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Dairy cows do of course have to eat just like the rest of us, and if their products aren’t labeled organic (or from a farm that follows organic practices), their diet is likely full of GMO feed.
Maybe this wouldn’t be a huge issue if GMOs were actually labeled here in the US. Can you believe there are 64 countries around the world (including Kenya, Bulgaria, and China) that are required to tell their citizens what’s in their food (therefore they Just Label It), but the US is not one of them?
That’s why I am thrilled to be partnering with Stonyfield on this sponsored post today. They are an organic company that is passionate about the issue of labeling GMOs and changing things for the better.
What are GMOs? Not to be confused with hybridization and appearing in our food supply for only 20 or so years, GMOs are “organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally.” – World Health Organization
Personal Impact
The bottom line is, if you are buying high-risk crops or dairy that’s not organic, then you are likely consuming GMOs. In the case of dairy, cows that are not raised on an organic diet are likely given GMO crops as their feed. And, since many of you are parents, you know first hand the food that mothers eat while nursing (i.e. spicy food or allergens) greatly impacts the quality of their milk. So if a cow is being fed GMO corn, well, “You are what you eat eats too,” to quote Michael Pollan.
And when it comes to GMOs, we just don’t know yet how they will (or won’t) affect our health in the long run, which is rather disturbing considering how wide spread GMO crops are becoming in our country and the fact that they aren’t currently labeled. So, to avoid GMOs, choose organic when buying high-risk crops and animal products like dairy.
Environmental Impact
According to the Just Label It organization, industry introduced GMOs to the market “with the promise of higher crop yields, but the only things that have increased are the use of toxic herbicides and pesticides, the number of resistant weeds and bugs, contaminated crops, and chemical industry profits.” And as a result, Dr. Charles Benbrook of Washington State University says GMO/GE crop technology has led to an overall pesticide use increase of an estimated 404 million pounds since 1996. That is a crazy number, especially when we are talking about the use of synthetic chemicals designed to kill pests (i.e. poison)!
Not Enough Studies
As I mentioned, GMOs are fairly new on the scene (only around for a few decades in a world where we’ve been eating for eons), and therefore no long-term trials have been conducted to evaluate the health impact of eating GMO foods. So that means we simply don’t know whether there are any negative health effects from eating these crops. Do any of you want to be the guinea pig here? The unknowns about GMOs sound like scary stuff to me!
What You Can Do
- Buy organic, especially when it comes to high-risk crops and animal products like dairy. This way you’ll be absolutely sure you are avoiding GMOs.
- Be a proponent of GMO labeling through an organization like Just Label It, which, by the way, was co-founded by Stonyfield’s Chairman, Gary Hirshberg. How cool is that for a corporation?
We’d love to hear your thoughts on GMOs in the comments below!
i’m Kenyan and i didn’t even know gmo’s have to be labelled in Kenya..Way to go Kenyan government…
i’m Kenyan and i didn’t even know gmo’s have to be labelled in Kenya..Way to go Kenyan government…Great Job Lisa, and 100 days team..you enlighten us in so many ways!!
I wasn’t aware of http://www.justlabelit.org – thanks for the additional resource!
Wonderful! I love Stonyfield and I’m terrified of GMO’s! Thanks for helping to spread this message!
Hi Lisa…I love your blog and have been following it for the past few months. I don’t usually post or comment on sites but today I felt the need. My son is 3 years old, I have been giving him healthy, homemade, sometimes organic food since he was introduced to food as a baby ( I used to make his baby food with organic ingredients) therefore he has never really had too much in the way of processed food. Although, he does love chicken fingers and french fries. Anyway, this year was the first year he went trick or treating, and the past couple of days he has been acting crazy hyper as if he was a motor that won’t stop. Completely unlike him. I looked at my husband and said what is wrong with him? I can’t even get a complete thought out of him. He looks at me and says…the candy. It was as if a brick hit me in the head. Oh my goodness the candy. Something which he has only had a handful of times before. He was completely strung out on candy and processed food. Today alone he had a bag of those mini muffins, fruit snacks, m&ms and 3 mini cookies out of a snack bag. He has never had any of those things before and now I know why. I was amazed how two day with these items in his body has completely changed his behavior. Needless to say I threw all of this “junk” out as soon as I put him to bed. I am sure you have heard many stories like this before, but I was so amazed that I felt the need to share. I am glad that my family eats healthy on a regular basis and feel grateful that my children (I have a 3 month old) will continue to be given the healthy wholesome food that we eat every day.
