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Go Slow on GMO
By Dianne Hart Pettis,
Family Nurse Practitioner
The Truth Contributor
The terms GMO
and Non-GMO have become part of our language. More
and more people are talking about them, but just what are
these letters and terms that people just casually throw into
a conversation? GMO stands for Genetically Modified
Organism. For everyday people, the term is used in
describing food or produce though it can refer to items
other than food.
So, is this a good
thing or a bad thing? The modifying process began in 1996,
whereby the genetic material of an organism has been altered
by genetic engineering. By using this re-engineering
process, crops are bred to resist diseases and pests, to
grow bigger, be seedless or have different colors. New
designer drugs are produced. New pets are bred to be
hypoallergenic and animals and fish can be made to grow
bigger and faster.
Most of us eat
genetically-altered food everyday and are not even remotely
aware of it. Genetically Modified (GM) ingredients are in
most processed foods. GM plants, such as soybean, corn,
canola, and cottonseed have foreign genes from bacteria and
viruses forced into their DNA. For example, genetic material
(DNA) inserted into soy (therefore modifying it) can be
transferred into the DNA of bacteria in our bodies when we
eat it.
Though beneficial for
the producers, the danger for consumers is that GM food can
leave material in our bodies that wasn’t meant to be there –
toxins that can lead to long term illness.
There isn’t
enough conclusive evidence to say that GMO’s are causing
problems, but it has been noted that since their
introduction in 1996, health problems such as chronic
illness, food allergies/sensitivities, reproductive
disorders, autism, and digestive disorders have increased.
Unpredictable
side effects have occurred from mixing the genes of
unrelated species, such as, new toxins, new allergens, new
cancer causing agents, and nutritional deficiencies. New
allergens and diseases occur when a person’s natural genes
are altered or changed enough so that their natural behavior
changes – mutates.
There is no
requirement for safety studies or for labeling of GMO foods.
The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) is
urging health care providers to prescribe non-GMO diets to
their patients. They recommend this action, citing results
of studies that show damage to organs and immune status.
The studies have
also shown a negative affect on aging and infertility. The
American Public Health Association and the American Nurses
Association have also spoken out against certain GM
hormones.
There are other
environmental and ethical issues that have been widely
debated, but that discussion is not for this article. It is
something to learn about, think about, and research for
yourself. Read labels. More labels are stating “Non-GMO”. I
would choose those.
I would also choose
certified organic foods. There is a shopping guide that can
be downloaded: nongmoshoppingguide.com. Try hard to cook
more meals at home…from scratch if you can. Participate in
a community garden, or grow your own. There are some major
advances that have been beneficial, but where food is
concerned; I say, the more natural – the better.
Contact Dianne Hart Pettis, MS, FNP-BC, Family Nurse
Practitioner, at 724-375-7519 |
