GMO Food Products

LadyRooster

Thank you for posting and trying to raise awareness of the dangers of GMO foods! GMO and even conventionally grown foods, whether some are willing to accept it or not are dangerous and should be avoided whenever possible. Those who are berating you obviously have not done thier research. Organic and unprocessed foods should be consumed whenever humanly possible and as much as can replace all other foods. Can't afford it? Try paying your medical bills for the future health problems that arise by eating chemical laiden crap. A great answer for this is to start your own vegetable garden to lessen your grocery bill. I started a compost pile in the summer of this year to start planting my own vegetables for the summer to come. I'm very excited. Thanks again for posting this topic

rml_16

That's a logical fallacy. Because X is true and you believe Y is true, Y is the same as X so it's true. I can use the same logic by pointing out that it was common knowledge that tomatoes were poisonous. They weren't poisonous so GMO's must be safe.

Then I wasn't very clear, I'm sorry. I wasn't saying smoking was bad therefore genetically modified food is bad. I'm saying even "experts" can be shown to be wrong over time. I'll be surprised if that doesn't happen here.

My mother was born in 1952 and she has told me that even in the 1950s, people were VERY aware cigarettes caused cancer and were unhealthy. I realize the tobacco companies weren't admitting to it, but people knew.

I don't know for sure if GMOs are OK or terrible or somewhere in between. What I do know is our life expectancies are longer than ever and those who actually take care of themselves (move and don't overeat) tend to be healthy. Heck, even slightly overweight, I'm extremely healthy. All my blood work looks great, I feel good, I have energy. Even my doctors are often surprised by my health.

My grandmother, who has eaten the same food I eat for at least the last 36 years turned 97 on Sunday.

Shock_Wave

I know I am much older than most people here so I hope you will bear with me when I say "this reminds me of . . ."

My mother and father, a nurse and a doctor, were lifelong smokers. My father had his first heart attack when he was 35 and continued to smoke. In the late sixties and early seventies people started talking about how smoking was bad for you and no one believed it. Tobacco companies advertised that smoking was healthy, and even health care providers believed this was true. Tobacco companies had very powerful lobby groups spreading misinformation. My father used to say that smoking wasn't bad for you; what WAS bad for you was jogging along the street and inhaling car exhaust. THAT's what would kill a person.

My parents, both healthcare providers, would routinely drive the car with the windows rolled up and myself and my sister in the back, and they would chain smoke. I can't imagine anyone doing that today.

This argument seems very similar to that time. Lots of people were sounding the warning about smoking, and there were a whole lot of people telling them they were wrong.

I really hope people speak out against GMO foods because that will protect all of us, just the way less smokers protects all of us from the effects of second hand smoke.

Exiting soapbox.

Now we have a thing called modern technology that is way further advanced since the 50,60,1970 era.. Light years ahead of those days.. Trying to make colored tvs is not a step for mankind any more with all due respect now its nano technology and cloning to give you an idea.

Mokey41

The only enlightening thing I've gotten out of this whole thread is how ignorant people are about what corn is used for. It's great to grow your own veggies but that isn't saving you from the horrors you perceive GMO corn to be causing. You need to get yourself right off the food grid to avoid it. Raise your own animals for meat, eggs, milk. Make your own cereals, flours, for baked goods. Eat nothing you purchase packaged in a grocery store.

slkehl

The latest I read today: Monsanto has developed a new corn that naturally produces a toxin that causes the stomach's of the insects that eat it to explode. This is supposed to break down by the time it is processed for human consumption but early research on rats has not born out this conclusion.

One of the most basic concepts in nutrition-related research is that you cannot extrapolate your results of other species to humans, unless that animal's metabolism has been genetically modified to mimic that of a human. Rats are far different than humans, and studies using wild type rats are only rudimentary. I'm sure this is hard to understand if you don't have a background in physiology, but humans and animals have VASTLY different pathways by which they utilize nutrients.

Going by your logic, we shouldn't eat chocolate because it can kill dogs and cats!

Lift_hard_eat_big

You are burning the corn when you drive your car. Federally mandated ethanol is made from corn and the politicians are using your money to reward the corn producers by requiring we purchase their less than useless product, which buys them elections in the mid-west. If you really want to punish them, stop driving.

Corn subsidies expired.

acogg

You are burning the corn when you drive your car. Federally mandated ethanol is made from corn and the politicians are using your money to reward the corn producers by requiring we purchase their less than useless product, which buys them elections in the mid-west. If you really want to punish them, stop driving.

