Genetic modification is radically different from using plant breeding techniques to select out particular traits such as disease resistance. In genetic modification, genes from bacteria and viruses are introduced into plant cells in the laboratory and this process can cause significant collateral damage to the plant’s biochemistry, so much so that some animals can detect the changes and refuse to eat the genetically modified (GM) produce (1).

Which Crops Are Genetically Modified?

There are presently nine crops grown in the U.S. where some of the produce is GM and these are soybeans, corn, cottonseed, canola, alfalfa, sugar beet, Hawaiian papaya, yellow crookneck squash and zucchini. Approximately 86% of all the corn and 93% of all the soybean, cottonseed and canola currently grown in the U.S. are now GM. Also, 95% of all the sugar beet planted is GM. Recently, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) deregulated genetically- engineered alfalfa, which is commonly used in cattle feed.

In approximately 68% of GM crops, bacterial genes are inserted that enable the plants to resist the weed killer Roundup. As a result, farmers can spray these crops heavily to destroy unwanted competition while the crop survives and thrives, albeit contaminated with herbicide.

Another 19% of GM crops have a gene from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) inserted that results in the production of Bt toxin, an insecticide. So the modified crops now produce their own insecticide. The remaining 13% of GM crops produce both an insecticide and are also herbicide tolerant.

So How Can We Avoid GM Foods?

1) Buy produce that is certified 100% organic.
2) Purchase produce labeled “Non-GMO” or “Made without Genetically Modified Ingredients.”
3) Avoid the high-risk crops; soybeans, corn, cottonseed, canola and sugar beet and products derived from them unless they specifically state that they are organic or non-GMO.
4) Purchase from vendors such as Trader Joe’s who guarantee that produce bearing their label is non-GMO.
5) Download the free Non-GMO Shopping Guide.

Reference

1) Smith, J. M. (2009) Video: Everything You Have To Know About Dangerous Genetically Modified Foods. http://www.responsibletechnology.org/GMFree/Home/index.cfm

© Christopher J. Jones, M.Sc., Ph.D.

As we approach Thanksgiving, this uniquely North American holiday, the nation gives thanks and commemorates the deliverance of the early settlers and the success of their first harvest.

Thanksgiving is a time of great feasting, probably the greatest feast of the year, when families come together and sit down to the traditional, rich Thanksgiving dinner, after which they usually retire, substantially heavier, to comfortable chairs where they collapse and fall asleep. I often think that this would be the perfect time for an enemy to attack, when the nation is collectively comatose upon the sofa. A similar overindulgence occurs at Christmas and New Year and it is no coincidence that many people become ill with colds, flu and other infections at this time of the year. Why is this? I believe there are several reasons.

Excessive Sugar Consumption

During the fall and early winter season, the nation consumes an excess of foods rich in sugar and refined carbohydrates, above and beyond the average consumption during the rest of the year. The sugar is consumed not just in candies, cookies and desserts but also in drinks and even in main courses. Let’s consider how much sugar we could consume individually during a Thanksgiving dinner by taking a look at the amount of sugar per serving as shown on the food labels: Cream of Tomato Soup (10g), Candied Sweet Potatoes (27g), Cornbread (15g), Cranberry Jelly (20g), Grape Juice (39g), Pumpkin Pie (18g) and Vanilla Ice Cream (23g). The total comes to a staggering 152 grams of sugar which is over 5 ounces, more than a quarter pound, and this does not include the sugar in cookies, cakes and sweetened coffee that may also be consumed. If you have pecan pie instead of pumpkin pie, add an extra 14 grams of sugar per serving. Some of the sugar occurs naturally in the food and the rest is added. It can come in several guises, not just glucose, fructose and table sugar but also as corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, maple syrup and, more recently, evaporated cane juice. Honey is also essentially sugar and should never be given to children under 12 months of age because it may contain spores of Clostridium botulinum to which they are not fully resistant.

Effect of Sugar on Our Immune System

Sugar is sweet but, in excess, it is certainly not our friend. It has many adverse effects upon our health, one of which is the weakening of our immune system, our body’s defense mechanism. Consuming 100 grams of sugar has been shown to reduce the ability of our white blood cells to engulf bacteria by over 40% (1). This suppression of our defenses begins less than 30 minutes after the sugar is ingested and it takes over five hours to return to normal assuming no further sugar is consumed during that time. In contrast, when we ingest complex unrefined carbohydrates, there is no deleterious effect upon our immune system.

