What are the danger and consequences of genetically engineered foods?

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What are the Danger and Consequences of Genetically Engineered Foods?

In the past century humans have been able to understand the basic building blocks of organisms, DNA. Methods have been developed where DNA can be manipulated, modified and transferred in forms that can benefit and improve human lives, as well, these become mainstream part of human lives. Genetic engineering is the alteration of the genetic code by artificial means and different from traditional selective breeding. Genetic engineering is used to take genes and segments of DNA from one species and stick them to another organisms DNA. Genetic engineering makes it possible to break through the species barrier and to mix up information between completely unrelated species. One way in which DNA research has been used in genetic engineering is the deoxyribonucleic acid into ways that can alter food supplies to make them bigger, taste better and resistant to insects. Of course, this is great news to the general human population, however, with all that said, during the past decade, genetic engineering has been become a very controversial issue. Researchers are pressed to study for any problems that may arise from these alterations that may affect human health and the environment. Based upon evidence regarding genetically modified organisms, we can conclude that the application of genetic engineering should be held as an exceptional achievement in the past decades. Recent findings do suggest that genetically changing the nature of plants and mammals may endanger our health and our environment. It is important to address these issues before there is more advancement in this filed. One of the disadvantages of altered crops includes the possibility of mutating an organism. Although biotech advocates explain the process of genetic engineering to be safe and precise, the reality is otherwise and therefore, false. The process of creating a genetic engineered crop may result in changes in the natural functioning of the plants

DNA. These changes in DNA may cause unexpected mutations of native genes as well as delete, and may cause many changes to their levels of protein expression. A result may end up increasing the levels of an existing allergen or producing a completely new, unknown allergen within the crop. This new crop can create new and higher levels of toxins in foods and possibly be deadly. The toils of the genetic engineering of natural substances that control biochemical reactions, such as cutting DNA molecules and s combining them in to the DNA of other microorganisms. Genetically engineered microorganisms and plants express the traits coded in the new genes and pass these traits on to their offspring. If a problem occurred in changing the genetic makeup, then it would be passed on to each of the new offspring and eventually contaminate most, if not all of the species of plants or animals (Rader, Charles M.). In the beginning of 1996, artificially insertion of different types of genes such as bacteria, virus and other genes into the DNA of soy, corn, cottonseed and canola plants have posed allergies and other unknown risk to human health. Evidence over the past decades suggest that genetically modified foods carry the risk of life threatening allergic reactions and contributing to higher allergy rates. Researchers of the York Nutritional Laboratory in UK suggest that the most possible link of human allergic reaction to genetically modified food is the use of certain proteins from different organisms. When genes of other organisms are inserted into a plant, it increases the possibility of plant to produce larger amount of proteins that could be allergenic. One could also take a highly allergenic protein from one food and introduce it into another food. Those allergic to the first food would also have to avoid the new, genetically altered food. (Smith, Jeffrey M.).

However, researchers have suggested that it cant be immediately known if such protein transfers do cause any allergic reaction to human. One potential problem is that no standardized testing has been established to predict such allergic reactions prior to genetic modification. Genetically modified food safety experts point out that it is difficult to collect data to determine allergic reactions to these genetically modified foods since the potential allergens have not been clearly identified. The Canadian government announced in 2002 that they would have a closer look at the health of Canadians to see if there is any health issue with the use of genetically modified foods. Unfortunately, within a year, the study was abandoned with claims that such a study is too difficult to be done (Smith, Jeffrey M). There is some evidence provided which answers the question why genetically modified crops create new allergies. Allergies transferred through the implanted genes produce a new protein, one that has not been present before. As a result, the new protein triggers a reaction causing health problems. This idea has been supported in 1990s, when soybeans were outfitted with a gene from the Brazil nut. Scientists wanted to produce a healthier soybean, but they ended up with a deadly one. Also, a blood test has shown that people who were allergic to Brazil nuts showed a reaction to the beans. Another published study in reference to the ingestion of genetically modified foods suggests that portions of the gene inserted into genetic modified soy resulted in transferring into the DNA of the human gut bacteria. Moreover, the gene was stably integrated and was producing its potentially allergenic protein. Even when people stop eating genetically modified soy, they may still end up having this protein since it will be produced within their intestines (Smith, Jeffrey M).

Another soy allergy study in UK showed that a unique and unexpected protein is found in genetically modified soybeans where it could not be found in non-genetically modified soybeans. Scientists have tested this protein, and they provided evidence that this protein has a desire to react with a kind of antibody called IgE. This antibody plays a very important role in a large proportion of allergic reactions as well as in triggering allergies. This study showed that soy consumption may lead to many problems with ones health such as irritable bowel syndrome, digestive problems, chronic fatigue, headaches, skin complaints that include acne and eczema (Smith, Jeffrey M.). One of the most common examples against genetically engineering food was the case of L-tryphtophan. It was a tragic and mysterious disease that accrued across the United States of America during the summer of 1989 that caused hundreds of people to fall seriously ill with a rare blood and muscle disorder. Doctors were exhausted by the unusual cluster of symptoms and were not able to treat their patients properly. The disease was characterized by an overproduction of white blood cells called eosinophilsmyalgia syndrome, or EMS. The patients with EMS were having a variety of other symptoms such as leg and arm swelling, physical weakness, fever, breathing difficulties, skin rashes and pneumonia. Even some cases showed that the patients had showed congestive heart failure and paralysis. Many doctors were so concern about the cause of this mysterious disease, but had no answer to it. Finally by the end of October of 1989, there were three physicians from Mexico who discovered the connection between the disorder and patients who had been taking food supplements of L-tryptophan (Harris, Nancy).