Corn subsidies expired.

Ah, but the ethenol maindate remains. How many starving kids in Africa could your idling time in traffic feed? Ain't America great? We allow all intellectual levels.

Lift_hard_eat_big

You are burning the corn when you drive your car. Federally mandated ethanol is made from corn and the politicians are using your money to reward the corn producers by requiring we purchase their less than useless product, which buys them elections in the mid-west. If you really want to punish them, stop driving.

Corn subsidies expired.

Ah, but the ethenol maindate remains. How many starving kids in Africa could your idling time in traffic feed? Ain't America great? We allow all intellectual levels.

I agree, using corn for ethanol production is foolish. There are plenty of other plant alternatives. But there are many other factors causing famines in other countries. Drought is a major issue, in addition to lack of preserving food to withstand transportation. The lack of food processing facilities in many areas is a major reason why people are starving. I've had several professor that have traveled around the Wolrd to teach growing and processing methods. It's sad to know that there is food to feed people, but it spoils before it reaches the table of those only several hundred miles away or there isn't enough to last during the off season.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

I'm no fan of Monsanto, BUT I also suspect GMO crops will be key in the survival of humanity given the havoc we are doing to the climate. If GMO can make a crop resistant to the drought, floods, etc.we humans seem intent on bringing to pass, well... we might have to get off our high horses.

They are messing up the balance in nature. Everything in life has a cycle. Droughts, floods, etc are all part of that NATURAL life cycle. We need things to happen as part of the natural cycle of life.

Humans are trying to be God or Mother Nature and they are ruining everything.

ok then don't drive your car and don't use plastics etc etc..Remember we are consumers and eventually one day the earth will run out of resources.. Some day. What happens when the sun burns out then we are all doomed then too ahhhhhh. But before that all happens are you are suggesting that GMO is going to destroy nature and natural life as we know it.. Evolution is REAL.. run for your lifes!!

And stop going to the tanning bed.

I think it's kind of funny that to justify sitting in a tanning bed, which produces known carcinogens and most definitely without doubt causes cancer, you tell us that the dangers of tanning beds aren't what we've been led to believe, but you rail against something that has not yet been proven to cause disease.

Make up your mind.

It is easy for you to regurigate information that the media spouts. However, studies show that OVERUSE and ABUSE are what makes tanning beds dangerous and makes people more prone to developing skin cancer as is the same with sun exposure..........it is the OVEREXPOSURE that causes the damage.

A few minutes a couple times a week is not enough to cause any damage, especially when it is only for the winter months. I am NOT an avid tanner and looking at me I have no tan.

There are some studies being conducted regarding this and this treatment is far more effective than taking some anti-depressant.

Mental health, Seasonal Affective Disorder, osteoporosis greatly improved by exposure to natural sunlight, vitamin D supplements



The following is part five of an eight-part interview with Dr. Michael Holick, author of "The UV advantage" and one of the world's most respected authorities on vitamin D and the health benefits of natural sunlight. His work can be found at www.UVadvantage.com. Be sure to print out the vitamin D myths, facts and statistics page summarizing the key points of this interview.
Adams: Let's move on to discuss some of the other disorders or diseases that are correlated with vitamin D deficiency. Let's talk about mental health and Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Dr. Holick: Principally, Seasonal Affective Disorder is due to the fact that people who live in northern climates can't easily regulate the production of melatonin by the pineal gland. And melatonin is a hormone that causes you to fall asleep basically, or to hibernate. And so for many people that live in northern latitudes, the sun's rays are not intense enough and long enough in exposure time to regulate melatonin levels. So people will wake up in the morning in winter time, their melatonin levels are not suppressed as they should be if you're exposed to some bright sunlight, and as a result they feel tired and they want to hibernate throughout the winter. They get depressed.

There is one study, however, that looked at patients with seasonal affective disorder and looked at exposing them to a tanning bed, and looking at their vitamin D levels, and they could show a direct benefit from increasing blood levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D and relief of symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. We also know that people during the winter time have aches and pains in their bones and muscles, and it also makes them depressed. And we now recognize that vitamin D is very important for muscle function, and that people who are vitamin D deficient are prone to have muscle weakness, they're more likely to fall and they're more likely to have bone fractures. We also know that if you're vitamin D deficient, not only does it precipitate and exacerbate osteoporosis in older men and women, but it causes a very subtle and quite devastating bone disease known as osteomalatia. Long story short, osteomalatia is like adult rickets. And what it does is it causes severe bone discomfort, achiness in the bones and also in the muscles. And these patients are often misdiagnosed as having fibromyalgia.

