Are GMOs Dangerous? Are GMO foods harmful? GMOs are very unhealthy food

When choosing products in the supermarket, we habitually pay attention to the composition. On many of them you can see the mark "GMO-free", indicating that genetically modified engineering did not have a hand in growing this product, and therefore it can be considered clean and safe. But if you think about it, what do we know about genetic engineering and should we be afraid to include GMO foods in our diet? Let's figure it out.

What is GMO

First of all, let's deal with the concept of GMOs. A genetically modified organism is an organism whose gene has been changed by crossing with the gene of another organism. For modern scientists, such crossing does not present any problems; they easily connect the gene of a plant, with the gene of a bacterium or even an animal.

Why is this necessary you ask? In fact, geneticists have made a revolutionary discovery, having learned to overcome interspecies barriers and connect genes various organisms. Thanks to this, it is possible to improve the properties and characteristics of a particular organism. It looks like this. A GMO potato is a potato that has been implanted with a gene for a poisonous insect, as a result of which pests bypass this product. As a result, we get beautiful tubers without damage and wormholes. Or GMO tomatoes are tomatoes from which the northern flounder gene is implanted. As a result of such crossing, tomatoes are not afraid of cold weather and do not turn black after heavy fogs. Vitamins that were not previously contained in wheat are now being implanted into wheat, and the human albumin gene is being implanted into rice. This is done to increase the benefit and increase nutritional properties cereal crops.

Among other things, it turned out that genetic engineering had a significant impact on crop yields, because with the implantation of foreign genes, products became more hardy and resistant to temperatures. All this significantly reduced the cost of the process of obtaining a crop and increased the profits of farms. Is it any wonder that farmers are happy to grow genetically modified foods? And it is much more pleasant for consumers to buy juicy bulk apples, peppers or tomatoes that look great, have unsurpassed taste and without any damage at all. There is only one fact that is alarming, which cannot be ignored.

Why are GMO foods dangerous?

Mankind is wary of genetically modified foods, primarily because such foods contain a foreign gene. There is an objective fear that modified foods are harmful to humans, just so far their harm is not so obvious, but in the future, perhaps even after several generations, GMO foods will deal their crushing blow to our descendants. In addition, there are suspicions that genetically modified foods can cause allergies, cause the growth of malignant tumors, disrupt metabolic processes in the body and resistance to antibiotics.

Adding fuel to the fire are statistics that in the United States, where the vast majority of products contain GMOs, more than 75% of the population suffer from allergies. At the same time, in Sweden, where a ban on the use of these products has been introduced, the number of allergy sufferers does not exceed 5%. It is quite possible that the presence of an allergy has nothing to do with genetic engineering, but such data is very alarming and makes one look at all products of this kind with caution.

At the same time, genetic scientists assure us that there is no threat from eating foods with GMOs, since in the process of digestion their gene cannot cross with the human gene. True, the evidence cited by scientists does not at all exclude the risk gastrointestinal diseases, allergic pathologies or cancerous tumors caused by the activity of transgenes in the human body.

The opinion that GMO foods are no more dangerous than foods with preservatives and flavors may have the right to life, but this does not mean that such harm should be turned a blind eye. Be that as it may, modern science has no proof of the safety of genes. modified products and therefore the term "potentially hazardous product" is used in relation to them.

Why were GMO foods created?

Many people have a question, why were products created, the effect on the body of which cannot be controlled? Here it is necessary to look into history. It turns out that the first transgenic products were born in the United States back in the mid-80s of the last century, and they were created with a good goal - to finally save humanity from hunger and feed third world countries. But in reality it turned out the opposite. Almost all African countries have abandoned the use of GMO products, in European countries restrictions have been imposed on them, but in the USA these products are produced everywhere and are very popular. And what do we have in Russia?

GMO products in Russia

The number of genetically modified foods in countries is monitored by the well-known organization Greenpeace. According to them, more than 35% of products in our country contain the modified gene. And every year the number of such products is increasing. Why is this happening?

Let's say right away that the import of transgenic products into the Russian Federation is not prohibited, and therefore on the shelves of our stores natural products coexist with products touched by the hand of genetic engineers. Moreover, if in European countries genetically modified products are easy to distinguish from natural products due to their lower price, in Russia natural vegetables and vegetables with a gene mutation cost about the same.

Many are unlikely to be pleased with the fact that since July 2014, the cultivation of cultivated plants using the GMO method has been allowed in the Russian Federation. Moreover, permission was given to grow 14 species of plants, including: corn - 8 varieties, potatoes - 4 varieties, sugar beet - 1 variety and rice - 1 variety.

