Photo Credit: Lindsay StradtnerSo many readers have been writing in looking for specific product recommendations…which I will provide, promise! However, today, instead of a specific product recommendation, I need to make a broad product suggestion…And that is...AVOID GMO products whenever you can.
"But the real shock came when the rats started dying. Within three weeks, 25 of the 45 (55.6%) rats from the GMO soy group died compared to only 3 of 33 (9%) from the non-GMO soy group and 3 of 44 (6.8%) from the non-soy controls". (this data is taken from a study conducted by Irina Ermakova, a leading scientist at the Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), added GMO soy flour (5-7 grams) to the diet of female rats. Other females were fed non-GMO soy or no soy at all. The experimental diet began two weeks before the rats conceived and continued through pregnancy and nursing).
So, what are GMO's? (which can also be labeled/referred to as genetically engineered organism, or GEO's).
*GMOs, or “genetically modified organisms,” are plants or animals created through the gene splicing techniques of biotechnology (also called genetic engineering, or GE). This experimental technology merges DNA from different species, creating unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and viral genes that cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding. Not very natural sounding is it?
Virtually all commercial GMOs are engineered to withstand direct application of herbicide and/or to produce an insecticide. Despite biotech industry promises, none of the GMO traits currently on the market offer increased yield, drought tolerance, enhanced nutrition, or any other consumer benefit. But…there is money to be made by those doing it!
There are those who will argue that GMO's are safe…but are they? *Most developed nations do not consider GMOs to be safe. In nearly 50 countries around the world, including Australia, Japan, and all of the countries in the European Union, there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production and sale of GMOs. In the U.S., the government has approved GMOs based on studies conducted by the same corporations that created them and profit from their sale. Increasingly, Americans are taking matters into their own hands and choosing to opt out of the GMO experiment.
If there was ever a broad recommendation I would have for you, it would be this one…avoid GMO's whenever you possibly can. *Unfortunately, even though polls consistently show that a significant majority of Americans want to know if the food they’re purchasing contains GMOs, the powerful biotech lobby has succeeded in keeping this information from the public. In the absence of mandatory labeling, the Non-GMO Project was created to give consumers the informed choice they deserve. (The Non-GMO Project website can be reached by clicking here)
Unfortunately, due to these labeling requirements…finding Non-GMO products can be quite a challenge. So what can you do? Look for products with "NO GMO" on the labels or packaging. The Non-GMO Project offers a great online tool (CLICK HERE) that will help you find Non-GMO products by category, brand or specific name.
You may never know when dining out…but you can know what you are putting in your fridge and pantry…so be an advocate for yourself and your family.
Whether you are vegan/vegetarian or not…and whether you believe the research…or think the verdict is still out…I for one, will do everything I can to mitigate the risk!
In the near future, I will be sharing my favorite NON-GMO products here. So, keep your eye out.
Josh
* Excerpts from the not-for-profit, The Non-GMO Project - CLICK HERE TO VISIT THEIR WEBSITE
Friday, March 9, 2012 at 5:42AM 
Is you beer, wine or liquor vegan? This is a question that actually comes up a lot in conversation…