GMO Labeling: What’s so Wrong with GMOs anyway?

GMO Labeling is definitely a subject I’m passionate about simply because I’ve seen first hand how genetic modifications alter cells, health, and life. Right now some people don’t care about GMO’s. It is their lack of knowledge what GMO’s are, why were started, and how they affect us. Corporate Farming spends millions of dollars positioning products, and promoting false statements to mislead and confuse the public. This article was put together to help you understand the Truth about GMO’s so you can be fully educated to know better, and do better.

Why were GMOs created?

GMOs were first invented to help solve the world hunger crisis, or at least that’s what the claims were to sell the public for acceptance. The reality is factory farming wants to make as much money as they can per acre. This totally makes sense, and as a business owner, I understand this 100 percent!!

Large farming operations found that they can grow more produce on less land using GMO seeds, meaning that there is less demand for farmland. Thus cutting back significantly on overhead costs. Awesome right? We’ll it is a great idea, and totally works when the business operates ethically and puts people over profits.

These first genetic modifications created were called Humulin, a genetically engineered E. coli bacteria. Farmers could increase profits using GMO seeds by killing off pests and weeds resulting in dramatically increased poison levels in our “food”.

What’s in a label

Labeling means transparency. Knowing exactly what we are putting in our bodies. We should have the right to know. In direct correlation with GMOs hitting grocery shelves in 1994 all disease and allergies spiked dramatically.

Without labeling we don’t know whether the product is safe for us to eat. Every body is unique and has unique reactions, and without knowing what we are eating we can unintentionally be fueling allergies, ailments, and disease.

64 Countires believe people have the right to know what they are putting in their bodies and participate in GMO labeling, the US is not currently one of them. 38 Countries have partially or completely banned GMOs. These numbers are increasing everyday as they study the direct correlation of health decline and serious environmental damages.

It appears that perhaps the US is more interested in profits over people? Let’s dive deeper in the details of GMOs and you decide.

Why Labels Matter

There is no science proving that GMOs are even safe to consume. However since the introduction of GMO’s in 1994 food allergies had increased by 50%. Labeling foods that have been genetically modified allows people with food sensitivities, and disease challenges to have control over their health and known reactions.

Food labeling in the US is extremely confusing, and intentionally misleading. While GMOs are genetically modified organisms, and not natural. FDA allows items to be labeled natural as long the modified items do not contain colors, artificial flavors or synthetic substances. Hence leaving a lot for wiggle room. Foods that include a “natural” label can contain added sugar, trans fats and genetically modified ingredients. When you are intentionally buying natural is this what you had in mind?

Labeling gives us the ability to track the impact GMO foods have on us as a society.

GMO Labeling and increased prices?

Large corporations focusing on GMO foods have claimed that by accurately labeling their food GMO, will significantly increase the cost to the consumer. These statements have proven to be very false, and merely a scare and manipulation tactic.

GMO Labeling results in a one-time price increase of about $1.27 per year, per household. It is standard business practice to update labeling as FDA changes policies. Label changes have never affected food companies.
Here is why Factory Farming (Monsanto) doesn’t want you to know about GMOs:

More GMOs = More toxic chemicals

Food genetically modified with pesticides and herbicides create an aggressive chemical resistant weed, great for increased crop yield, horrible for health. The pesticides and herbicides used in GMOs are labeled as a poison, and should not be ingested, or exposed to skin, yet are somehow approved acceptable as a cellular restructuring?

GMOs and Organic cannot cohabitate 

Organic farms and GMO farms cannot live side by side, it is impossible for the organic farmer. Organic farmers must adhere to the cleanest farming methods, and pass multiple in-depth testing and regulations. When a Factory farmer/GMO farmer is constantly spraying chemicals on their crops, the wind and water pollution carries those chemicals to the neighboring Organic farmed, polluting crops, resulting in total losses.

Subjective Research

Studies done by “reputable” sources reporting that GMOs are perfectly safe are done by the Biotech industry and are paid for by Monsanto (the corporation who is directly profiting from GMOs). They pick and choose what they want us to see. There are very few independent studies, all proving the decline of health and correlated disease tendencies.

Successfully Blocking Food Labeling

GMO food has become normal in the Standard American Diet (SAD). The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) is the world’s largest trade association for 300 major food and beverage companies such as Coca-Cola, Nestle and ConAgra and have been using GMOs since they were first grown 20ish years ago. Nearly 70-80 percent of all foods in the U.S. contain ingredients that have been genetically modified.

Several states such as Vermont have passed laws requiring the labeling of GMOs, the GMA has spent millions and heavily lobbied to block labeling mandates.

“A deep concern is that we’ll end up with a patchwork quilt of state-by-state regulations where you’ll end up in a place where you can’t move a can of soup from one state to the other,” Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant told CBS News in a new interview.

Interesting… Seems like someone with the intellect capable of being a CEO should be able to determine that labeling food 100 percent accurate would solve this problem. It would be the same across the board, just like with all their other labels… Nothing to hide, right?