Adams: Yes, that makes sense.

Dr. Holick: There was a study done in Minnesota by Dr Plotnikoff and what he showed was that, he looked at over 150 individuals. And we're talking about children ages 10+ and adults up to the age of 65, presenting at a Minnesota hospital in the wintertime, complaining of muscle aches and pains and bone pain. Many of these, especially young women in their 20s, were given Motrin or some type of over the counter drug, or even a prescription strength anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs) because the doctors couldn't figure out what was going on. 93% of that entire group of children and adults complaining of bone pain or muscle pain were vitamin D deficient.

Adams: Wow.

Dr. Holick: And none of the doctors at the time recognized the signs and symptoms or worked these people up for vitamin D deficiency, or treated them appropriately.

Adams: What a tragic failure of diagnosis and treatment.

Dr. Holick: I see this all the time in my clinic. I see women as well as men coming in complaining of severe achiness in their bones and muscles. A complete work up, sometimes thousands of dollars are spent, to do all kinds of tests, not to find the cause, only to be seen by me, only to find that they're vitamin D deficient. As I explained, it takes months, it takes years to become vitamin D deficient, and to have such problems with your bones and muscles, and it takes months at least if not up to a year of intensive vitamin D treatment and sunlight exposure in order to reverse that effect.

Adams: That's an important bit of information: you're saying months to years to reverse the deficiency?

Dr. Holick: Right, but what I also tell my patients is that they'll begin to feel better after a month or two, but it's not something that's going to happen overnight. And I have one particular case of a woman who was hospitalized, totally immobile and was just complaining of global bone pain and muscle aches and weakness ... she couldn't even get out of bed! And her doctors didn't know what to do with her. She basically was admitted to the hospital to die. And I happened to see her because I was on call for that weekend, and I instantly recognized it -- she was African American, she was not outside at all. I was convinced based on my physical exam. Typically what I like to do is if you take your forefinger and press on the breastbone a little bit, if the patient winces in pain, it's consistent with osteomalatia. And that's exactly what she did. She was excruciatingly uncomfortable with minimum touching of her sternum. I was convinced that she had osteomalatia. And I told her, I want you out of the hospital. I'm giving you vitamin D, and I'm telling you to go out and be exposed to some sunlight, and you're going to start feeling better in a month or two. Hopefully you'll get in your wheelchair, and then eventually you'll be able to walk within six months. And then sure enough, I just saw her in clinic this past Monday, and she now is up and walking around, using a walker. Really almost for the first time in half a dozen years.

Adams: Fascinating. How many other people are in nursing homes and hospitals right now suffering from nothing more complicated than this deficiency?

Dr. Holick: I saw another case in my clinic on Monday, which was absolutely shocking, which again shows how pervasive this concept is that the American Academy of Dermatology has provided to the media. I saw a 45 year old woman who brought in her 7 year old son, and her son had severe rickets. She's Caucasian, as is her son and the father. And she was told, because she was older when she had her first pregnancy that she was at very high risk of having a potential problem, that she should never be exposed to any sunlight.

Adams: Unbelievable!

Dr. Holick: And so she followed her physician's advice. And then she was told that when she gives birth, that she should solely breastfeed her infant, and that the infant should not receive any extra outside nutrition or supplements. And she followed the physician's advice.

Adams: And passed on the vitamin D deficiency.

Dr. Holick: By this age, the child had severe bowing of the legs, and that's severe rickets.

Adams: Fascinating. And it seems like, well, what do you estimate -- how many people are in nursing homes and hospitals right now with this condition, and those buildings are typically windowless...

Dr. Holick: Doesn't matter actually, because vitamin D rays are absorbed by the glass, so even if you're exposed to sunlight through glass, you can't make any vitamin D.

Adams: And that's all glass?

Dr. Holick: All glass. And so if you're driving in the car all the time, it's not going to do you any good. But the bottom line is this -- a study was done in Mass General Hospital. They found over 50% of inpatients - these are young adults, and middle aged, and older adults - were vitamin D deficient. Typically, on average, probably 50-80% of nursing home residents, 50-60% of inpatient hospital patients, and on average I would estimate, 40% of the population in the United States at large, if they're not getting some sensible sun exposure, are probably deficient in vitamin D.

