Our Intimate Relationship with Food: A Complex Truth

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Our Intimate Relationship with Food: A Complex Truth

Healthy Child

Monday, August 20, 2007

A famous French political thinker once said that the public would rather believe a simple lie than a complex truth.

The truth behind genetic engineering is extremely complex. It has been used for decades, but it is only in the last ten years that neurotoxins have been
engineered into our food supply.

No one has studied the long term health implications of children consuming foods containing neurotoxins, novel proteins and allergens.

Though to look back over the last ten years, you quickly remember that ten years ago, we didn¹t have to worry about sending a peanut butter and jelly sandwich into school with our children; we didn¹t have to medicate our eight year olds to get them through the school day; and the movie, Rain Man, was all we knew of autism.

Today, at least 1 out of every 17 children under the age of three has a food allergy with at least 5 million American children suffering from this condition (though these statistics are from 2002, over five years old).

Autism, diabetes and obesity are often referred to as American epidemics.

So what has changed?

In 1996, the United States adopted widespread use of genetically modified crops due to growing public concern over the health risks associated with the industrial spraying of insecticidal and pesiticidal toxins.

In an effort to reduce the spraying of these toxins, scientists began using biotechnology to engineer these pesticides and insecticides into the plants themselves.

As these ingredients were introduced around the world ten years ago, government agencies in Europe, Asia, Australia, Japan, Russia and 45 developed countries required them to be listed on food labels, so that consumers could make informed choices when it came to feeding their families.

In the United States, our regulatory agencies do not require these genetically engineered ingredients to be labeled.

So, unlike other developed countries, we have not been informed that almost 70% of our corn, 90% of our soy and 75% of our processed food now contain
neurotoxins, novel proteins and allergens.

Today one out of every three children suffers from allergies, asthma, autism or ADHD. It appears that we have unknowingly and without informed consent engaged our children in one of the largest human trials in history.

Ten years into this human trial, our children are trying to tell us something.

Shouldn¹t we listen?

By Robyn O¹Brien, Founder, AllergyKids

Posted by party dresses on 02/24/2012 at 05:33 AM

I decided I love this article. You made me wonder concerning a lot of points, and especially about this topic

Posted by Bilete de avion on 07/14/2011 at 02:30 AM

Organic food is worth of our investment ! Thank you for this article.

Posted by Organic Lotions on 06/18/2011 at 11:01 AM

This is very informative and scary stuff. It’s disturbing to think how many people believe corporations are OVER regulated and want to de-regulate them even more.

Posted by Age of War 2 on 06/17/2011 at 06:11 AM

Yes. This is all true. Choice of foods have a definite impact in our lives. What we are depends on what we eat, so they say. So be very careful in what to put inside your mouth. It’s a fact that we must never take or granted.

Posted by Syneron dental lasers on 04/04/2011 at 02:14 AM

I think the title says it all - sometimes we love doing something but we have guilty conscious about it - the most important thing in my opinion is to keep the balance in everything that you do, that way you give the body the needed time to recuperate. Well written post - thanks!

Posted by Mary Black on 03/23/2011 at 08:40 AM

Nowadays the question with genetically modified foods remains open. GM foods are foods derived from genetically modified organisms. Genetically modified organisms have had specific changes introduced into their DNA by genetic engineering techniques. These techniques are much more precise than mutagenesis (mutation breeding) where an organism is exposed to radiation or chemicals to create a non-specific but stable change. Other techniques by which humans modify food organisms include selective breeding; plant breeding, and animal breeding, and somaclonal variation.

Posted by pool pumps on 03/21/2011 at 09:22 AM

I heard all about this in one of my classes last year when we watched Food Inc. Thanks for the post. It’s very informative.

Posted by wound dressings on 02/26/2011 at 04:50 AM

Well, I think I have read this somewhere may be at your site before. This is very useful information you shared. Thank you.

Posted by Anthony at Swanson Vitamins on 09/29/2010 at 12:59 PM

I love this blog post and agree with it so much! People need to try and live as natural of a lifestyle as possible, if they want to maintain their health.

Posted by Tony on 09/14/2010 at 06:33 PM

Ignorance is bliss. People would rather not know the truth if it is complicated, even if it is helpful. Hopefully more people read this because I found it very informative.

Posted by Diving Boards on 05/26/2010 at 12:14 AM

GM plants are very resistant against diseases and produce more compaired to organically grown plants. Hence, they are cheaper. The dilemma that we face now is whether or not we can take the risk of having genetic mutation amongst our children in order to save some money amidst the global recession that we are experiencing today.

