Why You Need to Avoid GMO Foods

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are made by forcing genes from a different species into the genetic structure or DNA of a food crop or animal in order to introduce a new trait.  The genetic material may come from bacteria, viruses, animals or humans. To this date there have been no long term animal studies and we may well reap more disastrous effects in the decades to come.

We have been ingesting GMO ingredients since 1996 in prepared foods.  A former attorney for Monsanto, in 1992, was instrumental in creating the propaganda policy that stated that there is no information showing GMO foods were different from conventionally grown foods.  This former Monsanto lap dog had by this time secured a position as an FDA official. Yet, FDA scientists had repeatedly warned that GMO foods can create unpredictable, hard to detect side effects.  They urged long-term safety studies, but were ignored. Today, the same biotech companies who have been found guilty of hiding toxic effects of their chemical products are in charge of determining if GM foods are safe. Anything here sound suspicious to you?

There have been studies that validate the life altering effects of GMO’s on animals as well as on crops.  The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) states “Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food.” These  physical problems range from infertility accelerated aging, immune disruptions, faulty insulin regulation, and gastrointestinal upsets and allergies. Once a modified gene is in your cellular structure it is there for life.  Animal studies show thatDNA in food can travel into organs throughout the body, even into the fetus. A modified gene in a plant can delete or turn off a natural gene and you are left with genetic mutation that changes the original behavior.  A well defined term for this is “Frankenfood.”

As citizens we must act to stop this madness! We can achieve this by protesting to our political representatives and by being aware of what we put in our grocery cart that ends up in our body, and where we eat when we dine out.  We must stop purchasing anything that has ties with Monsanto whether it is a food product or a chemical that goes on plants or weeds. We cannot expect to feed poison to our body without negative effects nor can we put poison in our soil and expect that there will be no consequences.

The safest way to know you are not eating intentionally genetically modified food is to buy organic and look for the Non-GMO verified seal. Organic products cannot include GMO ingredients and be certified organic. There are non-GMO shopping guides on the internet to help you know what to avoid and the list is fairly long. In the meantime stay away from the worst offenders…soy, corn, sugar beets, Hawaiian papaya, and eat nothing with canola oil.

References include:
The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods, by Jeffrey M. Smith
Nongmoproject.org

PRESS RELEASE
Press Advisory
May 19, 2009                                                                                           

Contact Information
Dr. Amy L. Dean, D.O.
Public Relations Chair
Member, Board of Directors
American Academy of Environmental Medicine
734-213-4901
environmentalmed@yahoo.com

The American Academy Of Environmental Medicine Calls For

• Immediate Moratorium On Genetically Modified Foods

• Wichita, KS – The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) today released its position paper on Genetically Modified foods stating that “GM foods pose a serious health risk” and calling for a moratorium on GM foods. Citing several animal studies, the AAEM concludes “there is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects” and that “GM foods pose a serious health risk in the areas of toxicology, allergy and immune function, reproductive health, and metabolic, physiologic and genetic health.”

• The AAEM calls for:

• A moratorium on GM food, implementation of immediate long long-term safety testing, and labeling of GM food.

• Physicians to educate their patients, the medical community, and the public to avoid GM foods.

• Physicians to consider the role of GM foods in their patients’ disease processes.

• More independent long-term scientific studies to begin gathering data to investigate the role of GM foods on human health.

• “Multiple animal studies have shown that GM foods cause damage to various organ systems in the body. With this mounting evidence, it is imperative to have a moratorium on GM foods for the safety of our patients and the public’s health,” said Dr. Amy Dean, PR chair and Board Member of AAEM.

• “Physicians are probably seeing the effects in their patients, but need to know how to ask the right questions,” said Dr. Jennifer Armstrong, President of AAEM. “The most common foods in North America which are consumed that are GMO are corn, soy, canola, and cottonseed oil.”

The AAEM’s position paper on Genetically Modified foods can be found at http:aaemonline.org/gmopost.html.

AAEM is an international association of physicians and other professionals dedicated to addressing the clinical aspects of environmental health. More information is available at www.aaemonline.org. 

About AAEM The American Academy of Environmental Medicine was founded in 1965, and is an international association of physicians and other professionals interested in the clinical aspects of humans and their environment. The Academy is interested in expanding the knowledge of interactions between human individuals and their environment, as these may be demonstrated to be reflected in their total health. The AAEM provides research and education in the recognition, treatment and prevention of illnesses induced by exposures to biological and chemical agents encountered in air, food and water.