By Tanner Lecumberry Posted April 21, 2014
In today’s world, it can be hard to tell what food is good for you, and what isn’t; especially with all the tricks and facades put on by the food giants to keep you buying their products. There has been a huge push for genetically modified foods, or GMOs (genetically modified organisms), and their health benefits. However, the truth is they aren’t as healthy for you as their natural counterparts, and it can be very difficult to identify and avoid them.
From a moral standpoint, many argue that GMOs are unnatural and don’t belong on the table, since altering any organism on a genetic level is, in some eyes, playing God. Many others, however, don’t consider them to be safe. In fact, there are more than 60 countries around the world, including most of the European Union which have heavy restrictions or outright bans on GMOs, according to the Non-GMO Project (www.nongmoproject.org).
Aside from your health, GMOs have a negative impact on the environment. Most genetically modified crops are designed to be resistant to herbicides, and this resistance has heavily increased the use of highly toxic herbicides. GMO crops, and their modified resistance to pesticides, also contribute to superweeds and bugs, which would destroy any normal crop incredibly easily.
GMOs, in theory, are a great idea to help solve the world’s food shortage problem and create a less expensive way to bring food to more people. Because GMOs can be grown faster, stronger, and much less expensive, many look to them as the future of food production in the world. Unfortunately, their application has not been perfected, and they can cause a lot of harm. Large food companies like Monsanto are pushing heavily to keep these foods on shelves, and the consumer is blind to what they’re eating. For more information on how to avoid GMOs, visit www.nongmoproject.org/find-non-gmo/search-participating-products, and always keep up with the latest research.
