The GMO Effect
Will this post be controversial? Probably. But I'm still going to write it. I think it's important for people to know both sides of the issue behind genetically modified organisms. So...without further ado...I will just jump right into it!
When it comes to GMO's, there are a few facts that you need to know:
1. Almost everything you eat is genetically modified to some degree.
2. Genetically modified foods are what allow us to feed the population of the entire planet.
3. There is no sound evidence that GMO's are nutritionally harmful.
Taking these facts a step further, I think there is a general misconception about how a GMO is made and what it actually is. A lot of people imagine a Dr. Frankenstein scenario where a chemist is in the lab putting random stuff into a test tube...then three minutes later a glowing ear of corn pops out. That is not what happens.
In fact, there are a couple different ways that our current GMO's have been formed:
1. Selective Breeding: Historically, they obviously didn't have the technology to splice genes and insert new ones into plants, but they did know that if you pollinated a red rose with a white rose you would get a pink one. And if you bred a large dog with increasingly smaller ones, then bred the smaller ones together, you would eventually have a teacup poodle. The same process applies to genetically modifying food. This is how we have over 1,000 varieties of bananas in the world and over 10,000 varieties of apples. Someone thought, "I wonder what would happen if..." (which, growing up with two older brothers, is a terribly frightening phrase), and the rest is history. Breeding different kinds of plants and food together allows for a number of different DNA combinations that weren't possible before...in this sense, you are taking the genetic makeup of two plants and literally creating a new plant that has never been seen before.
2. Natural Selection: Hopefully y'all have heard of Darwin's theory of natural selection...the idea that those who are more fit for a specific environment are going to prosper in that environment; while those that aren't fit for an environment die out. Then the plants that are left in the environment reproduce, creating more plants that are fit for that environment. One of the classic examples of this is seen with poisonous berries. Berry plants were getting eaten by animals, so some started creating a toxin that would make the animals sick. These berry plants were obviously the ones that could reproduce (the animals stopped eating them), so the next generation of berry plants were able to make that toxin. And so on and so forth. Though this example may not necessarily have to do with our definition of GMO's (not many of us go around eating poisonous berries for fun), the principle remains the same in regards to our other foods. The vegetables that were most resistant to pests produce more vegetables that are resistant to pests, etc etc. Similar to the last example of selective breeding, with each new passing generation of plants the DNA changes--the trait that is being selected for (i.e. berry toxins) gets stronger with every passing generation as poisonous plants give rise to more poisonous plants. In essence...natural selection is nature's way of selectively breeding things.
3. Laboratory Setting: I think this is the genetic modification that people are most concerned with. With our current technologydo like into it. Which, if you look at the implications of this science, can be totally frightening. But let me assure you...the Food and Drug Administration has given this area
, we have the ability to look at a plant on the cellular level, take apart its DNA, take out what we don't like, and add what we
of science a lot of limitations and regulations. Most of the modifications they make in labs aren't passed by the FDA for public consumption. Also, rarely are more than a couple of genes modified for a specific food. If they are trying to keep pests from eating the crops, the scientists will only alter the genes that are responsible for pest resistance (hence why you don't see glowing corn on the market even though they have the ability to make it). In summary, corn will retain is "corniness," even though it now may be resistant to insects.
Many groups have done extensive research on GMO's and their long-lasting effects, and not one reliable study has shown that GMO's are harmful to humans (the key word in this sentence is reliable). It is important to note, however, that even if GMO's were harmful (I must reiterate, once again, that they are not), that there isn't any current plan in place that could feed the world's population better than GMO's could.
Since geneticists are able to alter specific genes, they can make food larger to feed more people; they can make food resistant to certain pests so more food grows; they can fortify foods with specific vitamins and minerals to ensure the population is eating enough of those nutrients; they can change the ratio of fats to carbs and proteins to assist those who aren't getting enough calories in their diet.
So even though I feel like this got super sciency and maybe hard to follow, I hope you all understand what it's like to look at genetically modified foods from a biological perspective. Nothing much has changed with genetic modification since humans started walking the earth...except maybe the speed at which the modification occurs.
One last point before I sign off: processed foods and genetically modified foods are not necessarily the same thing. Processed foods might use genetically modified ingredients, and are therefore genetically modified themselves, but that does not mean that all genetically modified foods are processed foods. So all of that propaganda about how fast food restaurants only serve genetically modified foods? I guess that is partially true, but that's not what makes fast food unhealthy...it's all of the saturated fat and abundance of calories that make fast food unhealthy. So please do not get confused! They are not one and the same.
In closing, I want to reiterate how never at any time on the planet has food been safer and in more abundant variety than it is now, and I hope you are all taking advantage of it! With all of the backlash and hatred towards the Food and Drug Administration, their food industry is one of the strictest on the planet.
