Genetically Modified Food:
Are GM Foods Safe?

Whether genetically modified food (sometimes called GM foods or GMOs) is beneficial to humanity or dangerous to our health is a debate has been raging for the past few years. The short answer is: both, to some extent, though the dangers of genetically modified food far outweigh the benefits, as we will see here. The problem with coming up with a definite answer is that there are still relatively few human studies on the long-term impact to our health, despite a number of recent animal studies showing serious health consequences from eating a diet containing GM foods.

What are genetically modified foods?

The origins of genetically modified food began with a desire to more adequately feed large populations of people in poor countries, some of whom were suffering from starvation. The supposed benefits of genetically modified crops are that they can potentially produce higher yields, and reduce the need for additional pesticides and herbicides. They are also supposed to better withstand fluctuations and extremes in weather.

On the surface, GM foods look the same as non-GM foods and have the same nutritional value. However, the DNA of GM foods are different. Food is genetically modified when genes from bacteria, viruses, insects, animals or even humans are inserted into its DNA to alter the organism's characteristics. This is done to food crops in order to create plants that are resistant to the herbicides used to destroy weeds and to enable them to produce their own poison to kill insects harmful to crops.

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin is a soil bacterium that has been used as a pesticide spray for many years. When insects bite into the plant, the poison they ingest splits open their stomach, killing them. Though GMOs that contain this toxin are resistant to insects, with continued exposure insects may develop a resistance to it, requiring ever-stronger herbicides and dangerous chemicals to keep crops insect-free.

The biotechnology companies that engineered these crop seeds claim that the pesticide, has a history of safe use since Bt bacteria spray has been used by organic farmers for natural insect control.

The difference, however, between the Bt toxin produced by GM plants and natural Bt spray is that the Bt toxin in the GM plants is thousands of times more concentrated than natural Bt spray, is designed to be more toxic, has properties of an allergen, and unlike the spray, cannot be washed off.

As it now stands, as much as 85% of U.S. corn, 91% of soybeans and 88% of cotton (mainly made into cottonseed oil that is common in processed foods) is genetically engineered. Unfortunately, the FDA does not require that food labels state the presence or amount of genetically altered food in a manufacturer's product. You may be surprised to find that most of the processed foods you eat, including sodas, soups, crackers, and condiments, contain genetically engineered ingredients.

Genetically modified food products include soy, canola, corn, cotton (for cottonseed oil), Hawaiian papaya, sugar beets, alfalfa, zucchini, and yellow squash. In addition, dairy products from cows that were injected with rbGH, food additives, enzymes, flavorings, and the artificial sweetener aspartame may also contain GMOs. Any food containing these ingredients or foods derived from them should ideally be avoided, though this can be difficult, as a large percentage of foods contain ingredients derived from corn. These include:

• Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C)
• Aspartame
• Caramel Color
• Cellulose and methylcellulose
• Citric Acid
• Corn meal
• Corn oil
• Corn starch, food starch or modified food starch
• Dextrin or maltodextrin
• Dextrose, fructose or glucose
• Dyes
• High-fructose corn syrup
• Mono- and diglycerides
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• Sorbitol
• Vanilla extract
• Xantham gum

You should also stay away from soy products, as most of it comes from genetically modified soybeans. This includes soy flour, lecithin, soy protein, soy isolate and isoflavone.

Are genetically modified foods safe?

Though more studies are finding that genetically engineered foods can pose serious risks to humans, domesticated animals, wildlife and the environment, the FDA has approved their use even if the full health and environmental effects of these foods is not yet fully understood. Neither the FDA, the Department of Agriculture (USDA), nor the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have done any long-term human health or environmental impact studies of genetically modified foods or crops, nor has there been any mandatory regulation specific to genetically modified food.

As more animal studies are proving, there may be serious drawbacks to this technology. On May 19th, 2009, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) advised “physicians to educate their patients, the medical community, and the public to avoid GM (genetically modified) foods when possible and provide educational materials concerning GM foods and health risks.”

They asked for a moratorium on GM foods, and encouraged long-term independent studies and labeling. The AAEM stated, “Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food,” including infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system. Their statement concluded, “There is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects. The strength of association and consistency between GM foods and disease is confirmed in several animal studies.”

Genetically modified soy and corn each contain two new proteins with allergenic properties. The soy contains up to seven times more trypsin inhibitor--a known soy allergen, and skin prick tests show that some people react to GM, but not to non-GM soy. Soon after genetically modified soy was introduced to the UK, soy allergies increased by 50%.

In India, when shepherds let sheep graze on Bt cotton plants, thousands died. Bt corn was also associated with the deaths of cows in Germany, and horses, water buffaloes, and chickens in the Philippines.

The only published human feeding study revealed that the gene inserted into GM soy transfers into the DNA of bacteria living inside our intestines and continues to function, meaning that long after we stop eating GMOs, we may still have potentially harmful GM proteins producing pesticides continuously in our intestinal flora, perhaps one reason why doctors have reported a huge increase in gastrointestinal problems over the last decade when genetically modified food has become widespread.

In 1989 about 100 people died, and between 5,000 and 10,000 people fell seriously ill, when they consumed the food supplement L-tryptophan. It was found that only those who had consumed the variety that was genetically modified became ill.

Genetically modified food and the environment

The potential risks to the food supply and environment are also high with genetically modified organisms, as studies have shown that pesticide-producing crops contaminate nearby streams, possibly harming fish there. In addition, other organisms in the ecosystem could be harmed, leading to a lower level of biodiversity. Destroying one pest that harms a crop may be removing what is a food source for another animal. Also, GM crops could prove toxic to some animals, leading to them becoming endangered or even extinct. They may harm beneficial insects too, and GMOs have been implicated in the decline of bee colonies in North America.

One of the supposed purposes of genetically modified organisms was to help increase food production in poor countries. So the development of “terminator seeds” (seeds that produce a crop containing sterile seeds), defeats this purpose, as it makes it impossible for poor farmers to save seeds for future planting, instead forcing them to buy seeds every season from the manufacturer.

The risks of genetically modified foods are serious enough to warrant a ban on them, as has already been done in some countries. You can protect yourself by buying organic foods as much as possible and seeking out products that advertise they are “non-GMO” or “GMO-free." Find out how to avoid GMOs by reading our handy guide. Genetically modified food has no place in healthy eating.