Three Approved GMO Crops Linked to Organ Damage, New Study Shows

(NaturalNews) Genetically Modified crops (or GM) are genetically modified organisms (GMO) that have been altered to meet a specific profile. They have also been the subject of controversy almost since their introduction two decades ago. A new study pinpoints three variations of GM corn (maize) as being linked to organ damage in mammals.

The three varieties in question are Mon 810, Mon 863, and NK 603. The "Mon" is for, you guessed it, Monsanto and the NK is also a Monsanto product, being engineered for herbicide tolerance. The study was conducted by the Committee of Research and Information on Genetic Engineering (CRIIGEN) and the Universities of Caen and Rouen in France.1

The study used the same data that was used by Monsanto to gain approval in several parts of the world. The data was released publicly in 2005 by European authorities when the three GM strains were approved for human consumption in both the U.S. and Europe.

Gilles-Eric Seralini, a molecular biologist at the University of Caen and one of the principals in the study, says that the data "clearly underlines adverse impacts on kidneys and liver, the dietary detoxifying organs, as well as different levels of damages to heart, adrenal glands, spleen and haematopoietic system."

Each of the three strains produced differing amounts of adverse impact, but the impact on vital organs was universal for all three GM crops.

The study was completed in December 2009 and appears in the International Journal of Biological Sciences1 (IJBS). It conforms with and substantiates an earlier study done by CRIIGEN in 2007 on Mon 863.2 The results of that study were rejected by Monsanto.3

One controversy many point to when criticizing Monsanto's counter-analysis as well as the governmental acceptance of the GM crops is in the way Monsanto's studies were carried out. Traditionally, when testing drug, pesticide, or other human-ingested items' safety, the standard protocol is to use three different mammalian species.

Monsanto used only rats for their studies, but still managed to win GMO approval in at least a dozen countries. Further, the studies were carried out in only 90 day spans, which is not long enough to find most chronic problems.

Other problems with Monsanto's studies should have raised more red flags, but they were ignored by the governmental panels put in charge of making the decision to allow the company's genetically modified crops into wide distribution in their countries.

The new CRIIGEN study concludes that the raw data makes it clear that all three GMO crops have real problems and should be put under "an immediate ban on the import and export of these GMOs." The study also strongly recommends additional long-term, multi-generational animal feeding studies be done on at least three species to provide truly scientific "data on the acute and chronic toxic effects of GM crops, feed and foods."

Resources:
1 - de Vendomois JS, Roullier F, Cellier D, Seralini GE. A Comparison of the Effects of Three GM Corn Varieties on Mammalian Health. - Int J Biol Sci 2009; 5:706-726.

2 Greenpeace analysis of MON863 CRIIGEN study, 2007.

3 Rejection of the 2007 study on Monsanto's website.

4 Information about Genetically Modified foods and GMOs here on NaturalNews.

http://www.naturalnews.com/027931_GMO_c ... amage.html

Potential Health Dangers from GM Foods: Q&A

What potential dangers can GM foods post to humans?

Genetically Modified Foods may cause new diseases, antibiotic resistant disease and nutritional problems that are normally caused by toxins, allergens and carcinogens. For more information, read all 65 health risks of GM foods, excerpted from Jeffrey Smith's comprehensive book Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods.

Hasn’t research proved GM foods are safe for humans?

Research has not yet proved that GMO is safe for humans. Only one study done with humans showed that GMOs survived inside the stomach of the people eating GM food. No follow-up studies were conducted.

Animal studies showed eating GMO food resulted in pre-cancerous cell growth, damaged immune systems, smaller brains, livers, and testicles, partial atrophy, or increased density of the liver, odd shaped cell nuclei and other unexplained anomalies, false pregnancies and higher death rates.

But didn’t some studies show GM foods are chemically the same as the conventional foods?

Although some studies compared GM foods with their conventional counterparts for chemical composition, like fatty acids and protein etc, most tests can’t determine the differences at the level of the DNA.

The difference is there. Eyewitness reports from all over North America describe how several types of animals, including cows, pigs, geese, elk, deer, squirrels, and rats, when given a choice, avoid eating GM foods.

Haven’t people been eating GM foods without any ill effect?

The biotech industry claims that millions have been eating GM foods without ill effect. This is not accurate and actually misleading. The fact is no one monitors human health impacts of GM foods, or has done studies on the effects of GM foods on human health. Also, not all toxic effects manifest in hours or days. It takes years or even decades for many diseases to develop. Animal studies have demonstrated that GM foods may potentially pose health dangers to humans.

How could you definitively say that GM foods are causing problems?

One observation is that soon after GM soy was introduced to the UK, soy allergies skyrocketed by 50 percent.

In March 2001, the United States Center for Disease Control reported that food is responsible for twice the number of illnesses in the U.S. compared to estimates just seven years earlier. This increase roughly corresponds to the period when Americans began eating GM food. Of course, without follow-up tests, which neither the industry nor the government are doing, we can’t be absolutely sure if genetic engineering was the cause.

What about GM hormones in milk?

Milk from rBGH-treated cows contains an increased amount of the hormone IGF-1, which is known as one of the highest risk factors for breast and prostate cancer; but no one is tracking this in relation to cancer rates. European countries and Canada ban US milk because of the hormone, according to
preventcancer.com.

Why do genetically engineered foods contain antibiotic resistant genes?

Genetic engineering is all about manipulation of genes. When genes are inserted into a carrier DNA, genetic engineers need to make sure the DNA picks up the genes. To identify strains that have had genes inserted into the carrier DNA, marker genes that are resistant to antibiotics are used.

The marker genes are resistant to antibiotics that are commonly used in human and veterinary medicine. Some scientists believe that eating GE food containing these marker genes may lead gut bacteria to develop antibiotic resistance.

But are there any GMO-induced adverse effects in humans documented?

One incident associated with use of GMO has been reported. In this case, a GM brand of the food supplement L-tryptophan, an amino acid, killed about 100 Americans and caused sickness or disability in about 5,000-1000 others in the 1980's.

Why are children particularly susceptible to the adverse effects of GM foods?

This is because:

1. Young, fast-developing bodies are influenced most.
2. Children are more susceptible to allergies.
3. Children are more susceptible to problems with milk.
4. Children are more susceptible to nutritional problems.
5. Children are in danger from antibiotic resistant diseases.

How dangerous, or potentially dangerous, are GM foods relative to other food dangers, e.g., pesticides, irradiation, additives, preservatives?

There is no way of knowing the relative risk compared to other food risks because little research has been done on the safety of GM foods. One troublesome fact is that GM crops persist in the environment, and may continue to pose risks to health for centuries.

In addition, transfer of transgenes to gut bacteria may present long-term chronic exposure, since the foreign protein may continue to be produced inside of us after we no longer consume the GM food.


By Jeffery Smith at responsibletechnology.org and editing by David Liu and Rachel Stockton.

http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Saf ... s_q_a.html