ArroganceInStep

It is easy for you to regurigate information that the media spouts. However, studies show that OVERUSE and ABUSE are what makes tanning beds dangerous and makes people more prone to developing skin cancer as is the same with sun exposure..........it is the OVEREXPOSURE that causes the damage.

A few minutes a couple times a week is not enough to cause any damage, especially when it is only for the winter months. I am NOT an avid tanner and looking at me I have no tan.

There are some studies being conducted regarding this and this treatment is far more effective than taking some anti-depressant.

So studies showing that small doses of your vice are completely true and accurate...but studies showing that GMO's are safe are the debil?

testease

im going to go out on a limb and say it is not GMO's ruining your health but the fact you are eating way to much thats ruining your health.

rml_16

It is easy for you to regurigate information that the media spouts. However, studies show that OVERUSE and ABUSE are what makes tanning beds dangerous and makes people more prone to developing skin cancer as is the same with sun exposure..........it is the OVEREXPOSURE that causes the damage.

A few minutes a couple times a week is not enough to cause any damage, especially when it is only for the winter months. I am NOT an avid tanner and looking at me I have no tan.

There are some studies being conducted regarding this and this treatment is far more effective than taking some anti-depressant.

So studies showing that small doses of your vice are completely true and accurate...but studies showing that GMO's are safe are the debil?

Exactly!

monicalosesweight

Personally, I plan on boycotting as many products as I can find that are GMO and I buy my corn ONLY from companies that refuse to carry it. I also write to businesses and indicate this is my choice.

You do realize we're talking about corn in general not the couple of cobs of sweet corn you buy for your Sunday BBQ? The billions of tons used for animal feed, sweeteners, cereal, pet food (oh no, they got Fluffy too!), thickeners, oils, etc not just the bit you buy fresh? As far as I know there's only one sweet corn that is BT registered at this time.

Yes. I do know what you're talking about and I also disagree with using GMO corn for ANY reason. I don't like it fed to animals and I don't want it in my food supply. I feel we are taking unnecessary risks with our food supplies and tampering with foods through DNA is a huge mistake. It's too easy to create a disaster. It's bad enough that we outlawed certain pesticides in this country and than we allowed the same sales of these products overseas so that South American countries can use them to raise crops which we in turn will eat. Rediculous. If we outlaw it here, we should not allow it to be sold elsewhere.

monicalosesweight

Considering GMO crops are actually illegal to grow in many countries including most of the EU and France where they are also investigating placing a ban on GMO imports I will take the 3rd party not tied financially to Monsanto research over the stuff that comes from the US - sorry but the US economy is too tied to big corporations to be trusted..

Don't people wonder why most of Europe has banned GMO, let me guess they are ALL crazy? I think not.

There are a lot of things we do in this country and we are super slooooooow in dealing with them. For example, we've been waiting for an eternity (hyperbole) for the FDA to FINALLY come up with gluten free standards. Europe has had them for years. We, we are still discussing and arguing over it.

Monica

Here's something interesting...apparently the World Bank is thinking of giving them a bailout. If a company can't sustain itself, they really shouldn't be giving them money.

http://www.naturalindependent.com/archives/9838/monsanto-on-verge-of-40-million-gmo-bailout-in-europe-report/

ArroganceInStep

There are a lot of things we do in this country and we are super slooooooow in dealing with them. For example, we've been waiting for an eternity (hyperbole) for the FDA to FINALLY come up with gluten free standards. Europe has had them for years. We, we are still discussing and arguing over it.

Monica

Here's something interesting...apparently the World Bank is thinking of giving them a bailout. If a company can't sustain itself, they really shouldn't be giving them money.

http://www.naturalindependent.com/archives/9838/monsanto-on-verge-of-40-million-gmo-bailout-in-europe-report/

Did you read the article? It's not saying what you think it is.

Also the french study showing signs of cancer was widely criticized because it followed terrible practice and was clearly a biased effort.

http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/19/six-french-science-academies-dismiss-study-finding-gm-corn-harmed-rats/

DonniesGirl69

This isn't new information, but........

Monsanto is the devil.
That's all.....

Shock_Wave

This isn't new information, but........

Monsanto is the devil.
That's all.....

LOL @ Monsanto is the devil...:devil: The book of revelations is here aaahhhhhh... haha. Monsanto will take over the world food supply and you will not be able to buy food if it isn't GMO. If you are anti-GMO you will be kicked out of society and forced to live on the land and in order to live in society you will have to be identified by putting the number 666 on your hands or face..


