I get a lot of questions about GMOs: What exactly are they? Which foods contain GMOs? Do I need to add them to the list of things to be worried about?
Short answer: yes. But before you panic, let’s break it down. Plain and simple--GMOs are genetically modified organisms that have a piece of their DNA changed. By changing an organism’s genome we can change its characteristics. For instance, the main reason GMOs are used in the US is to produce crops that are resistant to weed killers, like Roundup. The crops are then able to thrive while the surrounding weeds die off. These are known as “Roundup ready crops”.
GMOs are concerning to me on two levels. First, there is the unknown safety concern of having these foreign genes forced into our food supply which make novel proteins that have never been seen in the human food chain before. These have the potential to trigger allergies or promote disease. There is not enough research to make an informed decision about their safety and I’m not willing to put my health on the line for it.
The second issue I have with GM crops is the toxicity associated with using Roundup and other herbicides on our food. Glyphosate, the main ingredient in Roundup, is a potent herbicide. Glyphosate has been labeled as a probable carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and has been associated with non-hodgkins lymphoma, autism, kidney disease, and infertility. (Interestingly, Bayer recently bought Monsanto, the company that makes Roundup. So Bayer now makes a chemical that has been associated with non-hodgkins lymphoma, and also makes chemotherapeutic agents to fight it….) Glyphosate also interferes with our microbiome, killing off beneficial bacteria and allowing pathogenic bacteria to thrive, causing an imbalance in our gut microbes known as dysbiosis. It inhibits the body’s ability to detoxify as well, allowing for a build up of chemicals in the body.
The use of glyphosate has increased exponentially in the last 20 years. 70-80% of all processed foods contain GM ingredients and have unsafe levels of pesticides on them. Most soy, corn, cotton, alfalfa, canola and sugar beets are genetically modified to withstand large amounts of Roundup. That includes the high fructose corn syrup that you can find in many processed foods, like your ketchup. Tampons and sanitary pads, which are made from cotton, have been found to contain glyphosate, and this can be absorbed into the body. Glyphosate is used as a dessicant as well on all non-organic wheat to kill any green parts that could get moldy and thereby increases the shelf life of these products. (Think: that packaged bread you buy that can last 10 days after you buy it.)
The big question is how to avoid GM foods and products. The answer is pretty simple: go organic. Buy only 100% organic sugar cane (otherwise it is coming from sugar beets which contain GMOs), and avoid all soy, cotton seed, and canola oils. Buy organic feminine products. Non-GMO food labels do not guarantee that glyphosate has not been used since it still can be used as a dessicant on non-GMO labelled food. Buy organic. The GMO Label Law recently passed in the US and requires foods that have been genetically modified to say so (64 other countries already have transparency in GMO labeling). Companies are not required to comply with this law until 2022, and there are many exemptions that water down the law. Though it’s costly, organic is the only way to ensure that GMOs are not making their way into your diet. Consider it an investment in your health.