01-16-2014, 09:53 AM
I am very scientifically oriented. I am not anti-GMO. From a scientific perspective, I think the field is exciting and fascinating. At the same time, I am keenly aware of just how little research has been done on the potential adverse effects. The research is being done on the general populace which is highly unethical in my opinion.
Some GMO are no doubt perfectly safe. Others, due to their nature, especially those that insert a foreign systemic pesticide into plant tissue, need FAR MORE research before they can be deemed safe. Since the current topic is BT GMO, here are some questions that have not been answered by the scientific community:
1. Yes, humans do not have the receptor that causes toxicity. However, studies have shown that exposure to BT can cause IGG and IGE antibodies (source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1566654/). While BT breaks down quickly in the environment, GMO BT is systemic in the plants. How is this affecting us? Does a small percentage of the population develop an immune response against proteins in the BT bacteria which in turn makes us allergic to any crop containing GMO BT? We do not know. Another interesting study: An interesting study: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf802059w
2. BT has been shown to cross the placenta. How does BT affect the fetus? Does it cause issues with their immune system since it is shown to invoke an immune response? As the blood brain barrier is not developed in the fetus, how does BT affect the brain of developing children? We do not know.
3. Resistant bugs to GMO BT are becoming prevalent. Once they become widespread, what happens to the organic growers who have used BT as one of the first lines of defense for many years? Just as we're now realizing that giving antibiotics to cows is a terrible idea due to antibiotic resistant bacteria becoming prevalent, I suspect that we'll find that making entire crops of plants carry specific pesticides was a terrible idea as well.
4. How does the BT toxin and BT bacteria invading our intestines (which it normally would not) affect our gut flora? Does it have any mutagenic or other affect on our intestinal flora?
5. When you go to the doctor and get prescribed medication, when you are at the pharmacy, they have fancy computer software that checks for interactions between your medication and other medications. And the pharmacist may also tell you something like, "Don't take your 6-mercaptopurine with milk because they interact". Compounds LOVE to interact. They LOVE to share the same metabolic pathways. They LOVE to do things scientists just didn't think about. Would you all care to guess how much data there is on systemic pesticide GMO and potential interactions with medications, other GMO, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and common foods?
I am not anti evolution. I am not anti big bang. I am not anti climate change. I am not anti vaccine. I am not anti GMO either. I am however, against the populace being the guinea pigs when these products should be going through rigorous animal then human trials just like the medications we receive from our doctors. But even then, if a small percentage of the population has a certain genetic makeup or gut flora that makes them susceptible to a certain medication, they can avoid that medication. If these pesticides are prevalent in all our foods, how does one avoid that?
I am religious about one aspect of all of this though. Since the biotech companies are fighting every step of the way to stop GMO ingredient labeling so I can at least have the freedom of choice, I do have to pray that when I am dumb enough to buy something from the store, that it does not contain GMO ingredients.
Some GMO are no doubt perfectly safe. Others, due to their nature, especially those that insert a foreign systemic pesticide into plant tissue, need FAR MORE research before they can be deemed safe. Since the current topic is BT GMO, here are some questions that have not been answered by the scientific community:
1. Yes, humans do not have the receptor that causes toxicity. However, studies have shown that exposure to BT can cause IGG and IGE antibodies (source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1566654/). While BT breaks down quickly in the environment, GMO BT is systemic in the plants. How is this affecting us? Does a small percentage of the population develop an immune response against proteins in the BT bacteria which in turn makes us allergic to any crop containing GMO BT? We do not know. Another interesting study: An interesting study: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf802059w
2. BT has been shown to cross the placenta. How does BT affect the fetus? Does it cause issues with their immune system since it is shown to invoke an immune response? As the blood brain barrier is not developed in the fetus, how does BT affect the brain of developing children? We do not know.
3. Resistant bugs to GMO BT are becoming prevalent. Once they become widespread, what happens to the organic growers who have used BT as one of the first lines of defense for many years? Just as we're now realizing that giving antibiotics to cows is a terrible idea due to antibiotic resistant bacteria becoming prevalent, I suspect that we'll find that making entire crops of plants carry specific pesticides was a terrible idea as well.
4. How does the BT toxin and BT bacteria invading our intestines (which it normally would not) affect our gut flora? Does it have any mutagenic or other affect on our intestinal flora?
5. When you go to the doctor and get prescribed medication, when you are at the pharmacy, they have fancy computer software that checks for interactions between your medication and other medications. And the pharmacist may also tell you something like, "Don't take your 6-mercaptopurine with milk because they interact". Compounds LOVE to interact. They LOVE to share the same metabolic pathways. They LOVE to do things scientists just didn't think about. Would you all care to guess how much data there is on systemic pesticide GMO and potential interactions with medications, other GMO, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and common foods?
I am not anti evolution. I am not anti big bang. I am not anti climate change. I am not anti vaccine. I am not anti GMO either. I am however, against the populace being the guinea pigs when these products should be going through rigorous animal then human trials just like the medications we receive from our doctors. But even then, if a small percentage of the population has a certain genetic makeup or gut flora that makes them susceptible to a certain medication, they can avoid that medication. If these pesticides are prevalent in all our foods, how does one avoid that?
I am religious about one aspect of all of this though. Since the biotech companies are fighting every step of the way to stop GMO ingredient labeling so I can at least have the freedom of choice, I do have to pray that when I am dumb enough to buy something from the store, that it does not contain GMO ingredients.