How does bioengeneered food affect our health?

Answer 1

this is why i love yahoo answers you always learn something new by answering people's questions..."Crops improved through biotechnology have undergone more safety and environmental testing than any crop varieties in history, and have been produced and consumed by humans and animals in millions of tons around the world for years. They have been proven as safe as the scientific method permits, by every valid method known to science and medicine. There is, to date, not a single solitary confirmed case of human or animal illness or disease associated with a biotech crop. Nor has a single negative environmental impact been credibly attributed to biotech-improved varieties."

Is that so? The following cases show that there is reason to be concerned about the safety of GE foods.

Pusztai's Potatoes

Questions over the safety of GE foods were raised as far back as in 1998, when renowned scientist Arpad Pusztai, of Scotland's Rowett Research Institute, tested an experimental GE potato on laboratory rats. At the time of this experiment, there was very little in the peer-reviewed scientific literature on the safety of GE foods (a full two years after their introduction into the market!); Pusztai's was the first independent study to that end.

The rats fed on the GE potatoes suffered substantial damage to their immune systems, plus abnormal weight loss in various organs, including the brain, testicles and liver. Some also had abnormal growth in their intestinal cells, which could indicate a prelude to cancer. Despite a long and concerted industry campaign to discredit Pusztai, part of the results of his GE potato study were duly peer-reviewed and published in the scientific literature. However, despite the industry and scientific establishment dismissing his work, there has been little attempt made to independently repeat and confirm the study, as is usually the case in science. Pusztai has published other results of his experiments since, which raise serious question over the safety of GM foods.

The Independent Science Panel

In 2003, Pusztai joined over a dozen colleagues with expertise in agroecology, agronomy, botany, medical chemistry, ecology, microbial ecology, nutritional biochemistry, physiology, toxicology and virology, to form the Independent Science Panel. The group released a report on GE crops and foods that reviewed the literature and concluded that:

* Contrary to the claims of proponents, these crops have not been proven safe. The regulatory framework was fatally flawed from the start. It was based on an anti-precautionary approach designed to expedite product approval at the expense of safety considerations.

* By far the most insidious dangers of genetic engineering may be inherent in the process itself.

* There have been very few credible studies on GE food safety. Nevertheless, the available findings already give cause for concern.

* There is already experimental evidence that transgenic DNA from plants has been taken up by bacteria in the soil and in the gut of human volunteers.

* Transgenic DNA is known to survive digestion in the gut and may jump into the genome of mammalian cells, raising the possibility for triggering cancer.

* There has been a history of misrepresentation and suppression of scientific evidence in the promotion of agricultural biotechnology. Key experiments were not performed, or were performed badly and then misrepresented.

* Sufficient evidence has emerged which raises serious safety concerns, that if ignored could result in irreversible damage to health and the environment. GE crops should be firmly rejected now.

The Mon 863 Report

On May 22, 2005 the British daily The Independent reported the existence of a secret Monsanto report about its genetically engineered Mon 863 corn variety. According to the 1,139-page report, rats fed this corn for 13 weeks had abnormally high white blood cell counts, something that happens normally in cases of cancer, poisoning or infection. The rats also had kidney weight loss, liver necrosis and high blood sugar, among other negative effects. Alleging "confidentiality", Monsanto initially published an 11-page summary. The report was made public only after a court order in Germany.

Their evidence goes on an on the below site:

Answer 2

I didn't think it was proven to affect our bodies- suppose I'm wrong. I go organic, always have. But many don't- I say...we'll see. Too I say better to eat a veggie grown this way, that not at all or stick a that a big mac or some kind of meat from 1000 different animals in your mouth. Or the poisen in lots of food people eat. But! I don't know how it affects our health. HUMMMMMMMMMMM Good Q!

Answer 3

there is no worlwide uproar yet about bioengineered food so i guess it has no adverse effect on health. for i know we've been eating bioengineered food for a long time,take the case of chicken which takes about 45 days from egg until ready to be served on the table, before it takes almost 6 mos fo a chicken before it is ready !!!

Answer 4

i dont think our bodies were designed to digest stuff like that, and its just for the money that they are doing this...so that can't be good. I dont think they should be allowed to do it at all.
-go organic! "don't care about spots on my apples, leave me the birds and the bees,
please!"

Answer 5

Well, how would you feel if you had fish DNA in your tomatoes?

Would you be a vegetarian or not?

Answer 6

Where does cancer come from?

Answer 7

it gives us cancer.......