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With the increasing popularity of healthier lifestyles today, more and more people are turning to smarter food choices as their way of participating in this new health revolution. One of the hottest topics of conversation in relation to this is the consumption of genetically modified foods.
What are the pros and cons of GMO foods? Does its consumption contribute to a healthier way of life? The writer of this sample essay expounds on this topic.
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Pros of Genetically Modified Foods
With the emergence of the green revolution and the call to “cleaner” eating resounding in many parts of the globe, many people are becoming more discerning about what goes into their mouths. They are now more careful in curating their grocery lists and the types of brands and products they will give their loyalty to. Purchase decisions are based on whether or not the item will provide added health benefits to the family.
Where do GM foods enter the playing field? Short for genetically modified organisms, GMOs are food types that have been altered via genetic techniques or genetic engineering. Another term for them is “bioengineered foods.” It is honestly quite difficult to distinguish GMO food from non-GMO food. The general rule of thumb, if you prefer non-GMO, is to choose products that are labeled “100% organic.” According to manufacturers and experts, the “100%” in the label is important. If it is simply labeled “organic.” it may still contain traces of GMO ingredients in them.
What are the benefits and advantages of GMO crops?
Genetically-engineered food may contain less pesticide
Because genetically engineered foods are designed to have an added resistance to insects and pests, farmers no longer need to apply as much pesticide on these plants and crops as they normally would. The genetic modification for Bt-corn, for instance, includes instructions to develop a protein that kills these nasty invaders, making it an innate pesticide that does the same job.
What this implies for human beings is less toxicity to the body. Since there is less chemical pesticide use, then we don’t consume as much and our risk for developing reactions to them is much lower. Even the environment benefits because less spraying takes place.
Genetically-altered food tends to be more affordable
The lower price point of genetically-modified crops is a welcome sight for those who are working within a tight budget or have a lot of mouths to feed at home. GMO crops or GMO plants can be produced and grown in a more efficient and cost-effective manner, which essentially means that they can live and thrive on less land, water, and pesticides. Given the number of resources that farmers are able to save, room to lower the price tag becomes much bigger. Costs of genetically-altered foods such as soybean and corn can actually be slashed by as much as 15 to 20 percent.
It is possible that genetically-modified plants have more nutritional value than their non-GMO counterparts
Good news for those who like eating healthy food – human consumption of genetically-engineered plants can actually support cleaner living. Most GMO crops have been designed to contain a bigger amount of vitamins and minerals. For instance, the African corn that has undergone genetic engineering techniques can potentially contain twice as much folate, 6 times as much Vitamin C, and 169 times more beta carotene than conventional crops. This truth makes a genetically modified organism an ideal and crucial part of the diets of those who are nutritionally deficient. This is particularly true for many needy people in Third World countries and other developing countries.
Many GMO crops have been designed to withstand tough weather conditions
Not only are they designed to be better at offering nutrition, but GMO products are also engineered to weather the most challenging and stressful external conditions. Genetic engineering technology has made it possible for these GM crops to survive droughts and even fight diseases like blights. This makes it more likely that farmers will enjoy higher yields during harvest time.
Cons of Genetically Modified Foods
How are genetically-modified organisms made? What does food production for this look like? It basically follows the same process as non-GMO crops, except that certain genetic material is added to GMO seeds, making sure that the desired gene is present in the crop’s genome as it is tended to. Ideally, plants and crops that have undergone genetic modification benefit human health, such as sugar beets, potatoes, golden rice, and corn grown with foreign genes.
But while many praise the benefits, there are also a notable number of people who are concerned about the risks of regularly consuming the most common GMO crops. Yes, it has increased efficiency for the agricultural industry, but what are the side effects on the human body?
Here are some of the downsides of consuming too many foods derived from genetic modification.
Certain GMO ingredients can trigger allergies
Since part of producing GMO products is inserting DNA from other organisms into them, new DNA is formed. This makes it possible for someone to experience an allergic reaction to GMO food, even if they were never really allergic to its traditional counterpart to begin with. One notable example of this was the creation of the GMO soybean crop, which integrated DNA from a Brazil nut. This was deemed dangerous and unsafe for people who have nut allergies, so in the end, the crop was never made available to the public. It must be said, however, that food manufacturers do make sure that their products go through allergen testing to minimize this risk.
Genetically-engineered food can cause higher antibiotic resistance
When GM foods are produced, part of the new DNA is antibiotic-resistant genes, which are created through an additional gene that causes this modification. While this seems good on the outset, more researchers are discovering that these genes don’t just disappear after you consume them. They may actually make it into human feces, which can find their way into sewage systems. If not, they may be absorbed by harmful bacteria in your gut which may make yield a new super-bacteria that’s resistant to antibiotics. Again, there are still some scientists who downplay this scientific evidence, saying that the likelihood of this happening is very low.
GM foods perpetuate the progression cancer among humans
This is a fear among health-conscious humans, who hold the assumption that because GM food production means certain gene engineering happens in the food, this may encourage the spread of cancer in the body. This is coming from the premise that different types of cancer are triggered by DNA mutations. However, according to the American Cancer Society, there is no substantial evidence yet correlating GMO foods to the increased or decreased likelihood of developing cancer.
The emergence of super weeds
Apart from the human health concerns, one of several environmental concerns is that GMO plants turn into super weeds. This means that they have developed a resistance to one or more types of herbicides over time. Farmers regularly use a herbicide like Roundup, but when the plants develop a resistance to it, farmers would then have to spray even more Roundup for it to take effect. Roundup contains an active ingredient called glyphosate, which is said to cause certain diseases. Although more research is needed to strengthen scientific data for this, it is enough to be a cause of concern for farmers and consumers.
At the end of the day, genetically modified food seems to be a safe and healthy choice for most of the human population. While there are some clear safety concerns, most health and environmental authorities are quick to say that the likelihood of these risk factors making a big impact is quite low. More research is still needed in both areas to determine if there is a true and urgent cause of concern regarding the regular consumption of modified food. In the meantime, as most of our food products in the United States are actually from GMO crops, we can enjoy their added nutritional yield as we integrate them into our daily meals with families and loved ones.
If you are truly concerned about allergic reactions, cancers, and the like, your best bet is to choose locally-sourced food as they are more likely to come from smaller farms that don’t make use of genetic modification to enhance their crops or plants. In a way, this will go a long way in supporting sustainability and the business of your local farmers. This will also help you become more selective in the types of food products you buy and consume. While genetically modified crops don’t yet pose an inherent danger for your health, it is more than okay once in a while to include them in your regular grocery runs.