Thanks for pointing out that many products people don’t think of as GMO most certainly contain GMOs. My daughter is severely allergic to corn and she reacts badly to milk from animals fed corn. If they are not fed corn she can drink milk without issue. It does get into the milk and also into the meat as well. GMOs are in almost all processed foods. I’m in favor of labeling and even more in favor of making GMOs illegal entirely. They are part of what is slowly killing us and I believe are a huge part of why we have seen such a huge increase in food allergies, especially in children. They’re not the only factor of course, but a big part of it.
Hi, I have been enjoying all the recipes and lunch ideas.
Just reading the blog post about GMO food and it seems to me that the number one problematic GMO food has not been mentioned- wheat! All wheat since the early 1970’s has been so modified that it is essentially a ‘frankengrain.’ The things they did to wheat to make it more drought resistant, higher yielding, and give it more desirable baking characteristics, etc was all done without any consideration for how it might affect the health of the consummer. Genetic changes made to ‘frankengrain’ leaves us with wheat which the body cannot fully digest, and which causes a myriad of destructive health effects including arthritis, acid reflux, skin disoreders, brain fog and other nuerological conditions, and of course weight gain. Modern wheat is addictive. It actually works as an appetite stimulant. How? It is an opiate, making it addictive and making us want more, more, more. This opiate ( wheat) binds to the opiate receptors of the brain, but unlike heroine, doesn’t make us high. It makes us hungry. All this from a food we are advised to eat more of.
I have just read “Wheat Belly” by Dr. William Davis and he explains how the wheat ( pasta, bread, cereals, etc) that we consumme is not the wheat that our grandparents consummed.
Also, he says that switching white flour, white bread or regular pasta for “healthy” whole grains (ie whole wheat flour, wholewheat breads or pastas) is like turning the dial of health only about 5%. To drastically improve one’s health and avoid serious health problems, one needs to eliminate all wheat for a 100% health improvement. There is no such things as ‘healthy whole grains’ when it comes to our modern day version of wheat. Consumming white OR wholegrain bread increases blood sugar more than pure sugar. The Glycemic Index shows that eating a Mars Bar for breakfast will increase your blood sugars LESS than 2 slices of toast- regardless of whether its white or brown bread. Food for thought. The list of health conditions associated with modern day wheat consumption is formidable. I recommend “Wheat Belly”. It’s a compelling read. It is hard to wrap one’s head around going ‘wheat free’ for health since conventional dietary wisdom says to consumme more healthy whole grains and eat a low fat diet. It is this dietary ‘wisdom’ which has seen diabetes and obesity reach epidemic levels. Cheers.
Did all the info you wrote above come just from the “Wheat Belly” book, or do you have other resources that you recommend? I would be interested to hear your thoughts on the following article.
http://info.breadbeckers.com/wheat-belly-fact-or-fiction/
http://foodbabe.com/2012/05/22/watch-out-for-this-carcinogen-in-your-organic-food/
Also Stonyfield’s response to consumers’ concerns: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_25591.cfm
May be impacted in part by the fact they are owned by Dannon.
Thank you for this article I agree all product with GMO should be labeled. We have the right to know what we are putting into our bodies!
