Cypress Thomas
Mrs. Ford
English 6
28 January 2015
The Harmful Effects of Genetically Modified Organisms
Does one really know how harmful genetically modified foods are to living organisms, or even to the environment? In grocery stores, 70% of the processed food sold contains genetically modified soybeans and corn. Also, a large percentage of canola, sugar beets, and sugar cane are genetically modified. Without even knowing it, Americans have been consuming genetically modified ingredients that have been hidden in their food since 1996. Is it not time to do something about it? Genetically modified organisms, also known as GMOs, are living organisms that have had their genetic material changed artificially through genetic engineering in a
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First of all, genetically modified foods can cause many health risks to living organisms and even to the human body. New diseases, allergies, and nutritional problems are just a few of the side effects that FDA scientists warned can be caused by genetically modified foods. Producing its own insecticide, genetically modified foods can cause damage to the brain, liver, pancreas, and intestines. In an experiment,where rats were fed potatoes that have been genetically modified, they had extremely smaller livers. In another experiment, when rats were fed the GM canola, they had 12 to 16 percent heavier livers than normal rats. There is also evidence that genetically modified soy causes liver damage in humans. Knowing this, 89% of soybeans that are sold in the United States are genetically modified. Smith says, “In the1980s, a contaminated brand of a food supplement called L-tryptophan killed about 100 Americans and caused sickness and disability to another 5,000 to 10,000 people” ( “Spilling the Beans: Unintended GMO Health Risks” NP). This proves that genetically modified foods are harmful and are not 100% safe. Bleeding stomachs are also another deadly effect of genetically modified foods. After rats were fed tomatoes that had been genetically modified, 7 out of the 40 died and 7 also had bleeding stomachs (Smith 24). Also, the genetic material from genetically modified soy transfers into bacteria and continues to function inside of our intestines. Genetically
Ruf, Andrea. "Soil organisms as an essential element of a monitoring plan to identify the effects of GMO cultivation. Requirements – Methodology – Standardisation." BioRisk 8: 73–87 (2013) 1-16 Web. 3 Feb. 2016.
When cooking genetically modified foods, the food has to be fully cooked in order to get the chemicals out of the food. If left in the food, the chemical can enter our bloodstream and cause us to be deathly ill and may even cause death. Genetically modified foods may be good for the economy but they are not good for humans if not cooked properly.In a review of nineteen studies it shows that there has been significant organ disruption
Professor Richard Lewotin said “An ecosystem, you can always intervene and change something in it, but there is no way of knowing what all the downstream effects will be or how it will affect the environment.” Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are not healthy and they shouldn’t be put in our food. Our nation does not know the full extent of GMOs. GMOs are used in almost all of our food, and for the most part there are no regulations for these GMOs that food companies are using now a days. They have been used for years without telling us the full background and side effects they could have. As a nation we need to take the right step in learning the facts about them and making our food truly healthy. GMOs should be made illegal due to the fact that studies have shown them to be unsafe and harmful to consume.
Reason to Listen: Genetically modified food can cause serious health issues such as allergies, diseases, and liver problems (Health Risks, 2016). Each of you has most likely eaten food that has been genetically modified, meaning that you have the potential to be exposed to these health problems. Your health is at risk here along with the health of your friends and family.
This implies that the intake of genetically modified food leaves the body in an unnatural state and impedes the body’s natural mechanisms, which therefore endangers the body’s health. Dangerous side effects of excessive consumption of GMO in a diet disrupts the natural state of the body which can range from body toxicity, food allergies, negative reproductive effects, and sometimes even death (6 Negative Side Affects To Eating Genetically Modified Foods, 2010).
Genetically modified crops are proven to damage human, animal, and plant life. These foods are toxic to all forms of life. Gary Null is an activist with a Ph.D. in human nutrition and public health science. He wrote the article, ’44 Reasons to Ban or Label GMOs’, he says, ‘GMO giant Monsanto [one of the largest producer of GM foods] has a history of producing highly dangerous chemical compounds including DDT, Agent Orange [remember that orange spray from the Vietnam war?], saccharin, and recombinant bovine growth hormone, all of which are known to cause significant health issues’ (Null). Null also says, ‘According to meta-analysis carried out by researchers at Caen University in France, a GMO feed diet contributes to kidney and liver toxicity in rats (Null). If a GMO diet does this to rats, what would happen to the
As GMOs are a fairly new invention in the scope of things and we have no real idea of the long term health damage being caused we need to be vigilant. Many effects from GMOs are just now being realized, bees and other beneficial insects are dying at alarming rates because of exposure to GMO pollen.A study showed a clear link between GMO plants and the use of Round-up which in turn was shown to cause bees kidneys to fail (Amos). Yet in another rats were shown to develop tumors at very high rates and earlier than they would naturally when fed on GMO maize (Séralini).Though the study was retracted the researchers said it was only at the insistence of Monsanto and they stand by their findings (de Vendômois JS).We know that Genetically Modified Organisms are bad for the environment, for many reasons. For instance when organisms are injected with the DNA of another organism it reduces biodiversity, and thus we run the risk of extinction of the original plant organism.Also seeds from GMO crops like Monsanto’s canola mix with weeds which then become herbicide tolerant, and can smother out good crops.
