Your Right to Know about GMOs

Ever since my dad passed away from Colon Cancer in 2009, I have been cautious about the food I eat and the products I use because I know the chemicals in these foods and products are dangerous and harmful to my health. It was in doing some research about chemicals in the foods we eat that I first discovered the term "GMO". The average person probably has no idea what this term means, but they are most definitely eating it in their foods every day. GMO stands for "Genetically Modified Organism" and they are created when scientists take DNA from one organism or species and and insert it into another in a way that would never be naturally occurring. 

The scary part is that GMOs are everywhere. Almost all of the corn, soy, cotton, canola, and sugar beets grown in the United States are genetically modified to survive being covered in weed-killing chemicals. In the United States, foods that contain GMOs do not need to be labeled. The only way you can ensure that you aren't eating a GMO product is by buying food that is organic, as organic standards ban the use of GMOs. 

This video gives a brief description of the company, Monsanto, that has been responsible for most of the genetically engineered food production and explains why it could be very dangerous to our health. 

Since GMOs have been introduced into our environment in 1996, there have been many increases in numerous health problems in the U.S. "The percentages of Americans with three or more chronic illnesses jumped from 7% to 13% in just 9 years; food allergies skyrocketed, and disorders such as autism, reproductive disorders, digestive problems, and others are on the rise." (Institute for Responsible Technology) 

More Reasons to Avoid GMOs

Look for foods that have these labels at the grocery store or buy your foods from local farmers that do not use GMO seed or chemicals on their crops. I also suggest downloading the Fooducate App and it allows you to scan food labels and will tell you if it is likely to contain GMOs. 

It is so important to be informed about the foods you are putting into your body because what we eat truly does affect every aspect of our health.