THANK YOU so much for providing people with this information!! My family learned the hard way about GMO’s. They where making my infant daughter very sick with an allergic reaction that was causing her vocal cords to paralyze shut and giving her and my son stomach and digestive problems. I had no idea over a year ago what GMO’s even where. I thought I was feeding my kids what I ate as a kid. Since mom’s on the Internet telling their stories saved my daughters life I decided that I should share our story in hopes it might save another child from suffering. This is my family’s story: http://youtu.be/KOFy0wEN6RY There’s a lot of moms that have sick kids with a wide range of symptoms who have gotten better off of GMO’s. My family lives in Washington state and we are praying 522 passes. I also believe there is a problem with cross pollination and contamination! In Oregon this year a farmer discovered his wheat he planted was GMO. GMO wheat is not legal to grow for human or animal consumption in the US and its been years since test crops where planted there. All wheat has to be tested for GMO’s now before it can be exported to other countries because they don’t want or allow GMO’s. They also discovered GMO alfalfa on a farm in Washington a few weeks ago. Thank you again!
In your blog post it makes it seem like you are saying if something is organic that iIt’s is therefore not a GMO or does not contain any GMO’s. I did not thing that that was an absolute, although obviously more likely less GMOs than conventional non-organic products. Am I wrong? Or are the two synonymous?
Hi Jen. No, you are correct in that they are not necessarily synonymous. To be absolutely certain, look for the certified non-gmo seal. Here is more information as well as a breakdown of how organics are labeled and what qualifies as 100% organic: http://www.nongmoproject.org/ and http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com/tips-for-avoiding-gmos.html. ~Amy
Just saw this news article and thought you guys would be interested (if you aren’t already aware of this):
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ocean-robbins/huge-gmo-news_b_4129311.html
Hello Sandy. Thanks for the info. I have found all of the Food Revolution Summits to be really informative! ~Amy
We totally believe in eating products that are not GMO!! It is very unfortunate that in this country (USA) CORPORATE profits come before safety..
I’m all for GMO’s being labeled!! We here in the state of Washington, have the opportunity to vote on GMO labeling! I of course, hope it will pass, and hopefully soon after all the other states in the US will too. When our food is “tampered” with (like with GMO’s) our bodies don’t recognize it the same, and then our brains are triggered with false signals of “I need more” or “I’m still hungry” then leading our country into obesity which then causes way more health issues. I also think MOST of our issues of cancer in this country is from our food system! Let’s have a start to do something about this and get back to REAL FOOD!
Lisa, we live near Homestead creamery and get their milk (which is also what you have said you use for your family). I don’t know if you have heard this or not, but they don’t feed their cows entirely on grass. I have talked with one of the owners and he said they are partially fed on grain that very well could be GMO grain. So you see, it seems to turn up even when we are attempting to avoid it. He also told me that even if they wanted to get non-gmo feed, it is not likely that they could because of all the cross-pollination that has contaminated non-gmo fields so much! Also, does it bother you that Stonyfield now uses homogenized milk to make their yogurt? I don’t remember reading whether you have an opinion about homogenization, but I think it’s just one more additional step away from the “real” food! I really miss the creamline yogurt that Stonyfield used to make!
I think cross-contamination is way overestimated. I recently read a report from European food control dealing with that issue in context with foods imported from the US. Cross-contamination does not seem to be a huge problem. Why is cross-contamination is considered such a huge issue?
Concerning grass-fed cows: not all breeds do well with grass only. Dairy cows are bread to produce huge amounts of milk, for which they need protein (otherwise they would degrade muscle tissue).
Cross-contamination and cross-pollination are two different things. If foods are imported into Europe from America they are in in their adult form and not sharing genetic material with European crops. I live in Germany and It has been my observation that most of the foods I’m buying here are from the EU, not imported from the US. Riles regarding pesticides, hormone and antibiotic use, etc. is much stricter here, so they won’t eat what we eat at home. Coincidently, there are very few over weight people here…I just saying…
I think the concern for farmers in the US is that plants that have been genetically modified are pollinating plants that have not been and the “off spring” are all genetically mortified . If you consider how far an insect can travel it seems unlikely that any plants eaten in the US haven’t been effects by cross-pollination.
