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- Frankenstein Foods Cause organ Abnormalities
by Bouneith Inejnema
Unless one eats only organic foods, one has probably eaten genetically-modified corn. In fact, because GM corn has been produced for many years, it is likely that we have been consuming it unknowingly either as a vegetable or in one of the many products that contain corn. Even if one eats only organic products and packaged products, there is still no guarantee that the food is 100% GM-free; despite GM technology being banned from organic foods (according to organic standards), it is known that crops cross-pollinate, and is very possible for organic crops to be contaminated by GM crops. Genetically modified foods are being debated worldwide - Monsanto and other GM companies push their products on the public while concerned scientists, organizations, governments, and citizens resist the technology due to health, moral, and safety issues.
GM producers and supporters claim that genetically modified foods pose no health threat. A recent study, however, confirms the opposite. An independent study revealed details of secret research carried out by Monsanto, the largest GM company, that shows that rats fed genetically modified corn had smaller kidneys and variations in their blood composition. According to the confidential report, these health problems were not present in rats that were fed traditional, non-GM corn. Doctors said that the changes in the blood composition of the rats could indicate damaged immune systems or that a tumor or another disorder had grown.
Of course, Monsanto dismissed the health effects on the rats that were fed the company's GM corn as meaningless. The company claims that the results were a result of chance rather than a consequence of eating GM corn. But this new study is not the only one that has shown that GM food is damaging - seven years ago, British scientists found that rats that ate GM potatoes also suffered ill health effects - it damaged the immune systems, brains, livers and kidneys of the rats that ate it.
The corn that caused health changes was Monsanto¹s MON 863 variety (approved since 2003), which has been modified to protect itself against corn rootworm. Dr Vyvyan Howard, a senior lecturer on human anatomy and cell biology at Liverpool University, called for the publication of the full study, saying the summary gave "prima facie cause for concern". Monsanto refuses to release the report because ³it contains confidential business information which could be of commercial use to our competitors.² Meanwhile, doctors have reported "a huge list" of significant differences between rats fed GM corn and those fed traditional corn.
In this country, genetically-modified foods are not labeled, so consumers do not know whether they are eating GM food or conventionally-grown food. GM companies are pushing their products onto the rest of the world - South America, Latin America, Europe, Africa... many countries are resisting, but more and more are succumbing to the pressures of the American Government and the powerful companies whose interests the White House is promoting. Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, India, Burkina Faso, Mali, and others are among the list of countries growing GM crops.
Many products are tested on animals to confirm or deny their safety before they are marketed for human use. Because of this, most consumers trust that if a product is approved, it must be safe because it has been tested. This is not always the case; many products are tested only by the manufacturer or producer of the said product, and full disclosure is not usually required. Many products that are harmful to humans are put on the market and are used for years before independent studies confirm that they are dangerous. GM foods are no exception.
If GM corn is causing abnormalities in rats, it is only logical that they would cause similar effects in human beings. The genetic makeup of genetically modified foods has been changed, and the introduction of foreign products into the gene structure of an organism changes it at the most basic level. We cannot expect these creations to behave like the ones nature created, because they are no longer the same organism. A tomato that has fish genes is not the same plant as the natural tomato, and corn that has genes to kill rootworm is no longer real corn. The fact that these frankenstein foods are causing structural changes in beings that eat them comes as no surprise, and it seems that the GM companies knew of these effects all along. Because they have invested so heavily in this technology, Monsanto and others will sacrifice anything - including human health - to see their creations materialize and turn a profit. And they are doing just that - they are sacrificing not only our health, but the health of our descendants, planet, and ecosystem.
For more on GM foods, look for The Rising Firefly Issue 53 (September issue)!
