Doctors Warn: Avoid Genetically Modified Food

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Doctors Warn: Avoid Genetically Modified Food

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By Jeffrey M. Smith

On May 19th, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) called

on “Physicians to educate their patients, the medical community, and the

public to avoid GM (genetically modified) foods when possible and provide

educational materials concerning GM foods and health risks.â€[1] They called

for a moratorium on GM foods, long-term independent studies, and labeling.

AAEM’s position paper stated, “Several animal studies indicate serious

health risks associated with GM food,†including infertility, immune

problems,

accelerated aging, insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the

gastrointestinal system. They conclude, “There is more than a casual

association between GM foods and adverse health effects. There is causation,â€

as

defined by recognized scientific criteria. “The strength of association and

consistency between GM foods and disease is confirmed in several animal

studies.â€

More and more doctors are already prescribing GM-free diets. Dr. Amy Dean,

a Michigan internal medicine specialist, and board member of AAEM says, “I

strongly recommend patients eat strictly non-genetically modified foods.â€

Ohio allergist Dr. John Boyles says “I used to test for soy allergies all

the time, but now that soy is genetically engineered, it is so dangerous

that I tell people never to eat it.â€

Dr. Jennifer Armstrong, President of AAEM, says, “Physicians are probably

seeing the effects in their patients, but need to know how to ask the right

questions.†World renowned biologist Pushpa M. Bhargava goes one step

further. After reviewing more than 600 scientific journals, he concludes that

genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are a major contributor to the sharply

deteriorating health of Americans.

Pregnant women and babies at great risk

Among the population, biologist David Schubert of the Salk Institute warns

that “children are the most likely to be adversely effected by toxins and

other dietary problems†related to GM foods. He says without adequate

studies, the children become “the experimental animals.â€[2]

The experience of actual GM-fed experimental animals is scary. When GM soy

was fed to female rats, most of their babies died within three weeks—

compared to a 10% death rate among the control group fed natural soy.[3] The

GM-fed babies were also smaller, and later had problems getting pregnant.[4]

When male rats were fed GM soy, their testicles actually changed color—

from the normal pink to dark blue.[5] Mice fed GM soy had altered young

sperm.[6] Even the embryos of GM fed parent mice had significant changes in

their DNA.[7] Mice fed GM corn in an Austrian government study had fewer

babies, which were also smaller than normal.[8]

Reproductive problems also plague livestock. Investigations in the state

of Haryana, India revealed that most buffalo that ate GM cottonseed had

complications such as premature deliveries, abortions, infertility, and

prolapsed uteruses. Many calves died. In the US, about two dozen farmers

reported

thousands of pigs became sterile after consuming certain GM corn varieties.

Some had false pregnancies; others gave birth to bags of water. Cows and

bulls also became infertile when fed the same corn.[9]

In the US population, the incidence of low birth weight babies,

infertility, and infant mortality are all escalating.

Food designed to produce toxin

GM corn and cotton are engineered to produce their own built-in pesticide

in every cell. When bugs bite the plant, the poison splits open their

stomach and kills them. Biotech companies claim that the pesticide, called

Bt—

produced from soil bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis—has a history of safe use,

since organic farmers and others use Bt bacteria spray for natural insect

control. Genetic engineers insert Bt genes into corn and cotton, so the

plants do the killing.

The Bt-toxin produced in GM plants, however, is thousands of times more

concentrated than natural Bt spray, is designed to be more toxic,[10] has

properties of an allergen, and unlike the spray, cannot be washed off the

plant.

Moreover, studies confirm that even the less toxic natural bacterial spray

is harmful. When dispersed by plane to kill gypsy moths in the Pacific

Northwest, about 500 people reported allergy or flu-like symptoms. Some had to

go to the emergency room.[11],[12]

The exact same symptoms are now being reported by farm workers throughout

India, from handling Bt cotton.[13] In 2008, based on medical records, the

Sunday India reported, “Victims of itching have increased massively this

year . . . related to BT cotton farming.â€[14]

GMOs provoke immune reactions

AAEM states, “Multiple animal studies show significant immune

dysregulation,†including increase in cytokines, which are “associated with

asthma,

allergy, and inflammationâ€â€”all on the rise in the US.