Many Americans were using this contaminated brand of food supplement Ltryptophan regularly as a source of nutrition. Some people were using it upon the advice of a physician for medical problems such as insomnia, chronic pain and depression. However, the FDA considered L-trptophan as a food nutrient rather than a drug since it was a rich source of dietary product. By the year 1990, The Journal of the American Medical association published an article showing that 98%, even possibly 100%, of all those EMS cases had been using L-tryptophan product. They also found a significant correlation between the patients with EMS cases and L-tryptophan product consumption. Not much later, five to ten thousand Americans were affected by EMS and approximately two thousand Americans continued to suffer from a variety of symptoms, such as, pulmonary, cardiac, gastro-intestinal and skin problems. Evidence showed there were 37 deaths and 1.500 people were permanently disabled in the USA, as well as, many more suffered from a host of secondary conditional diseases due to EMS (Harris, Nancy). This evidence indicates that the tryptophan disaster was caused by the extremely poisonous substances presented in a tryptophan food supplement produced by one of the largest petrochemical companies, Showa Denko in Japan, used genetically engineered bacillus bacteria. This deadly disease was only identified because the symptoms were unique. If the symptoms were not unique, and the effects had appeared after a long time, then researchers would not be able to identify the source of the problem for decades to come (Harris, Nancy)

Another issue is the health of children. Children are at higher risk of genetically engineered foods than adults due to their fast developing bodies which are more likely to

be influenced by the effects of genetically modified foods. Studies have shown that children are more in danger to develop allergies than adults. Children under two years of age are more at risk to incidence of allergic reactions. A minuscule amount of allergens can affect children, especially since corn is a higher percentage of their diet. Dairy products from cows treated with the genetically engineered growth hormone. IGF-1, can cause children many problems, too. This hormone is one of the highest risk factors for causing breast and prostate cancer. Furthermore, children are in danger from antibiotic resistant diseases, due to the use of antibiotic resistant genes in genetically engineered foods (Smith, Jeffrey M.) The environmental impact of genetically modified crops is another controversial issue to be considered as well as the health issues. There is evidence suggesting genetically modified crops cause a real ecological threat and endanger future biodiversity. One of the potential risks that scientist are concerned with is genes from an engineered crop can be transferred to wild life with unknown effects and may pose a host of other potential risks to the environment. Another factor in crop engineering is the increase of new dangerous viruses that may widely spread and facilitate unpredictable problems in the environment. Plants engineered that express toxic substance put other organisms, such as birds and deer, at a higher risk of toxicity (Cook, Christopher D.). Furthermore, another environmental risk acknowledged by researchers is that insects, birds and wind could carry genetically engineered crop pollen into the neighboring fields and beyond. Pollens from genetically engineered plants can fertilize other crops and their wild relatives. As a result of cross pollination, all crops, organic and non organic, would be contaminated. The first evidence seen was the outbreak of a

genetically modified crop reported at the EPA in August 2006. It was reported that scientists found a wild grass, turf grass, had the genetic modification. Scientists suggested that the looms of this grass was carried by the wind, carrying the modified grasss seeds and pollen to the locations where new plants were emerging (Kathryn, Brown). Over all, genetically modified crops are not safe. Their dangers are many, but their benefits are few. They have foreign genes from bacteria and viruses that have never been in the human food supply. Many studies have suggested that genetically modified organisms affect our health and our environment. They have been linked to many toxic and allergenic reactions resulting in serious and unusual diseases. Some of the diseases are known, however, many are not. It is possible that the harmful effects of genetic gene manipulation will not be discovered for years, and then it may well be too late to reverse the damage.

Works Cited
Brown, Kathryn. Seeds of Concern. Scientific American Special Edition 16 (2006): 40-45 < Master File Premier. EBSCOhost Web. Santa Ana College Library, Santa Ana, CA. 26 March 2008 <http://libnet1.sac.edu>. Cook, Christopher D. Diet For a Dead Planaet: how the food industry is killing us. New York, London: New York Press, 2004. Harris, Nancy. Genetically Engineered Foods. New York: Bonnie Szumski, 2004. Rader, Charles M. A Report on Genetically Engineered Crops. (2001): http://members.tripod.com/c_rader0/gemod.htm Smith, Jeffery M. Gentically Engineered Foods may cause rising food allergies. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 29(2007): 22-23. Master File Premier. EBSCOhost Web. Santa Ana College Library, Santa Ana, CA. 26 March 2008 <http://libnet1.sac.edu>.

Smith, Jeffery M. Genetically Engineered Foods Pose Health Risk for Children. http://www.saynotogmos.org/risks-to-children.pdf