I used cross-contamination and cross-pollination synonymously.
I understand which concerns farmers have or – more correct – which concerns people not familiar with agriculture think farmers should have. Depending on weather condiditons (wind) pollen can travel far, but it is not like pollen from the GMO-field is flying straight up into the air, taking a several hundred feet sideways turn, landing on the neighbour field and entirely conaminating/pollinating their crop. You see cross-contamination at the edges of the field, and sometimes farmes take advantage of it by starting their own little breeding project … and sometimes get sued …
US crops/foods/feeds imported to Europe are frequently tested for their GMO-content. If any edible plant in the US was contaminated via cross-polliantion with GMOs we should be able to detect GMOs with analytical methods – but we don’t. Any GMO report I have read so far shows either none or a very low level of contamination, from which I conclude that cross-pollination (and cross-contamination) is overrated.
It is a matter of debate whether food regulation is stricter in the US or in Europe. At least in terms of GMO labeling Europe is stricter, and – importantly – GMO labeling also applies to organic products. GMO labeling initiatives in the US are driven by organic manufacturers (why?) and they conveniently excluded themselves from the regulation. That stinks.
I don’t think that the high obesity rate in the US is due to GMOs.
How do you know that the majority of the foods you buy in Germany was produced in the EU? Also, is that a good or bad thing?
If organic means by definition non-GMO, why are the organic manufacturers so eager about GMO-labeling? Shouldn’t they care less about it? It seems, that they are clearly hoping for a business advantage… Maybe your sponsor can give us an answer.
GMO labeling (in Europe) does not cover dairy products from cows fed with GMO-crops. Prop37 did not include it either. Therefore, your introduction is a little bit off, as none of the current labeling regulations would require labeling of “GMO-milk”.
Your definition of GMOs is also quite biased. Yes, GMOs are created in ways that won’t occur in nature. But that also applies to many conventional breedin techniques. Think about grafting or creating mutants with radiation.
It would be helpfull to give us readers some independent point of fews or tackle the issue from a different perspective. How about talking to conventional farmers or independen researchers. A post sponsored by an organic company can hardly be considered unbiased.
I also see certified organic products that have canola oil in them! HUH!? Isn’t that a total oxymoron??
Love following your page! Can you please tell me why Stonyfield ‘certified organic’ yogurt has ‘natural flavors’ in the ingredients? (other than plain or vanilla with organic vanilla) What exactly are the natural flavors? And, why don’t they just list them?
I’ve been reading praises of GMOs for ages in publications like National Geographic based on the ability of the modifications to help solve the world’s hunger crisis. What about foods like Golden Rice, which is fortified with antioxidants and grown in areas of Southeast Asia with rampant malnutrition and poverty, and perennial wheat, which has deeper roots & is therefore more tolerant of drought & poor weather for those areas that might not otherwise be able to grow crops at all? These have had to be genetically modified for their helpful impact! I agree that more studies need to be done on the health effects, but so far, the studies that show children growing and healthy where they would otherwise be starving convinces me that GMOs are not all the evil conspiracy that some would have us believe.
It is quite scary how we can’t even trust what the label says. Even organic foods can have GMO ingredients. Buying locally and knowing your farmer helps, but what about for people who don’t have this option? It’s really unfortunate.
I have admired your blog for a long time now, and take parts of it into practice when feeding my own family. I don’t agree with everything your write, but I was never bothered by anything until this post.
I do not understand why a clearly anti-GMO group, Just Label It, would be referenced as an authority on how GMO crops have affected yields and chemical use in this post.
