Genetically Modified Food (GMOs)
Fast Facts
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89% of corn, 92% of cottonseed, 100% of sugar beets and 94% of soybeans are genetically modified.​
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Potential human health problems include infertility, immune and digestive system problems, accelerated aging, faulty insulin regulation and organ dysfunction.​
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Widespread use of GMOs risks contaminating our food supply and disrupting traditional farming.
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are widespread in our food supply. Back in 1992, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that GM foods were safe to eat, citing the lack of any evidence to the contrary. Today there is a robust and growing body of peer-reviewed independent science linking GMOs to numerous health issues, including potentially life-threatening allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.
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According to the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM), health risks from consumption of GMOs could include cancer, infertility, immune and digestive system problems, accelerated aging, faulty insulin regulation and organ dysfunction. The AAEM has advised its members to recommend that their patients avoid GM foods. Another emerging health concern is the ability of pesticide residues from GMO crops to disrupt the balance and function of human gut microbes, possibly resulting in a loss of critical gut/brain communication and brain-related disorders, such as autism and other neurobehavioral problems.
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GMO crops are engineered to survive lethal doses of pesticides—amounts that would normally destroy any other kind of plant. According to the USDA, most of our major commodity crops are now genetically engineered to withstand weed-killing pesticides (herbicides).
GMO crops used for human consumption are thus contaminated with higher pesticide residues than non-GMO varieties. The most commonly used pesticide for GM crops is RoundUp, an herbicide whose active chemical ingredient is glyphosate. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently classified glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen.
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The widespread use of GM crops has resulted in the development of so-called “superweeds” that have become resistant to RoundUp. To address this problem, the FDA has now approved the use of a new breed of GM crops engineered to withstand even stronger, more toxic herbicides, including 2,4-D, an herbicide best known as a component of Agent Orange. 2,4-D has been linked to Parkinson’s disease, immune system problems, hypothyroidism and was recently classified by the World Health Organization as a possible human carcinogen.
• GMO Fact Sheet - We Have a Right To Know!
GMO Resources:
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