When it comes to GMO's, there are a few facts that you need to know:
1. Almost everything you eat is genetically modified to some degree.
2. Genetically modified foods are what allow us to feed the population of the entire planet.
3. There is no sound evidence that GMO's are nutritionally harmful.
Taking these facts a step further, I think there is a general misconception about how a GMO is made and what it actually is. A lot of people imagine a Dr. Frankenstein scenario where a chemist is in the lab putting random stuff into a test tube...then three minutes later a glowing ear of corn pops out. That is not what happens.In fact, there are a couple different ways that our current GMO's have been formed:
1. Selective Breeding: Historically, they obviously didn't have the technology to splice genes and insert new ones into plants, but they did know that if you pollinated a red rose with a white rose you would get a pink one. And if you bred a large dog with increasingly smaller ones, then bred the smaller ones together, you would eventually have a teacup poodle. The same process applies to genetically modifying food. This is how we have over 1,000 varieties of bananas in the world and over 10,000 varieties of apples. Someone thought, "I wonder what would happen if..." (which, growing up with two older brothers, is a terribly frightening phrase), and the rest is history. Breeding different kinds of plants and food together allows for a number of different DNA combinations that weren't possible before...in this sense, you are taking the genetic makeup of two plants and literally creating a new plant that has never been seen before.
2. Natural Selection: Hopefully y'all have heard of Darwin's theory of natural selection...the idea that those who are more fit for a specific environment are going to prosper in that environment; while those that aren't fit for an environment die out. Then the plants that are left in the environment reproduce, creating more plants that are fit for that environment. One of the classic examples of this is seen with poisonous berries. Berry plants were getting eaten by animals, so some started creating a toxin that would make the animals sick. These berry plants were obviously the ones that could reproduce (the animals stopped eating them), so the next generation of berry plants were able to make that toxin. And so on and so forth. Though this example may not necessarily have to do with our definition of GMO's (not many of us go around eating poisonous berries for fun), the principle remains the same in regards to our other foods. The vegetables that were most resistant to pests produce more vegetables that are resistant to pests, etc etc. Similar to the last example of selective breeding, with each new passing generation of plants the DNA changes--the trait that is being selected for (i.e. berry toxins) gets stronger with every passing generation as poisonous plants give rise to more poisonous plants. In essence...natural selection is nature's way of selectively breeding things.3. Laboratory Setting: I think this is the genetic modification that people are most concerned with. With our current technologydo like into it. Which, if you look at the implications of this science, can be totally frightening. But let me assure you...the Food and Drug Administration has given this area
, we have the ability to look at a plant on the cellular level, take apart its DNA, take out what we don't like, and add what we
of science a lot of limitations and regulations. Most of the modifications they make in labs aren't passed by the FDA for public consumption. Also, rarely are more than a couple of genes modified for a specific food. If they are trying to keep pests from eating the crops, the scientists will only alter the genes that are responsible for pest resistance (hence why you don't see glowing corn on the market even though they have the ability to make it). In summary, corn will retain is "corniness," even though it now may be resistant to insects.
Many groups have done extensive research on GMO's and their long-lasting effects, and not one reliable study has shown that GMO's are harmful to humans (the key word in this sentence is reliable). It is important to note, however, that even if GMO's were harmful (I must reiterate, once again, that they are not), that there isn't any current plan in place that could feed the world's population better than GMO's could.Since geneticists are able to alter specific genes, they can make food larger to feed more people; they can make food resistant to certain pests so more food grows; they can fortify foods with specific vitamins and minerals to ensure the population is eating enough of those nutrients; they can change the ratio of fats to carbs and proteins to assist those who aren't getting enough calories in their diet.
So even though I feel like this got super sciency and maybe hard to follow, I hope you all understand what it's like to look at genetically modified foods from a biological perspective. Nothing much has changed with genetic modification since humans started walking the earth...except maybe the speed at which the modification occurs.
One last point before I sign off: processed foods and genetically modified foods are not necessarily the same thing. Processed foods might use genetically modified ingredients, and are therefore genetically modified themselves, but that does not mean that all genetically modified foods are processed foods. So all of that propaganda about how fast food restaurants only serve genetically modified foods? I guess that is partially true, but that's not what makes fast food unhealthy...it's all of the saturated fat and abundance of calories that make fast food unhealthy. So please do not get confused! They are not one and the same.
In closing, I want to reiterate how never at any time on the planet has food been safer and in more abundant variety than it is now, and I hope you are all taking advantage of it! With all of the backlash and hatred towards the Food and Drug Administration, their food industry is one of the strictest on the planet.
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