Talk to a farmer instead. Talk to someone who plants GMO seeds and non-GMO seeds. Farmers are business men and women. They are making a living, feeding their families. If they tried a GM seed and found they weren’t getting increased yield AND had to use more chemical – they would not plant it again. That extra chemical Just Label It claims they use would eat directly out of that farmer’s annual profit and would not be made up for in higher crop yields. In other words – a farmer would not be able to afford to plant GM seeds even if he wanted to, if what Just Label It claims is true. ASK A FARMER if their GM seeds give them better yields or not. If they require more chemical or not. ASK A FARMER why they choose or don’t choose to grow GM seeds. You may learn something that suprises you, or you may find they confirm your position. Either way, it will be real, un-biased information, and far more valuable to pass on to your readers.
We have been buying organic, non-GMO for a while now – Stonyfield is the only yogurt my kids eat now. They love it!
I want to start out by saying I love your website. I so admire what you have done; trying to do what is best for your family and sharing it with the rest of us, thank you. I have been looking for information about GMO’s, I was out shopping in Houston this last weekend and there were a handful of protesters with signs about GMO’s and birth defects and it peaked my interest. I have been doing some research and agree with you that since not much is known and it is “modified” why would we want to feed it to our family with abandonment. I have chosen to live without knowledge for many years and ignorance is not bliss, we need be aware what we are putting in our bodies. Thanks again for all you do.
Organic does not necessarily mean non-GMO: http://gmo-awareness.com/2011/05/05/is-organic-always-gmo-free/
You might find this article from today’s Washington Post interesting: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/genetically-modified-foods-what-is-and-isnt-true/2013/10/15/40e4fd58-3132-11e3-8627-c5d7de0a046b_story.html?wpmk=MK0000205
Thanks Leah
I really like this article – a great reminder of how a world view is more infomative than a biased one – regarding any subject.
I’m all about ferreting out sources that are as unbiased as possible. Everyone and everything has inherent bias. There’s no getting around that. But I like articles that present information as opposed to opinions, so that I can make my own decisions. We all have the responsibility to “curate” our own libraries…no one is going to do it for us. So a healthy dose of skepticism can be a good thing. :-)
Thanks for this timely post. My 15yr old homeschooled daughter takes a writing class and told me today that one of the topics she could pick from was about GMO’s. I told her I thought that would be a great topic to research and her came your post. Love when life does that!
It is not always easy to see through “smoke” and mirrors especially when “science” is used to support or negate claims. Unfortunately, when the smoke clears, we see that money and greed are frequently at the root of research. Our elderly population was an experiment and we are now and will always be in some form. Science gets it right a lot of the time, but so does nature. When considering GMO or non-GMO, we should all look to the evolution in risks of smoking and take it from there. We need labeling!
http://www.healio.com/hematology-oncology/news/print/hematology-oncology/%7B241d62a7-fe6e-4c5b-9fed-a33cc6e4bd7c%7D/cigarettes-were-once-physician-tested-approved
Why would you partner with an irresponsible company like Stoneyfield who uses carrageenan and ultra pasteurizes their milk? I’m disappointed with this site. There are so many better companies to promote.
Martha – I personally buy and like Stonyfield’s yogurt. It meets all of my criteria – Plain, Organic, Whole Milk – there is NO carrageenan in this product. And as an added bonus their company puts a lot of effort into the labeling of GMOs. I fully support them.
I’d also like to add… this is their stance on carrageenan in their other products: http://www.stonyfield.com/blog/recipe-update/
I would prefer the government stay out of our food. One of the reasons organic is so expensive is due to all the hoops and regulations they make the small farmers go through.
Michael Pollan and Joel Salatin are supposed to be having a debate about this very subject.