Our scientists have already reacted to this permission, stating that the cultivation of modified crop plants will lead, neither more nor less, to the complete destruction of Agriculture in the country! According to experts, the cultivation of GMOs in our country will lead to the emergence of super pests that are already appearing in other countries. But what is even more dangerous, the crops of farmers who grow environmentally friendly products will be polluted, as soil contamination occurs under the influence of transgenes. And there is no need to look for evidence. Just look at the soils of those countries where modified vegetables and fruits have been grown for a long time. For example, all rapeseed in Canada today has become genetically modified, and all due to the fact that the pollen of cereals with a modified gene was carried to the surrounding fields.

Many are reassured by the fact that in the US, GMO products are sold without restrictions and are not considered potentially dangerous. However, those of us on a healthy diet should be aware of foods that may contain the mutated gene.

Foods that may contain GMOs

1. All products containing soy, corn and rapeseed
According to unofficial sources, all these products found on the shelves of supermarkets contain GMOs. When you see the words “vegetable protein” on a product label, you can be sure that this is 100% transgenic soy. By the way, this protein is found in most meat and sausage products, in mayonnaise and ketchup, chips and canned food, as well as in soy milk products.

2. Margarine and vegetable oil
According to statistics, 90% of all vegetable oils in our stores contains GMOs. Moreover, some manufacturers even dilute olive oil soy, and they don't even say so on the labels.

3. Candy, chocolate and ice cream
Almost all chocolate products contains genetically modified components. You can notice this by the composition in which it is present soy lecithin. Similar soy ingredients are present in ice cream, as, indeed, in all other dairy products.

4. Baby food
The vast majority of foreign and domestic manufacturers use for the production baby food dairy products and cereal crops with GMOs.

5. Confectionery and bakery products
Flour, as well as bakery and confectionery may also contain altered genes. According to statistics in our country, more than 25% of all flour products contain these potentially hazardous substances.

6. Vegetables
Some vegetables also undergo genetic modification. Most often, GMOs are found in potatoes and tomatoes, beets and zucchini, melon and papaya.

How to distinguish transgenic products

We have already mentioned that the cost of modified and natural products is equal in our country, which means that it will definitely not work to identify potentially dangerous products by cost. Appearance also say little to the average man in the street, although acquiring large juicy peppers, cucumbers or tomatoes can hardly be expected to be grown exclusively in a natural way.

You will be surprised, but you should not count on the “non-GMO” inscription on the labels of some products either. It turns out that according to our legislation, the “Non-GMO” badge is placed on products containing less than 0.9% of substances with a modified gene, but even this restriction is bypassed by many manufacturers.

Another thing is the composition of the product. Noticing in the composition soft drinks, cereals or baby food soy lecithin or E322 supplement, you can be sure - this product is with a crossed gene. The same can be said in the presence of maltodextrin, aspartame, dextrose, glucose, vegetable fat And soybean oil. And be sure to look at the country of origin. Remember, almost 70% of all GMO products come from the USA, followed by Canada and France.

What remains to be done by ordinary buyers? Ecologically clean products exist, you just have to look for them.

Scheme 1

Natural products coming to us from Europe are labeled Organic or BIO, with this icon (Scheme 1).

Scheme 2

You can, for example, find such flour or oatmeal (Scheme 2).

In addition, natural products from Europe can be labeled with other badges (Scheme 3).

Scheme 4

By purchasing products with such a label, you can be 99% sure that all the way from agricultural land to processing plants and packaging, this product has done in strict accordance with environmental standards and has not undergone a gene change. In our country, the most quality products have the Rostet badge (Scheme 4).

By purchasing products with such a designation, you, of course, will not protect yourself from GMOs, but you will be sure that they have undergone strict quality control. In addition, try to purchase products from those farms, the quality and naturalness of which you are sure. As a last resort, buy appropriate vegetables and fruits in season while you can, as crops sold in winter and early spring tend to be cross-bred.

The trends of recent years indicate that the number of genetically modified foods in the world will only increase. However, this does not mean at all that we should be led by manufacturers and use products that we are not sure are safe. Look for natural vegetables and fruits or grow them yourself, they are the ones that bring us health and benefits!
Take care of yourself!

At the end of June, the State Duma passed a law banning the cultivation of genetically modified plants and animals in Russia. The decision was criticized by representatives of the Russian scientific community - the harm of GMOs has not been scientifically proven by any study. In the midst of the debate, more than a hundred Nobel laureates signed a letter calling for an end to the campaign against GMOs.

