Genetically modified foods to avoid

http://www.drmercola.info/

7 Genetically Modified Foods to Avoid
Posted by natural health guru | Friday, September 3, 2010

Genetically modified crops were first introduced in the early 1990s. That was two decades after the technology to insert the genes of one species into the DNA of an unrelated species was developed.

Tampering with DNA is never a good idea. The process of creating genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can cause all sorts of side effects. Dr. Mercola explains that inserting foreign genes into a plant can create proteins that confer new traits such as herbicide tolerance or pesticide production could yield proteins that have never been in the food supply.

GMOs can be engineered with genes from animals, bacteria, viruses, or even humans. This is what makes GM food potentially dangerous to your health. They can be allergenic, carcinogenic, and toxic, Dr. Mercola warns.

The U.S. does not require companies to reveal the type of food used on their labels, so you could be eating GMOs without you knowing it!

Dr. Mercola enumerates the seven major genetically modified (GM) food crops available on the market and the problems they pose:

1. Soy
GM soy is highly allergenic and accounts for about 90 percent of soybeans planted in the U.S. It is present in about 70 percent of all food products found in American supermarkets. Rats fed GM soy had increased mortality, lower birth weight, and damaged sperm and reproductive ability.

2. Corn
Rats fed GM corn approved for human consumption developed signs of liver and kidney toxicity. In Germany and the Philippines, GM corn was blamed for the deaths of buffaloes, cows, horses, and poultry.

3. Cottonseed (used in vegetable cooking oils)
Sheep that grazed on GM cotton eventually died after developing severe irritation and black patches in their intestines, and enlarged bile ducts.

4. Canola
Three different mutant weeds resistant to three common herbicides – Monsanto's Roundup, Cyanamid's Pursuit, and Aventis' Liberty – were produced when Canadian farmers began planting GM canola seeds.

5. Sugar from sugar beets
Sugar beets easily cross pollinate, meaning GM beets could “infect” organic varieties and destroy their value.

6. Hawaiian papaya
GM papaya was introduced in 1998. After six years, a test was conducted on 20,000 papaya seeds. Eighty percent were taken from organic farms. Half of the seeds were found to be genetically modified! This means that it’s virtually impossible to safeguard non-GM crops from GM crops.

7. Zucchini and yellow squash
GM squash contains 68 times less beta-carotene and four times more sodium than non-GM varieties.

Dr. Mercola strongly believes that we should take a cue from animals, as they virtually will never willingly eat GM food if conventional food is available. They will avoid GM food to the point of starvation – a clear sign that they have an intuitive sense of the danger inherent with this food.