We have also had GMOs on our mind lately. The studies are not there yet on health impact, but regardless, one certain obvious and imminent threat is the environmental impact of GMO style farming, which I am glad you touched on. Another problem with widespread GMO farming is the vulnerability of a monoculture crop as well (e.g. disease can spread more widely when all crops are the same exact variety). Even a year ago, I did not know that USDA Organic products by definition did not contain GMOs (I bought Organic for other reasons) … but finding out definitely reinforced my decision to buy Organic when possible. Again, my problem with them is the farming methods and widespread use of pesticides, moreso than what the actual genetic code is. I’d love studies to be funded regarding the actual modified proteins and their impact on human health (allergies in particular), but as a reader pointed out, it is difficult with patented seeds. Also hindering independent research is the fact that Monsanto provides funding to many academic endowments (not saying those institutions’ researchers would be biased … but it can’t help). So much to think about here!
I was wondering about if you had any GMO input on Publix Greenwise Beef and their “100% vegitarian diet?” Here is their description:
Publix GreenWise Market USDA Choice Beef:
Completely natural, with no artificial additives or preservatives, this beef comes from cattle raised humanely on a 100% vegetarian diet, never receiving any antibiotics or hormones.
It doesn’t say organic, or non GMO, just hormone and antiobiotic, additive and preservative free. Is this still a better alternative to other beef? I’m still searching for organic beef in my town. Thanks!
Holly – I love Publix and they have awesome customer service – I asked the butcher in our local store here in Indian Land, SC this same very question. Their Greenwise beef is not Grassfed but corn fed and you really want grass fed when you are buying beef. If it does not have the organic seal then who knows where they are sourcing the beef and while it might meet a better than average criteria, why spend the extra money on the Greenwise brand unless you can tell exactly what it is. They can really be feeding the cows whatever they like – such as GMO corn feed. While I believe the Greenwise program at Publix does have some benefits, especially when the USDA Organic seal is attached to some of those products – I will only spend the extra money on the products with the organic seal. I buy my grassfed beef from an online farm called White Oak Pastures (I originally found them because Publix does carry their grass fed ground beef and the butcher pointed it out when he knew I was looking for it) – I buy 1/8 of a cow at a time – its expensive – I know, but it is worth it when you break down the cost by pound. My other option is to drive a half hour into Charlotte to go to Whole Foods – very frustrating at times!!
As a mom of 4 very small children (6,3 and 1 year old twins) I have always made their meals from scratch thinking I was doing the best for them. It scares and saddens me that while I am staying up all hours of the night to prepare meals for the following day they may not be all that healthy after all. Its so much info to take on, no processed, no gmo’s which in itself seems simple but isn’t everything processed? Does that mean if I want to make my family taco’s I have to make the seasoning instead of using a taco seasoning packet? its so hard to figure out the best way to go about all this as I keep finding conflicting information…Do you have any suggestions for where to start with all the information for a novice wanting to make a change for the better, on a budget! 4 kids is a lot of mouths to feed:)
Marie,
I’m right there with you. I have 5 children. I want them to eat as healthy as possible. But all the information one has to take in and a lot of it conflicting each other sometimes you just want to throw in the towel.
Hi Marie,
I also have 4 kids, my oldest is 6. And what it comes down to in my opinion is doing what you can with what you have available to you. Start with changes that make sense to you and go from there. You don’t have to be perfect, just do what you can, one change at a time. As for tacos, I do use a prepared mix, but I make my own tortillas. Others might want to buy tortillas and make their own spice mix. Or you can do both if you have the time and are so inclined. You are already ahead of the game in that you are making meals for them at home (which so many people don’t do). You are doing a good job!!
Hi there! You guys are all way ahead of the game that all of this is on your radar. We commend you for your efforts to make healthier choices for your kids. Just keep moving forward. Lisa has a really simple recipe for taco seasoning so you can check that one off your list of concerns. :) You can find it here: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/11/23/misleading-products/. ~Amy
Oh, you scared me at first when I saw the Stoneyfield yogurt. I thought, ‘Oh No, don’t tell me I can’t buy that anymore. I thought I knew for sure they were safe.’ :) Yay! Please pass along to them that I would love to see the small cups in my Publix store again with the custard on top. That was my favorite and now I can’t find it. :)
Thanks for the info, Lisa!!