At the same time, the farmer cooperative LavkaLavka on its Facebook hotly supported new law, stating that "GMOs are the path to world collapse, hunger and gloom." The subsequent criticism and accusations of incompetence and obscurantism in LavkaLavka were called a planned information attack, and opponents of the new law were accused of almost working for international corporations. All this provoked a new discussion about the dangers and benefits of genetic engineering.

We asked Mikhail Gelfand, Doctor of Biology, professor at the Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics of Moscow State University, member of the European Academy, and Alexander Panchin, PhD in Biology and author of the book “The sum of biotechnology. A guide to combating myths about genetic modification of plants, animals and people” to comment on the most common myths about GMOs.

“GMOs are unnatural, and therefore harmful”

Alexander Panchin:

“The idea that natural is useful, and useful is necessarily natural, is erroneous, but it has strongly stuck in people's heads. Pale grebe, for example, is completely natural, but you should not eat it. Or smallpox is a natural pathogen that causes serious illness, and the smallpox vaccine was invented artificially to defeat smallpox. Or they praise natural organic products that are cultivated on farms, but at the same time there are examples of mass poisoning with products from such farms. Thousands of people die from infectious diseases caused by completely natural pathogens, E. coli and salmonella, and not a single person died from the “terrible GMO”.

At the same time, there are many examples of the benefits of GMOs from the point of view of the consumer. For example, tomatoes are rich in anthocyanins, substances found in blueberries and black currants. These compounds have been shown to reduce the risk of cancer and diabetes. Another well-known example of a beneficial GMO is golden rice, rich in vitamin A, which was bred specifically to compensate for the deficiency of this vitamin in developing countries. Or potatoes, which produce fewer carcinogens when processed.

"GMOs cause allergies, cancer and infertility"

Mikhail Gelfand:

"In the thesis that a person can have allergy for a genetically modified product, as well as for any other, the minimum meaning. There was one such example - the Brazil nut gene was transplanted into soybeans to make it richer in fats. And this soy could be allergic to those who are sensitive to brazil nuts. If a person is allergic to some protein, and the transplanted gene encodes this protein, then the allergic reaction will be to the new product.

But since this problem has long been known, when testing a variety side effects are being tested: this soybean variety with the nut gene has not been tested. There is also an opposite effect. Imagine that someone is allergic to apples, to a particular protein that they contain. Accordingly, if you remove the genes that encode this protein, you get a non-allergenic variety of apples, people can eat it.

What GMOs provoke cancer development- senseless lies spread by unscrupulous people. There is no scientific evidence of this, and, conversely, there are experimental and observational studies that show that the use of GMOs does not lead to cancer.

Where did this legend come from? There are two sources. First, the study is an article by Gilles-Eric Séralini in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology. He fed rats genetically modified corn and they developed a tumor. The work was done at a low scientific level, and the article was eventually withdrawn from the journal, it was criticized in the scientific community. The fact is that Séralini worked with a line of Sprague-Dawley rats, which was bred specifically to test anticancer drugs on them, these rats grow tumors regardless of what they are fed. But they like to show pictures of these rats with tumors on TV or on the Internet as evidence that eating GMOs leads to cancer.

The second source is lectures by Irina Ermakova [Russian biologist]. In some variants of genetic engineering, an agrobacterium was used, which seemed to be a convenient mechanism for genetic manipulations with plants. This bacterium in plants causes growths that look like bumps on stems, similar to tumors. Ermakova shows pictures of these plants and tries to prove that those varieties obtained with the help of this bacterium will also cause tumors in animals. But growths in plants have nothing to do with oncological tumors; plants do not have cancerous tumors at all.

Probably the misconception that GMOs can cause infertility, based on experiments on rats by the same Irina Ermakova. About these experiments, you need to understand that they were not published in any serious scientific journal. On the contrary, there are quite a few experiments that were carried out on existing genetically modified varieties, when rabbits and rodents were observed in several generations. No infertility was recorded.

“Fields with GM products are treated with toxins (herbicides), you can’t eat such products”

Mikhail Gelfand:

“There are statistics that the proportion of herbicides [chemicals used to kill weeds] in fields with GMOs and in fields without GMOs is about the same. But the use of pesticides in the fields with GMOs is on average 40% less, and this is also noticeable because the biodiversity in the fields with GMOs is higher than in ordinary ones, because less "chemistry" is poured. And eating foods with pesticides is much worse for a person than with herbicides: there is more chance that there will be some harm from them.

