Genetically modified food and its effects on our health

The number of countries growing genetically modified crops has increased in recent years
causing much debate over the safety of these products. Supporters claim it will feed the world
and promote better health and ecological welfare, while others believe the food contains risks to
human health.
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) include crops, vegetables and fruit that have been
created using genetic engineering methods. Scientists combine desirable genes from various
species to create new genetically-altered crosses with enhanced nutritional, productive and
ecological value. This differs from traditional breeding in that genetic transference between
unrelated species does not occur biologically in nature.
The process of combining inter-species genes, which is called recombinant DNA technology,
does not have the checks and balances that are imposed by nature in traditional breeding.
Because of this there is a risk of genetic instability. This means that no one can make any
accurate predictions about the long-term effects of GMOs on human beings and the environment.
Extensive testing in this regard is either very expensive or impractical, and there is still a great
deal about the process that scientists do not understand.
This is the crux of the matter in the ongoing debate of GMOs. Food is an emotional topic. It
matters a great deal to all of us. We are what we eat after all. The subject is also of vested interest
for the corporations that manufacture genetically modified seeds and agricultural technologies.
The arguments are intense and passionate.

Advantages of genetically modified food

Crops are more productive and have a larger yield.

Could potentially offer more nutrition and flavor (although this is debated).
A possibility that they could eliminate allergy-causing properties in some foods.
Inbuilt resistance to pests, weeds and disease.
More capable of thriving in regions with poor soil or adverse climates.
More environment friendly as they require less herbicides and pesticides.
Foods are more resistant and stay ripe for longer so they can be shipped long distances or
kept on shop shelves for longer periods.
As more GMO crops can be grown on relatively small parcels of land, they are an answer
to feeding growing world populations.

Disadvantages of genetically modified food

Scientists can choose which genes to manipulate, but they don't yet know where in the
DNA to precisely insert these genes and they have no way of controlling gene expression.
Genes don't work in isolation, changing a few could change the whole picture, with
unpredictable results.
The use of genetically modified food should not be encouraged without research into the
risks.
Not labeling is wrong and unfair to the consumers who should have the right to know
what they are buying so they can decide for themselves whether they want to buy the food or
not. Even if health safety factors are not an issue, some people might have moral or religious
objections. They should not have to eat GMOs if they don't want to.
Genetically modified crops pose a risk to food diversity as the plants are much more
dominant.
Herbicide-resistant and pesticide-resistant crops could give rise to super-weeds and superpests that would need newer, stronger chemicals to destroy them.
GMO crops cross-pollinate with nearby non-GMO plants and could create ecological
problems. If this were to happen with GMO foods containing vaccines, antibiotics,
contraceptives and so on, it would very well turn into a human health nightmare.
The claim of ending world hunger with GMOs is false. World hunger is not caused by a
shortage of food production, but by sheer mismanagement, and lack of access to food
brought about by various social, financial and political causes.
GMO technology companies patent their crops and also engineer crops so that harvested
grain germs are incapable of developing. This is not empowering to impoverished Third
World farmers, who cannot save seeds for replanting and have to buy expensive seeds from
the companies every year. The new technology also interferes with traditional agricultural
methods which may be more suited to local environments.
GMOs are not the answer to world hunger and health. Instead we should focus on
improving organic agricultural practices which are kinder to the earth and healthier for
humans.

Effects of genetically modified food on our health

One of the biggest objections to genetically modified foods is their unintended potential for
harm, not only to humans who eat the products but also to other organisms that may consume the
crops. Some genetically modified foods, for example, contain genes that increase resistance to
certain antibiotics. If this property were transferred to a person eating the food, antibiotics might
not have the usual effects against infection.

