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Genetically modified foods and human health
Genetically modified foods and human health
Genetically modified foods and human health
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Genetically modified foods are developed by combining genes from two different organisms which alters it's DNA and do not occur naturally. Biotechnology is relatively new so like most people, I turned to research to argue this issue with facts. In my opinion, genetically modifying foods have more harmful effects than they do beneficial. I am against their use because it creates safety risks for our health and animals, it can damage the environment and we have to deal with the total costs. One of the major impacts genetically modified foods have on us is the health risks that come along with them. Eating these foods increases the likely hood of developing a disease, which is on the raise for not only people but animals as well. What's worse is it can even lead to organ failure in some cases. …show more content…
When growing genetically modified foods, companies use a ton of different pesticides to increase their growth rate and size. What you don't realize it that when you eat those foods or even around them, you're consuming all those unknown, harmful pesticides. If those are damaging the land where they grow, imagine what they can do to your body. Some areas where these foods were grown is not usable now due to problems within the soil. Once the ground gets like this, it takes awhile for those chemicals to leave the soil for plant life to begin to grow again. The United States is the known as the top country to use genetically modified foods, which isn't necessarily a good thing. What it all comes down to is money. It's companies purpose to cut cost as much as possible. Only rich countries can afford to modify their foods, but even the poor ones still receive these foods. The main reason food industries choose this is because they can create the same foods farmers grow, but in larger, faster supply which in the end saves time and money. Even if that means less jobs for
To begin, In the U.S.A, Americans have been using genetically modified food since the early 1990’s according to “GMOS” 101 by Alisa Blackwood. The reason for
Do you know what you're really voting for? Iowan farmer Reg Clause suggests you may not in his column, “Say ‘no’ to GMO labeling.” Reminding readers that general election day has come, he attempts to convince us that a certain law should be voted against. The proposed legislation would mandate all foods that contain genetically modified organisms, also know as GMOs, to display a warning label on their packaging. He argues that this would be detrimental to the good name of these types of foods when they do not deserve to be shamed. I agree that the genetically engineered crops should not be labeled, but not because that would tarnish their name. However, the reasoning for my opinion comes from the perspective that it would not only be impractical
Because of the increase in population, products need to be manufactured in a faster and more efficient way, and with genetically modified foods, the food is larger in size and quicker to harvest. Another advantage of GM foods is that it uses less fertilizer and less water and is more resistant to insects, diseases, frost, and drought. Consumers would not want to eat food that has been treated with pesticides because of possible health hazards and growing GM foods can help eliminate the use of chemical pesticides. Plants that are genetically engineered to resist strong herbicide will help prevent environmental damage by reducing the amount of herbicides needed. This will benefit both the companies and the environment because the production cost is reduced and the danger of agricultural waste run-off is limited. As more land is being used for housing instead of food production, crops need to adapt to locations unsuited
Have you ever asked yourself what is Genetic modified organism(GMO)? Will in this paper I am going to tell you about GMO. Gmo is any foods or animals that have been modified genetically. There is too much Gmo in our food. We could cut down on how much foods have GM. We could also make more job for farming. We Should make more food with no GMO so we can all be healthy.
According to an article titled “Genetically Modified Foods Eaten” regularly by Linda A. Johnson today, essentially 40% of the foods we eat are genetically modified, unless you eat organic foods and/or you grow your own. Most products containing corn, soil, canola oil, or cottonseed oil contain genetic modification. One of the biggest genetic modification company is Monsanto (Johnson). She goes on to say many Americans don’t even know they are consuming genetically engineered foods. In “Genetically Modified Foods Confuse Consumers” by Mary Clare Jalonick writing in the Washington Times, has talked about how this is because the FDA does not require them to be labeled. Jalonick has said, “Genetically modified foods are plants or animals that have
Thesis Statement: Research suggests that GMO's (genetically modified organisms/products) could be harmful for people and the environment because of their potential to produce new allergens, increase toxicity, decrease nutritional value, and increase bacterial antibiotic resistance. Bakshi, A. K. (2003). Potential adverse health effects of genetically modified crops. Journal Of Toxicology And Environmental Health,Part B, 6, 211-225. Retrieved from http://globalseminarhealth.wdfiles.com/local--files/nutrition/Bakshi.pdf This article is one of the pioneering research papers that addresses the potential negative impact of genetically modified crops.
Genetically Modified crops, or GM crops, refer to plants used in agriculture whose DNA has been purposely altered in order to create a better, more efficient outcome. There are many different GM crops being used today, most commonly plants with built in pesticide or chemical resistance, such as BT corn and roundup ready soy. Though you may not know it, most of what you eat has some form of a genetically modified organism in it. The Food and drug administration, also known as the FDA, has stated that companies in the US are not required to inform the consumer on whether or not a food contains any form of a GMO, or a Genetically Modified Organism. This means that you would not necessarily be informed on whether or not the foods you are buying and eating are GM foods. Of course GM foods have to meet the same requirements as any conventional food would, but just because there is no immediate harm to humans, does not mean that there are no consequences at all. This also could suggest that since it is difficult to predict and prove long term effects of using GM crops, companies are just selling these abnormal crops to farmers and assuming that only good things will result. GM Crops may be created with the intention of helping, but there are many ramifications that are continuing to be ignored. These would include negative effects to human life, unintended harm to animals and the environment, and the fact that we are already losing control of the modified plants that we have created.
