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GMOs

Posted: Sun Nov 03, 2013 11:11 am
by Oxana124
Just watched this great video on the dangers of GMO, and now am trying to spread the message.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUQWG4-vq90
It is very eye opening and at times quite disturbing.
Lots of links b/w GMO and the epidemic of health problems popping up more and more, the allergies, autism, etc.
I have been avoiding GMOs, and I feel strongly that they should be labeled here in the US like they do in other countries, we should know what we are eating!
By buying organic and non-GMO certified products(or avoiding GMO ingredients like soy corn and canola since those are pretty much all GMO in the US) we can show the food industry what we want as consumers, a lot of large producers already switched their ingredients to non-GMO in Europe, and if they see the demand for it here they will do so here as well. After all their goal is to make money, so they will sell whatever it is people are wanting to buy.
Please share this video with those you know so we can spread this message,.

Re: GMOs

Posted: Thu Nov 07, 2013 4:02 pm
by trixiejim
I completely agree with you, Oxana. I try to avoid GMOs and buy organic when I can.

Re: GMOs

Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 9:39 am
by AnneCS
I couldn't watch the video--it's labelled private for me.

Have you heard about Mark Lynas and the role he played in GMO-related activism and how he now actually supports GMOs? His perspective is rather interesting. If you don't know about him, take a look at his lecture here and see what you think: http://www.marklynas.org/2013/01/lectur ... uary-2013/

He also has a "Why we need to label GMOs" post/video that you'd probably find interesting.

Re: GMOs

Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2013 1:37 pm
by JenW
I am allowing the post from the opposite side of the argument because I think the guy makes very valid points. My best advice, do your own research and come up with your own very educated view. There are pros and cons for both sides of the issue.

However, this is not a topic for heated discussion here. Keep it civil. If it gets out of hand, all will be deleted/locked, or whatever I see fit.

Also, lets not go link crazy. You can post about what to google, but no direct linking.

Re: GMOs

Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2013 2:01 pm
by Oxana124
Thank you, I did not know of Mark Lynas, I will look at the info you posted.

Re: GMOs

Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2013 12:54 am
by Xarata
i developed a soy allergy in adulthood (90% GMO- completely monopolized by one company). I've been fighting the good fight since. For me, it's personal. It's funny that once you're FORCED to research something the things you learn are so appalling (like soy actually being really bad for you and basically undigestible, the questionable practices used to make it digestible, and the difference between how it's consumed in Asia- where all the studies showing benefits have been conducted and it makes up a very small part of the diet- vs how it's consumed here and included in over 65% of all prepackage goods in the us). There was a study completed in the past year- specifically on soy- relevant because it showed that the genetic modification survives the digestion process and can actually begin modifying the other food contents of your stomach in a similar way- basically replicating the gene inside you.

Re: GMOs

Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2013 1:56 pm
by Oxana124
That's terrible :(
Also, most of the soy traditionally eaten in Asia is fermented(miso, soy sauce, natto) which is very different from most of the soy served here. The fermentation process gets rid of a lot of the bad things that are naturally in soy.
I once read that an infant given soy formula is getting 3 birth control pills worth of estrogen per day due to the high amount of estrogen that soy contains.

I grew up in what was at the time the Soviet Union, and the only food we had was basic ingredients, mostly grown ourselves, no pesticides, no GMO, nothing processed. Cooked it all ourselves from scratch, didn't have teflon or microwaves or plastic plates. And I did not know a single person with a food allergy. Or a single person that was overweight, but it should be noted that we had no cars and had to walk everywhere.
Makes you kind of wonder how all these "safe" GMOs, and pesticides, and additives, and preservatives are supposedly not to blame at all, yet most of my friends children have some sort of allergy to something. And kids' allergies to nuts are so deadly most schools are completely nut-free now. And people like me have to spend an arm and a leg at Whole Foods desperately seeking out the little bit of the all natural food that is left.

Re: GMOs

Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2013 2:52 pm
by kchalbi
I completely agree, it is very disturbing! I do shop at Whole Foods and our local co-op when needed, but it is quite expensive! The past few years, I have researched local farmers/their practices, and started ordering directly from them. So, for 3 months in the summer, I get a box of fresh fruit/vegetables straight from an organic farm each week. In the fall I order grass-fed beef/free-range pork from another farmer. It is much less expensive this way, but you cannot be picky-you have to be willing to eat whatever they grew that week and try to use the whole animal.

