Genetically Modified Foods And The Human Body

Genetically modified foods can be good and bad for humans and the economy. For example, if you do not cook an genetically modify foods it can cause us humans to become deathly ill. If the soil is not treated before the genetically modified seed is placed into the ground it can damage the soil and the earth around it.

We live in a Gilded age of produce. Within the past couple of years, GMOS replaced our original, natural diet with these “genetically altered” foods. GMO, or genetically modified organism, is defined as “a plant, animal, microorganism, or other organism whose genetic makeup has been modified using recombinant DNA methods (also called gene splicing), gene modification, or transgenic technology” (Non-GMO Project). What may be perceived as healthy salad at first glance, may just be a bowl of genetically modified “food”. These are underlying problems not recognized by most of the public. The use of GMOs creates endless risks and pose a threat to the environment, genetic diversity, and future.

What is genetically modified (GM) food? These are foods whose DNA have been artificially altered in some way to produce foods with unique qualities not found in nature. For example, onions that don’t make you cry when they are cut. Whenever you go to the grocery store or eat a restaurant, chances are you’re eating GM food without even knowing it. It’s in the ingredients we buy and fed to the animals we get our food from. What you may also be unaware of are the health and safety concerns, along with the lack of labeling identifying GM products. What’s more disconcerting is GM crops have the potential to change our ecosystem forever. This is a social issue that affects us all, because we all have to eat.

Genetically modified crops are an incredibly important issue that everyone should be aware of since it is something we are exposed to at a daily basis. Genetically modified crops also known as GM crops or Biotech crops has been one of the most heated debates of issues within our society. The debate about the safety, concerns and disadvantages of GM crops have raged since the mid 1990 's but this is due to the lack of knowledge of the general public. Many people are unaware of what the GM crops actually are and what they offer. Genetically modified crops are plants that are used in the agriculture and have been modified to initiate a new trait to plants that does not happen naturally in the species. These plants are modified using genetic engineering techniques to enhance desired traits. GM crops are made when genes of commercial interest are transferred from one organism to another.() There are many methods used for the production of GM crops but the two primary used for plant insertion are gene guns and agrobacterium tumefaciens. There are also three types of modifications which are transgenic, cisgenic, and subgenic plants. However, there are a number of issues that surround this controversial topic such as environmental, health, and economic concerns. Even though there are some worrying facts about GM crops people don 't realize the advantages or the ways it has helped humans as well as animals. There are many reasons why GM crops are proven

When you walk into your local grocery store, you can observe floor-to-ceiling shelves packed with foods boasting about nutritional benefits: whole grains in cereals, omega-3s in eggs, and lycopene (an antioxidant) in ketchup, but there are ingredients hiding in these products that many of us do not know are present. They are called Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s), and it has been estimated that over 75% of processed foods on supermarket shelves contain genetically engineered ingredients, which Americans have been eating since 1996. “Currently up to 85% of the United States’ corn is genetically engineered (GE), as are 91% of soybeans and 88% of cotton (cottonseed oil is often used in food products)” (About Genetically Modified Foods). What does it mean when a food is Genetically Modified? To understand what Genetically Modified Organisms are, there needs to be an understanding of what DNA is. “Within the tissues of a plant are cells. Within the cell is the nucleus. Within that are chromosomes composed of the DNA molecule, which in turn is made up of a sequence of base pairs. A simplistic description is that sequence of the genes in the DNA determine the sequence in the RNA, which then determines the sequence of the building blocks of proteins, called amino acids. These proteins can determine a particular trait or characteristic” (Latham). Using genetic engineering, scientists take genes from bacteria, viruses, or other sources and force them into the DNA of a plant.

Today, most soy and corn grown in the U.S. is Genetically Modified. Soy and corn are also the number one feed for the animals that we eat. Corn also provides the ingredients for most of our sweeteners and cooking oil. Most processed foods sold in the United States have ingredients from genetically modified crops. And yet, “Scientific Studies have not concluded that Genetically Modified foods are safe for the population” (Eating Well. “Should the US ban GMOs?”). The major question that has developed with GMOs is whether or not these modification in the plants we consume is detrimental to our own health. Are we trading higher crop yields for personal health risks? Are we replacing possible starvation with another form of disease or health problem? And, “Should GMOs be allowed in the General Food Supply?”

