Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are going to be a serious problem going forward. There are many interesting and scary articles on Dr Mercola’s site that do a much better job explaining them than I ever could ( see http://gmo.mercola.com/ ) … but basically it’s food that is grown from engineered seeds that can grow in the pesticides they are developing to kill the bugs. And there is evidence to support how bad it is, some of the findings include:
“Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food, including infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system. …There is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects. There is causation…”
The simplest way to avoid genetically engineered (GE) foods is to buy whole, certified organic foods. By definition, foods that are certified organic must never intentionally use GE ingredients, and must be produced without artificial pesticides or fertilizers. Animals must also be reared without the routine use of antibiotics, growth promoters or other drugs. Additionally, grass-fed beef will not have been fed GE corn feed.
You can also avoid genetically modified (GM) ingredients in processed foods, if you know what to look for. There are currently eight genetically modified food crops on the market:
| Soy |
Sugar from sugar beets |
| Corn |
Hawaiian papaya |
| Cottonseed (used in vegetable cooking oils) |
Some varieties of zucchini |
| Canola (canola oil) |
Crookneck squash |
This means you should avoid products with corn, soy, canola, and any of their derivatives listed as an ingredient, unless it’s labeled USDA 100% Organic. As of late last year, this also includes sweet corn, as Monsanto introduced a brand new genetically engineered sweet corn called Seminis®, which contains not just one but TWO types of Bt-toxin, PLUS the Roundup Ready gene for weed control! So besides containing the insecticide, their toxic Roundup herbicide will also accumulate in the kernels. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/05/29/genetically-modified-crops-insects-emerged.aspx
Dr Mercola also has a great brochure, how to avoid GMO’s shopping guide
http://mercola.fileburst.com/PDF/GMObrochure.pdf
It’s well worth printing and covers many of the brands that are GMO free so you know what to look for in the grocery store. It really is very helpful.
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