By: Erin Wallace
Today, about 70-75 percent of the processed foods that supermarkets such as Wal-Mart sell contain genetically altered ingredients. Even 45 percent of corn and 85 percent of soybeans undergo genetic modifications to grow faster and yield more product. However, genetics remains a fairly unknown territory intriguing scientists around the world; therefore, crops and animals carrying genetically altered traits to make them grow faster and larger could bear health consequences, such as producing stronger or more allergens, producing new allergens, toxicity risk increases, antibiotic resistance, and dangerous growth hormone effects, for consumer like us (“Genetically Engineered Food”).
Genetically modified foods, such as sugar cane, sweet peppers, tomatoes, pineapples, strawberries, and potatoes (“Genetically Modified Food- GM Foods List and Information”), and even drinks like soda may be tasty but they have dire consequences such as stronger allergies. For example, soy allergies increased 50% in the U.K. just after genetically modified soy was introduced (“Genetically Modified Foods Unsafe? Evidence that Links GM Foods to Allergic Responses Mounts”). This may be because the genetically modified alteration could have increased natural allergens in soybeans. One type of allergen in soybeans called trypsin inhibitor was 27% higher than organic soybeans. However, when this mutant vegetable was cooked, the allergen grew sevenfold. This high amount could be harmful, even deadly!
Genetically altered foods could even make entirely new allergens. As seen in the UK, altered soy DNA had numerous unpredicted changes that can lead to stronger and stronger allergens. Have you ever had an allergic reaction? Swelling, rashes, burning, and itchy skin are some of the numerous common effects of allergic reactions. And that’s just for skin! Nausea, headaches, and exhaustion are even more examples of allergy problems many people have experienced. If an allergen became stronger then these reactions could become twice as intense. However, if we can avoid these miserable consequences by simply not creating genetically modified foods, shouldn’t we stop these foods from being distributed before the health of children, college students, and people everywhere is threatened?
Toxins are also a major problem in genetically modified foods. Sheep that grazed on altered cotton plants in India showed multiple signs of poisoning, such as mouth sores, cough, and bloat (“Genetically Modified Foods Unsafe? Evidence that Links GM Foods to Allergic Responses Mounts“). Shepherds reported that a quarter of their herds died in five to seven days. Also, many chickens, pigs, and cows that ate from the same types of cotton plants had devastating consequences like sterility and death. A study about animals eating altered soy indicated that the animals had “toxic livers, altered sperm cells, significant changes in embryo development, and a fivefold increase in infant mortality” (“Genetically Modified Foods Unsafe? Evidence that Links GM Foods to Allergic Responses Mounts“). Scientists did not foresee these dangerous effects. With so many unpredicted and deadly responses for animals that eat genetically altered soy and cotton, one can only wonder about the long-term effects these crops could have on our bodies and our future. However, the consumption of these transformed crops defiantly satisfies the markets and the new illnesses created will satisfy the pharmacies. So technically everybody wins. Except of course…you.
Many genetically engineered crops contain antibiotic resistance marker genes. Scientists put these genes into plants so that they can tell if the plant has been successfully modified and now possesses all the desired traits. However, these antibiotic resistance marker genes do not digest. So, after we eat an altered apple, the marker genes remain undigested; therefore preserving the food’s DNA which can then be transferred to bacteria that live in our stomachs. These bacteria could then become resistant to many antibiotic drugs that so many men, women, and children rely on so heavily. The genetic markers used in genetically modified crops include ß-lactam antibiotics, gentamycin B, neomycin, amikacin, streptomycin, and spectinomycin (“Antibiotic Resistance Genes in GM Foods”). ß-lactam and amikacin antibiotics can treat infections in hospitals, gentamycin treats very serious illnesses such as meningitis, and neomycin is used in veterinary medicine. Also, streptomycin can be used to teat drug resistant tuberculosis, or TB, while spectinomycin treats gonorrhea infections. If bacteria became immune to these antibiotics, infections would rarely have a way to be treated and many serious ailments could be harder to cure.
Dangerous effects from growth hormones are another consequence of genetically modified foods. Milk, for example, has the genetically engineered growth hormone bovine, called recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone, or rBGH, in it. This hormone is injected into the cow by the farmer and makes cows produce 20% more milk. The hormone then passes from the cow into the milk. Often, this hormone can lead to the injected cows getting infections and even more consequences for human beings. Bovine increases cancer risks and has been linked to breast cancer and colon cancer (“Milk: America’s Health Problem”). Even cheese is contaminated with rBGH unless labeled “NO rBGH”. Because of the use of this dangerous hormone, American milk and cheese is banned throughout Europe (“Milk: America’s Health Problem”).
Throughout our childhood, we are constantly told to “drink our milk so we can grow to be big and strong.” The hundreds of tiny cartons of milk that fill public and private schools across America further emphasize this popular idea. Now, with all this new information about the rBGH, drinking milk now seems more hazardous than beneficial to our health. According to the National Milk Producers Federation, almost “430 million gallons of milk were distributed through the National School Breakfast, Lunch, and Special Milk programs during the 2005-2006 school year” (“Give rBGH the Boot from our Nation's Schools “). Unfortunately, a significant amount of this milk could have been created with genetically engineered growth hormones like rBGH. This means that millions of children may have been exposed to a hormone that causes many different types of cancers.
I would be lying if I said there were absolutely no benefits of these altered foods. Animals that have had their DNA altered can produce better quality meat, milk, and eggs. Also, genetically engineered crops have better taste and improved resistance to disease, pests, and herbicides (“Genetically Modified Foods and Organisms “). These new plants can grow bigger than ever before, thus providing more food than usual from one mere plant, which could feed more people. This decreases the cost of farming and even increases the amount of income for the farmers. If the world worked perfectly, this might actually be true. Unfortunately, there are too many negative consequences from genetically altered foods for the continuation of their distribution on our shelves.
Despite the fact that there are numerous benefits that can come from genetically modified animals and plants, the consequences clearly outweigh the benefits. Stronger and new allergens, higher risks of toxicity, resistance to antibiotics and dangerous effects of growth hormones are some of many risks on human health due to these genetically altered foods. Human health could only the beginning of the problem. With all of these dangerous effects of genetically altered foods, it is clear that scientists need to research more and get a better idea of what they are dealing with. Genetics is unmapped territory where altering one gene could lead to thousands of consequences that we might never be able to overcome.
Works Cited:
“Antibiotic Resistance Genes in GM Foods.”
“Genetically Engineered Food.” http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/geneticall7.cfm
“Genetically engineered Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH).” http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/bgh.htm
“Genetically Modified Food - GM Foods List and Information.” 22 September 2009.
“Genetically Modified Foods Unsafe? Evidence that Links GM Foods to Allergic
Responses Mounts.” 8 November 2007.
“Give rBGH the Boot from our Nation's Schools.”
“How to Feed a Hungry World.” 29 July 2010.
“Milk: America’s Health Problem.” http://www.preventcancer.com/consumers/general/milk.htm
Image:
“Could you be eating genetically modified food without even knowing it?” 27 July 2010.
http://thewellnesswarrior.blogspot.com/2010/07/could-you-be-eating-genetically.html
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