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are a broad group of plants, animals, and bacteria
that are engineered for a wide variety of applications ranging from agricultural production to
scientific research. The types of potential hazards posed by GMOs vary according to the type of
organism being modified and its intended application. Most of the concern surrounding GMOs
relates to their potential for negative effects on the environment and human health. Because
GMOs that could directly effect human health are primarily products that can enter the human
food supply, this website focuses on genetically modified food. To date, the only types of
products that have been approved for human consumption in the U.S. are genetically modified
plants (FDA website).
All genetically modified foods that have been approved are considered by the government to
be as safe as their traditional counterparts and are generally unregulated (FDA website).
However, there are several types of potential health effects that could result from the insertion of
a novel gene into an organism. Health effects of primary concern to safety assessors are
production of new allergens, increased toxicity, decreased nutrition, and antibiotic resistance
(Bernstein et al., 2003).
Food Allergy
Food Allergy affects approximately 5% of children and 2% of adults in the U.S. and is a
significant public health threat (Bakshi, 2003). Allergic reactions in humans occur when a
normally harmless protein enters the body and stimulates an immune response (Bernstein et al.,
2003). If the novel protein in a GM food comes from a source that is know to cause allergies in
humans or a source that has never been consumed as human food, the concern that the protein
could elicit an immune response in humans increases. Although no allergic reactions to GM food
by consumers have been confirmed, in vitro evidence suggesting that some GM products could
cause an allergic reaction has motivated biotechnology companies to discontinue their
development (Bakshi, 2003).
Increased Toxicity
Most plants produce substances that are toxic to humans. Most of the plants that humans
consume produce toxins at levels low enough that they do not produce any adverse health
effects. There is concern that inserting an exotic gene into a plant could cause it to produce
toxins at higher levels that could be dangerous to humans. This could happen through the process
of inserting the gene into the plant. If other genes in the plant become damaged during the
insertion process it could cause the plant to alter its production of toxins. Alternatively, the new
gene could interfere with a metabolic pathway causing a stressed plant to produce more toxins in
response. Although these effects have not been observed in GM plants, they have been observed
through conventional breeding methods creating a safety concern for GM plants. For example,
potatoes conventionally bred for increased diseased resistance have produced higher levels of
glycoalkaloids (GEO-PIE website).
Decreased Nutritional Value
A genetically modified plant could theoretically have lower nutritional quality than its
traditional counterpart by making nutrients unavailable or indigestible to humans. For example,
phytate is a compound common in seeds and grains that binds with minerals and makes them
unavailable to humans. An inserted gene could cause a plant to produce higher levels of phytate

decreasing the mineral nutritional value of the plant (GEO-PIE). Another example comes from a
study showing that a strain of genetically modified soybean produced lower levels of
phytoestrogen compounds, believed to protect against heart disease and cancer, than traditional
soybeans (Bakshi, 2003).

Antibiotic resistance
In recent years health professionals have become alarmed by the increasing number of
bacterial strains that are showing resistance to antibiotics. Bacteria develop resistance to
antibiotics by creating antibiotic resistance genes through natural mutation. Biotechnologists use
antibiotic resistance genes as selectable markers when inserting new genes into plants. In the
early stages of the process scientists do not know if the target plant will incorporate the new gene
into its genome. By attaching the desired gene to an antibiotic resistance gene the new GM plant
can be tested by growing it in a solution containing the corresponding antibiotic. If the plant
survives scientists know that it has taken up the antibiotic resistance gene along with the desired
gene. There is concern that bacteria living in the guts of humans and animals could pick up an
antibiotic resistance gene from a GM plant before the DNA becomes completely digested (GEOPIE website).
It is not clear what sort of risk the possibility of conferring antibiotic resistance to bacteria
presents. No one has ever observed bacteria incorporating new DNA from the digestive system
under controlled laboratory conditions. The two types of antibiotic resistance genes used by
biotechnologists are ones that already exist in bacteria in nature so the process would not
introduce new antibiotic resistance to bacteria. Never the less it is a concern and the FDA is
encouraging biotechnologists to phase out the practice of using antibiotic resistance genes (GEOPIE website).