GMO, which stands for genetically
modified organisms, are being found in food we eat more so now than in the
past. What exactly is GMOs? GMOs are genetically engineered organisms that have
been changed and manipulated in laboratories. The reason why GMOs are so
harmful to the human body and more people are starting to become GMO free is
because these labs are directly spraying chemicals onto the food while it is
being processed. GMOs have been added into food without being identified. What
this means is, food that we have been eating has been processed with these
chemicals and we have been ingesting them every time we eat. Just because a
package of food says “organic” does not mean that it is GMO free, either. If
something is organic, either no chemicals were used, or the chemicals that were
used were “natural.” There is a website called the “non-GMO project” that gives
complete lists of GMO free, and verified, foods and different ways to avoid
GMOs. This website gives good insight to those who are wanting to learn more
about GMOs and what they really are.
I have
recently started to eat GMO free foods. In all honesty, I feel so much better
and I do not get as tired as easily as I did before. There are many
documentaries on Netflix about food and GMOs which are extremely interesting.
One show that I have watched is called, “Food Inc.,” and they talk heavily
about food in grocery stores. Most of the foods, especially tomatoes, when they
are sold out of season, they are genetically engineered, all the way down to
the color. Knowing this about the foods that are being sold, and being allowed
to be sold, is a little frightening to me. According to the non-GMO project
website, in The United States alone, over 80% of our food is processed with
GMOs.
Since
science is always changing, and will continue to always change, all we can do,
as consumers, is make sure we are putting the best foods into our bodies. One
way I am starting to do this is by composting my own food waste. In the city
that I live in, we actually have compost bins for everyone to use. This is
helping to grow organic foods, with no chemicals. The gardens where these foods
are being grown are available for anyone to come and pick from the harvest. I
think this is a very important step in the right direction. The next important
step is to continue to spread the word about the compost bins, and teaching
kids and families about eating organically. According to another article,
listed below, Holland has been testing GMOs on mice. When they studied these
mice, they noticed drastic behavior changes between the mice who have been
given the GMOs and the mice who have not. Even though this has only been tested
on mice, I hope more tests are done to see if GMOs have this type of effect on
students and people with behavior and social issues.
Also attached is a video on GMOs from Bill Nye.
Mice on GMOs Article
Food Inc. is an excellent documentary and I agree that many aspects of modern processed food are bad for our health. But I would be careful in lumping together all genetically modified foods as bad for us. Some food scientists are working to alter rice to produce vitamins to address malnutrition in poorer parts of the world, and other projects are trying to produce plants that require less water, pesticides or fertilizer. While we should always be skeptical of the claims of large agricultural companies, like Monsanto, I would take the thoughts of the two websites you cite with a grain of salt. Are there more unbiased sources assessing the possible health and environmental benefits of GMOs as well as when they may be bad? What does the science say about this topic? This page may be a good place to start:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/genetically-modified-organisms-gmos-transgenic-crops-and-732