(Attention Getter) Most scientific studies concerning genetically modified foods indicate that they may cause hepatic, pancreatic, neurological, and reproductive effects and may alter hematological [blood], biochemical, and immunologic parameters, the significance of which remains to be solved with chronic toxicity studies.
“Purdue, More like Pur-don’t Let go of that nasty and sneaky assassin! GMOs have come to afloat in recent years. However, people are not aware of the risks involved when trying with GMOs. Many risks go from Social life to economics to the human health. GMO stands for Genetically modified organisms. GMOs are produced synthetically by taking a desired gene from one organism, such as a gene from a plant that produces its own pesticide, to another, so that the first organism can acquire the trait of the second organism. Take for example chickens, they’re genetically modified by many of
Poultry and red meat may come from animals raised on genetically modified feed, but as of yet you won't find GMO animals for sale at your local butcher shop (Harrar 5). There are many traits that GMOs aim to achieve, such as resistance to herbicides and pesticides, increased nutritional content and improve tolerance to the effects of adverse weather conditions. Which we all know is something only a dream plant would contain. Hence what these plants are modified for. In the past, most just had specific breeding techniques to achieve these traits, but for most, out ruled because of the inaccuracy and time it cost. Now using genetic engineering, plants can now be modified very quickly and effective (Pongratz 2). However, Genetically Modified Organisms are seen to cause more harm than good, that they could potentially harm our bodies and environment in the process. "The process is not as rigorous or independent as it should be. The FDA often does not get all the data to perform a fully informed safety review," noted Gregory Jaffe, director of the CSPI Biotechnology Project, in a 2012 report. There are many issues that have sparked by using Genetically Modified Organisms. In creating an organism, the matter of fact of it being a negative to health arises in consuming something that is not naturally occurring (Harrar
Genetically modified plants are the leading cause for food allergies and neurological diseases according to the Exposure to Environmental Hazard’s website. The fact that more genetically modified plants and food are being grown than non-modified plants is extremely disappointing and shameful. American’s consume most, if not all of the genetically modified plants without even realizing it. Some of the genetically modified plants are corn, soy, and wheat. Corn is in most everything we eat, it’s 80-90% of our supermarket shelf food consumption; which is why our GMO consumption is leading to our neurological diseases and neurological disease
Guess what? There is a new food braking surface. Sure it has a seed, but what if I told you it wasn’t a natural seed. This new seed was created in a lab, by scientists. An unnatural seed, that’s scary, created in a lab, that’s even scarier. This seed I’m writing about is known as a Genetically Modified Organism, or a GMO. For the most part, a GMO seed isn’t good for the soil. GMOs cause ‘super-weeds’ to grow, which has increased the use of herbicides tramatically. This, in turn makes GMOs very harmful to our environment. Herbicides aren’t good for the environment when used in large quantities, like GMO farmers must do. This is why I am against GMO manufacturing.
Another crucial way in which humans are harmed from genetically modified foods is obesity. Obesity stems from an abnormal diet with high calorie-dense foods which results in above average body fat. It is associated with increased risk of disease such as cardiovascular failure and liver cancer, disability and incapacitation from excess weight on the joints and bones, and even death from complications arising from the obesity – not the obesity itself. People are consciously ignorant about the foods they eat. “Obesity is the sixth most common disease worldwide. Approximately 1.1 billion adults and 10% of children are considered obese” (Haslam). Obesity is a chronic
A Genetically Modified Organism or GMO is an organism whose genome has been altered by the process of genetic engineering so that its DNA contains one or more genes not normally found within. These genetically modified organisms are a relatively new phenomenon in the United States, introduced in 1994. However, beginning in 2014 these chemicals could be found in 90% of corn, cotton, and soybeans produced in the United States. The looks and taste of genetically modified organisms may seem inviting but are the health risks really worth it? In my opinion, I believe that while genetically modified organisms do have positive feel and comfort they pose a large health risk to all who choose to consume them.
The fact of the matter is, we just don’t know the long-term health effects caused by consuming genetically modified organisms. GMOs were only recently invented in 1994 (James, Krattiger, 1996) and testing on their health effects began as recently as 1996 (Smith, 2015). Over the last 20, years numerous tests have been performed to investigate whether or not it is safe to eat genetically modified foods; but 20 years is simply not enough time to make any decisive conclusions about their long-term effects. Animal toxicity studies have shown that mice forced to consume GMOs suffered from abnormal mutations in their hepatic, pancreatic, renal, and reproductive