Alexander Panchin:

“Even so-called organic farming uses herbicides. The herbicides used in GMO fields are no more dangerous than those used in other types of agriculture.”

"GMOs are bad for the environment"

Alexander Panchin:

"Most great harm What agriculture causes to the environment is the transformation of natural ecosystems into arable land due to population growth. For example, there was a swamp with its living creatures - frogs, for example, it was their natural ecosystem. The swamp was dried up, the ecosystem was destroyed, turned into agricultural land. But genetic engineering, among other things, allows you to save space by increasing the yield of one piece of land. There are many applications of genetic engineering to protect the environment. This could be exploited if there wasn't a strong anti-genetic green movement."

Mikhail Gelfand:

“It is likely that GMO cultivation can negatively affect some types of insects. But so far all publications, even in decent magazines, are about bad influence GMOs on insects, as a result, did not find confirmation. There was a fuss in the press and among the "greens", and then several articles were published that this effect was not confirmed: something was not taken into account or badly calculated. But the refutation itself didn’t become a sensation, it wasn’t written about so actively anymore. ”

“All research on the harmlessness of genetic engineering is bought by large producers of GMO seeds”

Alexander Panchin:

“You need to understand that GMOs are not only transnational corporations. There are scientists in Russia, China, Iran, the UK, and in any normal country in general who are developing GMOs, and not all of them work for corporations.

Many of the studies on the benefits or harms of GMOs are publicly funded. In Russia, the Research Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Sciences has conducted more than a dozen studies with funds from the state budget, and not with the money of seed producers. There is a document of the European Commission, which presents the results of more than ten studies on the impact of GMOs on the body and the environment. Hundreds of scientists worked together and came to the conclusion that GMOs are no more dangerous than their counterparts. In general, all modern molecular genetics says that no fundamental differences there is no difference between GMOs and non-GMOs. Genes are present in all living organisms.

“In the end, the harm of GMOs has been proven by many studies”

Mikhail Gelfand:

“There is no evidence that GMOs are harmful. Harmful varieties do not enter the culture. They undergo very rigorous testing, genetically modified products are strictly licensed. In addition, these are purposeful changes and the consequences are predictable, the likelihood that harmful product, negligible."

Alexander Panchin:

“No serious scientific organization considers GMOs to be more dangerous than analogues. The only thing that is promising to discuss now is what GMOs "would be useful to the consumer. And what do we need to do next, what new modifications do we need and what needs to be done so that they effectively hit the market. So that they were good, liked by everyone and the people were not afraid of them.

The topic of this article is "GMOs: good or bad?". Let's try to understand this issue without prejudice. After all, it is precisely the lack of objectivity that sins today in many materials devoted to this controversial topic. Today, in many countries of the world (including Russia), the concept of GMOs has begun to be used when they talk about "products that cause tumors and mutations." From all sides, GMOs are being poured with mud for various reasons: tasteless, unsafe, threaten the food independence of our country. But is it really so scary and what is it really? Let's answer these questions.

Deciphering the concept

GMOs are genetically modified organisms, that is, modified using genetic engineering methods. This concept in a narrow sense extends to plants. In the past, various breeders, such as Michurin, achieved useful properties in plants using various tricks. These included, in particular, the grafting of cuttings of some trees onto others, or the choice for sowing seeds only with certain qualities. After that, it was necessary to wait a long time for the results, which only after a couple of generations steadfastly manifested themselves. Today, the right gene can be transferred to the right place and thus quickly get what you want. That is, GMOs are the direction of evolution in the right direction, its acceleration.

The original purpose of breeding GMOs

Several techniques can be used to create a GMO plant. The most popular today is the transgene method. The necessary gene (for example, a drought tolerance gene) is isolated from pure form from the DNA strand. After that, it is introduced into the DNA of the plant to be modified.

Genes can be taken from related species. In this case, the process is called cisgenesis. Transgenesis occurs when a gene is taken from distant species.

It is about the latter that terrible stories go. Many, having learned that wheat today exists with the scorpion gene, begin to fantasize about whether those who eat it will grow claws and a tail. Numerous illiterate publications on forums and websites Today, the topic of GMOs, the benefits or harms of which are being discussed very actively, has not lost its relevance. However, this is not the only way that "specialists" who are not familiar with biochemistry and biology scare potential consumers of products containing GMOs.

Today, such products have agreed to be called everything that is genetically modified organisms or any products that contain components of these organisms. That is, GMO food will be not only genetically modified potatoes or corn, but also sausages, in which besides liver and GMO soy are added. But products made from cow meat that were fed wheat containing GMOs would not be considered such a product.

