What Happens with GM Foods Anyways?

September 05, 2011

What Happens with GM Foods Anyways? 


 Reference:  ISIS Report 9/5/11 Meta-analysis of GM Studies in Animals, Gilles-Eric Séralini at Caen University in France  Date:  Sept 5, 2011 


 Are you a Genetically Modified food-sceptic?  I have been.  Couldn’t be that much of a deal, could it?  We just haven’t gotten traction in America over this topic.  Europeans have been far more tuned to the issue, and have gone as far as banning Roundup (glyphosate) and have widespread public discussion on the topic.  In Wisconsin the vast majority of our fields are in GM corn and beans which allow them to be sprayed with Roundup for weed protection.   (You’ve seen all those spraying tractors in the spring out in the fields.)  


As a consequence we have 3 ppb of glyphosate in our groundwater  which has been shown to be feminizing in frog models.   Does the Roundup get into the plant they are sprayed on?  Monsanto claims no. Now, this review study shows a meta-analysis of 19 animal studies to investigate the results of the studies.  What they found was that the individual studies had merit, just now with greater power from the combination of many studies.  


Although none of the findings were dramatically apparent, the combination of multiple abnormalities lends credence to the overall cause for concern.  The case is that glyphosate does get into food in a level sufficient to cause metabolic changes.  For example, they found that 9 tested parameters met statistical significance.   In livers they found that animals fed GM soybeans had irregular hepatocyte nuclei, more nuclear pores, numerous small cell skeleton structures, and abundant dense fibrillar components, indicating increased metabolic rates.  GM maize-fed animals had significantly abnormal blood protein levels which indicates disturbed liver metabolism.  Rats fed Bt corn had smaller kidneys as well as focal inflammation in the kidneys. 


 It’s not just the findings that are the problem.  It’s the use of “scientific studies” to support your business case that is flawed.   To quote the above study.  “While studies carried out by independent scientists all reported significant effects due to GM-feeding, those carried out by Monsanto on MON863, MON810 (both Bt maize lines), and NK603 (glyphosate-tolerant soybean line) reported no evidence of toxicity. The results were kept confidential by Monsanto and the EFSA, until Séralini and his colleagues gained access to the raw data through court action, and found the experiments deeply flawed at every stage, from experimental design to data analysis and interpretation.” I find this disturbing.  


We can show that corn and beans both take up glyphosate according to this study.  And the scientific method has been subverted to meet a business objective.  So, it’s not really science and you aren’t really safe.  If our metabolism is anything like mice, (which it largely is) we are at risk. 


 WWW:  What will work for me.  I’m deeply saddened and frustrated that our government does not fund independent research on this topic.  We are left trusting the fox to guard the chicken coop.  And our current political campaign is all about “creating jobs” by decreasing regulation.   Regulations are what protect us in the public arena when objective research is present.  I believe we need objective research.  Stay tuned.   


 Written by John E Whitcomb MD Brookfield Longevity and Healthy Living Clinic 17585 W North Ave, Suite 160   262-784-5300 www.LiveLongMD.com Archives at:  www.newsinnutrition.com

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