LMAO..:laugh: I should be careful joking as such because some people are really loony tunes and might actually agree with me..

monicalosesweight

There are a lot of things we do in this country and we are super slooooooow in dealing with them. For example, we've been waiting for an eternity (hyperbole) for the FDA to FINALLY come up with gluten free standards. Europe has had them for years. We, we are still discussing and arguing over it.

Monica

Here's something interesting...apparently the World Bank is thinking of giving them a bailout. If a company can't sustain itself, they really shouldn't be giving them money.

http://www.naturalindependent.com/archives/9838/monsanto-on-verge-of-40-million-gmo-bailout-in-europe-report/

Did you read the article? It's not saying what you think it is.

Also the french study showing signs of cancer was widely criticized because it followed terrible practice and was clearly a biased effort.

http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/19/six-french-science-academies-dismiss-study-finding-gm-corn-harmed-rats/

It indicates that people couldn't afford to pay for the seed so they are getting money - nowhere did I see that the money was going to the farmers. It specifies that it goes to Monsanto which means it's a company getting propped up by funds due to monies they lost. That's what I read about.

Also, it's definitely possible the study wasn't done right, but that doesn't mean the studies exist proving it's a 'safe' product. Also, I don't like the fact that they can sue you if your field is accidentally infected by their crop. There should be laws, just like the ones that say if something appears at your door, it's yours to keep. Basically, cross pollination by error should not allow them to go after a farmer. They have way too much power at this point what with the way the laws are written. I suspect these practices are some of the main reasons they are getting kicked out of countries.

ArroganceInStep

It indicates that people couldn't afford to pay for the seed so they are getting money - nowhere did I see that the money was going to the farmers. It specifies that it goes to Monsanto which means it's a company getting propped up by funds due to monies they lost. That's what I read about.

Also, it's definitely possible the study wasn't done right, but that doesn't mean the studies exist proving it's a 'safe' product. Also, I don't like the fact that they can sue you if your field is accidentally infected by their crop. There should be laws, just like the ones that say if something appears at your door, it's yours to keep. Basically, cross pollination by error should not allow them to go after a farmer. They have way too much power at this point what with the way the laws are written. I suspect these practices are some of the main reasons they are getting kicked out of countries.

So Monsato's customers who had made legal commitments to purchase product and can not afford to honor said commitments are having their contracts honored by the government, and that's a bailout of Monsanto? I can certainly understand not liking the company, but that news article and others like it jumped to using the term bailout because it has such a negative connotation right now. By that logic, ANY company that does business with customers receiving government aid is getting a bailout. If anything it's the farmers who are getting a bailout, but that doesn't make as catchy of a news headline.

monicalosesweight

It indicates that people couldn't afford to pay for the seed so they are getting money - nowhere did I see that the money was going to the farmers. It specifies that it goes to Monsanto which means it's a company getting propped up by funds due to monies they lost. That's what I read about.

Also, it's definitely possible the study wasn't done right, but that doesn't mean the studies exist proving it's a 'safe' product. Also, I don't like the fact that they can sue you if your field is accidentally infected by their crop. There should be laws, just like the ones that say if something appears at your door, it's yours to keep. Basically, cross pollination by error should not allow them to go after a farmer. They have way too much power at this point what with the way the laws are written. I suspect these practices are some of the main reasons they are getting kicked out of countries.

So Monsato's customers who had made legal commitments to purchase product and can not afford to honor said commitments are having their contracts honored by the government, and that's a bailout of Monsanto? I can certainly understand not liking the company, but that news article and others like it jumped to using the term bailout because it has such a negative connotation right now. By that logic, ANY company that does business with customers receiving government aid is getting a bailout. If anything it's the farmers who are getting a bailout, but that doesn't make as catchy of a news headline.

First of all, it's not our government - it's the World Bank. I think if a company chooses to do business in an unstable area, that's a risk they've chosen to take. For example, as a business person, the last place on earth I would establish a business is Venezuela. Why? Well, there's a dictator there that arbitrarily has a habit of nationalizing businesses and taking them away from foreign nationals. Basically, there's a cost to doing business. Considering your attitude, you MUST work for someone associated with them OR you're using their products to grow crops. No one get's that defensive unless something is up.

I'd like to see Monsanto held responsible for contaminating the crops of other farmers - not the other way around.

I just don't like any sort of monopoly and if you read about their practices and how it's affected poor farmers around the world you'd probably dislike them too.

Monica