According to GM food safety expert Dr. Arpad Pusztai, changes in the

immune status of GM animals are “a consistent feature of all the

studies.â€[15]

Even Monsanto’s own research showed significant immune system changes in

rats fed Bt corn.[16] A November 2008 by the Italian government also found

that mice have an immune reaction to Bt corn.[17]

GM soy and corn each contain two new proteins with allergenic

properties,[18] GM soy has up to seven times more trypsin inhibitor—a known

soy

allergen,[19] and skin prick tests show some people react to GM, but not to

non-GM

soy.[20] Soon after GM soy was introduced to the UK, soy allergies

skyrocketed by 50%. Perhaps the US epidemic of food allergies and asthma is a

casualty of genetic manipulation.

Animals dying in large numbers

In India, animals graze on cotton plants after harvest. But when shepherds

let sheep graze on Bt cotton plants, thousands died. Post mortems showed

severe irritation and black patches in both intestines and liver (as well as

enlarged bile ducts). Investigators said preliminary evidence “strongly

suggests that the sheep mortality was due to a toxin. . . . most probably

Bt-toxin.â€[21] In a small follow-up feeding study by the Deccan Development

Society, all sheep fed Bt cotton plants died within 30 days; those that

grazed on natural cotton plants remained healthy.

In a small village in Andhra Pradesh, buffalo grazed on cotton plants for

eight years without incident. On January 3rd, 2008, the buffalo grazed on

Bt cotton plants for the first time. All 13 were sick the next day; all died

within 3 days.[22]

Bt corn was also implicated in the deaths of cows in Germany, and horses,

water buffaloes, and chickens in The Philippines.[23]

In lab studies, twice the number of chickens fed Liberty Link corn died; 7

of 20 rats fed a GM tomato developed bleeding stomachs; another 7 of 40

died within two weeks.[24] Monsanto’s own study showed evidence of poisoning

in major organs of rats fed Bt corn, according to top French toxicologist

G. E. Seralini.[25]

Worst finding of all—GMOs remain inside of us

The only published human feeding study revealed what may be the most

dangerous problem from GM foods. The gene inserted into GM soy transfers into

the DNA of bacteria living inside our intestines and continues to

function.[26] This means that long after we stop eating GMOs, we may still have

potentially harmful GM proteins produced continuously inside of us. Put more

plainly, eating a corn chip produced from Bt corn might transform our

intestinal bacteria into living pesticide factories, possibly for the rest of

our

lives.

When evidence of gene transfer is reported at medical conferences around

the US, doctors often respond by citing the huge increase of

gastrointestinal problems among their patients over the last decade. GM foods

might be

colonizing the gut flora of North Americans.

Warnings by government scientists ignored and denied

Scientists at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had warned about all

these problems even in the early 1990s. According to documents released

from a lawsuit, the scientific consensus at the agency was that GM foods were

inherently dangerous, and might create hard-to-detect allergies, poisons,

gene transfer to gut bacteria, new diseases, and nutritional problems. They

urged their superiors to require rigorous long-term tests.[27] But the

White House had ordered the agency to promote biotechnology and the FDA

responded by recruiting Michael Taylor, Monsanto’s former attorney, to head

up the

formation of GMO policy. That policy, which is in effect today, denies

knowledge of scientists’ concerns and declares that no safety studies on GMOs

are required. It is up to Monsanto and the other biotech companies to

determine if their foods are safe. Mr. Taylor later became Monsanto’s vice

president.

Dangerously few studies, untraceable diseases

AAEM states, “GM foods have not been properly tested†and “pose a serious

health risk.†Not a single human clinical trial on GMOs has been

published. A 2007 review of published scientific literature on the “potential

toxic

effects/health risks of GM plants†revealed “that experimental data are

very scarce.†The author concludes his review by asking, “Where is the

scientific evidence showing that GM plants/food are toxicologically safe, as

assumed by the biotechnology companies?â€[28]

Famed Canadian geneticist David Suzuki answers, “The experiments simply

haven’t been done and we now have become the guinea pigs.†He adds,

“Anyone

that says, ‘Oh, we know that this is perfectly safe,’ I say is either

unbelievably stupid or deliberately lying.â€[29]

Dr. Schubert points out, “If there are problems, we will probably never

know because the cause will not be traceable and many diseases take a very

long time to develop.†If GMOs happen to cause immediate and acute symptoms

with a unique signature, perhaps then we might have a chance to trace the

cause.

This is precisely what happened during a US epidemic in the late 1980s.

The disease was fast acting, deadly, and caused a unique measurable change in

the blood—but it still took more than four years to identify that an

epidemic was even occurring. By then it had killed about 100 Americans and

caused 5,000-10,000 people to fall sick or become permanently disabled. It was

caused by a genetically engineered brand of a food supplement called

L-tryptophan.

