Several weeks ago I wrote about the first long-term study on the impact of GMOs. The ten year study out of Europe has shown conclusively that GMOs and GE foods are not harmless: they cause damage to the digestive system and our ability to digest proteins, change the micro-structure of our intestines, alter our immune systems and cause us to eat more, gain weight — and retain the weight – than would occur with a non GE diet.
Now another study out of France has followed rats through their lifespan, which typically lasts two years, and found severe health concerns including tumors, organ damage and premature death in the rats eating genetically modified corn. You may have seen some shocking photos in the news: if not, and you are a visual person for whom it takes a picture to make an impact, you’ll want to check them out. If you have a weak stomach, stay away!
As a result of the study, Russia has announced it is suspending import and use of American GM corn and several other European countries are considering the same. In this newsletter, I want to share the results of the study and why even though they are shocking, things are unlikely to change here in America.
The study, published in The Food & Chemical Toxicology Journal conducted at the University of Caen was the first to explore the lifetime effects of eating GMOs, following rats through their entire lifecycle and comparing the effect of consuming GM corn vs a control group. (Typically studies follow rats through a 90-day trial.) According to a UK publication known as The Grocer, the study found “that rats exposed to even the smallest amounts (of GM corn and Monsanto Roundup weedkiller, which is one of the pesticides the GM corn is altered to withstand) developed mammary tumors and severe liver and kidney damage as early as four months in males and seven months for females.”
Some of the shocking results included that up to 50 % of the males and 70% of the females suffered premature death (vs. 30% and 20% in the control group). Rats that drank trace amounts of Roundup (the same levels legally allowed in the water supply in the US) had a 200%-300% increase in large tumors and an increased risk of cancer. In addition, scientists found severe organ damage to liver and kidneys in the rats.
While scientists say that the study needs to be repeated with more animals and by more laboratories, which will take several years, nevertheless Professor of Cancer Biology at Imperial College in London, Mustafa Djamgoz, who describes himself as GM neutral said the results were “ a surprise” and that “The results are significant. The experiments are, more or less, the best of their kind to date.”
If you read the study or see the pictures, you will be shocked at the results and the changes that the rats experienced. Clearly, Russia was! And several other countries are reviewing the study and determining their next steps. I have to say I cheered Russia and as the parent of two adopted Russian children, I was proud! But while the results confirmed what many of us have already suspected, in this country pockets are deep and with all that money involved, change is unlikely.
It may seem amazing that no long-term studies were undertaken on GMOs, but when you follow the money and the politics, it becomes clear. While campaigning, President Obama said “Let folks know when their food is genetically modified, because Americans have a right to know what they are buying.” But two of his biggest supporters, Bill Gates and George Soros, own 900,000 and 500,000 shares respectively of Monsanto stock.
And upon election, President Obama filled key government positions with Monsanto executives. Some of these include: Director of National Food and Agriculture at the USDA, Roger Beachy, who is a former director of Monsanto Danforth Center; deputy commissioner of the USDA Michael Taylor who was formerly VP of public policy at Monsanto; commissioner of the USDA Tom Vilsack who created a Governor’s Biotechnology Partnership to work with biotech companies and was given an award as Governor of the Year by the Biotechnology Industry Organization, whose members include Monsanto; Former Monsanto lobbyist Islam Siddiqui as Agricultural Trade Representative; counsel for the USDA Ramona Romero, previously corporate counsel for DuPont, another huge biotech company; and even Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan who had achieved fame arguing for Monsanto in the Monsanto vs Geertson seed case before the Supreme court.
I don’t want to turn this into a political debate for or against President Obama, as it’s not clear any other President or candidate would behave much differently. It’s part of the political process of getting elected in this country, which requires big money, and then paybacks to those who provide it once elected. But with these people in key positions, during the last four years, more than ten new genetically modified crops have been approved. And as we have seen with corn, they have not been tested long-term for safety.
So what can we do? We need to stop eating GM foods unless or until they are proven safe. But the problem is that corn is now ubiquitous; it’s everywhere and in everything. It’s not just about buying organic corn anymore; the GM modified NK603 which was found to cause severe health problems in the study is fed to animals and the toxic chemicals remain in the animal fat and in the milk and other by-products. It’s being fed to salmon now so it’s also in farm-raised fish.
It’s in so many products and packaged foods such as corn-based breakfast cereals, tortillas and corn snack chips. It’s extremely difficult to avoid it, and that is when you know it is there. The bigger problem now is that many products contain it and you might never suspect corn to be in there but it is and it does not need to be labeled.
One look at the pictures released from this latest French study and you will be convinced that more research needs to be done and that we have a right to know what is in our foods. Especially since these foods being fed to our children, whose immune systems are still developing and whose brains are still forming. These toxins are in cereals, chips, crackers and more and without labeling, you may never know.
To your wellness and health: your true wealth!
Inger
Author: Inger Pols is the Editor of the New England Health Advisory and Author/Creator, Finally Make It Happen, the proven process to get what you want. Get a free special report on The Truth About Sugar: It’s Not All Equal at www.IngerPols.com
Photo Source: Microsoft Clip Art
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