The effect of GMOs on the human body

Journalists who do not understand such topics as genetic engineering and biotechnology, but who understand the relevance and relevance of the GMO problem, launched a duck that, getting into our intestines and stomach, the cells of the products containing them are absorbed into the bloodstream and then spread through tissues and organs , in which they call cancerous tumors and mutations.

It should be noted that this fantastic plot is far from reality. Any food, without GMOs or with them, in the intestines and stomach breaks down under the action of intestinal enzymes, pancreatic and gastric juice secretions into components, and they are not genes at all and not even proteins. These are amino acids, triglycerides, simple sugars and fatty acid. All this in different parts of the gastrointestinal tract is then absorbed into the bloodstream, after which it is spent for various purposes: to obtain energy (sugar), as a building material (amino acids), for energy reserves (fats).

For example, if you take a genetically modified organism (say, an ugly apple that has become like a cucumber), then it will be quietly chewed and decomposed into its component parts in the same way as any other non-GMO.

Other GMO horror stories

Another story, no less chilling, concerns the fact that transgenes are built into it, which leads to terrible consequences like infertility and cancer. For the first time in 2012, the French wrote about cancer in mice that were given genetically modified grain. In fact, Gilles-Eric Séralini, the director of the experiment, made a sample of 200 Sprague-Dawley rats. Of these, a third were fed GM corn grains, another third were fed herbicide-treated GM corn, and the last third were fed regular grains. As a result, female rats that ate genetically modified organisms (GMOs) gave tumor growth of 80% within two years. Males, on the other hand, developed kidney and liver pathologies on such a diet. Characteristically, a third of the animals on a normal diet also died from various tumors. This line of rats is generally prone to the sudden appearance of tumors, not associated with the nature of nutrition. Therefore, the purity of the experiment can be considered doubtful, and it was recognized as untenable and unscientific.

Similar surveys were carried out earlier, in 2005, in our country. GMOs in Russia were studied by the biologist Ermakova. She presented a paper at a conference in Germany on high mortality mice treated with GMO soybeans. The statement, confirmed in a scientific experiment, then began to spread around the world, bringing young mothers to hysterics. After all, they had to feed their babies with artificial mixtures. And they used GMO soybeans. The five experts of Nature Biotechnology further agreed that the results of the Russian experiment were ambiguous, and their validity was not recognized.

I would like to add that even if a piece of foreign DNA ends up in the human bloodstream, this genetic information will not be integrated into the body in any way and will not lead to anything. Of course, in nature there are cases of integrating pieces of the genome into a foreign organism. In particular, some bacteria thus spoil the genetics of flies. However, such phenomena have not been described in higher animals. In addition, there is more than enough genetic information in non-GMO products. And if they have not been integrated into the human genetic material so far, then you can continue to calmly eat everything that the body absorbs, including those containing GMOs.

Benefit or harm?

Monsanto, an American company, already in 1982 brought to the market genetically modified products: soybeans and cotton. She also owns the authorship of the Roundup herbicide, which kills all vegetation, with the exception of genetically modified ones.

In 1996, when Monsanto's products were launched on the market, competing corporations launched a massive revenue rescue campaign to curb the circulation of GMO products. Arpad Pusztai, a British scientist, was the first to be noted in the persecution. He fed GMO potatoes to rats. True, later the experts smashed all the calculations of this scientist to smithereens.

Potential harm for Russians from GMO products

Nobody hides the fact that on the lands sown with GMO-grain lands, nothing else grows except for themselves. This is due to the fact that varieties of cotton or soybeans that are resistant to herbicides do not stain with them. Thus, they can be sprayed, achieving the extinction of all other vegetation.

Glyphosphate is the most commonly used herbicide. It is actually sprayed even before the maturation of plants and quickly decomposes in them, not remaining in the soil. However, sustainable GMO plants allow it to be used in huge quantities, which increases the risk of glyphosphate accumulation in GMO plants. This herbicide is also known to cause bone growth and obesity. And in Latin America and the United States, there are a bit too many people who are overweight.

Many GMO seeds are designed for just one sowing. That is, what will grow out of them will not give offspring. Most likely, this is a commercial ploy, since in this way the sale of GMO seeds increases. Modified plants that produce next generations exist just fine.

Since artificial gene mutations (for example, in soybeans or potatoes) can increase the allergenic properties of products, it is often said that GMOs are powerful allergens. But devoid of the usual proteins, some varieties of peanuts do not cause allergies even in those who suffered from it before for this particular product.

