June 20, 2013

Genetically Modified Organisms

Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) food is a hot topic in today’s world. GMO refers to any food product that has been altered at the gene level. GMO foods are often described with terms such as “genetically engineered”, “genetically altered”, or “genetically manipulated.”

The big corporate giants who engineer these seeds and foods say they are exactly like regular seeds and food. Nothing could be farther from the truth. They rationalize that hybridization of plants has been going on for centuries. They say they are just using higher technology to achieve the same thing faster. That argument is completely flawed, as the two techniques are vastly different and do not produce the same results.

In normal breeding of plants or animals, you can never go outside of that species. For example, you can’t breed a plant with an insect. By definition, when you’re doing normal genetic manipulation using breeding methods, it’s all going to be done within the normal, natural restrictions of reproductive abilities of organisms.

With modern genetic engineering techniques, they are mixing genetic material (DNA), from entirely different kingdoms of organisms. There is absolutely nothing natural about it. The final result of cross species is unnatural. To do this, genetic material must be blasted into the genetic material of the base organism being altered with a high powered gun; simplistically speaking.

The worst part of GMO end products is that they all react so differently when subjected to real life situations. There are very specific mechanisms completely individual to that particular new end product.
Take, for instance, genetically modified Bt plants. With these seeds, a specific single toxin protein has been separated from the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis, and is placed into the genetic material of the corn, wheat, soybeans or potatoes.

Dr. Elaine Ingham is an international expert researcher of the benefits of sustainable soil science. Her research has shown that Roundup Ready plants have dramatically increased the amount of glyphosate used. This helps those selling glyphosate, but because glyphosate reduces beneficial organisms in the soil and feeds unwanted organisms that take nutrients from plants, more fertilizer is needed to keep plants alive. Talk about a vicious cycle!

According to Dr. Ingham, there is no such thing as a safe GMO. It appears geneticists have no understanding of what they are doing to the system as a whole. They believe they can tinker with simple seeds without any consequences. That is the definition of a fool.

Not only are these scientists harming the natural plant kingdom, but their GM products being fed to animals and people are physically harming them, too.

A recent study led by Dr. Judy Carman shows that pigs fed GM soy and corn showed a 267% increase in severe stomach inflammation. In males, the increase was 400%. (Just for the record, most autistic children are males, and nearly all of them have severe intestinal inflammation.) Doesn’t that sound just like the major reason vaccines can cause autism, too. They also affect the gut and gut function leading to inflammation and disease.

Anyway, back to GMO’s. This is the first study to show what appears to be a direct connection between ingestion of GMO animal feed and measurable damage to the stomachs of animals. Since this is the first study to show this inflammation, it begs one question. Why weren’t these studies done before being unleashed into our food supply?

Natural News.com’s Mike Adams says this: “The GMO biotech industry was able to escape meaningful regulation of GMO’s in the United States by claiming GMO’s were substantially no different from non-genetically engineered crops…and the USDA bought!”

“So, how did Monsanto patent its GM corn, then? You’re not supposed to be able to patent something unless it is uniquely different. Thus, the very fact that Monsanto has acquired patents on its GMO crop varieties is proof that the company itself believes its seeds are different.”

“And what is different about Monsanto’s corn? It produces a deadly insecticide grown right into every kernel. That insecticide, of course, is what kills insects that try to eat the crop. And how does it kill those insects? It fatally damages their digestive systems. That same insecticide stays inside the corn even as the crop is turned into animal feed …or corn chip snacks, or flaked corn breakfast cereal.”

Call me nuts and listen to the propagandist manufacturers of this poison if you want, but as for me and my house, GMO’s will be avoided at all costs. The only problem in trying to avoid these products is that most are not labeled as containing GMO’s, as of yet. Many breakfast cereals contain unlabeled GMO grains, and much of the meat you buy in the grocery stores are fed GMO grains.  These are reasons to buy organically labeled products, and to buy grass fed beef, chicken, and other meats from known suppliers, locally.  Join the fight to label GMO’s whenever you can.  Your good health depends on it.