Do You Know about GM Foods?

 

Recently, it came to my attention that not all foods are real foods.  I have always tried to avoid prepared foods as much as possible and used mostly fresh or at least start with single foods.  Now I am learning that some of our foods are genetically altered.  This alteration takes place not in the factories where the workers prepare the foods but rather in chemical labs like Monsanto where the seeds are injected with herbicides and pesticides like round-up in order to grow with greater pest-resistance. 

 

Why are Foods genetically Modified?

The original motivation for developing genetically modified organisms (GMO) was to protect the crops.  Now, they are produced to resist against plant diseases which are caused by insects or viruses or through increased tolerance toward herbicides.  We are also told that this kind of treatment increases the crop yield.

List of GMO foods:

* http://talesfromthelou.wordpress.com/2011/03/20/list-of-genetically-modified-foods-threat-to-human-survival/

* http://www.businesspundit.com/10-genetically-modified-foods/

* http://opposingdigits.com/forums/post-62.html

* http://www.naturalnews.com/037245_GMOs_labeling_GM_crops.html#ixzz2759bEewn

 

What do genetically Modified Foods do to Our Health?

At this point, we don’t really know, since most of the studies have been done on animals.  Is it by coincidence that since some thirty years (the genetic alternated crops have been marketed since 1990s.) we have an increase of allergies, inflammation and other organ malfunction in the general population?

Here are some links to help us understand more about the subject:

* http://www.oprah.com/health/Genetically-Modified-Foods-Affect-Health-and-Body#ixzz27PxRbJjD

* http://www.oprah.com/health/How-to-Reduce-Exposure-to-GMOs

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_food

 
What can we do to avoid genetically Modified Foods?

I am not a farmer or a scientist, just a mother and grandmother who is concerned about the general well-being of my family.  I don’t want to feed my kids foods which can hurt my family and especially future generations.  At this point we need to educate ourselves.  I watched a movie which really scared me regarding these alternated foods: Genetic Roulette.

Other links about GMOs

 

* http://www.naturalnews.com/027226_food_GMO_foods.html

* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lni6OAJz3sk&feature=player_profilepage

* http://www.naturalnews.com/031825_GMOs_threat.html

* http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_19468.cfm

* http://rense.com/general33/fd.htm

* http://www.gene.ch/info4action/2000/Feb/msg00028.html

* http://www.naturalnews.com/033804_Scientists_Under_Attack_GMOs.html

How do we recognize GMO (genetically modified organisms)?

Again, we have to educate ourselves about GMOs.  I have found several lists of brand-name products which incorporate GMO derived foods:

 

List of GMO foods:

* http://talesfromthelou.wordpress.com/2011/03/20/list-of-genetically-modified-foods-threat-to-human-survival/

* http://www.businesspundit.com/10-genetically-modified-foods/

* http://opposingdigits.com/forums/post-62.html

* http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com/

 

Nature or man-made?

Traditionally, farmers collected seeds from season to season, saving seeds from the fall harvest and replant them again in the spring.  Since Monsanto has reinvented themselves from a pesticide and herbicide producer to a multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation farmers are often forced to buy Monsanto's seeds.  They patented their seed production, which are only grown to be planted for one season.  The hybrid seeds cannot be replanted the next spring.

Here is another link to Monsanto’s business practices:

1. GMOs are needed to feed the world.
2. GMOs have been thoroughly tested and proven safe.
3. GMOs increase yield.
4. GMOs reduce the use of agricultural chemicals.
5. GMOs can be contained, and therefore coexist with non-GM crops.

Here is a list of companies which sell organic seeds:

http://www.seedalliance.org/index.php?page=Seed_Companies_Selling_Organic_Seed

 

Here is a link to a video regarding harvesting healthy seeds. http://geneticroulettemovie.com/seeds-of-freedom/

 

While I was finishing the research about this blog I came across an article that certain countries like Russia suspend the purchase of buying GMO seeds. 

 

In the end we all have to make our own choices of what we want to eat and how we want to live our lives.  What I don’t like is when we are forced to be limited to only one choice; that sounds to me like the rules my parents escaped from when they left East-Germany in 1961.