from your Monsanto Round-up ready canola field, and the wind blows pollen from your plants onto mine--guess what?

That's right: Monsanto's technology just penetrated my organic plants and now my plants will contain Roundup ready technology.

This happens all the time, and it marks the extinction of "natural" seeds, as we've always known them--and heralds the introduction of seed (and food) that may or may not be safe for us to consume.

If it turns out these GMO foods are not safe, it may be too late to go back to the "old" seeds and plants, since those seeds won't exist--they'll all be hybridized with GMO technology.

Scary thought for me. Which is exactly why I suggest you buy organic produce and support non-GMO producers.

To your good health, always.

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