How can one afford organic foods. I can’t justify the expense plus the time of traveling to find a store that carries all organic food. The closest store that I know of is aboutt 45 minutes from my house. I can’t do it.
My husband farms for living on the family farm and I won’t tell oyu what his opinion is of this. :)
Erin,
do you live within a reasonable distance to a Vons, Supertarget, or other “super store”? The reason I ask is because I had trouble finding organic food until I figured out where to look. Most major supermarkets carry stonyfield and other organic brands but we’re just not use to looking for the organic label. The frozen section has some great organic options at a lot of these supercenters as well. If all else fails try a farmers market. You can do a search online for farmers markets within your area. We are on a tight budget with our family of 7 but we’ve successfully made the switch to organic foods over the last 3 months so I can tell you without question it’s possible and affordable. Did you know you can purchase organic seeds and start your own organic garden? There are so many options out there if we know where to look.
I obviously don’t know where you live, but I shop at Kroger (and Whole Foods for what I can’t get at Kroger) and Kroger has a gigantic selection of organic, and even their own organic brand. Also, I have lived in another part of the country where Kroger didn’t exist, and most of their supermarkets (Wegman’s and Giant were my norms) had a huge selection of organics. I hear you about the cost, but pay now for quality food or pay later with your health. I don’t buy every single thing organic, and if I’m low on funds I only get what I think is necessary to get organic (dairy, meat, certain produce). But we are broke, and we manage to buy quality organic food. One thing that has helped us afford good food is not eating out. That saves us a lot of money, money we can use towards good food at the grocery store!
Thanks for covering this subject, Lisa. So important!
Courtney: very well said. You’re exactly right – the truth is we just don’t know that much, and I find that a little scary, personally!
A lot of the reason that longitudinal GMO studies have not been conducted is because those seeds are patented. In order to do research on them, a scientist must have approval from the patent holder (Monsanto, etc). Therefore, the GMO companies can be a gatekeeper of scientific research and only allow positive results to be published about their product. It is very disturbing.
I’ve been following your blog for a little while because, for the most part, it ties in well with my personal attitude towards food (both nutritionally and culturally). That being said, however, I feel that when these kinds of posts come out that it’s necessary for me (as a scientist and physician) to provide the alternate view that is held by nearly every major medical and scientific organization across the globe. I always think that no matter what your stance is you should be able to understand and refute any information that is offered to counter it.
http://arstechnica.com/science/2013/10/what-science-tells-us-about-the-safety-of-genetically-modified-foods/
This article does of a great job concerning the scientific questions about GMO food and their safety.
Despite this I generally don’t buy GMOs because I prefer shopping locally (and am fortunate to live in a small farm-rich state) and I do not necessarily agree with the tactics of larger corporations who develop them.
LI – I was just considering posting this article myself! In reading it I conclude that GM Crops themselves most likely do not pose a risk to the human body – my question though: what about all the chemical that are used in the growing process? I also worry about the agricultural impacts – such as “resistant” insects and hybridizing with native plants and other food crops. And as you said the “ethics” of the corporations are suspect.
No matter how you feel, this is a good article that holds the fact and where they came from rather than just claims that may or may not be based on fact. I agree with your opening statement – and your closing one too!
I think the agricultural impacts are definitely the more interesting aspect of the GMO discussion. I’m curious myself as many of the papers I’ve come across have conflicting data and some of them include financial obligation declarations that make me hesitant to trust the data at all. If you could share any that you found particularly interesting I’d definitely like to give them a look through.
It’s unfortunate that these kinds of misrepresentations end up directing research funds away from what we should be doing which is finding a sustainable way to feed our ever expanding population.
I can’t give you any other articles, this one was the first I found (and actually my husband found it) that was not biased towards anti-GMO. But look in the comments way below – Leah Backus posted a Washington Post article about a blogger who intends to look at both sides of the issue. You might want to look into reading that.