Healthier Eating

The solution to the problem is to greatly reduce our intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates, not just during the holidays but at all times. Examples of refined carbohydrates include white rice and products made from refined flour such as white bread, cake, pastry and pasta. Read food labels to ascertain if sugar or one of its surrogates is present and in what quantity. Avoid ruining perfectly good dishes such as carrots and sweet potatoes with added sugar. Refrain from drinking sodas, lemonade and fruit juices loaded with sugar. Also limit the consumption of fat, particularly saturated fat, which can make the circulation sluggish and promote arterial disease. Sugar and fat also contain calories. There are four calories per gram of sugar and nine calories per gram of fat and if we don’t use these up in normal metabolism and by being active then we will gain weight and this can lead to serious chronic health problems and disability. Make your Thanksgiving dinner as healthy as possible with the inclusion of a salad course, whole grains, and plenty of vegetables such as peas, beans and Brussels sprouts. You will certainly feel much better afterwards. Try a fresh fruit salad for dessert but if your heart is set upon pie then make it a special treat and enjoy it in moderation.

Vitamin D

Another reason why we are more sensitive to infections during the late fall and winter months is that we get less exposure to sunlight. This is partly because there is more cloud cover and also because we tend to spend less time outside when it’s cold and wet. As a result, the prime mechanism whereby we make vitamin D, namely exposure to sunlight, is significantly limited. Also, in our busy lives today, we rarely spend enough time outdoors, even in the sunshine states regardless of the season. It is therefore important to ensure that we receive enough vitamin D in dietary and supplement form. As well as helping to maintain bone integrity, vitamin D has been found to increase the production of a class of proteins known as antimicrobial peptides, which interfere with the action of certain bacteria and viruses, including the flu virus, thereby inactivating them and keeping us symptom-free.

Food sources that contain natural vitamin D are egg yolk, fish and liver, including cod liver oil, but these may not provide enough and are excluded in vegan and many vegetarian diets. Some rice and soy beverages, orange juice and many breakfast cereals are fortified with vitamin D but the amounts present are not sufficient to protect against infections. Daily multivitamin supplements contain only 400 IU of vitamin D, sufficient to prevent rickets but inadequate for maintaining optimal health. According to Dr. Joseph Mercola (2), we should be taking 35 IU (International Units) of vitamin D per pound of body weight per day if we don’t get enough sun exposure and Dr. Mark Hyman (3) recommends 5,000-10,000 IU per day for optimal health.

Exercise

A third way to stay healthy during the fall and winter months is to exercise regularly. Provided we spend time outdoors walking, cycling, jogging or working in the garden during early morning or late afternoon when the sun is not too strong, we should be able to make some of the vitamin D that we need, and we can supplement with the rest. Regular exercise will also help to control our weight, stimulate our cardiovascular and respiratory systems, and strengthen our immune system, thus increasing our resistance to infections. It is good to get out of doors and into fresh air rather than being cooped up indoors where toxic chemicals can accumulate and infections are more easily transmitted. Keeping the house clean, aired and fresh will also help to keep us and our families healthy.

Happy Thanksgiving and Good Health!

© Christopher J. Jones, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Adventist Health Ministry,
Laguna Niguel, California 92677, U.S.A.

References

1) Sanchez, A. et al. (1973) Role of Sugars in Human Neutrophilic Phagocytosis. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 26, 1180-1184.

2) http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/10/10/Vitamin-D-Experts-Reveal-the-Truth.aspx

3) Hyman, M. (2008) The UltraMind Solution. Scribner, New York, NY 10020, page 135.

