Pleasant viewers,
welcome to Healthy Living
on Supreme Master
Television.
On today’s show,
the second and final part
of a two part series,
We further examine
the damaging health effects
of eating genetically
modified or GM foods.
Genetically modified
organisms or GMOs
are living systems
that have genes
from other organisms
inserted into
their genomes through
genetic engineering.
We’ll once again hear from
Jeffrey M. Smith
of the US, an expert on
genetically modified foods
and author of the
international best sellers
“Seeds of Deception”
and “Genetic Roulette.”
Mr. Smith is founder of
the US-based Institute for
Responsible Technology,
which informs
policy makers
and the public
about the hazards
of genetically modified
foods and crops.
Widely regarded as
the most prominent expert
in the field, he has advised
many world leaders and
spoken to representatives
from over 80 countries
on GM-related issues.
Last week we learned
from Mr. Smith that
foreign genetic material
inserted into food crops
can be transferred
into the bacteria living in
our digestive systems
with potentially
harmful consequences.
He also discussed
the inherent dangers
of interfering with
the balance of nature
and the effects
this could have
on human health.
To gain a deeper sense
of the possible
damaging outcomes
to our health and planet
from this unnatural method
of food production,
it is important to understand
the technology used
in creating genetically
modified organisms.
Jeffrey Smith now
gives us a snapshot
of the process
by which organisms
are genetically changed.
The process of genetically
engineering a crop
is inherently unsafe.
You take a gene;
let’s say you want to
create a corn plant
that produces
its own pesticide.
So you take the gene
from a soil bacterium Bt
(Bacillus thuringiensis)
and you make millions
of copies of the gene and
you put it into a gun and
you shoot that gun into
a plate of millions of cells,
hoping that
some of the genes
make it into the DNA
of some of those cells.
Then you clone those cells
into a plant.
Now the process
of insertion plus cloning
causes massive
collateral damage
in the DNA of the plant.
Two to four percent
is different;
there can be hundreds or
thousands of mutations.
And there’s also
a holistic effect.
When you insert
a single gene,
up to five percent
of the natural genes
in the plant
can change their levels
of expression and then
produce too much
or too little protein.
So, what this does,
when you change that much
in the DNA, is that
the RNAs can change,
the proteins can change,
and the byproducts of
metabolism can change.
So you could have
increased levels
of allergens, increased
levels of toxins or
carcinogens or
completely new allergens
and toxins and carcinogens
that have never been
in the plant before.
Now these are
not evaluated.
We discovered that
there is a known allergen
in soy called
Trypsin inhibitor, which
is as much as seven times
higher in cooked GM soy
compared to
cooked non-GM soy.
And in one study
comparing GM soy
with a wild variety,
the GM soy had an allergen
that wasn’t supposed
to be there
and the people can react
to a skin prick test
to GM soy
but not to non-GM soy.
The corn that
they looked at after it
was on the market;
there’s normally a gene
in corn that’s switched off,
well it was
accidentally switched on.
And what does it produce?
A known allergen!
Both corn and soy
produce lignin, which is
a woody compound, but
the process of the plant
producing the lignin
also produces
a plant pesticide called
rotenone which is linked
to Parkinson’s disease.
So GMOs might increase
Parkinson’s disease
but we don’t know
because of course
they are not checking.
Apart from
the injuring our health,
there is the very real danger
that these genetically
engineered mutant plants
will cross-pollinate
with wild varieties
of the same species thus
passing on their unnatural
genetic material with
unpredictable consequences
to the biosphere.
But the bigger picture
may be far worse because
we have no technology
to fully clean up
the self-propagating
genetic pollution
which has been let
out of the bag already.
The genes that
we’ve been introducing
to these species that are
not part of the years of
evolution of the species
but part of like an
overnight transformation
because of
shooting a gene
into a plate of cells,
these new organisms and
the gene pool contamination
is permanent.
These genes
are going to be with us,
outlasting the effects
of global warming
and nuclear waste.
They are part of
our landscape now.
So the corn has already
contaminated the indigenous
corn varieties of Mexico.
Imagine trying to do
a recall on genetically
modified mosquitoes
from the air.
It’s impossible.
The same thing
with the gene pool.
The Bt toxin
created products,
for example,
they discovered after
they were on the market
that it’s exuded
by the roots and it binds
with the clay in the soil
and it can stay active
for months or years and
it could adversely affect
the soil microorganisms.
It could be washed
into water and then
down the stream and then
it adversely affects
the caddisfly which is
a part of the ecosystem.
When Healthy Living
returns, we’ll have more
from our engaging interview
with Jeffrey Smith.
Please stay tuned
to Supreme Master
Television.
Welcome back to
Healthy Living
on Supreme Master
Television featuring
a world renowned expert
on genetically
modified foods,
Mr. Jeffrey Smith.
He now discusses the extent
to which GM crops
have become a part of
the food supply in the US.
Well, in the US.
91% of the soy
is genetically engineered,
85% of the corn,
87% of the cotton,
and a large percentage
of the canola,
although canola is
mostly grown in Canada,
about 80-85% of the canola
and about 95%
of the sugar beets.
