Seeds of Change

Seeds of Change

Tomatoes tend to freeze at night when it gets too cold and farmers lose a lot of their crop – so, I know – let’s inject them with the DNA from the Arctic Flounder because then they will tolerate the cold. So Monsanto did and their career in Genetically Modified Organisms was born.

 

American Heritage Dictionary defines Genetically Modified Organisms as-
“An organism whose genetic characteristics have been altered by the insertion of a modified gene or a gene from another organism using the techniques of genetic engineering.”

 

The next step for Monsanto, who is the corporate giant behind most of the GMOs, as well as Roundup and Agent Orange, was to figure out a way have higher crop yields for soy, corn, cotton and canola. They took bacteria naturally immune to Roundup (their big pesticide) and mixed it with e coli, but the plant cells rejected the foreign DNA when they tried to put it in the cells. They needed a promoter gene, or a way to get it in the plant nucleus, so they mixed this concoction with another virus called the Cauliflower Mosaic Virus that causes tumors in plants (viruses are great at invading cells). Monsanto also came up with two other ways of injecting the cells: using electricity to blow holes in the cell walls or with a gene gun. The gene gun shoots gold-coated particles in the cell with the DNA altering cocktail.
So now you have a Genetically Modified Seed that is resistant to Herbicides. Actually, only about 80% of the GM Seeds Monsanto makes are resistant to the herbicide, the other 20% are seeds that makes their OWN pesticide. The way to make the seeds that make their own pesticide, is by injecting those plant cells with the bacteria that is lethal to most insects, called Basillius Thuringiensis or BT for short.

 

Sounds like a lot of bacteria and viruses to me. But Monsanto says they are presumably safe. Oh, yeah? Well, I’m kinda uncomfortable with the whole thing and the FDA isn’t exactly making them prove it’s safe. The Weston Price Foundation has this to say about the safety of GMOs:

 

“The only human feeding study on GMOs ever conducted showed that genes “jumped” from GM soy into the DNA of human intestinal bacteria and continued to function. That means that long after you stop eating GM soy, you may still have GM proteins produced continuously inside of you. (What if the pesticide-producing “Bt” gene found in GM corn chips were also to jump? It might transform our intestinal flora into living pesticide factories—possibly for the long term.)

 

  • Most offspring of mother rats fed GM soy died within three weeks (compared to a 10 percent death rate in the non-GM soy group). Similarly, when a lab switched to rat feed with GM soy, most of the offspring at the facility died within two weeks.

 

  • Studies with mice also show reproductive problems. Mice fed GM soy had altered sperm cells and the DNA of their embryos acted differently.

 

  • Hundreds of farm workers complain of allergic reactions when touching GM cotton.

 

  • After sheep grazed on GM cotton plants after harvest, about one in four died; about 10,000 deaths in one region in India.

 

  • Farmers on three continents say their livestock became sterile, sick or died, after eating GM corn varieties.”

And now this from NaturalNews.com:

 

“Scientists have warned that it may take years for transgenes to displace the natural friendly flora in the intestinal tract. The widespread threat is evident as recent research has found 80% of unborn babies tested had Bt toxins in their blood. The bacteria in our intestinal tract could be permanently altered to contain genetically engineered genes designed to produce pesticides. Animal studies have shown that the DNA in the food we eat can travel throughout the body, having an effect on many organ systems and even on an unborn baby. Antibiotic resistant bacteria and destruction of the immune enhancing intestinal flora are just the tip of the iceberg. Despite current research genetically modified crops are increasingly making their way into our food supply. It is critical to join organizations that fight against the genetic engineering of food, or at a minimum lobby for labeling of these foods so that consumers can make educated choices at the grocery store.”

 

So what’s a girl or boy to do? How about –

 

Eating real food that is organic or at least pesticide free. Buy it from the Farmers’ Market where you can have a conversation with the people who actually grow your food!
Avoid processed foods. In particular, eliminate High Fructose Corn Syrup from your diet (be sure to read labels). HFCS appears in everything from sodas to wheat bread.
Buy grass-fed meat. Where do you thing most of this GM corn is going? To the cows and pigs to fatten them up (like it does you). Over 60 percent of genetically modified corn goes to feed cattle.
Buy organic or (better yet raw) dairy products and make sure the animals weren’t given Monsanto’s recombinant bovine growth hormone.
Buy organic cotton when you can. Monsanto is a major player in
the cotton industry. Cotton pesticides, most of which are listed as
“extremely hazardous” by the World Health Organization, turn up
regularly in water sources around the globe.

Read the PLU code on the stickers of produce. The number printed
on the sticker tells you how the fruit or vegetable was grown. By
reading the PLU code, you can tell if the fruit or vegetable was
genetically modified, organically grown or produced with chemical
fertilizers, fungicides, or herbicides.

 

Thanks to Dr. Frank Lipman, here are the basics of what you should know about PLU codes:

 

  1. If there are only four numbers in the PLU, this means that the produce was grown conventionally or “traditionally” with the use of pesticides.The last four letters of the PLU code are simply what kind of vegetable or fruit. An example is that all bananas are labeled with the code of 4011.
  2. If there are five numbers in the PLU code, and the number starts with “8, this tells you that the item is a genetically modified fruit or vegetable.Genetically modified fruits and vegetables trump being organic. So, it is possible to eat organic produce that are grown from genetically modified seeds. A genetically engineered (GE or GMO) banana would be: 84011
  3. If there are five numbers in the PLU code, and the number starts with “9, this tells you that the produce was grown organically and is not genetically modified. An organic banana would be: 94011

 

References:
What is GM Food? The Future of Food, YouTube.com
These recommendations are for the reduction of stress only. They are not intended as treatment or prescription for any disease, or as a substitute for regular medical care.

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