Are Gmo’s Bad for You?

Are GMO’s Bad For You?

The argument on genetically modified foods has been a very controversial topic for some time. Genetically modified foods have raised concerns regarding both health and environmental effects. Genetic modification is combining genes to create new organisms, improve productivity, and quality, this allows for a desired trait to be enhanced or reproduced. This also means that they are made to have higher nutritional value and longer shelf life. However, the safety and risks of GM foods are still debated but would you really want to consume something unnatural?

Most scientific organizations say that GM foods are safe to eat however, the long-term effects and health risks are still unknown. There is a possibility that doing this to our food could create new diseases, food allergies, and toxins. According to Gerson “many crops are genetically modified so that they won ‘t be killed by the weed killer; they can be drenched in it…” (Good Reasons to Not Eat GM Foods). This is scary for several reasons. One being the fact that weed killer is poisonous and our food is being drenched in it without harming it and we are consuming those foods. Some of the foods soaked with substances that kill plants have been proven dangerous to consume by animals and might even be harmful to humans. It isn’t very difficult to research the safety of glyphosates.

Another issue concerning GM food production is the transfer of allergens into new crops. There is a large concern for the fact that eating crops that have been genetically modified can cause food allergies and there can be development of new ones. “The majority of dietary proteins consumed are hydrolyzed, and digested into smaller peptides that do not produce immune response in most people.” (Assessment of the safety of foods derived from genetically modified crops). This means that introducing genetically modified foods into the food chain that have allergens in them could be a big risk. (Nordlee et al. Journal