If other GM foods are contributing to the rise of autism, obesity,

diabetes, asthma, cancer, heart disease, allergies, reproductive problems, or

any

other common health problem now plaguing Americans, we may never know. In

fact, since animals fed GMOs had such a wide variety of problems,

susceptible people may react to GM food with multiple symptoms. It is therefore

telling that in the first nine years after the large scale introduction of GM

crops in 1996, the incidence of people with three or more chronic diseases

nearly doubled, from 7% to 13%.[30]

To help identify if GMOs are causing harm, the AAEM asks their “members,

the medical community, and the independent scientific community to gather

case studies potentially related to GM food consumption and health effects,

begin epidemiological research to investigate the role of GM foods on human

health, and conduct safe methods of determining the effect of GM foods on

human health.â€

Citizens need not wait for the results before taking the doctors advice to

avoid GM foods. People can stay away from anything with soy or corn

derivatives, cottonseed and canola oil, and sugar from GM sugar beets—unless

it

says organic or “non-GMO.†There is a pocket _Non-GMO Shopping Guide_

(http://www.responsibletechnology.org/GMFree/Non-GMOShopping/index.cfm)

_http://www.responsibletechnology.org/GMFree/Non-GMOShopping/index.cfm_

(http://www.responsibletechnology.org/GMFree/Non-GMOShopping/index.cfm) ,

co-produced by the Institute for Responsible Technology and the Center for

Food Safety, which is available as a download, as well as in natural food

stores and in many doctors’ offices.

 

If even a small percentage of people choose non-GMO brands, the food

industry will likely respond as they did in Europe—by removing all GM

ingredients. Thus, AAEM’s non-GMO prescription may be a watershed for the US

food

supply.

 

International bestselling author and independent filmmaker Jeffrey M.

Smith is the Executive Director of the Institute for Responsible Technology and

the leading spokesperson on the health dangers of GMOs. His first book,

Seeds of Deception is the world’s bestselling book on the subject. His

second, Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically

Engineered

Foods, identifies 65 risks of GMOs and demonstrates how superficial

government approvals are not competent to find most of them. He invited the

biotech industry to respond in writing with evidence to counter each risk, but

correctly predicted that they would refuse, since they don’t have the data to

show that their products are safe.

 

 

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[1] http://www.aaemonline.org/gmopost.html

 

[2] David Schubert, personal communication to H. Penfound, Greenpeace

Canada, October 25, 2002.

 

[3] Irina Ermakova, “Genetically modified soy leads to the decrease of

weight and high mortality of rat pups of the first generation. Preliminary

studies,†Ecosinform 1 (2006): 4–9.

 

[4] Irina Ermakova, “Experimental Evidence of GMO Hazards,†Presentation

at Scientists for a GM Free Europe, EU Parliament, Brussels, June 12, 2007

 

[5] Irina Ermakova, “Experimental Evidence of GMO Hazards,†Presentation

at Scientists for a GM Free Europe, EU Parliament, Brussels, June 12, 2007

 

 

[6] L. Vecchio et al, “Ultrastructural Analysis of Testes from Mice Fed on

Genetically Modified Soybean,†European Journal of Histochemistry 48, no.

4 (Oct–Dec 2004):449–454.

 

[7] Oliveri et al., “Temporary Depression of Transcription in Mouse

Pre-implantion Embryos from Mice Fed on Genetically Modified Soybean,†48th

Symposium of the Society for Histochemistry, Lake Maggiore (Italy), September

7–

10, 2006.

 

[8] Alberta Velimirov and Claudia Binter, “Biological effects of

transgenic maize NK603xMON810 fed in long term reproduction studies in mice,â€

Forschungsberichte der Sektion IV, Band 3/2008

 

[9] Jerry Rosman, personal communication, 2006

 

[10] See for example, A. Dutton, H. Klein, J. Romeis, and F. Bigler, “

Uptake of Bt-toxin by herbivores feeding on transgenic maize and consequences

for the predator Chrysoperia carnea,†Ecological Entomology 27 (2002): 441–

7; and J. Romeis, A. Dutton, and F. Bigler, “Bacillus thuringiensis toxin

(Cry1Ab) has no direct effect on larvae of the green lacewing Chrysoperla

carnea (Stephens) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae),†Journal of Insect Physiology

50, no. 2–3 (2004): 175–183.