Due to their characteristics, they can reduce the number of other varieties of their species. If conventional wheat and GMO wheat are planted in two adjacent plots, there is a risk that the modified one will replace the common one, pollinating it. However, hardly anyone would let them grow side by side.

By abandoning its own seed funds and using only GMO seeds, especially disposable ones, the state will eventually become food dependent on the firms that hold the seed fund.

Conferences with the participation of Rospotrebnadzor

After horror stories and tales about GMO products were repeatedly replicated in all the media, Rospotrebnadzor took part in many conferences on this issue. At a conference in Italy, held in March 2014, his delegation participated in technical consultations on the low content of genetically modified organisms. Today, therefore, a course has been adopted for the almost complete exclusion of such products from the food market of our country. The use of GMO plants in agriculture was also delayed, although the use of GMO seeds was planned to begin as early as 2013 (government decree of September 23, 2013).

Barcode

The Ministry of Education and Science went even further. It has proposed the use of a barcode to replace the Non-GMO label in Russia. It should contain all information about the genetic modification contained in the product or about its absence. A good undertaking, but without a special device it will be impossible to read this barcode.

Genetically modified foods and the law

GMOs are regulated by law in some states. In Europe, for example, their content in products is not allowed more than 0.9%, in Japan - 9%, in the USA - 10%. In our country, products in which the GMO content exceeds 0.9% are subject to mandatory labeling. Businesses violating these laws face sanctions, up to and including termination of operations.

Conclusion

The conclusion from all this can be drawn as follows: the problem of GMOs (benefit or harm from the use of products containing them) is clearly inflated today. The real consequences of the long-term use of such products are unknown. To date, authoritative scientific experiments not carried out on this issue.

”, however, they don’t know exactly what it is and whether it is dangerous. The problem of genetically modified or man-made product properties has been known for a long time - the famous selection and its adherents Michurin and Vavilov, who are described in all school biology textbooks, are, in fact, the first people who received such products.

But is it dangerous to eat such products, will they harm the body of an adult or a child? What are genetic modifications for, is it difficult to get them?

About transgenic products, mutations and controversial issues

Issues of gene interventions in various products Nutrition concerns many people, especially those who are far from biology, molecular genetics and medicine. Everything unknown and incomprehensible is generally frightening, and Newest technologies many seem very dangerous.

We all know about genetic mutations, we are told through television and cinema that mutations are dangerous and evil, mutants are terrible and scary. But, in fact, any plant, animal and even a person on modern earth are mutants. Their genetic programs are very much changed even in comparison with people and animals, plants that lived and grew on Earth several centuries ago.

And this is normal, because mutation is a constant and regular process, it is intended in nature to carry out the process of evolution and to consolidate useful properties, to reject harmful and unnecessary ones.

Man has thoroughly studied the mechanisms of mutation at the molecular level - this helps in the treatment of many diseases, obtaining new species of plants and animals.

How are genetically modified foods obtained?

Products with genetically modified properties are obtained in breeding laboratories after a comprehensive study of the properties of wild plants and their cultivated counterparts. transgenic are plants into which a “good” gene is artificially introduced by a person (it can be taken from other plants), which gives the plant properties that distinguish it favorably.

This gene, manifested in combination with the usual genes of a plant, gives it fertility, climate resistance, or improves the taste and shelf life of the fruit, making it inaccessible to pests. Considering the growing population of the Earth - very useful property, because it additional products nutrition.

Work on the study of the properties of genes and their introduction, the study of the properties of hybrids are carried out in the laboratories of agricultural institutes and research institutes. Products will not be released in mass production without a comprehensive study of their properties - safety in terms of growth, processing and nutrition.

Today there are more than fifty species of plants that are obtained by a similar method - they include tobacco and soy individual varieties apples tomatoes, eggplant , and many other plants consumed for food. Outwardly, they do not differ in any way from ordinary ones; only biologists can recognize them through complex procedures.

Russia is not yet engaged in the production and cultivation of genetically modified foods, but, given the volume of food imports from abroad, according to conservative estimates, from 20 to 35% of your table products are products with similar properties. There is no ban on the import of such products in our country, there is only an obligation for manufacturers to indicate on the packaging if they use more than 5% of such raw materials.

Pros of GMOs

Of course, all GMO production is aimed at good purposes, the benefits of genetically modified goods are economic benefits. By reducing the cost of production and weed control, the absence of chemicals and pesticides, these products cleaner and cheaper than natural.

