Are you eating the right foods to remain healthy?

Healthy foods can be treated as natural medicines for curing your ailments. Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Unfortunately, nowadays many natural crops are modified in order to improve yield. The foods from these crops are called Genetically Modified Foods.

What Are Genetically Modified Foods?

GMOsGenetically modified organisms (GMOs) are a broad group of plants, animals and bacteria in which the DNA (genetic material) has been transformed. The use of gene technology in food production has become widespread due to the increased demand for improved crop yields. Genetic food manufacturers reason that with the drastically increasing population, GM foods are the best way to ensure a sufficient food supply.

Genetically modified foods were first introduced on the US market in the early nineties. The result is that, today more than 50% of the world’s genetically modified crops are planted in the US. According to a survey conducted by the International Food Information Council (IFIC), only 40% of people in the US are aware that some of the foods they are buying and eating are composed of genetically modified ingredients.

There is much more than a casual association between genetically modified foods and their negative impact on human health. Let’s discuss it in detail.

Negative Impact of Genetically Modified Foods on Human Health

There are several potential dangers that could result from the insertion of a foreign (genetically modified) gene into an organism. These include:

  • Allergy: Allergic reactions occur when a normally harmless protein enters the body and stimulates an immune response. Many children in the US have developed life-threatening allergies to a number of food ingredients such as peanuts. One explanation is that introducing a gene into a plant may cause an allergic reaction in vulnerable people. It is also possible that a new allergen is created by the addition of a foreign gene.
  • Decreased Nutritional Value: A genetically modified plant usually has a lower nutritional value than its unaltered form. It has been reported that an inserted gene could stimulate the plant to produce higher levels of phytate, a compound that binds with minerals and makes them unavailable to humans. Another study conducted byBakshi in 2003indicates that a strain of genetically modified soybean created very low amounts of phytoestrogen compounds. These compounds, found in traditional soybeans, are known to provide protection against cancer and heart ailments.
  • Increased Toxicity: Most crops produce substances that are toxic to humans. These toxins are produced in very low amounts and do not cause any adverse health effects. However, when a gene is inserted into a crop, it may produce higher amounts of toxins that could pose a risk to human health. For instance, a genetically modified potato plant has been reported to produce higher levels of glycoalkaloids, which are toxic.
  • Antibiotic Resistance: Genetic engineers use antibiotic-resistant genes to create GMOs. There is a likelihood they may transfer to the DNA of the gut bacteria when genetically modified foods are consumed. These genes are used as markers to identify genes that have been successfully altered. Consuming foods with such marker genes may cause the development of antibiotic–resistant pathogens. Another huge risk is that this foreign gene may continue to grow in your body even after you stop eating genetically modified foods.

Genetically modified foods have never been properly tested for human consumption. Studies are mostly carried out by feeding these modified foods to animals, and the results have raised great alarm.

What Should You Do To Avoid GMOs?

Statistics indicate that approximately 70% of processed foods on US grocery shelves are composed of GM ingredients. Four of the most common crops that are genetically modified are soy, cotton, canola and corn, ingredients which are typically used in modern food manufacturing. Some baby foods prepared from canola oils are also likely to have genetically modified ingredients. So if you are primarily consuming processed foods, you are eating about 75% genetically modified foods.

You may be surprised to learn that most popular food brands use genetically modified organisms. Some manufacturers that claim to offer natural foods actually use genetically modified ingredients. The best way to avoid buying or consuming GMOs is to beware of the companies that use them. Some of the manufacturers that use genetically modified organisms in their food production are:

Nestle, Coco Cola, Kellogg’s, Craft, Quaker, General Mills, Mars, Unilever, Pepsico, Heinz, Peter Pan, and Hansen.

One of the greatest threats facing mankind today is the use of genetically modified ingredients in food products. If you’re serious about keeping you and your family safe from the life-threatening diseases associated with these products, you should think twice before buying GM foods.

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