Posted by Diabetes Treatment on 07/03/2009 at 11:03 AM

“Today one out of every three children suffers from allergies, asthma, autism or ADHD.” That’s scary. Those junk foods really destroy our generation. However, pollutants also have a role here.

Posted by Bilete avion on 06/26/2009 at 09:47 PM

Thank you for this article. That is a really useful. Food is the most important aspect in keeping a good health. Thanks again.

Posted by Health Care Pharmacy on 05/04/2009 at 02:36 PM

Any food can cause an allergic reaction, but 90% of all food allergies are caused by one of the following: wheat, eggs, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, fish and shell fish. If you walk into a preschool classroom anywhere in America, the number of students with food allergies tells a much different story, suggesting that these five year old statistics underestimate the problem and that food allergies are far more pervasive than industry-funded groups and medical advisers would have you believe.

Posted by Allergy symptoms on 01/08/2009 at 09:13 AM

All this genetic engineering has increased the production multi fold, but the quality is not same as the original one. Even some of them are so badly engineered that their taste is very bad and even introduce some health problem in human body.

Posted by denirosdoll on 09/25/2008 at 12:21 PM

That is a really useful, informative guide Janelle. I’m going to try and keep a copy in my bag until i get used to what to watch out for.

Posted by Janelle Sorensen on 09/25/2008 at 08:52 AM

The Center for Science in the Public Interest has great information on food safety and additives. They point out the dangers of aspartame, as well. You can find their full report at:

http://www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm

They have great information about many, many different additives, preservatives, sweeteners, synthetic colorings, and more.

Posted by denirosdoll on 09/25/2008 at 08:31 AM

The UK allowed aspartame into our food chain solely on the basis it was allowed by the FDA, and the person in the UK responsible (can’t find his name now) works for a research company funded by - the company who made aspartame.
This was licensed in the early 80’s, very shortly before a huge epidemic of CFS/ME (yuppie flu as we called it in UK) began.
I can’t stress enough how dangerous this aspartame is, it got pushed through the red tape even though it was known to cause brain damage and tumours in rats. Please avoid it, and at all costs, please do not give it to your children.

Posted by Janelle Sorensen on 09/24/2008 at 06:14 PM

denirosdoll - The shifts in public health problems are likely not due to one singular cause like GMOs. As you point out, in essence, every country is conducting it’s own experiments. It’ll likely be generations before we have any clue how all of the GMOs, chemicals, and shifts in diet (with regards to additives, preservatives, and such) all interact and then impact human development and health.

Posted by denirosdoll on 09/23/2008 at 01:23 PM

In the UK we have also seen an astronomic increase in allergies and neurological problems like autism, ADHD etc. so if GM foods are banned here, why do we still have this growing problem too?
2 years ago i was diagnosed with narcolepsy and recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia, both conditions related to damage of the hypothalamus in the brain.
These kind of conditions are also increasing rapidly.
My theory is that many of these problems are being caused by additives in food, the biggest culprits being monosodium glutamate (a flavour enhancer found in many ready meals, processed foods and things like noodles) and aspartame (a sweetener found in most low-cal, low sugar, diet drinks and foods).
If you look at how aspartame, in particular, got into our food chain, you would be amazed at the level of corruption by the company that made it and how the FDA were corrupted into passing it, Donald Rumsfeld has a lot to answer for.

Posted by Bilete de avion on 09/16/2008 at 05:59 AM

Here in Romania pesticides and insecticides haven’t really been used on a large scale so you’re bound to get good organic food from farmers.

Posted by Solaray calcium citrate on 06/16/2008 at 09:59 AM

It’s all very insightful and interesting, understanding the relationship with food means understanding the relationship with your body. Food is the most important aspect in keeping a good health. Giving our body the right fuel it will sure work properly, it’s that simple.

Posted by Diabetes Recipe on 04/17/2008 at 09:16 PM

all these genetic engineering is giving us new kinda foods with lot bigger sizes, but it tastes like crap. no alternative for organics

Posted by custom essay on 04/11/2008 at 04:30 AM

I agree that organic food is worth of our investment

Posted by felicitare de dragobete on 02/24/2008 at 06:14 AM

A solution is to demand organic foods! Make a commitment to buy and eat food which is grown organically. Support your local organic suppliers and farmers.

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