Your GM Entree May Come With a Side Order of Side Effects:
All the more reason to stick with organic and local
by Mickey Z.
 The health risks of genetically-modified (GM) foods have been well-documented for anyone willing to learn the ugly truth but now, we have the "first ever and most comprehensive study of the effects of genetically modified foods on mammalian health" and things are uglier than we imagined.
Researchers from the Committee of Research and Information on Genetic Engineering (CRIIGEN) and Universities of Caen and Rouen have linked organ damage with consumption of three varieties of Monsanto's GM corn, Mon 810, Mon 863 and NK 603.
Gilles-Eric Séralini, a molecular biologist at the University of Caen, explains that the data "clearly underlines adverse impacts on kidneys and liver, the dietary detoxifying organs, as well as different levels of damages to heart, adrenal glands, spleen and haematopoietic system."
Not surprisingly, Monsanto disputes the findings but in an e-mail to journalist Rady Ananda, Séralini explains:
" Our study contradicts Monsanto conclusions because
Monsanto systematically neglects significant health effects in mammals
that are different in males and females eating GMOs, or not
proportional to the dose. This is a very serious mistake, dramatic for
public health. This is the major conclusion revealed by our work, the
only careful reanalysis of Monsanto crude statistical data."
As a result, the researchers have called for "an immediate ban on the import and cultivation of these GMOs and strongly recommend additional long-term (up to two years) and multi-generational animal feeding studies on at least three species to provide true scientifically valid data on the acute and chronic toxic effects of GM crops, feed and foods."
WATCH VIDEO: Take the local food challenge
P.S. GM Crops Will Not Feed the Poor
A 2008 Friends of the Earth report called "Who Benefits From GM Crops" details: "The majority of GM crops are not destined for hungry people in developing countries, but are used to feed animals, generate biofuels, and produce highly processed food products--mainly for consumption in rich countries. GM crops have not increased food security for the world's poor. None of the GM crops on the market are modified for increased yield potential and research continues to focus on new pesticide-promoting varieties that tolerate application of one or more herbicides."
|
