The Health Risks of GM Foods: Summary and Debate

I would like to share an amazing summary of Documented Health Risks of GMOs. Credit for this goes to Jeffrey Smith, Author of Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods and Seeds of Deception: Exposing Industry and Government Lies About the Safety of the Genetically Engineered Foods You're Eating    You can find free tools on their home page: www.responsibletechnology.org    The talking points are organized around the 65 main point summaries presented on the left side of the two-page spreads in Part 1 of Genetic Roulette. Each section linked below offers the opportunity for people to submit updates, corrections, challenges and responses. Before making a submittal, please review the full content in that section of the book. Contents at a Glance: Part 1: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods Section 1: Evidence of reactions in animals and humans. 1.1 GM Potatoes Damages Rats (see full content) 1.2 Rats Fed GMO Tomatoes got bleeding stomachs, several died 1.3 Rats Fed Bt Corn had multiple health problems 1.4 Mice Fed GM Bt Potatoes had intestinal damage 1.5 Workers exposed to Bt cotton developed allergies 1.6 Sheep died after grazing in Bt cotton fields 1.7 Inhaled Bt corn pollen may have triggered disease in humans 1.8 Farmers report pigs and cows became sterile from GM corn 1.9 Twelve cows in Germany died mysteriously when fed Bt corn 1.10 Mice fed Roundup Ready soy had liver cell problems 1.11 Mice fed Roundup Ready soy had problems with the pancreas 1.12 Mice fed Roundup Ready soy had unexplained changes in testicular cells 1.13 Roundup Ready Soy Changed Cell Metabolism in Rabbit Organs 1.14 Most offspring of rats fed Roundup Ready soy died within three weeks (see full content) 1.15 Soy allergies skyrocketed in the UK, soon after GM soy was introduced 1.16 Rats fed Roundup Ready canola had heavier livers 1.17 Twice the number of chickens died when fed Liberty Link corn 1.18 GM peas generated an allergic-type inflammatory response in mice 1.19 Eyewitness reports: Animals avoid GMOs 1.20 A GM food supplement killed about 100 people Section 2: Gene insertion disrupts the DNA and can create unpredictable health problems. 2.1 Foreign genes disrupt the DNA at the insertion site. 2.2 Growing GM crops using tissue culture can create hundreds or thousands of DNA mutations.  2.3 Gene insertion creates genome-wide changes in gene expression.  2.4 The promoter may accidentally switch on harmful genes.  2.5 The promoter might switch on a dormant virus in plants.  2.6 The promoter might create genetic instability and mutations.  2.7 Genetic engineering activates mobile DNA, called transposons, which generate mutations.  2.8 Novel RNA may be harmful to humans and their offspring.  2.9 Roundup Ready soybeans produce unintentional RNA variations.  2.10 Changes in proteins can alter thousands of natural chemicals in plants, increasing toxins or reducing phytonutrients  2.11 GM crops have altered levels of nutrients and toxins.  Section 3: The protein produced by the inserted gene may create problems. 3.1 A gene from a Brazil nut carried allergies into soybeans. 3.2 GM proteins in soy, corn and papaya may be allergens.  3.3 Bt crops may create allergies and illness. 3.4 The Bt in crops is more toxic than the Bt spray. 3.5 StarLink corn’s built-in pesticide has a “medium likelihood” of being an allergen. 3.6 Pollen-sterilizing barnase in GM crops may cause kidney damage.  3.7 High lysine corn contains increased toxins and may retard growth.  3.8 Cooking high lysine corn may create disease-promoting toxins.  3.9 Disease-resistant crops may promote human viruses and other diseases.  Section 4: The foreign protein may be different than what is intended. 4.1 GM proteins may be misfolded or have added molecules.  4.2 Transgenes may be altered during insertion.  4.3 Transgenes may be unstable, and rearrange over time.  4.4 Transgenes may create more than one protein.  4.5 Weather, environmental stress and genetic disposition can significantly change gene expression.  4.6 Genetic engineering can disrupt the complex relationships governing gene expression.  Section 5: Transfer of genes to gut bacteria, internal organs, or viruses. 5.1 In spite of industry claims, transgenes survive the digestion system and can wander.  5.2 Transgene design facilitates transfer into gut bacteria. 5.3 Transgenes may proliferate in gut bacteria over the long-term. 5.4 Transgene transfer to human gut bacteria is confirmed. 5.5 GM foods might create antibiotic-resistant diseases.  5.6 The promoter can also transfer, and may switch on random genes or viruses. 5.7 If Bt genes transfer, they could turn our gut bacteria into living pesticide factories. 5.8 Genes may transfer to bacteria in the mouth or throat.  5.9 Transfer of viral genes into gut microorganisms may create toxins and weaken peoples’ viral defenses.  Section 6: GM crops may increase environmental toxins and bioaccumulate toxins in the food chain. 6.1 Glufosinate-tolerant crops may produce herbicide “inside” our intestines. 6.2 Herbicide-tolerant crops increase herbicide use and residues in food. 6.3 Tiny amounts of herbicide may act as endocrine disruptors. 6.4 GM crops may accumulate environmental toxins or concentrate toxins in milk and meat of GM-fed animals.  6.5 Disease-resistant crops may promote new plant viruses, which carry risks for humans. Section 7: Other types of GM foods carry risks. 7.1 Milk from rbGH treated cows may increase risk of cancer and other diseases.  7.2 Milk from rbGH-treated cows likely increases the rate of twin births. 7.3 Food additives created from GM microorganisms pose health risks. Section 8: Risks are greater for children and newborns. 8.1 Pregnant mothers eating GM foods may endanger offspring. 8.2 GM foods are more dangerous for children than adults.