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are a highly debated topic all around the world. Someone from each side of the debate has an argument as to why GMOs should or should not be produced. Unfortunately, many others who are consuming these genetically modified products do not know that they are eating them and they do not know what they are. According to The American Heritage Dictionary online edition, a GMO is “an organism whose genetic characteristics have been altered by the insertion of a modified gene or a gene from another organism using the techniques of genetic engineering.” For example, corn had been modified to withstand herbicides giving farmers the ability to spray their crops with much more pesticides. In return, these pesticides
The term GM foods or GMO (genetically-modified organisms) is most commonly used to refer to crop plants created for human or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques (Whitman, 2000). These plants have been modified in the laboratory to offer desired traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or improved nutritional content. Also, genetic engineering techniques have been applied to create plants with the exact desired trait very rapidly and accurately. For example, this is done by the geneticist isolating the gene responsible for drought tolerance and inserts it into another plant. The new genetically-modified plant will now have gained drought tolerance as well.
GMOs have their pros and cons, but in terms of their effects on biodiversity, the technology is almost solely negative in how it affects the environment. Genetically modified food can damage agriculture as it allows for less restraint on chemical usage which leads to stronger weeds and weaker soil. The crops can easily spread their genetically modified genome through the wind. GMOs damage living organisms by making nasty insects stronger and vital insects weaker. GM foods are correlated with the decline in mammal and bird health and the introduction of GM animals like salmon poses a threat to the ecosystem of wild fish. GMOs can also bear consequences in terms of genetic pollution and alteration through contamination and mutation to adaptation to evolution to species extinction. Indeed, some claims are not well supported and may require testing, like genetic alteration through consumption or the validity of correlating animal health deficits with GM feeds. However, overall, GM foods clearly affect the world negatively in terms of biodiversity and ecosystem impacts.
If crops were affected by droughts, disease and insects, having destroyed many acres across America’s Midwest region, the use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) would not be beneficial in regenerating new crops. Genetically modifying foods (GMOs) “are plants or animals that have been genetically engineered with DNA from bacteria, viruses or other plants and animals that cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding” (nongmoproject.org). Most research done has concluded no positive benefits in using GMOs. There are serious health risks associated with eating GM foods based on scientific research done around the world. The purpose of GMOs are to increase production of crop yield and reduce pesticide use but research says otherwise. If farmers wanted to continue using GMOs to produce crops, labeling should be mandatory to allow consumers to have a conscious choice whether or not to eat GM food. Through research it has been proven that the use of GMOs to increased production of crops during a time of drought or disease have no benefits, just risks.
How many of you hear the words “genetically modified food” and immediately think “BAD”? How many of you scorn the idea that genetically modified foods are useful? How many of you have been manipulated by the media to think that all biotechnology is evil? Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are organisms that have been genetically spliced to achieve a certain trait. As the demand for a larger food supply is increasing due to population growth, the benefits that GMO foods provide are being hailed as the only solution to the food crisis. However, many people are making inadequately informed decisions, and are pushing them to the back shelf. I will inform you on why genetically modified organisms may be the only way to a stable, safe future for the less fortunate.
An English doctor, named Arpad Pusztai, did a study on rats being fed genetically modified foods. His study found out that rats that ate genetically modified potatoes had pre-cancerous cells, smaller brains, smaller livers, smaller testicles, and damaged immune systems. After finding this out, he then changed the eating habits of the rats by interchanging between feeding them organic potatoes and genetically modified potatoes for two weeks at a time. He concluded that whenever the rats ate the organic potatoes, their symptoms disappeared, but when the rats ate the GMO potatoes again, the symptoms reappeared. Pusztai study isn’t the only that proves that GMOs are harmful. Other studies have also shown that GMOs are linked to reproductive problems, immune system problems, accelerated aging, gastrointestinal distress, and dysfunctional regulation. This proves that GMOs have a serious effect on our
“Genetically modified foods are a "Pandora's box" of known and unknown risks to humans and the environment. They have been forced onto the American public by multinational biotech and agribusiness corporations without adequate oversight and regulation by the United States government (Driscoll, SallyMorley, David C).”Genetically Modified Food is food which has been chemically altered by scientists during the production process to give the food more nutrients, better appearance, and a longer shelf-life (Rich, Alex K.Warhol, Tom). The importance of this issue is that these GMO’s can actually have a negative effect in our society in general. It could mutate in a negative way and cause cancer or other diseases. Genetically modified food should be strictly controlled due to its various detrimental effects on the environment, human health, and potentially insect/animal effects.
Genetically modified foods most commonly refers to the plants, which has been modified in the laboratory to enhance improved nutritional content and aimed traits created for human beings and animals. With progress in various types of technology, especially in genetic engineering, farmers and scientists have changed the way in which food is grown and made, raising questions about the methods, their risks and possible effects. It is not a secret that GMF-ed foods have spread out rapidly to the whole world. GMFs have raised concerns over their own beneficial in that they are resistant to diseases, produces greater yields, and it improves the nutrition of foods making the people unaware about their effects. Every time we go to any grocery stores or supermarkets, we would not know whether the vegetables, fruits or even meats being sold are genetically modified. To make this situation worse, most consumers do not pay much attention to what they are eating, when they are actually consuming modified foods.