Based on the most current data available, the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-profit organization based in Washington D.C., has come out with their latest version of the Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides, detailing the twelve fruits and vegetables with the highest levels of pesticide contamination ( The Dirty Dozen ) and the fifteen with the lowest levels ( The Clean Fifteen ). The top 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables, referred to as The Dirty Dozen, are as follows with the most contaminated first: Apples, Celery, Strawberries, Peaches, Spinach, Nectarines ( Imported ), Grapes ( Imported ), Sweet Bell Peppers, Potatoes, Blueberries ( Domestic ), Lettuce, and Kale/Collard Greens. At the other end of the scale, the fifteen fruits and vegetables with the lowest concentrations of pesticides, known as The Clean Fifteen, are as follows, with the cleanest first: Onions, Sweet Corn, Pineapples, Avocado, Asparagus, Sweet Peas ( Frozen ), Mangoes, Eggplant, Cantaloupe ( Domestic ), Kiwi, Cabbage, Watermelon, Sweet Potatoes, Grapefruit, and Mushrooms. Most of the samples were washed and peeled prior to being tested, so the rankings reflect the amounts of the chemicals likely to be present in the produce when is it eaten. By choosing to eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day from the Clean 15 rather than the Dirty Dozen, the amount of pesticide consumed can be lowered by 92 percent, according to the EWG, and you will also eat fewer types of pesticide. The new Shopper’s Guide is accompanied by the video below in which the renowned physician and health commentator Dr. Andrew Weil gives his recommendations based on the findings.

The Dirty Dozen™

Here are the comments that the EWG made in their report on “The Dirty Dozen”.

Findings on the fruits: The most contaminated fruits are apples, strawberries, peaches, domestic nectarines, imported grapes and domestic blueberries.

• Every sample of imported nectarines tested positive for pesticides, followed by apples (97.8 percent) and imported plums (97.2 percent).
• 92 percent of apples contained 2 or more pesticide residues‚ followed by imported nectarines (90.8 percent) and peaches (85.6 percent).
• Imported grapes had 14 pesticides detected on a single sample. Strawberries and domestic grapes both had 13 different pesticides detected on a single sample.
• As a category. peaches were treated with more pesticides than any other fruit, registering combinations of up to 57 different chemicals. Apples were next, with 56 different pesticides and raspberries with 51.

Findings on the vegetables: The most contaminated vegetables are celery, spinach, sweet bell peppers, potatoes, lettuce and greens (kale and collards).

• Some 96 percent all celery samples tested positive for pesticides, followed by cilantro (92.9 percent) and potatoes (91.4 percent).
• Nearly 90 percent of celery samples contained multiple pesticides, followed by cilantro (70.1 percent) and sweet bell peppers (69.4 percent).
• A single celery sample was contaminated with 13 different chemicals, followed by a single sample of sweet bell peppers (11), and greens (10).
• As a category, hot peppers had been treated with as many as 97 pesticides, followed by cucumbers (68) and greens (66).

The Clean Fifteen

Here are the EWG’s comments on “The Cleanest Fifteen”.

Findings on the fruits: The fruits least likely to test positive for pesticide residues are pineapples, avocados, mangoes, domestic cantaloupe, kiwi, watermelon and grapefruit.

• Fewer than 10 percent of pineapple, mango, and avocado samples showed detectable pesticides, and fewer than one percent of samples had more than one pesticide residue.
• Nearly 55 percent of grapefruit had detectable pesticides but only 17.5 percent of samples contained more than one residue. Watermelon had residues on 28.1 percent of samples, and 9.6 percent had multiple pesticide residues.

Findings on the vegetables: The cleanest vegetables are onions, sweet corn, asparagus, sweet peas, eggplant, cabbage, sweet potatoes and mushrooms.

• Asparagus, sweet corn and onions had no detectable pesticide residues on 90 percent or more of samples.
• More than four-fifths of cabbage samples (81.8 percent) had no detectible pesticides, followed by sweet peas (77.1 percent) and eggplant (75.4 percent).
• Multiple pesticide residues are extremely rare on vegetables low in overall contamination. No samples of onions and corn had more than one pesticide. Less than 6 percent of sweet potato samples had multiple pesticides.
• Of the low-pesticide vegetables, no single sample had more than 5 different chemicals.

Christopher J. Jones, M.Sc., Ph.D.

Michael Pollan talks about his latest guide to healthy eating, “Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual” in a lecture given at the RSA in London. He is the Knight Professor of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley and author of six books and numerous essays dealing mainly with food, nutrition and agriculture.

