Genetically modified corn damages organs
So here’s one more reason to buy (or grow) organic foods. A new study published in the International Journal of Biological Sciences found that three different varieties of genetically modified corn caused organ damage in laboratory rats.
The GM corn didn’t favor one specific organ; it caused damage throughout the body. According to an abstract, scientists found most of the damage in the kidney and liver, but they also documented damage from the corn in the heart, adrenal glands, spleen and haematopoietic system (that’s the system that produces blood and includes the bone marrow, spleen, tonsils, and lymph nodes).
So if we forgot how disgusted we were by the industrial corn industry portrayed in Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma, now we seem to have proof that our corn chips are not just making us (and our kids) fat and unhealthy, but also actually damaging our essential organs. Do you have any idea how much corn we Americans eat? It’s in everything. (Take a look at a few of the labels in your pantry; most of us will find a lot of corn syrup, corn oil, corn flour, and cornstarch, along with simply corn.)
And unless we’re buying organic, or growing our own organic corn and making everything we eat from scratch, we’re usually eating corn that’s genetically modified.
What to do? The only solutions I know of are to eat more homegrown foods, whether from our own garden or the farmer’s market, and to read labels more carefully. What are your solutions to scary news like this?
@ Jennifer: Once the corn is genetically modified, all bets are off and organic production is then a contradiction.
The little number on the produce (or nearby) tells whether something is organic or not … but off the top of my head I can’t recall the details. Scout around … or maybe someone else will reply to this comment thread.
Jenny, thanks for all your questions! You’ve inspired me to do more research about this for a follow-up post. Hopefully I can uncover some answers to help us all make sense of this stuff!
Nancy
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Wow. That’s scary stuff. What’s the definition of genetically modified? Are these corn seeds that have been modified to produce greater yields? Is it possible for farmers to grow genetically modified seed organically, and does that make a difference? How do I know if the corn see I’m looking at in a catalog — or the corn at the Green Market — is genetically modified for not?
(Can you tell I’m not exactly a corn or farming expert?)