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The dangers of genetically modified food
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If people were to become antibiotic-resistant, how would we cure the diseases that are incurable without antibiotics? When at the doctors receiving medicine, most people don't realize they are receiving a form of antibiotics. If us humans became resistant to this drug then Scarlet fever, the flu, and even a common cold would become severe problems because many americans have never fought away these illnesses without the help of antibiotics.
Growth hormones (GH) are also commonly used today in CAFOs. Cows normally give birth and lactate for about 9 months before milk secretion stops. GH elongate this cycle time and cause reproductive problems in the cows (Forbes, 68). GH increase milk production by 15%, cause animals to grow to maturity faster, and cause increase of muscle mass (Robin, 15). Animals that are injected with growth hormones get more infections and therefore the use of antibiotics is needed more often. Major U.S stores have pledged to not sell meats that have had growth hormones used in them: Wal-Mart and Starbucks are two of these (Smith, 45). The initial excitement about GH soon came to an abrupt stop when farmers started complaining: "You ought to look at it [Transgenic hormone], that's your job! This hormone is making my cows sick, and I'm afraid the people who drink my milk will get sick too." -A farmer calling Samuel Epstein, now emeritus professor of environmental medicine at the University of Illinois in Chicago (Robin, 22)
Studies on GH then started; A Monsanto study occurred that involved 82 cows during 40 weeks. The cows were divided up into 4 groups: the first group received no growth hormones and acted as a control group, the second group was injected every two weeks with a normal dose, the third group re...
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Satin, Morton. Food Alert. New York City: Checkmark Books, 2008. Print.
Smith, Terry L. Healthy Eating: Nutrition and Food Safety. New York City: Infobase, 2011. Print.
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“GE Fish.” Center for Food Safety. Center of Food Safety. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.
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“65 Health Risks of GM Foods.” Institute for Responsible Technology. Institute for Responsible Technology.. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.
“10 Reasons to Say No to Genetically Engineered Crops and Foods.” Beyond Pesticides. Beyond Pesticides. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.
Short, April M. "5 Most Horrifying Things About Monsanto-Why You Should Join the Global Movement and Protest on Saturday." Alternet. N.p., 22 May 2013. Web. 5 May 2014. .
Swan, S.H., J.W. Overstreet, C. Brazil, and N.E. Skakkebaek. "Growth Hormones Fed to Beef Cattle Damage Human Health." Growth Hormones Fed to Beef Cattle Damage Human Health. N.p., May 2007. Web. 09 Oct. 2013. .
Imagine sinking your teeth into a t-bone steak that has come from a steer that was treated with hormones, or enjoying a glass of rBGH treated milk. The steak and milk may not taste any different from the same untreated products, but the hormones they contain could both, directly and indirectly, have an impact on your health. The hormones that farmers in the U.S. administer to the cattle are dangerous and have negative effects on the people and the environment. Although America admits hormone use in cattle, the fact that Europe has banned hormone use raises many questions about the possible health risks these hormones may have on consumers.
Young, C. (2013, December 3). 7 most common genetically modified foods. In Food for thought.
Wardlaw, G.M. and Smith. Contemporary Nutrition: Issues and Insights. 5th Edition. Boston: McGraw-Hill, pp 85, 2004.
Shah, Anup . " Is GE Food Safe?. " - Global Issues. N.p., 20 Jan. 2002. Web.
Sorte, J., Daeschel, I., Amador, C. (2011). Nutrition, Health, and Safety for Young Children. (Ashford University ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Deal, Walter F., and Stephen L. Baird. “Genetically Modified Foods: A Growing Need.” Technology Teacher 62.7 (2003): 18. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Nov. 2011.
Like antibiotics, hormones can be produced and placed in animal feed, for example Bovine Somatotropin, which is given to cows to increases milk production.2 The use of hormones and antibiotics in animal feed has been a controversial topic for many years. There are obvious advantages and disadvantages with the use of such products. Farmers see hormones and antibiotics as a major advantage as the increase their profits and gain the maximum out of their livestock.
Eating is extremely important, it is also important to eat healthy. Most Americans eat without any concerns; they are not questioning or researching what they are feeding themselves or their family. A lot of that has to do with their financial stability, not having the time to prepare a meal due to their time-consuming work schedule, also lack of knowledge and education on what they are consuming. In this bibliography, I will go over all three articles and explain what they are about.
Ferrie, Suzie. "The Ethics Of What We Eat." Nutrition & Dietetics 64.1 (2007): 67. Academic
Swan, S.H., F. Liu, J.W. Overstreet, C. Brazil, and N.E. Skakkebaek. "Growth Hormones Fed to
In conclusion, the application of genetically modified food has a lot of pros and cons. There is so much disagreement about the benefits and risks of GM because there are so many different views surrounding it. This issue is very important today because it will change our future. How would the world be when every single living creature will be in some aspect genetically modified? Would we be more resistant to illness? Or would we be weaker and more vulnerable to diseases? Would this be the beginning of the mutant era? Regardless of the answers to these questions, we will need to consider the implications of genetically modified foods.
Genetically modified food’s, or GMOs, goal is to feed the world's malnourished and undernourished population. Exploring the positive side to GMOs paints a wondrous picture for our planet’s future, although careful steps must be taken to ensure that destruction of our ecosystems do not occur. When GMOs were first introduced into the consumer market they claimed that they would help eliminate the world’s food crisis by providing plants that produced more and were resistant to elemental impacts like droughts and bacterial contaminants, however, production isn’t the only cause for the world’s food crisis. Which is a cause for concern because the population on the earth is growing and our land and ways of agriculture will not be enough to feed everyone sufficiently. No simple solutions can be found or applied when there are so many lives involved. Those who are hungry and those who are over fed, alike, have to consider the consequences of Genetically Modified Organisms. Food should not be treated like a commodity it is a human necessity on the most basic of levels. When egos, hidden agendas, and personal gains are folded into people's food sources no one wins. As in many things of life, there is no true right way or wrong way to handle either of the arguments and so many factors are involved that a ‘simple’ solution is simply not an option.
Lewis Brown, L. (n.d.). Eat Smart for a Great Start Newsletter. Retrieved November 23, 2014, from