Introduction to the movie “The Future of Food”.

The movie “The Future of Food”, produced by Lily Films, explains how biodiversity has been sacrificed in the name of corporate profits, resulting in the cultivation of huge monocultures. It’s estimated that 97% of the varieties of vegetables grown at the beginning of the 20th Century are now extinct.

In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court decided by a 5-4 majority to allow the first patenting of a living organism and this decision paved the way for companies to patent seeds. If a company controls the seeds, it controls the crops. You can see in the film what has been happening to farmers who have the misfortune to have Monsanto’s genetically modified seed blow onto their land and germinate.

Genetic uniformity leads to a greater vulnerability to crop pests and disease. If our biodiversity is not preserved and encouraged, we could face the nightmare scenario of losing the means to overcome a future blight.

Christopher J. Jones, M.Sc., Ph.D.

What is Genetic Modification?

Genetic modification of crops is quite different from classical plant breeding where new characteristics are introduced by crossing varieties of the same species in order to select desirable qualities such as vigor and resistance to disease. In genetic modification, genes are taken from the same or different species and inserted into the plant cells, either by bacterial vectors or by being fired into the cells on coated microbullets (1). In order for these genes to be switched on in their new environment, they are usually combined with a promoter gene from a virus. Soybean plants have been modified by the introduction of a gene conferring resistance to Monsanto’s herbicide RoundUp. This means that the soybean plants will survive spraying with the herbicide while it obliterates any competing crops and weeds. Corn has been modified by introducing a pesticide-producing gene from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). The resulting pesticide is known as Bt toxin. The U.S. is the only country in the World where the genetic modification of its staple food, in this case corn, has been authorized.

Which Crops Are Genetically Modified (GM)?

There are presently eight crops commercially grown in the U.S. where some of the produce is GM and these are known as Genetically Modified Organisms or GMO’s. They are soybeans, corn, cottonseed, canola, sugar beet, Hawaiian papaya, yellow crookneck squash and zucchini. Over 90% of the U.S. soybean crop is now GM, resistant to the herbicide RoundUp, and contaminated with it as a result of the spraying. Approximately 68% of all GM crops are herbicide tolerant.
Another 19% of GM crops have the pesticide gene from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) inserted so that these crops now produce their own insecticide and in much higher concentrations than were previously used in spraying. The remaining 13% of GM crops produce both an insecticide and are herbicide tolerant.

The Dangers of Genetically Modified Crops

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has stated that it is not aware of any information showing that GM crops differ “in any meaningful or uniform way” from non-GM crops and yet internal FDA documents made public by a lawsuit revealed this to be completely false. The FDA’s own scientists had warned that consumption of GM foods might result in unpredictable and hard-to-detect allergens, toxins, new diseases and nutritional problems. However, the scientists’ efforts to persuade their superiors to approve long-term studies were ignored. A 2002 report issued by the prestigious British Royal Society stated that genetic modification “could lead to unpredicted harmful changes in the nutritional state of foods,” and recommended that the potential health effects of GM foods be rigorously researched before they were offered to pregnant or breast-feeding women, babies and children, the elderly and those suffering from chronic diseases. Animal studies published in peer-reviewed journals have shown that the consumption of GM produce can lead to the rapid development of precancerous lesions in the digestive tract, and also cause damage to the brain, liver, immune and reproductive systems (reviewed in references 2-4).

So How Can We Avoid GM Foods?

1) Buy produce that is certified 100% organic.

2) Purchase produce labeled “Non-GMO” or “Made without Genetically Modified Ingredients.” Be aware that such produce may still have been sprayed with herbicides, fungicides and pesticides unless otherwise stated.

3) Avoid the high-risk crops; soybeans, corn, cottonseed, canola and sugar beet, and products derived from them unless they specifically state that they are organic or non-GMO.

4) Purchase from vendors such as Trader Joe’s who guarantee that produce bearing their own label is non-GMO.

