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| Image via prevention.com |
Welcome to Part 4 of our "Understanding GMOs" Series. So far we've discussed what GMOs are, how they are created, why they were created in the first place, where they are in our food supply, and how they are related to disease (so nothing all that much, really... wink, wink). The next few weeks are going to blow your mind so buckle up, baby! You are in for a ride!
Ok, these past few weeks have been a bit unsettling, and now I'm getting a little disturbed by this whole GMO story. Tell me about Insect Resistant (IR) GMOs.
Crops that are engineered to be insect resistant have
sections of DNA from a bacteria called Bacillus
thuringiensis (Bt) inserted into the DNA of plant cells. This line of
bacteria (which has thousands of strains) produces proteins that are toxic to
insect pests; therefore, different strains of Bt can be selected depending on the insect
pest being targeted. Each cell in the GM plant produces Bt toxins, meaning quite
literally that your crop is now an “insecticide plant” too! Get it? If it’s a tomato
plant producing Bt toxin then it’s now an industrial plant at the same time!
Ok….maybe
it’s not that funny...
Anyway, back to the point…. When
the plant is eaten by the target insect pest, the toxins bind to receptors in
its gut, causing the gut wall to break down and allowing spores and bacteria to
infiltrate the blood stream. As the spores and bacteria multiply in the body,
the insect dies. Voila! Don’t come back now, you hear!?!
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| Image via permaculturenews.org |
Hmmmm, I’m confused. How safe is Bt toxin for humans?
Bt
proteins contain a segment which tests positive when undergoing the type of allergen testing
recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Studies show the Bt toxins (aka. Bt proteins) survive digestion in humans, which allows them to destroy the lining of our
stomachs.
Hmmm…don’t we need the lining of our stomach to, oh, I don’t
know... function properly??
In animal studies of mice eating Bt corn, there was an
increase in infertility, a decrease in birthweight, and prevalent/evident liver
and kidney toxicity. Also present were indicators for blood pressure problems,
anemia, and infection based on circulating components within the immune system! Oh, and these were all findings of a Monsanto study that only became public after
a lawsuit! WHAT?! You’ve got to be kidding me, right!!??!?!??!?
It gets worse, my friends…
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| Image via npr.org |
In farmworkers, it is critical to note the significance of
itchy wounds experienced by Bt corn field workers! Not only that, but
farmworkers started expressing an immune response to the Bt toxin. Having an
allergic reaction to bacteria is very rare - it’s only seen in a few lines. Bt
is apparently one of them. Not only are itchy rashes prevalent, but so are respiratory,
eye and skin reactions. Skin prick tests done even 4 months after exposure showed elevated IgG and IgE levels.
In fact, in 2001 The EPA’s own Scientific Advisory Panel
suggested that Bt-toxins may be allergenic:
Mouse and farm worker studies…“Suggest that Bt proteins could act as
antigenic and allergenic sources. … Only surveillance and clinical assessment
of
exposed individuals will confirm the allergenicity of Bt products.”
But the EPA has not yet changed their regulations or
assumptions on how they regulate pesticide-producing crops.
Several other animal studies (sheep, cow, goat, buffalo,
etc.) show a litany of horrible symptoms and conditions before “sudden death”
after consuming Bt corn and Bt cotton, specifically. It’s shameful! There are even indicators that the Bt toxin kills
rumen bacteria (uh oh... we are back to gut health issues with this one!).
One last important study to note for today: In a study of rats fed GMO-potatoes vs. non-GMO potatoes laced with insecticide (the same insecticide the GMO-potatoes were engineered to produce), it was found that the rats fed the non-GMO potatoes had no symptoms. However, rats fed the GMO-potatoes were discovered to have developed potentially precancerous cell growth in the digestive tract, smaller brains, livers and testicles, partial atrophy of the liver and damaged immune systems. This demonstrates that if the insecticide itself didn't damage the rats, then the damage was most likely linked to the process of genetically engineering the insecticide to be produced in the plants.
One last important study to note for today: In a study of rats fed GMO-potatoes vs. non-GMO potatoes laced with insecticide (the same insecticide the GMO-potatoes were engineered to produce), it was found that the rats fed the non-GMO potatoes had no symptoms. However, rats fed the GMO-potatoes were discovered to have developed potentially precancerous cell growth in the digestive tract, smaller brains, livers and testicles, partial atrophy of the liver and damaged immune systems. This demonstrates that if the insecticide itself didn't damage the rats, then the damage was most likely linked to the process of genetically engineering the insecticide to be produced in the plants.
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| Image from facebook.com via Pangea Organics |
Here's a quick peek at the environmentally-relevant
insecticide issue from a 2010 European Study:
“Although the use of Bt crops reduced the amount of chemical
insecticide sprayed
by 124 million pounds over the first 16 years, the Bt
plants themselves produce far more insecticides
per acre than they have
displaced. For treatment of the European corn borer, the GM crops produce up to 5 times the amount of toxin in each field. For treatment of root worm, the GM
varieties
produce up to 13 times the amount of toxin per field.“
IF we designed insect resistant crops to
eliminate the need to use environment-damaging insecticides on our crops, BUT THEN the crops themselves produce MORE insecticides than we previously used, WELL THEN that kind of defeats the purpose, right?
Here's a quick summary of the pro's and con's of Insect Resistant GMOs:
Pro’s: I’ll need to get back to you on this one…
Con’s: There's a plethora of evidence linking insect resistant GMOs
to a variety of illnesses, infections, allergies, disease states, deaths and
significant environmental pollution.
So, who wants to eat Insect Resistant GMOs? Not
me!! You?
Next week we will dive into the mind-boggling world
of herbicide resistant GMOs! If today didn’t phase you, Part 5 will surely do the job!
References for this series:
2 "Genetically Modified Organisms and the deterioration of health in the United States” N.L. Swanson, 4/24/2013, Seattle Examiner.com
3 A Samsel and S. Senef Glyphosate’s Suppression of Cytochrome P450 Enzymes and Amino Acid Biosynthesis by the Gut Microbiome: Pathways to Modern Diseases. http://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/15/4/1416
7 V. E. Prescott, et al, “Transgenic Expression of Bean r-Amylase Inhibitor in Peas Results in Altered Structure and Immunogenicity,” Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry (2005): 53
Shanna Wahlquist is a Certified Holistic Health Coach specializing in empowering women to adopt a sustainable and healthy lifestyle without “dieting” or feeling deprived, and supporting them in balancing their gut-mind-body relationship, which she believes is the foundation of every chronic disease and ailment. She is the mother of two toddlers, ages 4 and 2.5 years old; her happy place is in the ocean surf, and her guilty pleasure is red wine – especially if it involves a limo with a group of friends! Shanna found her path to holistic healing after discovering the benefits of vegetable juicing in February 2012, a journey inspired by her desperation to discover the cause of the sudden onset of recurrent chronic respiratory illnesses suffered by her children. She used that experience as a launchpad for a career change and ended up discovering her true authentic self and life’s purpose. She’s always had a passion for science, food, healing and stewardship, and has created a business where she can enjoy them all simultaneously while making a difference in the lives of her family, friends, clients and community. You can find her on facebook at “NourishingMySoul”, her blog at www.shannawahlquist.wordpress.com or her website, www.shannawahlquist.com.
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