MSG... Excitotoxicity, yeah its as bad as it sounds.

MSG without a doubt, leaves me feeling like crap.

MSG, or Monosodium Glutamate is a salt of the amino acid - Glutamic Acid (glutamate).  A salt is the chemical name for a molecule held together by opposite charges.   Basically one (mono) sodium atom is "stuck" to the amino acid glutamate.

This reaction varies from person to person, and I suspect has something to do with Blood Brain Barrier Health as well as a Hormesis response.


Glutamate is an Amino Acid Neurotransmitter. It tells nerves to activate. It stimulates the Nervous System. Other Amino acids like Taurine and GABA balance that to tell the nerves to calm.


So the issue presents itself in the balancing of these Amino Acids. Keeping them in line with what is found in nature...


Heres the Problem. Theres a short list of Items readily available to Americans that doesnt match that Balance...


A significant quantity of Processed Foods are intentionally modified to free glutamic acid to achieve the same taste structure as MSG. Obviously I have strong opinions against Soy and Grains regardless(if you've read past posts)

• Soy
• Wheat
• Barley
• Corn
• Meat(one of the  reasons processed Red meat is bad, yet Whole Grassfed Beef is still great!)
• Milk
• Fish
• Soy Sauce
• Wheat Gluten (hah!)
• Cheese

Anything with Hydrolyzed Protein, Seasonings and Stocks etc.
Allegro Crop Spray - yes even your vegetables might be contaminated.
Many Vaccines use it as a preservative.
Cigarettes! (Ammonia converts internally)
Aspartame has the same effects! (Don't even drink DIET soda!!!)

How does it affect me?

from: http://www.msgtruth.org/

Pancreas – glutamate stimulates the pancreas and may cause Type II diabetes, obesity, and insulin resistance.  In individuals with Type 1 diabetes, it may cause an excess of glutamate since 85% of those with Type 1 diabetes have antibodies which attack GAD - the enzyme responsible for converting glutamate into GABA.
By directly stimulating the pancreas to release insulin, which drops the blood sugar, MSG can be considered an "anti-appetite suppressant".  In other words, eating MSG makes you hungrier than you would have been, sooner than you would have been.

Brain – during periods of hypoglycemia where low blood glucose levels leave the brain with low defenses, or allergy response where the blood vessels become "leaky", MSG may cross the blood brain barrier and damage brain cells by excitatory neurotoxicity. By affecting the pancreas and creating a situation of hypoglycemia, MSG may bring down the brain’s barriers, carrying it’s own key, in a sense, to get to the brain.

Blood Pressure - may create taurine deficiency – calcium channels stay open – causing high blood pressure and counteracting calcium channel blocking medication.

Inflammation - The  immune response allows the blood vessels to become "leaky" so that the white blood cells can get to the site of the injury.  This flood of fluid leaving the blood vessels and entering the tissue is what we recognize as swelling. 

Leptin- leptin did not work on test animals that were obese due to MSG-induced obesity.  This suggests that perhaps the damage to the hypothalamus caused by MSG, caused the hypothalamus to  become resistant to the effect of leptin. *(go back and read my post on Leptin if you need to!)

Hidden Names!

MSG	Gelatin	Calcium Caseinate
Monosodium glutamate	Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP)	Textured Protein
Monopotassium glutamate	Hydrolyzed Plant Protein (HPP)	Yeast Extract
Glutamate	Autolyzed Plant Protein	Yeast food or nutrient
Glutamic Acid	Sodium Caseinate	Autolyzed Yeast
Vegetable Protein Extract	Senomyx (wheat extract labeled as artificial flavor)

What can I do to counter MSG?
Id personally avoid them like the plague. Eating Whole Natural Foods will ensure that you're getting Glutamate in Balance with Cystene, Taurine, GABA, etc comparable to what is found in nature.
 Barring that, accidental or intentional ingestion, MSG Truth has a nice list:
http://www.msgtruth.org/remedies.htm

Further Reading

Dr Russell Blaylock is considered one of the foremost experts on Aspartame/MSG Excitotoxicity.

http://www.russellblaylockmd.com/

He wrote an excellent book: Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills

Be sure to visit MSGTruth.org and MSGMyth.com as well.