Source:  livestrong.com

Health Consequences:

The rise in autoimmune diseases, infertility, gastrointestinal problems and chronic diseases may be associated with the introduction of GM foods. In a position paper by the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, the authors ask all physicians to consider the role of GM foods in the nation’s health crisis, and advise their patients to avoid all GM foods whenever possible. The Academy also recommends a moratorium on GM seeds and calls for immediate independent safety testing and the labeling of all food items containing genetically modified products.  As of 2010, the U.S. does not require food manufacturers to identify foodstuffs produced with genetically modified crops.

What Are the Dangers of GMO Soybeans?

 Last Updated: Aug 16, 2013 | By Jennifer Byrne

In the United States, the vast majority of soybeans, 87 percent, are genetically modified organisms, also known as GMOs, according to GMO Compass. These soybeans, which are primarily used for livestock feed, have been altered to include a gene that combats herbicides. According to Natural News, GMO soy is also found in up to 70 percent of food products in U.S. supermarkets, including cereals, breads, soy milk, pasta and meat.  GMO soybeans are thought to have potentially dangerous effects on the environment and on human health.

Liver Changes

According to Molecular Geneticist Molecular geneticist Michael Antoniou on the Natural News website, GMO soy has been found to alter the activity of the liver in mice and rabbits. According to Antoniou, these findings suggest possible liver damage and toxemia related to GMO soybean consumption.

Allergic Reactions

Accroding to Discovery Guides, the incorporation of a gene into a plant may unintentionally create a new allergen or set off an allergic reaction in people who are highly sensitive. Children, in particular tend to have severe allergies to peanuts. Discovery Guides reports that for this reason, a proposal to transfer a gene from Brazil nuts into soybeans was discarded.

Infant Mortality and Sterility

According to a study conducted at the Russian Academy of Sciences and the National Association for Gene Security and cited on the Huffington Post, GMO soybeans may be linked to infant mortality and inability to conceive. In a two-year study of hamsters, biologist Alexey V. Surov and colleagues found that after three generations, most of the GMO-soy fed hamsters lost the ability to reproduce. There was also a higher infant mortality rate among hamster pups in the GMO soy-fed group.

How To Avoid GMOs

The best way to avoid GMOs is to cook at home using certified organic ingredients. Organic foods, by law, are non-GMO. When buying produce such as corn, look for the PLU code on the label -- if it begins with 9, it is organic. If you use packaged or prepared foods, look for “USDA Certified Organic” on the label. Packaged foods that contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients are not permitted to contain GMOs. Assume that all restaurants are serving GMOs. The vast majority of non-organic products sold in a conventional supermarket, including pet foods and baby foods, contain some form of GMO corn, soy or other ingredients.  With non-organic foods, pick products with labeling that states the product is non-GMO. Labels either say, “Non-GMO,” “made without genetically modified ingredients” or “Non-GMO Project Verified.” Products with such labels must have independent, third party verification to carry these labels.   Go for fresh fruit and veggies. Little of the produce sold in the U.S. is genetically modified, including seedless watermelons.   Choose meat that is 100 percent grass fed and fish that is farm-raised. You may also choose meats that are labeled as “organic.” While GM fish, fowl and livestock was not approved for human consumption as of 2010, the feed that such animals consume often is. Also seek organic eggs and dairy products.

There are no grain crops that are considered high-risk for being genetically modified.  The Non-GMO Project also lists a number of monitored crops that have the potential to become contaminated through cross-pollination of other genetically engineered crops.   If you want to be 100 percent certain you're consuming GMO-free grains, your options include amaranth, barley, buckwheat, bulgur, einkorn, farro, grano, kamut, millet, oats, quinoa, rye, sorghum, spelt, teff and triticale.

 

Food Supply at Risk

Genetically modified seeds are a patented product, and in order to purchase the seeds customers must sign an agreement for use with the seed manufacturer.  According to Mike Adams of the Natural News website, Monsanto -- the agritech company that controls approximately 90 percent of the GMO seed market -- prohibits farmers from saving seeds or selling them to other growers. Adams says small, independent farmers whose crops become contaminated by neighboring GM crops, must pay patent fees or risk being sued.   As the reliance on GM seeds expands world wide, concerns about food supply and safety continue to escalate.  Genetically engineered seeds are identical in structure, and if a problem affects one particular crop a major crop failure can result.  For example, following the recent failure of three GMO corn crops in three South African provinces, the Africa Centre for Biosecurity has called for an investigation and immediate ban of all GMO food. Corn is a primary source of food for South African nations.

 

Environmental Destruction

Most GMO seeds are genetically engineered to be herbicide tolerant, resistant to insect infestation and disease. Environmentalists worry that the characteristics of GM crops may encourage farmers to increase their use of herbicides and pesticides, which will raise human consumption of dangerous toxins. GM crops also manufacture their own pesticides, which puts further poisons into humans and soil and may cause unforeseen changes in the environment. Another concern is that toxins contained in the GMO plants may harm other organisms, such as monarch caterpillars, bees and birds. The pesticide found in genetically modified cotton and corn is implicated in the deaths of poultry, cows, horses, sheep and buffalo worldwide.