Now, the Hawaiian Papaya,
I would say the majority,
and for zucchini
and yellow squash,
very little, but some.
And also
it’s a smaller percentage
for corn on the cob,
it’s not 85%
of corn on the cob,
it’s a smaller percentage.
Fortunately popcorn is
not genetically engineered,
so you’re safe
eating popcorn.
The evidence
continues to build that
genetically engineered foods
are a clear threat
to public health and
Jeffrey Smith recommends
proactive action
by taking steps to avoid
these unnatural products.
When GMOs
were largely introduced
in 1996, seven percent
of Americans had three
or more chronic illnesses.
Nine years later
it was 13%.
Food allergies doubled
in less time.
Food-related illnesses
doubled in seven years
from 1994 to 2001.
Autism has been
on the increase,
obesity, and diabetes.
There’s so many things
that can go wrong and
do go wrong in the process
of creating a GMO.
On top of that
you have the Bt toxin,
on top of that you have
the extra herbicides that
we’re eating because of
the high residues
in the crop.
Any of those problems
could easily have been
associated with GMOs.
Soon after GM soy was
introduced to the UK,
soy allergies skyrocketed
by 50%.
There’s many reasons
why GM soy might be
the culprit there.
So I say, we don’t
have to wait around
until the research is done,
we can opt
out of that experiment.
(Right)
And there’s many doctors
that are now prescribing
non-GMO diets.
To protect your health and
that of your loved ones,
it is important to
choose GMO-free foods.
As organic foods
by definition are
not genetically modified,
an organic vegan diet
is the best choice
for enhancing strength
and vitality
as well as bettering
our environment.
When I go out to buy food,
I prefer to buy organic
whenever I can
because organic not only
disallows the GMOs,
but studies show that
there is a 25% on average
increase in antioxidants,
there’s more vitamins
and minerals,
it supports the soil,
it supports farmers doing
better growing practices.
Buying products
at natural food stores
instead of supermarkets
will make it a lot easier
to choose brands
that don’t use GMOs.
Not everyone has access
to a natural food grocery,
which is a problem.
And so it’s a question of
getting to know the brands
that you choose and
selecting new brands.
Apart from purchasing
organic vegan foods,
spreading the message
that we as consumers
do not want genetically
engineered foods
is also essential so that
the agriculture industry
and food manufacturers
stop raising GM crops,
thus making our world
safer for us
and future generations.
Europe is
a wonderful example
where people demanded
GMO-free foods and
major food companies
quickly ended the practice
of selling genetically
modified products.
Remember in Europe,
within 10 weeks
the tipping point
of consumer rejection
had been achieved.
The tipping point is
a very powerful concept.
A small percentage
of people avoiding,
or doing a particular
activity or action,
can influence
the entire population.
But it’s particularly effective
in making food choices
with GMOs, here’s why.
GMOs give
no consumer benefit.
So if it turns into
a marketing liability,
they’re not going to
hold onto GMOs like
they hold onto trans-fats,
because of the mouth-feel,
they’re not going to
hold onto GMOs like
they hold onto salt and
sugar, or carbohydrates,
if there’s an anti-salt,
sugar or carbohydrates,
thing going on
in the population,
they’re going to get rid
of GMOs completely.
Without even having to
change the recipe,
they can switch from
GM corn derivatives to
non-GM corn derivatives
without even moving it
from corn
to something else.
We’ve seen
the tipping point
achieved with
bovine growth hormone,
where we see companies
kicking it out.
So we think
only five percent
of US shoppers
avoiding GM ingredients
would be sufficient
to eliminate GMOs.
Five percent.
Five percent,
15 million people.
The good news is,
we’re already starting
to have the impact.
Supermarket News
at the end of 2009
predicted that
2010 would see
an unprecedented upsurge
of consumer awareness
and concern about GMOs.
So this is one of
the biggest signs of
the coming tipping point,
is that there is a growing
number of people.
And if we only need
15 million Americans,
there’s already
28 million Americans
that buy organic
on a regular basis,
87 million that think
GMOs are unsafe.
And 159 million that say
they wouldn’t eat GMOs
if they were given a choice.
(If they were labeled.)
Yes. So, we are
in a very good position
to end GMOs, and I think
it will be done soon.
In closing
we would like to convey
our sincere gratitude
to Mr. Jeffrey Smith
for all he has done
to inform the public
and governments
across the world
as to why natural foods
free of genetic engineering
are best.
May organic farming
soon become the only way
we raise crops
on our planet.
For more information
on Jeffrey Smith,
please visit
www.ResponsibleTechnology.org
The Non-GMO
Shopping Guide
is available at
www.NonGMOShoppingGuide.com
“Seeds of Deception”
and “Genetic Roulette”
are available at
www.SeedsofDeception.com
Wise and caring viewers,
thank you
for your presence today
on Healthy Living.
Coming up next is
Enlightening Entertainment
right after
Noteworthy News.
May the light of God
always shine within us.