Re: GMOs

Posted: Fri Nov 22, 2013 10:33 am
by Lalama
Xarata wrote:i developed a soy allergy in adulthood (90% GMO- completely monopolized by one company). I've been fighting the good fight since. .
I just went for more allergy testing last week (already can't eat gluten and am sugar intolerant), and now soy :roll: ! I try to eat mostly fresh organic, non gmo, but still have the occasional processed gluten free foods here and there...and a lot of those have soy in them. Makes me want to move somewhere warm and start my own farm!

Re: GMOs

Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2013 1:37 pm
by ludmila
Being a geneticist I feel compelled to add a few comments, not as an expression of personal opinion, just as food for thought: :geek:
1. The vast majority of agricultural produce (organic or not) has in fact been genetically modified at some point in the past to satisfy the growing demand for quality and quantity and there is nothing wrong with that.

2. There are many ways to genetically modify an organism. In the old days they could only use "genetic selection", just by crossing individuals with desired traits and selecting the "best" offspring over several generations. Then, with the discovery of "targeted mutagenesis", it became possible to influence a specific gene of interest, causing it to mutate towards a more favourable trait. Of course they had to use mutagenic (potentially carcinogenic) factors to cause these mutations in the first place, however once the mutation has occurred it's passed-on to following generations with no need to apply mutagens, so no worries about the end product here. ;) Another way to get GMOs is by genome manipulation: they "cut" a piece of foreign DNA (possibly from other species) and insert it into the genome of the subject to give it new properties. The concerns in this case are related to possible allergies (if the foreign DNA happens to code a protein you are allergic to) and to the behaviour of this foreign DNA within the "host". The good news are that nowadays scientists are able to take measures to prevent any "extra-curricular" activity of the foreign DNA, so it is unlikely to cause any further modification to the host and certainly not to the consumer (whatever the case, there is never any direct genetic interaction between us and the plants we eat, we can only react to the substances that their genes have already generated during their lifetime).

3. Even though pesticides are not used in organic farming, it's very difficult (if not impossible) to shelter this kind of produce from environmental toxins, as our soil, air and water are polluted anyway. We also have to keep in mind that, having no protection from microorganisms, they are more likely to carry dangerous infections, so extra care is needed especially with raw organic fruit and vegetables. Now looking at non-organic crops, we do take in some nitrates, but we can probably feel a bit better knowing that our body is very good at getting rid of (or inactivate) those chemicals and there are many ways to minimize their content in our vegs by the time they reach our table. Whatever the choice, don't take safety for granted and proceed with caution.

4. There is a controversy about soy since I can remember and the truth is, it can be both harmful or beneficial depending on the hormonal background (including thyroid function), the immune system status and digestive health. It is indeed a common allergen and hard to digest for some people, but for the most part this has nothing to do with its genetic modification. The estrogenic effect of soy is actually extremely weak, despite the fact that it is high in phyto-estrogens, as these molecules are hundreds of times weaker than our own estrogen. When they "compete" with estrogen for the receptors and take their place, the "full-strength" hormone is replaced by a much weaker one, so the result for the body can in fact be "anti-estrogenic", which is beneficial for women with too high estrogen and low progesterone (usually right before menopause) and may prevent breast cancer. On the other hand, if someone has an estrogen deficiency, then not all receptors are taken and the phytoestrogens will bind to the free receptors giving a very weak estrogenic kick. This is hardly the whole story, just an example of how the effect from food can be different for different people.

5. The increase in food allergies over the last decades is a complex phenomenon and there are countless reasons for that, with GMO hardly being within the top 10. Food habits are key though, especially the almost epidemic obsession with simple carbs/sugars and hydrogenated fats. Enviromnent, medication over-use, immobility and stress come next... These can cause imbalances that in turn affect our offspring and the generations to come, so more and more babies are born with immune or metabolic defects.

Oh no, this post is so log, I guess I got carried away... :o Oooops :oops:
Take care everyone!