This GMO Fight isn’t Really about Labeling

GMOs (Monsanto’s Roundup) has been correlated to a long list of disease tendencies and is classified as “probably carcinogenic to humans” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and The World Health Organization.
Producers of GMO animal products claim their genetic modifications won’t alter genetics of consumers, although since proves otherwise. AquaBounty says genetically modifying fish and farming them puts a lesser strain on with wild fish population. But, what about the human population it’s affecting? Or the environment when they accidentally ‘lost’ fish, resulting in disease outbreak environmentally damaging the wild fish habitats.

Health Correlations Consuming GMOs

GMOs have been correlated to many disease tendencies and challenges including food allergies, cancer, degenerative diseases, birth defects, shortened life span and liver problems to mentions a few. Studies in rats fed GMO potatoes had smaller atrophied livers and GMO soy products have been shown to cause reproductive issues and infant mortality in humans.

Brazil nut genes were spliced into soybeans to provide the added protein methionine. Some individuals, however, are so allergic to this nut, they can go into anaphylactic shock, which can cause death. Using genetic engineering, the allergens from one food can thus be transferred to another. Without accurate labeling foods assumed to be safe to eat, and unknowingly, can accidently cause death. A Preventable death.

Individuals with autoimmune conditions must be very careful with products they consume, and can easily become severely ill from many of the genetic modification and poisons used in GMOs. Accurate labeling will allow individuals to make educated choices about their health.

When the FDA approved Monsanto’s genetically modified growth hormone to be injected into dairy cattle to increase milk production, scientists warned there would be significant health challenges associated. A direct increase in thyroid cysts and internal organ damage in rats went from 70%-1000%. The FDA denied the significance of these findings (as they often do when big companies have deep pockets). Two award-winning journalists, Steve Wilson and Jane Akre, tried to expose various deceptions and cover-ups, and they were fired by Fox Network under intense pressure from Monsanto.

Acknowledged GMO reactions and Correlated Increases:

• Weight Gain
• Super Viruses
• Significant Organ Dysfunctions
• Milk Infections
• Plant Cell Antibiotic Threat
• Infertility
• Reproductive Problems
• SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome)
• Still Born Babies
• Altered Sperm Cells in Males
• Resurgence of Infectious Diseases
• Food Allergies
• Embryo Development Problems
• Vaccine Reactions
• Birth Defects
• Miscarriage, Premature Delivery
• Shorter Life Span
• Interior Toxins
• Death
• Lowered Nutrition
• Liver Problems
• Kidney Dysfunction

These problems were not only noted in the direct consumer of the GMO product but the secondary consumer as well. When cattle were fed GMO corn they showed side effects mentioned above as did the human who consumed the milk or muscle/fat product produced from the cow.

Summary

We know that rBGh in cows causes a rapid increase in birth defects and shorter life spans and the number of calves born with birth defects to dairy cows has increased significantly, and now we’re finding the secondary consumer (humans) are also noticing the same negative correlations.

“Pesticidal foods” have genes that produce a toxic pesticide inside the food’s cells. The food is engineered to produce their own built-in pesticide in every cell which produces a poison that splits open the stomach and poisons the consumer. In bugs this kills them, in humans, it destroys the gut (where the immune system and all organs are connected).

GMO foods have lower levels of vital nutrients, especially phytoestrogen compounds, which are known to protect the body from heart disease and cancer. In addition correlated excessive cell growth, a condition that may be a precursor to cancer, including damaged organs and immune systems.

A Glimpse into Cover Ups

A contaminated brand of a food supplement called L-tryptophan killed about 100 Americans and caused sickness and disability in another 5,000-10,000 people. The source of contaminants was traced back to GMOs but it took years to determine and was almost overlooked, as well as covered up. It was only identified because the symptoms were unique, acute, and fast-acting. If all three characteristics were not in place, the deadly GMO supplement might never have been identified or removed.

Side Effects of GMOs

Since we don’t know exactly what GMOs do to our health (because they are only 20 years old, and the FDA covers up many research studies). We have to base our decision to eat GMOs on evidence from the known studies, opinions of experts, and common sense. For some people, the possibility of a risk is enough to make that decision to stop eating GMOs.

How to Avoid GMOs

Corn, soy, and canola are almost always GMO unless otherwise noted, less than 1% are unmodified. If it doesn’t contain a Non-GMO Project Verified Label, it contains genetic modifications.

How to Eat Food on a Budget

Use your local farmer’s markets or join a CSA. Local co-ops and shopping organic produce that is in season will always give you the best bang for your buck! Eating in season ensures keeping costs of produce low. Not only do these options offer fresh organic non-GMO produce but they also offer organic and pastured meat and dairy.

• Buy food whole food items: apple, broccoli, chicken (organic, Non-GMO, pasture raised)
• Any processed foods ingredient labels should have a short list of ingredients, all of which are real foods. If you don’t know what is an ingredient, you need to avoid it, it’s not real.
• Stop at quality grocery stores that care about real food. It’s easy to buy real, quality foods when that is what the store offers.
• Get to know your farmers personally! Being able to buy direct from farmers is the best. You know how the crops and animals are raised, and prices are significantly lower as there are no middle men!