Matthew 15:13
He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up"
There is a lot of controversy about foods (mainly grains) and their genetic modifications. Most grains in the U.S. are so modified they no longer have nutritional value, just empty calories. That includes whole grains.
Anytime you alter God's perfect creations, there will be ill effects.
High on the GMO list are plants, such as soybean, corn, cottonseed, and canola. They have had foreign genes forced into their DNA. The inserted genes come from species, such as bacteria and viruses, that have never been in the human food supply.
I try to limit or not eat grains unless I know for sure they have not been genetically modified. I know some of you are wondering why that even matters. So what, they alter the plants to make them bigger and produce more, what's wrong with that? Oh, I am so glad you asked me! Did you ever wonder how they modify something genetically? How do they change the plants DNA? I did, so I do what I always do, RESEARCH! I wanted to know what was wrong with it and how they did it.
The way to genetically modify a plant is to take a cell from something else and inject in to the cells (DNA) of another object. It can be from a virus or bacteria even. For example, they can breed corn with a built-in pesticide that can kill bugs or survive chemical sprays. Or they can move the gene from a fish that lives in cold water into a tomato so it can survive in cold weather. Sounds really cool and inventive, but can lead to harmful effects on the body. And, once the food is modified, there is no going back and undoing it. It produces seeds that are then from a modified plant. The very process of creating a GM plant can result in massive collateral damage that produces new toxins, allergens, carcinogens, and nutritional deficiencies.
Human studies show how genetically modified (GM) food can leave material behind inside us, possibly causing long-term problems. Genes inserted into GM soy, for example, can transfer into the DNA of bacteria living inside us, and that the toxic insecticide produced by GM corn was found in the blood of pregnant women and their unborn fetuses.
Here is an article with more information.
Since 2002 in Europe, GM foods are required to be labeled as such. In the November election, in California, it was on the ballot and for their state to require GMO to be labeled on foods that contain them. It did not pass :(
Go here for a list of foods and companies that contain GMO ingredients in their products. It is in everything from cereal and granola bars to baby formula! It gets harder everyday to know what we are putting in our bodies.
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There is a little trick for produce listed below, but it doesn't always work here in the US because it is not required like other countries!! You can tell a little bit about the PLU # but not always, stores can change these and it is not requireded labeling in the U.S. If it is shipped in from a country that requires the labeling it will remain on there. :)
- A 4 digit PLU code - an indication that produce is conventionally grown (potentially sprayed with synthetic pesticides).
- A 5 digit PLU code starting with the number 9 - an indication that produce is organically
- A 5 digit PLU code starting with the number 8 - an indication that produce is genetically modified (and potentially sprayed with synthetic pesticides).
Want some GMO free items this summer?? See my favorite farmer girl Wendi! She sells some amazing corn!
