Genetically modified foods are all over the place! What to look out for in the stores is so important. Knowledge is power.
1. Soy-Up to 90% of soybeans in the market have been genetically modified to be naturally resistant to an herbicide called, Round Up. This increased resistance to the herbicide allows farmers to use more Round Up to kill weeds. However, this results not only in a genetically modified food product, but also a food product loaded with more chemicals. The long term effects are not yet known.
2. Corn-Half of the US farms growing corn to sell are growing GMO corn. Most of this corn is going to be used for human consumption. Genetically modified corn has been linked to health problems, including weight gain and organ disruption. Even if the farm grows organic corn, nearby farms growing GMO corn can cross pollinate in the air and create the organic corn fields to become GMO without any knowledge of the organic farmer.
3. Canola oil-Canola oil is derived from rapeseed oil. It is considered one of the most chemically altered oils sold in the US. Canola oil was originated in Canada. Canada+oil=canola.
4. Cotton-Even cotton has been genetically modified to increase yield and resistance to disease. Most concern relates to the cotton oil. Cotton originating from India, and China, in particular, is considered higher risk for personal health. There are less regulations concerning GMO in those countries.
5. Milk-One fifth of the dairy cows in the United States have been given growth hormones to help them grow faster and increase their yield. These hormones can be found in some of the milk produced by these cows. These growth hormones have been shown to act inside the human body. We become larger more easily because the hormones made to make the cows bigger.
6. Sugar-Genetically modified sugar beets were introduced to the US market in 2009. These sugar beets are modified to resist Roundup, like corn.
7. Zucchini-Genetically modified zucchini contains a toxic protein that helps make it more resistant to insects. This introduced insecticide, has recently been found in human blood, including that of pregnant women and fetuses. This indicates that some of the insecticide is making its way into our bodies rather than being broken down and excreted. Long term effects have not been concluded yet.
8. Yellow squash-Yellow squash has also been modified with the toxic proteins to make it insect resistant. This plant is very similar to zucchini, and both have also been modified to resist viruses.
9. Papaya-Genetically modified papaya trees have been grown in Hawaii since 1999. These Papayas are sold in the United States and Canada for human consumption. These papayas have been modified to be naturally resistant to Papaya Ringspot virus, and also to delay the maturity of the fruit. Delaying maturity gives suppliers more time to ship the fruit to supermarkets. It also makes them have a higher sugar content, spiking our sugar levels when ingested.
These are some of the most prevalent GMO foods found in the supermarket. There are many others currently for sale and being grown for the market. GMO safety is not yet certain, so if you want to stay away from it always keep an eye out for a label that indicates food is organic or non-GMO.
1. Soy-Up to 90% of soybeans in the market have been genetically modified to be naturally resistant to an herbicide called, Round Up. This increased resistance to the herbicide allows farmers to use more Round Up to kill weeds. However, this results not only in a genetically modified food product, but also a food product loaded with more chemicals. The long term effects are not yet known.
2. Corn-Half of the US farms growing corn to sell are growing GMO corn. Most of this corn is going to be used for human consumption. Genetically modified corn has been linked to health problems, including weight gain and organ disruption. Even if the farm grows organic corn, nearby farms growing GMO corn can cross pollinate in the air and create the organic corn fields to become GMO without any knowledge of the organic farmer.
3. Canola oil-Canola oil is derived from rapeseed oil. It is considered one of the most chemically altered oils sold in the US. Canola oil was originated in Canada. Canada+oil=canola.
4. Cotton-Even cotton has been genetically modified to increase yield and resistance to disease. Most concern relates to the cotton oil. Cotton originating from India, and China, in particular, is considered higher risk for personal health. There are less regulations concerning GMO in those countries.
5. Milk-One fifth of the dairy cows in the United States have been given growth hormones to help them grow faster and increase their yield. These hormones can be found in some of the milk produced by these cows. These growth hormones have been shown to act inside the human body. We become larger more easily because the hormones made to make the cows bigger.
6. Sugar-Genetically modified sugar beets were introduced to the US market in 2009. These sugar beets are modified to resist Roundup, like corn.
7. Zucchini-Genetically modified zucchini contains a toxic protein that helps make it more resistant to insects. This introduced insecticide, has recently been found in human blood, including that of pregnant women and fetuses. This indicates that some of the insecticide is making its way into our bodies rather than being broken down and excreted. Long term effects have not been concluded yet.
8. Yellow squash-Yellow squash has also been modified with the toxic proteins to make it insect resistant. This plant is very similar to zucchini, and both have also been modified to resist viruses.
9. Papaya-Genetically modified papaya trees have been grown in Hawaii since 1999. These Papayas are sold in the United States and Canada for human consumption. These papayas have been modified to be naturally resistant to Papaya Ringspot virus, and also to delay the maturity of the fruit. Delaying maturity gives suppliers more time to ship the fruit to supermarkets. It also makes them have a higher sugar content, spiking our sugar levels when ingested.
These are some of the most prevalent GMO foods found in the supermarket. There are many others currently for sale and being grown for the market. GMO safety is not yet certain, so if you want to stay away from it always keep an eye out for a label that indicates food is organic or non-GMO.
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