 

[11] Washington State Department of Health, “Report of health surveillance

activities: Asian gypsy moth control program,†(Olympia, WA: Washington

State Dept. of Health, 1993).

 

[12] M. Green, et al., “Public health implications of the microbial

pesticide Bacillus thuringiensis: An epidemiological study, Oregon, 1985-86,â€

Amer. J. Public Health 80, no. 7(1990): 848–852.

 

[13] Ashish Gupta et. al., “Impact of Bt Cotton on Farmers’ Health (in

Barwani and Dhar District of Madhya Pradesh),†Investigation Report,

Oct–Dec

2005.

 

[14] Sunday India, October, 26, 2008

 

[15] October 24, 2005 correspondence between Arpad Pusztai and Brian John

 

[16] John M. Burns, “13-Week Dietary Subchronic Comparison Study with MON

863 Corn in Rats Preceded by a 1-Week Baseline Food Consumption

Determination with PMI Certified Rodent Diet #5002,†December 17, 2002

_http://www_

(http://www/) .

monsanto.com/monsanto/content/sci_tech/prod_safety/fullratstudy.pdf

 

[17] Alberto Finamore, et al, “Intestinal and Peripheral Immune Response

to MON810 Maize Ingestion in Weaning and Old Mice,†J. Agric. Food Chem.,

2008, 56 (23), pp 11533–11539, November 14, 2008

 

[18] See L Zolla, et al, “Proteomics as a complementary tool for

identifying unintended side effects occurring in transgenic maize seeds as a

result

of genetic modifications,†J Proteome Res. 2008 May;7(5):1850-61; Hye-Yung

Yum, Soo-Young Lee, Kyung-Eun Lee, Myung-Hyun Sohn, Kyu-Earn Kim, “

Genetically Modified and Wild Soybeans: An immunologic comparison,†Allergy

and

Asthma Proceedings 26, no. 3 (May–June 2005): 210-216(7); and Gendel, “The

use of amino acid sequence alignments to assess potential allergenicity of

proteins used in genetically modified foods,†Advances in Food and Nutrition

Research 42 (1998), 45–62.

 

[19] A. Pusztai and S. Bardocz, “GMO in animal nutrition: potential

benefits and risks,†Chapter 17, Biology of Nutrition in Growing Animals, R.

Mosenthin, J. Zentek and T. Zebrowska (Eds.) Elsevier, October 2005

 

[20] Hye-Yung Yum, Soo-Young Lee, Kyung-Eun Lee, Myung-Hyun Sohn, Kyu-Earn

Kim, “Genetically Modified and Wild Soybeans: An immunologic comparison,â€

Allergy and Asthma Proceedings 26, no. 3 (May–June 2005): 210-216(7).

 

[21] “Mortality in Sheep Flocks after Grazing on Bt Cotton Fields—

Warangal District, Andhra Pradesh†Report of the Preliminary Assessment,

April

2006, http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp

 

[22] Personal communication and visit, January 2009.

 

[23] Jeffrey M. Smith, Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of

Genetically Engineered Foods, Yes! Books, Fairfield, IA USA 2007

 

[24] Arpad Pusztai, “Can Science Give Us the Tools for Recognizing

Possible Health Risks for GM Food?†Nutrition and Health 16 (2002): 73–84.

 

[25] Stéphane Foucart, “Controversy Surrounds a GMO,†Le Monde, 14

December 2004; referencing, John M. Burns, “13-Week Dietary Subchronic

Comparison

Study with MON 863 Corn in Rats Preceded by a 1-Week Baseline Food

Consumption Determination with PMI Certified Rodent Diet #5002,†December 17,

2002

http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/content/sci_tech/prod_safety/fullratstudy.p

df

 

[26] Netherwood et al, “Assessing the survival of transgenic plant DNA in

the human gastrointestinal tract,†Nature Biotechnology 22 (2004): 2.

 

[27] See memos at _www.biointegrity.org_ (http://www.biointegrity.org/)

 

[28] José Domingo, “Toxicity Studies of Genetically Modified Plants : A

Review of the Published Literature,†Critical reviews in food science and

nutrition, 2007, vol. 47, no8, pp. 721-733

 

[29] Angela Hall, “Suzuki warns against hastily accepting GMOsâ€, The

Leader-Post (Canada), 26 April 2005.

 

[30] Kathryn Anne Paez, et al, “Rising Out-Of-Pocket Spending For Chronic

Conditions: A Ten-Year Trend,†Health Affairs, 28, no. 1 (2009): 15-25

 

 

 

 

 

 

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