In the past few years, society has been made more aware of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Because of this, GMOs are being replaced in diets with more natural and organic options. GMOs have been researched and found to cause adverse effects on human health because of the gene splicing, or genetic alterations that are done to create them through genetic engineering. Before this issue became an issue, many people were eating processed and even healthy foods without understanding what chemicals and toxins they were actually putting into their bodies. GMOs are infused into food without awareness because one never really understands what all those unpronounceable words, label GMOs, really are. Due to recent research, it has been found that genetically modified organisms are harmful and can lead to increased risks of disease and cancer.

With the increased amount of publicity, genetically modified organisms have recently been under harsh scrutiny and criticism. Consumers around the world are concerned whether or not consuming these newly modified organisms have any long term or short term health effects. “An exhaustive new study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, found “no substantiated evidence of a difference in risks to human health between current commercially available genetically engineered (GE) crops and conventionally bred crops,”(Hall). This experiment showed that there are no alarming effects for consumers to worry about when consuming genetically modified crops. Genetically modified crops have been consumed for over twenty years now without causing any increase in health problem in the populations that consume them. These products are some of the most tested and safest agriculture products out there today. All of the testing done on genetically modified crops and their safety is monitored by the Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA), and the Food and Drug Administration(FDA). Across the board with so many different agencies committed to reviewing testing of GMOs these products and organisms are undoubtedly safe

As stated in the Organic Consumers Association, 80 percent of the food consumed in America is processed, and 75 percent of the processed food contains Genetically Modified Organism (GMOs) (Carolanne). GMOs are living organisms that their genetics had been unnaturally modified through scientists and engineers. This is a serious issue which every consumer in America is facing today. The rate of obesity had doubled since 1982, and this is only the visible effects of Genetically Modified (GM) food in the human body. There are more inner problems that a person can encounter by eating GM food. However, it does not end there. GM food can also cause problems for the environment. GM crops are a threat to birds, herbicides, insects, and even to water. GM food can be harmful to the human body and to the environment. Therefore, the U.S. should limit its use, and find some solutions.

Genetically Modified foods have been around for many years and have been in the products we consume daily. By being able to alter their genes into making them grow in a certain way like faster, tastier, and reproduce faster, these modifications allow for the plants and crops to have new varieties of plants and crops that will be formed gradually. These modifications allow the plants to be more resistant to viruses, pesticides, and insects that can ruin the lifespan of the plants and crops and harm the consumers who consume them. There is a controversial issue with Genetically Modified Organisms and Foods as well as the pros and cons for it. Ethical, moral, and social issues are also some issues that affect the process of Genetically Modified Organisms and Foods. There has always been a competition in which whether or not GM Foods and Non-GM Foods are beneficial and good for us.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss whether or not genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are unhealthy to humans, using the most reliable current evidence available to explore both sides of the topic. This paper will discuss the history of GMOs, their various applications, and discuss the major points concerning the impact of GMOs on human health.

Genetically Modified Foods are plants or animals that are genetically modified with the DNA from different organisms, like various bacteria’s, viruses, and sometimes plants and animals therefore allowing scientists and geneticists to manipulate the Genetically Modified Foods in any form that they chose.

In today’s society many people are beginning to really pay attention to what they are eating. Some people are totally against genetically modified foods because they believe that these foods are associated with many health problems. Sixty percent of people in the United States do not realize that they have ever eaten a genetically modified food. These foods are all around us and constantly being improved by scientists. Genetically modified foods are really good for the world’s population.

In the last two decades genetically modified organisms (GMO) have radically transformed the food and farming industry. With the use of constant animal testing and lab conducted research, scientists have yet to breach the exact effects of what gene manipulations actually are especially in a long term sense. With GMO manufacturing companies, such as Monsanto, marketing the use of GMO to be a groundbreaking, healthy and practical food developing source, eyes have been turned away from many of the negative components. Further research by third part companies has shown that there is evidence to believe disastrous effects are occurring concerning GMO and their adverse effects on both the environment and human health.

Much of the public concern surrounding the safety of GMOs stems from the process of actually creating them. This is admittedly not a natural process, which is a surefire way to raise critic’s eyebrows in doubting their safety. However, there is no evidence that supports these myths. The Committee on Genetically Engineered Crops, The National Academy of Science, and the Board on Agriculture and Natural Recourses all agree after extensive testing and observation that there is no additional harm in the consumption of GMO food. The research conducted in animal studies, as well as chemical analysis of the crops, show no indication that GMOs are negatively affecting human health. The next allegation hurled at GMOs is that they may have