Herbicidal Dangers

Another danger of herbicide-resistant soybeans, reports Natural News, is the herbicides themselves.  Because GMO soybeans are resistant to the herbicide glyphosate, they can be treated with these herbicides without being destroyed. However, Natural News cites studies of glyphosate on human placental, kidney and umbilical cord cells in which these cells died within 24 hours.

List of Foods Containing GMOs

Last Updated: Dec 17, 2013 | By Janine Grant

 

You most likely eat at least some GMOs. Crops that are genetically modified to resist herbicides or produce insecticides came on the market in 1996. According to the Organic Consumers Association, 40 percent of all U.S. crops are GMO, and 80 percent of processed foods contain GMOs. GMO crops are also used as a cheap and fattening feed for factory-farmed animals, which are also often injected with genetically engineered hormones. The USDA reports that 88 percent of corn and 93 percent of soybeans are GMOs, as are 90 percent of cotton and canola.

Most Corn Is Hiding

GMO corn is engineered to produce its own insecticide called Bt toxin. Some newer varieties are also resistant to weed killers or herbicides. Avoiding GMO corn can be challenging because so many food products are derived from it or contain it. Obvious sources are sweet corn, corn muffins, corn chips, corn flakes, tortillas and popcorn. Less apparent sources may be hidden in the ingredient list, such as high fructose corn syrup, regular corn syrup, corn oil, corn starch, corn flour, dextrose, glucose and sugar alcohols such as xylitol. Most vitamin C supplements are synthesized from GMO corn.

 

Soy Is Sneaky, Too

GMO soy is engineered to resist being sprayed with weed killers. Popular soy foods are soy milk, tofu, soy chips, edamame, miso, soy sauce, baby formula, protein drinks, energy bars, bread made with soy flour and meat substitutes such as soy "turkey." Soybean oil is an ingredient in mayonnaise, salad dressings, prepared foods, canned tuna and supplements such as vitamin E. Partially hydrogenated soybean oil, a major source of trans fat, is used in baked goods and fried foods. Soy can be disguised as textured vegetable protein, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, vegetable broth and natural flavoring, so reading labels is essential.

 

Other Sources of GMOs

 

Cottonseed oil, found in many processed foods and canned nuts, is mostly GMO. Canola oil, an ingredient in many so-called “healthy” foods, is also mostly GMO. Canola mayonnaise and salad dressings, therefore, are usually GMO, just like their soybean oil counterparts. Most commercial sucrose, or table sugar, is made from GMO sugar beets instead of sugar cane. Hawaiian papaya and some varieties of zucchini and yellow squash are GMO. Many dairy foods, unless specified otherwise on the label, contain traces of recombinant growth hormone (RBGH), administered to cows to increase milk production. Meat products that are not certified organic or grass-fed have been raised on GMO corn and soy.   The Non-GMO Project lists eight crops or foods that are considered "high-risk" due to their widespread use. These crops include alfalfa, soy, papaya, cotton, corn, canola, sugar beets and zucchini. Corn, cotton, canola, soy and sugar beets are particularly prevalent, with around 90 percent or higher crop domination.

Types of GMO

Last Updated: Oct 20, 2013 | By Jessica Bruso

 

Overview

 

Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, are commonly used in foods and medicines. This has led to concern about the dangers they might cause to the environment and to human health. The European Commission states that as of August 2005, farmers had planted GMO crops on one-fourth of all land under cultivation in the world. Farmers in the United States grow the most genetically modified crops. According to UK Agriculture, GMOs can be divided into two main types: indoor, or laboratory-grown GMOs; and outdoor, or field-grown GMOs.

Indoor: Medicines

Medicines and vaccines produced through GMO means include insulin, thyroid hormones and the hepatitis B vaccine, according to the University of California San Diego. This makes it easier and less expensive to produce these medications, making them more available. Insulin is one of the older examples of GMO products.

Indoor: Food Additives

Many food additives are also produced using GMOs. Some of the more commonly known examples are aspartame and yeast. However, many other types of additives you see near the end of ingredient lists can also be produced using GMOs.

Outdoor: Pest Resistant

Farmers can get GMO versions of crops including cotton, corn and potatoes that are resistant to common pests. This can help to limit crop losses and increase their overall crop yields. These crops can also limit the need for farmers to use pesticides on their crops, saving the farmers money and limiting the amount of pesticides that are released into the environment.

Outdoor: Herbicide Tolerant

Farmers who don't want to deal with weeds in their crops can get seeds for versions of canola, corn, cotton, sugar beet and soybeans that are tolerant of herbicides so that they can easily kill off the weeds without killing their crops. However, the makers of the seeds for these crops don't allow seeds to be saved, so farmers end up spending more money on seeds as well as on the herbicides that are used.

Outdoor: Delayed Ripening

Some fruits have also been genetically modified to make them ripen later, according to the European Commission. This can help make them available fresh in the marketplace during a longer time frame or, for fruits that ripen after being picked, make it easier to transport them.

Outdoor: Increased Nutrients