In May doctors at the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) released a position paper warning that genetically modified (GM) foods “pose a serious health risk” and should be avoided. GM foods, also known as genetically modified organisms (GMOs), are defined as organisms whose genetic characteristics have been altered by the insertion of a modified gene or a gene from another organism using the techniques of genetic engineering. This is a radical departure from traditional breeding methods and involves modifying plants to do things such as produce their own pesticides.
GM foods have only been in widespread commercial use for about 13 years and there are no human clinical trials. Animal experiments have shown significant cause for concern including allergies, serious immune dysfunction, fertility and reproductive problems, infant mortality, animal death, insulin regulation issues, and alterations to the liver, spleen, kidney and GI tract.
Due to these health risks AAEM is calling for a moratorium on GM foods and asking doctors to educate and advise their patients to avoid GM foods. AAEM also asks for long-term independent studies and GM food labeling. The main GM crops are soy, corn, canola, cottonseed and sugar from sugar beets. However, genetic modification is growing rapidly and can be seen in many other foods including papaya, tomatoes, potatoes and zucchini, to name a few. The artificial sweetener aspartame is also genetically modified giving us all another reason to avoid the toxic chemical know as NutraSweet and Equal.
To date, there are no approved GM animal products but remember, non- organic meats, fish, dairy and eggs come from animals fed GM corn and soy. GMOs are prohibited in certified organic products but some still worry about possible accidental cross contamination of crops. Besides eating organic, eating local also makes it easier to avoid GM foods. So get down to your local farmer’s market today and say no to GMOs!
Change starts with you:
Sign up for the 30-day No GMO challenge through The Institute for Responsible Technology’s Campaign for Healthier Eating in America.
Here is a non-GMO shopping guide to use in the jungle known as your local grocery store.
More Info:
Check out the amazing documentary The Future of Food by Deborah Koons Garcia
Here are some recent government studies.
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Comments
Heidi:
You seem to not understand genetic modification used for chemical synthesis; the bugs are altered for biosynthesis of substances, followed by isolation. The products that result are then purified and once sufficiently purified are identical to those made chemically. Chemically produced aspartame is no different from that made by genetically engineered microorganisms. Also the cited link information particularly about aspartame originates from old and outdated information and is frankly ludicrous. If you want the facts that explain all the ridiculous concerns about aspartame, goto organichealthadviser.com/archives/aspartame
(no www.) and read my comments written to this antiaspartame webpage. If you have any nutritional skills at all, you already know how important folate is; after reading my comments you will know what the antiaspartame critics have failed to say for 20+ years.
John E. Garst, Ph.D. (Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Nutrition)
Does the group have any credibility? Any recommendations for it beyond its own web site and its sponsors?
Did this writer even both to ask? OR are we all supposed to get frightened without asking a single critical question about the group that published this information?
This article is pretty alarmist, and not objective.
Seems the author has a personal agenda, and cannot be trusted to be objective.
She mentions that "animal experiments have shown cause for concern, incl. allergies, serious immune dysfunction, fertility, reproductive problems," etc., yet fails to point out a single GMO in widespread use today that shows one or more of these characteristics.
What she's done is akin to saying that because Hitler invented interstate highway systems, we shouldn't use them here, either. Your error is incorrectly associating what we currently use (GMO soybeans or interstate highways, for instance) with what has happened in the past (GMO plants that were only in test and not for general consumption, the German autobahn).
Just because SOME GMOs have test results that indicate they cause harm, does not mean that ALL GMOs cause harm.
GMOs are not the enemy--bad GMOs absolutely are. We need a solid testing apparatus to prove they're safe (or unsafe
Back in past Products deemed safe were found to be dangerous after a few years passed. WHO has warned against using Fluoride in drinking water. Governments in Australia have ignored warnings. Same with chemicals in baby bottles leaching into milk. ALP governments in Australia do not care about long term effects.
beautiful article, too bad it's virutally impossible to ignore this crap. the human species is becoming weak and vulnerable thanks to chemicals and other problems. our governments have sold out the people.
cancer rates have skyrocketed, male birth defects, sperm counts etc etc etc etc etc E T FREAKING C it's obvious but the mass media doesnt cover it so we're all screwed.
Of interest for the HP725 class.
The AAEM, establilshed in 1965, is located in Witchita, KS. That's not exactly a hotbed of alarmism, is it? They also prominantly disply their corporate sponsors and Monsanto is not listed. Seems pretty objective and credible to me
One of their "objective" sponsors.
www.quackwatch.org/14Legal/dd_suit.html
There are good people working at Monsanto, and not everyone in Wichita is reasonable.
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