5) Download the free Non-GMO Shopping Guide from http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com/SG/DownloadtheGuide/index.cfm

© Christopher J. Jones, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Adventist Health Ministry,
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677, USA

References

1) Lemaux, P. (2006) Introduction to Genetic Modification. ANR Publication 8178. http://ucanr.org/freepubs/docs/8178.pdf

2) Smith, J. M. (2009) Video: Everything You Have To Know About Dangerous Genetically Modified Foods. http://www.responsibletechnology.org/GMFree/Home/index.cfm

3) Smith, J. M. (2004) Seeds of Deception: Exposing Industry and Government Lies about the Safety of Genetically Engineered Foods You’re Eating. Yes! Books, 289 pp.

4) Smith, J. M. (2007) Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods. Chelsea Green Publishing, 312 pp.

Related Information

1) The Dangers of Genetically-Modified Foods.
Video: http://www.health360.info/?p=699

2) The Genetically-Modified Food the Rats Rejected…… Video: http://www.health360.info/?p=750

3) No GMO’s with Trader Joe’s Label http://www.health360.info/?p=778

4) Why Are We Not Being Protected in the USA? http://www.health360.info/?p=942

Genetic modification is radically different from using plant breeding techniques to select out particular traits such as disease resistance. In genetic modification, genes from bacteria and viruses are introduced into plant cells in the laboratory and this process can cause significant collateral damage to the plant’s biochemistry, so much so that some animals can detect the changes and refuse to eat the genetically modified (GM) produce (1).

Which Crops Are Genetically Modified?

There are presently eight crops where some of the produce is GM and these are soybeans, corn, cottonseed, canola, sugar beet, Hawaiian papaya, yellow crookneck squash and zucchini. It is estimated that over 90% of the U.S. soybean crop is genetically modified. Bacterial genes are inserted that enable the soybeans to resist the weed killer Roundup. As a result, farmers can spray these crops heavily to destroy unwanted competition while the crop survives and thrives, albeit contaminated with herbicide. Approximately 68% of GM crops are herbicide tolerant.

Another 19% of GM crops have a gene from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) inserted that results in the production of Bt toxin, an insecticide. So the modified crops now produce their own insecticide. The remaining 13% of GM crops produce both an insecticide and are also herbicide tolerant.

So How Can We Avoid GM Foods?

1) Buy produce that is certified 100% organic.
2) Purchase produce labeled “Non-GMO” or “Made without Genetically Modified Ingredients.”
3) Avoid the high-risk crops; soybeans, corn, cottonseed, canola and sugar beet and products derived from them unless they specifically state that they are organic or non-GMO.
4) Purchase from vendors such as Trader Joe’s who guarantee that produce bearing their label is non-GMO.
5) Download the free Non-GMO Shopping Guide from http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com/SG/DownloadtheGuide/index.cfm

Reference

1) Smith, J. M. (2009) Video: Everything You Have To Know About Dangerous Genetically Modified Foods. http://www.responsibletechnology.org/GMFree/Home/index.cfm

© Christopher J. Jones, M.Sc., Ph.D.

The genetically modified food the rats rejected and the mice, cows, elk, deer, pigs, geese and squirrels refused to eat…….has been offered to us. To learn more about this scandal, watch the video below, presented by Jeffrey M. Smith, Executive Director of the Institute for Responsible Technology and author of the best-selling books “Seeds of Deception” and ”Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods”. For more information on genetically-modified foods and how to avoid them, go to http://www.responsibletechnology.org

Everything You HAVE TO KNOW about Dangerous Genetically Modified Foods from Jeffrey Smith on Vimeo.

In the videos below, Jeffrey M. Smith, Executive Director of the Institute for Responsible Technology and author of the best-selling book “Seeds of Deception”, gives a lecture entitled “The Health Dangers of Genetically-Modified Foods and Their Cover-Up”. He has since written a further book entitled ”Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods”. His purpose is to alert consumers to the health and environmental dangers posed by genetically modified foods and, with public support, eventually succeed in eliminating them from our food supply.

I am grateful to Formatus’ YouTube channel for carrying these videos and providing them for public use.

Christopher J. Jones, M.Sc., Ph.D.

Dr. Joseph Mercola, osteopathic physician and author of two New York Times best sellers, discusses his concerns about soybeans and soy products. He considers that fermented forms of soy such as miso, natto and tempeh may be be safer to consume than unfermented soy products such as tofu but there are intrinsic problems associated with all soy products. He particularly deplores the use of soy infant formula.