Until I watched a few movies (Food, Inc., Genetic Roulette), and read a few books (The Omnivore's Dilemma, for one), I didn't realize how much of our food contained GMOs. What are GMOs, anyway? And are they something we can be sure are safe to put in our bodies?
What are GMOs?
GMOs = genetically modified organisms. Wikipedia's definition of a GMO is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. There are many ways scientists have used genetic modification, but the one that concerns me the most is using bioengineering technology to modify our foods, and that is what I will be discussing today.
GMOs were introduced into agricultural crops (corn, soybeans, and cotton) to make them resistant to herbicides, or in the case of corn, to explode the stomachs of the insects that tried to eat it. With Round-up Ready soy, the farmer could spray herbicides liberally without any crop loss. What has happened, is that there are now 'super weeds' that are resistant to the herbicides, so the farmers have to spray even more chemicals on our food. Have you ever used Round-up? If you have, you know it kills everything it comes in contact with. Then ask yourself if you really want to eat soy that has been modified to have the Round-up gene in it. And the protein that explodes the insect's stomach...what happens when we humans consume it? No one knows for sure, but it is thought that it could be responsible for making the lining of our intestines 'leaky', thereby letting larger food proteins (that haven't been broken down and digested enough) enter our bloodstream. This leads to chronic inflammation in our bodies that could be responsible for a host of disease processes and could be the reason why there are so many food allergies today.
How are GMOs harmful?
The bottom line is, we don't know. But we don't know that they are safe, either. Sure, the big corporations that support GMOs will tell you that GMO food is safe, but look what happened with hydrogenated oils. It is the same thing. More research needs to be done before we will know if they are safe or not. But until then, my family and I won't be eating them.
What foods contain GMOs?
Since 1996, our food supply has contained increasing amounts of GMOs. It is to the point now that unless the package says it is certified organic or GMO free, you can pretty much be sure it has GMOs in it. The three largest GMO crops grown in the US are corn, soybeans, and cotton. According to the most recent data from the USDA Economic Research Service, in 2012, 88% of the corn, 93% of the soybeans, and 94% of the cotton grown in the United States is genetically modified. Alfalfa is also a large GMO crop, and although we don't typically consume a lot of alfalfa, dairy cows do. That means that everything that you can make from cow milk (milk, buttermilk, cream, butter, yogurt, cheese) has the potential to be contaminated with GMOs unless it is organic.
There are hundreds of food additives and ingredients that are made from these three (largely GMO) crops, and you may not even recognize them as corn, soy or cotton when reading the label. Here are links to lists of ingredients that can be sourced from corn and soy...
Ingredients Derived from Corn
Ingredients Derived from Soy
GMO cotton can be used to make cottonseed oil and cottonseed meal which can be found in flours, bread and candy, can be used as a coloring agent in food products, and cottonseed meal is fed to cattle. There are also many cosmetic ingredients that are derived from cottonseed oil and soy.
Like I said before, if it is processed and isn't labeled organic or GMO free, it is likely GMO. Kind of scary, isn't it?
What can you do about GMOs in your food?
My answer is a simple one. Don't eat it.
With the exception of papayas (80% GMO) and some zucchini (13% GMO in 2005), most fruits and vegetables are GMO free. If you want to go pesticide free, be sure to buy organic fruits and vegetables.
Buy organic or better yet, pastured meats. (Meats that are labeled organic only mean that the animal was fed organic food, typically grain. Cows are meant to eat grass, not grain, and chickens are omnivores, they need to eat animal protein, too.)
Since most GMOs are found in processed foods, limit your consumption of them. If you're like me and my family and can't do without tortilla chips and pretzels, buy organic ones.
Read the label on everything you buy. If it has more than a few ingredients or ingredients you can't pronounce or know where they come from, skip it.
Fight for labeling foods as GMO. We have the right to know what we are eating.
Obstacles you will face
If you have kids, they may be the most resistant to your new way of eating. Mine have pretty much embraced our new food lifestyle, but they will be the first to complain when I refuse to buy Cheerios or Goldfish. One day my son pronounced that he would no longer be buying school lunches because he knows "what kind of cr*p" they put in them, and the very next day had a meltdown about me not buying Cheerios, whining "Why does everything have to be organic?". I will say that the complaints become less frequent as time goes on. They will adjust, but you have to be consistent.
Another obstacle you will face is the price of your grocery bill. Organic is definitely more expensive, but how can you put a price on your health? It is worth it in the long run, and if I have to do without a new sweater or pair of shoes, that's ok. I know I am making a good choice for my family. Making some of your own foods will help to offset the cost of going organic. Learn how to make your own bread, mayonnaise, pancakes, and goldfish crackers. You can make them for a fraction of the cost of buying them. You can also grow your own vegetables or plant a fruit tree. You don't have to have a big yard to grow vegetables - many of them will grow just fine in containers on your patio.
Eating out is the biggest obstacle I have faced. I'm not much of a cook (I am getting better at it, though), so we used to eat out at least a couple times a week. Now we hardly ever eat out. Home cooked is so much better, and you have control over everything you use to make your meal. Sitting down at the dinner table at home is much better than at a table in a noisy restaurant, anyway, and compliments to the chef are much more abundant.
Food for thought
Aside from the statistical facts and direct links, the content of this post is my opinion. I believe it is not safe to eat GMO foods until research proves otherwise. I encourage you to do your own research and decide whether or not you should eat GMO foods.
If you're still reading, thanks for sticking with me. I would love to hear what you have to say about GMOs.
In Wellness,
K
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