Just How Safe Are GMOs?
Are genetically modified organisms dangerous to human health or the environment? According to Dr. David Schubert, PhD, Professor and Director, Cellular Neurobiology at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla California, genetically modified foods are neither more nutritious, higher yielding, nor safer than non-GM foods. He writes that, “Far from being necessary to feed the world, GM crops are a risky distraction from the real causes of hunger” (8).
While some studies claim to have found no evidence of GMO dangers, they did not study actual human ingestion of GMO-based foods (1). Also, no long-term studies have been done on humans, despite GMOs being allowed in the food supply for decades. Many short-term studies have been done, however, on both humans and animals - and the results are concerning.
A 2022 systemic review of over 200 in vivo studies on genetically-modified products found that, “Serious adverse events of GM consumption include mortality, tumor or cancer, significant low fertility, decreased learning and reaction abilities, and some organ abnormalities” (1). Those that experienced the worse effects were exposed to Round-up Ready soy, and even showed high reproductive mortality. Studies on mice and rats fed GMO corn showed that GMOs triggered cancerous tumors, particularly breast cancer in female mice (1). The authors suggest that long-term cohort studies be performed, and that genetically modified foods should be labeled.
The insect-resistant Bt varieties of GM corn have been found to carry significant health risks, as outlined by the government of Mexico who was accused by the U.S. of not following science in its prohibition of GM corn. The Mexican government’s follow-up report cited several dozen peer-reviewed scientific studies showing harm to the GI tract, liver, kidneys, and reproductive system. Glyphosate, a companion to GM corn, has also been found to cause cancer, as many jury trials have determined in cases against Monsanto.
Are GMO Corn, Soy and Rice the Only Crops to Worry About?
According to Dr. Ashley Armstrong, most cheese in the U.S. also contains GM rennet made by Pfizer (2). The FDA approved this bioengineered rennet despite admitting that they do not have adequate information to make a safety assessment, and we are supposed to trust the manufacturers to conduct their own safety tests. They are also not required to label their products as having GMOs, and instead use terms like “microbial rennet, or “vegetable rennet”.
Other GMO ingredients and compounds, such as enzymes made through genetic modification, have been discovered to contain biotoxins from the organisms (2). These secondary metabolites, like ochratoxins, and fumonisins, are of concern due to their toxicity over repeated exposure. A case study found that these bioxins disrupt gut microflora, increase allergies, and increase type 1 sensitization (2).
The publication, Nature Studies, conducted a scientific study on CRISPR-based gene editing techniques, finding that they created cells that had the potential to seed tumors (5). Apparently, the technology is not as precise as it seems, is only able to edit a small number of cells, and has a high failure rate. CRISPR technology poses widespread risks to the environment as well, with some simulations showing that a single edited gene can spread to 99% of the population in 10 generations, and persist for over 200 generations (5). Gene drives are created using CRISPR to ensure that a GM organism codes over the unwanted gene from the wild organism it mated with, and passes those genes to successive generations. The process can spread without improving evolutionary fitness.
Why are GMOs so Vigorously Promoted?
Promoted mostly by large industry players who claim that new modified crops can improve yields and prevent food insecurity, most crops have been modified to improve their resistance to pests, or to herbicides, such as with corn, rice and soybean crops. And some have been modified to contain higher nutrient levels, such as having more beta-carotene. However, studies showing that GMOs are safe have massive conflicts of interest, such as their funding comping directly from large biotech companies (7). Despite claims of safety from governments and lobbyists, no epidemiological studies have been done on GMO in human food.
Trust the Scientists?
In 2015, over 300 scientist and experts signed a statement saying that anyone claiming there is a scientific consensus on GMO safety is simply perpetuating an artificial construct (7). They argue that the reason for a lack of studies is due to the denial of access to research material, lack of funding, and the fact that experts and officials claiming GMOs are safe cannot backup their claims with evidence.
U.S. safety standards do not even require animal safety testing for the release of new GM foods (4). When the mainstream news media cites that there are over 4,000 studies showing “no harm” from GMOs, they are relying on fictitious, fraudulent data, mostly from companies who perform their own tests, that are not long term, nor peer-reviewed.
A Pew Research poll found that over 50% of Americans are concerned about the effects of GMOs and believe that genetically modified foods are worse for human health than non-GMO foods. This percentage is quite large considering the level of favorable media and industry coverage. It is interesting to note that women were much more likely than men (3) to think GMOs are harmful, which could be due to women being more adversely affected, or due to more researching of reproductive health and parenting decisions.
The Case Against GMOs and Synthetic Food in General
Albert-László Barabási at Harvard Medical School, coined the term “nutritional dark matter” to refer to the fact that around 99% of the biochemicals in food are unknown. As noted in an article by Dr. Mercola, despite being unknown, these components are likely nutrients that cannot be replaced by synthetic alternatives. It is well-established that no single vitamin or mineral is used by itself, but requires a complex of co-factors, many of which may be unavailable in supplement form. This means our food really is medicine, and capable of improving the efficacy of other medicines. Processing food obliterates various nutritional compounds and co-factors, like phytochemicals, enzymes and immunoglobulins.
Even if GMOs were found to be safe for human consumption, they still present risks of contaminating other foods with unwanted genes. One study used whole-genome sequencing on the enzyme protease used in commercial food applications, and found that the enzyme was contaminated with an unauthorized GMO bacterium that had antimicrobial resistance (6).
For more information, check out this comprehensive, evidence-based book:
GMO Myths and Truths: A Citizen’s Guide to the Evidence
Sources
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Shen, C., Yin, X. C., Jiao, B. Y., Li, J., Jia, P., Zhang, X. W., ... & Liu, J. P. (2022). Evaluation of adverse effects/events of genetically modified food consumption: a systematic review of animal and human studies. Environmental Sciences Europe, 34, 1-33.
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https://www.globalresearch.ca/genetically-modified-ingredients-most-us-cheeses/5851277
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https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2020/03/18/about-half-of-u-s-adults-are-wary-of-health-effects-of-genetically-modified-foods-but-many-also-see-advantages/
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https://www.globalresearch.ca/mexico-gm-corn-safe-food/5855869
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https://www.the-scientist.com/crispr-gene-drives-and-the-future-of-evolution-71699
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https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-63987-5.pdf
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https://www.nongmoproject.org/gmo-facts/science/
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http://earthopensource.org/earth-open-source-reports/gmo-myths-truths-3rd-edition/
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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0993436706/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0993436706&linkCode=as2&tag=gmwatchorg-20&linkId=47YUPEAHJ2CWWCZP
Not at all safe!
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