The benefits and harms of genetically modified products / shutterstock.com

They can solve the problem of security of the population inexpensive products food - vegetables and fruits, which are sorely lacking, especially in the winter season. These products are less susceptible to drought and more productive. There are fewer and fewer fields, which means that it is necessary to increase the yield from each meter of land - this is the main goal of GMOs.

Such frugal agriculture will help producers and support their development, they will be able to feed their families and provide enough a large number of consumers.

Biologists also note the positive aspects in the development of the market for transgenic products - it is no secret that almost all cultivated plants have their own pests, they force producers to treat fields and seedlings, sometimes with quite harmful substances.

In addition, these plants are capricious and demanding - they need top dressing with fertilizers with harmful nitrate additives. And chemistry, when it enters the body, does not bring any benefits. Transgenic varieties can be developed to meet these requirements − avoid chemicals, nitrates, and this will ease the load on the liver and immunity of people.

What is the danger of GMOs?

Dangers of GMOs

However, opponents of GMOs put forward their theses in opposition to supporters. It is believed that it is too early to talk about the complete safety of these products, not enough time has passed yet to see long-term effects these plants and products. There are no independent experts ready to assess the risks, society is completely unaware of the properties of this kind of products.

However, after experts reviewed positive reviews, it turned out that almost every "scientific" study, the conclusion of which - "GMOs are harmless!", Was funded by the manufacturers of such products. Therefore, it is difficult to consider them objective. The scientists note that even though there is a paucity of long-term studies on animal and human toxicology, what is already known to science raises serious concerns about the health of humans, animals, plants and the environment.

Facts proving the harm of GMOs

In fact, there are a lot of reasoned facts about the negative impact of transgenes, especially in English-language sources.

The three scientists are John Fagan, who pioneered the development of genetic testing methods for GMOs and previously explored the molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis at the US National Institutes of Health and academia; Michael Antoniou, with 30 years of experience in the use of genetic engineering technologies in research, has made several discoveries about the mechanisms of gene control used for safe gene therapy for hereditary and acquired genetic disorders; researcher Claire Robinson - founded the Earth Open Source organization (London). One of her goals is to be safe, healthy food make available to everyone. These scientists have been working on the topic of genetically modified (GM) crops and foods since the early 1990s.

In 2012, they produced the first comprehensive GMO Myths and Truths report. In 2014, it was updated, and in 2016 a third, expanded version was released, which was published as a book (sold on Amazon). These studies provide evidence that refutes safety claims food products containing GMOs.

Dr. Fagan wrote: “When someone tells you that there is no evidence that GMOs carry health and environmental risks, give them this book. It provides the essential evidence of harm concisely and clearly, and links to scientific publications or other reports or documents for the reader to verify for each item.

The very first "online" publication made a splash in many countries and became a big blow to transgene producers. It was translated into many languages ​​(unfortunately, not in Russian), and publishers asked permission to print this report. The second edition of Myths and Truths About GMOs, 2014, is freely available on the Earth Open Source website (earthopensource.org). The volume of the report is 331 pages.

But there is no benefit!

Why are we following the EU on GMOs?

Michael Antóniou said in an interview: “DNA-altered crops have been developed for the ambitious purpose of making food safer, greener, increasing yields, reducing pesticide use, and feeding the world's population. I felt that it was necessary, so I investigated the facts of the application of this technology from a scientific point of view.

Does genetic engineering increase crop yields or reduce the use of chemicals in the fields? As it turned out, the yield does not increase, and sometimes even reduces this potential. The authors of Myths and Truths About GMOs point out that high yields are a complex genetic trait that many genes are responsible for working together. How this happens is still not fully understood. These qualities cannot be modeled by genetic engineers using existing rather crude methods or some others that are in the process of being developed. good methods agriculture, such as maintaining soil fertility, has not been canceled to increase productivity.

According to 2017 data, in the USA 88% of corn, 93% of soybeans, 94% of cotton, 54% of sugar beet, 75% of papaya are genetically modified. Comparison of yield data in the United States, where GM crops are widespread, with corn, wheat, and rapeseed in Western Europe (where GM crops are largely banned) over the past 50 years showed that the United States has experienced a decline in yields, and increased pesticide load.

The main reason for the increase in herbicide use on GM crops is the rapid spread of glyphosate-resistant superweeds. Because GM crops are resistant to herbicides, weed control has increased the use of the most popular herbicide, Roundup, and other glyphosate-based chemicals. This resulted in more resistant weeds. To fight them, farmers are forced to use other chemicals.

In 2003, the cultivation of GM crops was allowed in Brazil. Research conducted in 2000-2012 showed that during this time, the use of pesticides in general increased by 1.6 times, and directly on soybean crops - three times, which leads to negative impact on humans and the environment.

