Doctors Warn about GM Food Risks
Genetically Modified Food
It’s barely been a week since I wrote about the dangers of genetically modified (GM) foods and now the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) has released a strongly-worded warning about the health dangers associated with Frankenfoods.
Calling for a moratorium on GM foods, the AAEM says these foods “pose serious health risk.”
Stay away from genetically modified foods
The AAEM calls for:
- A moratorium on GM food, implementation of immediate long-term safety testing and labeling of GM food.
- Physicians to educate their patients, the medical community and the public to avoid GM foods.
- Physicians to consider the role of GM foods in their patients’ disease processes.
- More independent long term scientific studies to begin gathering data to investigate the role of GM foods on human health.
Citing numerous animal studies that show that GM foods cause damage to various mammalian organ systems, “It is imperative to have a moratorium on GM foods for the safety of our patients and the public’s health,” said Dr. Amy Dean, AAEM board member.
Children at greatest risk from GM foods
Experts have warned that children are most likely to be adversely effected by toxins and other dietary problems related to GM foods.
Animal studies have shown that GM foods:
- Increase infant mortality
- Cause sex organ mutations
- Change DNA in emboyros of parents fed GM foods
- Cause infertility
- Cause immune system dysregulation, including increase in cytokines that are associated with asthma, allergy and inflammation
- Increase overall mortality and more
The only published human feeding study revealed what may be the most dangerous problem from GM foods: The gene inserted into GM soy transfers into the DNA of bacteria living inside our intestines and continues to function.
What consumers can do
None of us should wait to for our doctors’ recommendations. Those will be a looooong time coming.
Stay away from GM foods. Fruits and vegetables that are GM will have a sticker with a five-number code that begins with “8.” Don’t buy them.
The greatest sources of GM are in foods included in processed food. In those cases, it is virtually impossible to tell what types of foods have been used. For a large number of reasons avoid processed foods.
Avoid all foods that contain soy or corn derivatives (including high fructose corn syrup), cottonseed and canola oil and sugar from sugar beets since many, if not most, will come from GM sources.
If American consumers refuse to purchase GM foods, food processors will be forced to remove all GMs from the food supply as is the case in Europe.
Read more about the GM issue and the AAEM’s warning. Educate yourself and take action.