LI, if you are a physician I urge you to be open minded about GMO’s If your patients have concerns about them! I write this with tears in my eyes thinking of other parents like me that are in and out of hospitals doing test after test to try and figure out what is wrong with there child. Having a doctor telling them there baby might have a deadly condition of fluid on the brain. Doing swallow studies, upper GI’s, MRI’s on an infant… Only to find out it was an allergic reaction to GMO’s. I am so great-full that my daughter had a pediatrician who said why not let’s try it since nothing else is working. I had an amazing team of doctors at Children’s hospital who did there best and I am so thankful for that!! But they couldn’t figure it out because its not something most physicians think of! There are lots of moms out their that have kids with so many different symptoms who have gotten better by eliminating GMO’s in their diet. They did not study them very well and people are having allergy problems with them!!!
I find a constellation of symptoms resulting in hydrocephaly (or fluid on the brain) to be resultant of a food allergy extremely unlikely. Not saying it’s impossible, but extraordinarily unlikely. Allergies largely result from a sensitization to protein/cellular fragments/metabolites of foreign substances not to a class of food development. You can not be “allergic to GMOs”. Food allergies are an interesting subset of allergies in that the immunological response is triggered by detection in the gut which houses an extraordinarily unique method of antigen/antibody interaction. I encourage you to research the topic of gastrointestinal immunity in a medical physiology or immunology textbook.
I have never seen a case report of an infant having a GMO reaction. Please send me one if you have it. A simple PubMed search (which is a free search engine from the National Institute of Health linking to peer reviewed scientific articles) of “GMO Allergies” returns next to nothing. I am not doubting or minimizing the severity of what you and your child went through, I just think that what you took away from the experience might not necessarily be the whole story. In the medical field, evidence-based practices are fundamental and necessary. Anecdotal evidence underlies numerous failures by the scientific community to convey to the public accurate and appropriate information.
As far as being “open minded” as a physician, I pride myself on encouraging patients to control chronic illness with lifestyle adaptations before medications (please note, this is not medical advice nor do I advocate ignoring your personal physician’s recommendation in lieu of my comments). Although I was trained as an osteopath, I believe in whole-body medicine and this starts with diet and exercise.
Kashi is not organic, although they give off the organic vibe, therefore making the vast majority of people assuming they are organic. It is part of Kellogg’s company, which is a known user of GMO’s in all of their products. Do not buy Kashi!!
Does organic automatically also mean non-GMO? I thought I read something about Kashi brand foods, and that although they were claiming organic, they were using GMO ingredients.
One of the rules of organic is that it cannot be GMO – BUT to your point – some products may not be 100% organic so that is something to look out for.
JT – The way to be sure is to look for the USDA Organic Seal. Anything labeled Certified Organic, with the seal, is by default non-GMO. A few of Kashi’s cereals are organic, meaning they are non-GMO, but many of Kashi’s cereals are not organic. So keep an eye out for that seal. Another way to avoid GMOs is to look for “Non-GMO Project Verified” which is a third party agency who verifies that products do not use any GMOs.
I’m all for organic, but this organic yogurt has between 25-35 grams of sugar! What is up with that! It’s infuriating how these so called healthy products will not let up on the sugar intake which causes more health problems than anything!
Just buy plain yogurt! Sweeten it yourself with maple syrup or honey. Or just have it plain with fruit.
Dairy naturally has sugar in it to begin with, so even if you buy plain, it will have a decent amount of sugar. But this is not added sugar, it is natural. Adding honey or maple syrup is an alternative to pre-sweetened yogurt, but it’s still adding sugar so I suggest using sparingly. It doesn’t take much honey to add the perfect amount of sweetness!! Plus, adding fruit is a great way to naturally sweeten! It’s added sugar, and the forms of sugar that we need to watch!