What are the consequences of the tandem of GMOs and pesticides?

Researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine 1993-96 and 2014-16 observed the levels of glyphosate in the urine of 100 Southern California residents and concluded that the level of this toxic substance increased by about 1000% over this period. Since 1994, when glyphosate-resistant GM crops were introduced, the use of this herbicide has increased about 15-fold.

Study leader Dr. Paul Mills of the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, Professor of Family Medicine and public health, director of the Center for Excellence in Research and Education in Integrative Health (quoted by gmoobzor.com) said: “We found that before the introduction of genetically modified foods, glyphosate was detected in very few people. As of 2016, 70% of people tested had traces of glyphosate.” Dr. Mills cited other studies in which rats were fed an ultra-low (allowed) dose of glyphosate (in Roundup) resulting in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

In 2017, the California Office for Environmental Risk Assessment (OEHHA) listed glyphosate as chemical substances states that cause cancer.

As gmoobzor.com writes, Moms Across America, a coalition of moms of America, concerned about the growing number of studies indicating the presence of glyphosate in human food, water and urine, organized a study breast milk in ten samples of breast milk from women living in different regions USA. Three of them contained glyphosate, the concentration of which was higher than the maximum acceptable level(0.1 µg/l) set by the EU for glyphosate in drinking water.

In this regard, the position of the World Health Organization (WHO), which took up the issue of glyphosate, is curious. In 2016, the WHO concluded: “Glyphosate is unlikely to carry a carcinogenic risk to humans through food.” In general, officially the population of the planet was “blessed”: eat GM cereals with glyphosate until the cancer is gone. And in most countries, health authorities are not worried about this either.

Interesting results are obtained in Mexico, where the cultivation of genetically modified corn in open fields is not allowed. The National Autonomous University of Mexico studied products containing corn, which is the main crop in this country. In 82% of these products, the presence of GMOs was found. And in 27.7% of transgenic samples - glyphosate accompanying GM corn.

In 2015, in Argentina, children who live in an area where GM soybeans are grown and use pesticides for this, in addition to allergic reactions, were diagnosed with genetic damage. IN National University Rio Cuarto concluded that these children have 44% more reversible genetic damage than their peers who live where there are no soy fields. Chromosome damage in childhood in adulthood can lead to cancer.

What is called safe is not safe

What are the risks of GMOs?

Until now, meal (using animal feed) obtained from GM soybeans was imported to Moldova on the basis of permits issued by the National Commission for Biological Safety. The document called "Risk Assessment", which the economic agent attaches to the application, indicates the percentage of GMOs (by law, 0.9% is allowed, but the commission allows up to 5%, because this is not seed material). It also says that in the territory where this meal was consumed, no changes in human health were detected. But how such "research" is done is not known. And given that they are paid for by transgene producers, it is unlikely that the conclusion on the risk assessment will be negative.

However, it is known that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concluded in 2009 that Monsanto's NK603 (GMO) corn is compositionally equivalent to regular corn, except for the supposed change in the presence of additional proteins that make corn sustainable. to glyphosate herbicides such as Roundup.

However, a team of scientists led by Michael Antoniou found that the genetic modification process led to an unintended effect on the NK603 composition of corn. According to gmoobzor.com, 117 proteins and 91 small molecules (metabolites) were found to be significantly altered by GM transformation in NK603 9 corn (the most popular species).

To compare GMOs and regular corn grown in the same place, under the same conditions. The analysis showed that there was a significant increase in polyamines in GM corn, including putrescine and cadaverine, which are present in cadavers, indicative of their decomposition. Dr. Antóniou said putrescine and cadaverine can lead to various toxic effects. For example, they increase the effect of histamine, thereby enhancing allergic reactions, and both were caught in the formation of carcinogenic substances in meat products - nitrosamines.

That is, contrary to claims that GM crops contain genes that affect only specific proteins, in fact, everything is much more complicated. Studies conducted in 2007 at the National Human Genome Research Institute (USA) showed that genes are interconnected with each other, and changes in one gene or its replacement lead to a domino effect in other genes and proteins for a long time . And no one can predict what exactly will change.

GM genes can get into the blood from food

Angelina Taran

If this article on our website was useful to you, then we offer you a book with Recipes for a living, healthy diet. Vegan and raw food recipes. And also we offer you a selection of the best materials of our site according to our readers. Compilation - TOP best articles about healthy way life healthy eating you can find where it is most convenient for you