GMO Foods

May 18, 2017

GMO Foods

GMO Foods are in our daily diet, yet more than half of the population has no idea what GMO means. Genetically modified organisms also known as GMOs, are foods that have been genetically changed or altered. More specifically, Consumer Reports defines GMOs as “created in a lab by altering the genetic makeup of a plant or an animal.”  According to recent studies, more than 80% of the foods we consume daily contain GMOs. The USDA, does not require food companies to disclose the presence of bioengineered organisms in their food. Companies use GMOs to lower their costs of production and goods.

 

Cost of GMO Foods

 

When growing, cultivating, or manufacturing GMO foods, the costs are substantially cheaper. Genetically modified foods can be grown in cheaper soils, lowering the vitamin and mineral content of the food. Consumer Reports, “one main selling point for crops containing GMOs has been that they reduce the use of pesticides. The use of insecticides (which kill bugs) has declined since these crops were introduced in the mid-1990s, but the use of herbicides (which kill weeds) has soared.” There is no regulation currently in the United States to monitor what foods are specifically GMO. The best way to avoid GMO foods, is to eat foods that are certified organic.

 

Common GMO foods

 

According to Consumer Reports, “the vast majority of corn, soy, canola, and sugar beets grown in the U.S. are now genetically engineered, and they are often used as ingredients in processed foods. A new form of salmon that is genetically altered to grow to maturity twice as fast as wild salmon is currently undergoing a safety review by the Food and Drug Administration.”  These are the top foods that are genetically modified in the United States:

 

  1. Soy
  2. Corn
  3. Zucchini
  4. Sugar
  5. Papaya
  6. Dairy
  7. Aspartame
  8. Canola
  9. Yellow Squash
  10. Sugar Beets

 

Resolution: Avoid these GMO foods by simply switching to certified organic when eating these foods specifically. Also, eat foods that are labeled certified GMO-free.

Dangers of GMO foods:

 

We are stressing the dangers of GMO foods simply because the damage is long term to your body. GMO foods cause heavy stress on the body and its daily functions:

 

  1. Increase to antibiotic resistance
  2. Damage to reproductive system
  3. Damage to Endocrine system
    1. Thyroid gland
    2. Pituitary gland
    3. Adrenal gland
    4. Testis
    5. Pineal gland
    6. Pancreas
    7. Ovaries
  4. Rapid increase in aging systems
  5. Increase in food and environmental allergies

 

Again, the resolution is avoid these GMO foods by simply switching to certified organic when eating these foods specifically. Also, eat foods that are labeled certified GMO-free.