Describe Food Culture in Amercia: Health Effects of GMO

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Health Effects of GMO
Issues surrounding GMO have sparked hot debates across the globe with its proponents citing disturbing facts they purport to be caused by GMOs. Several decades ago GMO foods were introduced and approved as a safe alternative to supplement human food. The US is one of the countries that have allowed production and consumption of GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms). Since its introduction a few decades ago, there has been heated public debates about the potential dangers harbored by GMOs. GMOs were introduced to modify some plant species to be more tolerant to adverse climatic conditions and produce higher yields. Genetic engineers aimed at supplementing traditional crop production to sustain the ever-increasing human population. Several types of research have been conducted to ascertain if they are safe for human consumption and they have had conflicting results that have stormed the scientific community. American Medical Association and World Health Organization have concluded that GMOs are safe for human consumption but still many people oppose and have continuously challenged the adoption of GMOs as an alternative source of food for humans. GMO offers a practical solution to food security by engineering solutions that can withstand adverse climatic conditions while producing higher yieldsCITATION GMO14 \l 1033 (GMOs: A Solution Or A Problem?, 2014). In this research article, critical analysis of GMOs and their potential health benefits are discussed in depth. Some of the reasons why GMO should be embrace rather than be fought are discussed here below.
Organ toxicity has been one of the key arguments cited by GMO proponents. Many people have voiced their concerns over GMO organ toxicity in humans. It is widely acclaimed that GMOs lead to higher organ toxicity levels in humans especially after prolonged consumption. Institute for Responsible Technology published an anti-GMO research findings showing that GMO foods led to organ toxicity CITATION Nor15 \l 1033 (Norris, 2015). The researchers at IRT subjected rats to GMO potatoes and conducted some histopathological examinations on their liver, spleen, intestines and heart to find out if GMO affected body organs. According to IRT, the rats showed organ toxicity for feeding rats to GMO potatoes for ten days. However, other researchers have nullified the findings of IRT research into organ toxicity with even longer exposure to GMO. Several types of research have been conducted to substantiate the findings of IRT about GMO and toxicity. The findings in the long run were found to be skewed and flawed thus not following scientific research protocol. The scientific community has distanced itself from the findings of the research and upheld that GMOs are safe for human consumption CITATION Nor15 \l 1033 (Norris, 2015).
Scientists have carried out several researches to ascertain whether GMO leads to organ toxicity. Histopathological examinations have shown no traces of organ toxicity in almost all organs in the body and therefore conclude that GMO is safe for human consumption. Though the experiments have been carried out on animals such as lab rats, the findings have consistently shown that GMO food does not lead to organ toxicity in humans. It would be unethical to do such tests on humans, and many anti-GMO proponents cite that lab experiments on animals do not accurately represent human conditions and therefore, the same GMO foods could adversely affect humans. However, the same animals have been approved to be used to preempt effects of other experiments on humans. The GMO antagonists have not been able to prove scientifically that the adverse effects they purport are harbored by GMO on humans CITATION Fel00 \l 1033 (Feldmann, Morris, & Hoisington, 2000).
GMO foods have been accused of having adverse effects on their offspring. The argument is founded on unverified facts from biased research findings and unscientific processes that have implicated GMO as a threat to future generations. The argument has caught public interest which has perceived GMO as unsafe for human consumption albeit being founded on poor research findings. Over the years, GMO has been certified as safe for human consumption, many anti-GMO organizations and individuals driven by malicious and self-interests have been trying to discredit its consumption whilst citing unscientific findings which are overly vague. Through the years, the public has absorbed their skewed perception and developed unnecessary phobia on GMO foods which are equally good as the traditional CITATION Key08 \l 1033 (Key, Ma, & Drake, 2008).
Anti-GMOs proponents have asserted that GMO leads to infertility and male impotence. The experiments have been carried out in controlled environments with highest exposure of GMO to the test animals and carried out up to 10th generations. The animals showed normal development of embryo and growth into adulthood. All the experiments had consistently similar results thus nullifying that GMO causes infertility or fetal, postnatal, pubertal, or adult testicular development of their offspring. The control experiments showed no significant differences productive organs of humans. Therefore, if the offspring of GMO fed generation in humans’ show any signs of infertility, it is likely that I was caused by other factors other than GMO. The findings, therefore, affirm that GMO does not affect the reproductive system of humans.
GMO is believed to have the ability to change our genesCITATION Syl12 \l 1033 (Broeders, Keersmaecker, & Roosens, 2012). Genetic modification in foods is done to improve crop resistance to environmental factors such as drought and pests. If new genes are introduced into the plants to improve their yield and resistance, it has been assumed that the genetic modification can be transferred to affect humans. However, through research, there hasn’t been any positive evidence that GMO can alter our genes. The assumption that DNA modification done to GMO could lead to modification of human DNA has been tested. The findings have proven beyond reasonable doubt that human DNA cannot be modified by consumption of GMO foods.
Anti GMO campaigns implicate GMO foods to be causative agents of genetic mutations in animals. Some research findings have consistently shown that GMO does not ...