Health & Medical Nutrition

Should We Avoid GMO’S? One Persons’ Observation Of The Possibility of Genetically Modified Food

My search for nutritious and safe food started when I was cooking a vegetarian meal for a friend. I decided to use the firm tofu in a main dish served along with vegetables for dinner. A few hours later I was doubled over with stomach cramps. I knew it wasn't food poisoning, I wasn't nauseous. The only ingredient different from my normal chicken/fish diet was the tofu made from soybeans. I decided to do some research on soy protein.

One small piece of information that caught my eye was the information that

  • 92 percent of soybeans in the US are grown from genetically modified seeds from Monsanto.

  • 85 percent of corn grown here is also GMO.



The soybean is modified to resist Round-Up, a weed-killer manufactured by Monsanto. Both the seeds and Round-Up are sold by Monsanto to famers in the United States. My research has led me to raise the question is should we avoid GMO food?

I have a very cute cat named Spencer. He's a tan and white Burmilla (part Burmese and part Chinchilla Persian). He's seven years old and strictly an indoor cat. He only likes one type of wet cat food and I always have dry food available when he gets hungry in the middle of the night. Spencer has an affinity for throwing up, especially after he eats the dry food.

For the last year, I've noticed that when he goes in the litter box, there is a little blood on the stool. I've switched his dry cat food with grocery store brands over the year with no change. Spencer is on the very thin side and I want to plump him up a bit.

I was wondering if his lack of weight might be due to the dangers of GMO's in pet food. After I started my research on soybeans, I started to do some research on GMO's. There isn't very much research to find. I did find a few accounts of rats, pigs and cows with intestinal distress and greater percentage of birth defects when fed solely GMO food, and that's when I started to think. Maybe I should check the ingredients in the dry food I've been feeing my cat. Maybe our processed food made from GMO ingredients should be avoided?

I finally looked at the ingredients of the cat food I purchased from the grocery store. Within the top four ingredients, I found ground corn and soybean meal. I checked other top cat food brands and I found the same thing. Within the top four ingredients was either corn protein, soy protein or both. They are cheap sources of protein and both are certainly genetically modified within the last five years. Assuming these ingredients were the source of my cat's intestinal problems, I decided to avoid GMO's entirely. I went to a pet store that had more choices of cat food. I read through ingredient lists very carefully and I found several that are organic and did not contain soy or corn. I picked one that I thought my cat would like. He's into the seafood, especially tuna flavors. I threw out the old food and replaced it with the organic food.

Within a month Spencer has filled out and is eating better. He seems happier with fewer stomach problems and has lots of energy. I don't have any definitive proof that we need to avoid GMO's, but my instinct tells me that there is some truth to checking ingredient lists carefully and avoiding products made from GMO's. I feel like all of us are in this big experiment with our food supply. It is something every pet owner and parent should look into.

Since originally investigating material for this article, the state of California has rejected a proposition (37) to label foods containing GMO's. Monsanto and other large food corporations put millions of dollars into a negative campaign to successfully defeat the proposition in California. Since becoming aware of the issues with the possible dangers of GMO's in food and lack of enough scientific research to definitively say that genetically modified organisms are safe long term, I'm hoping that something changes to protect the individual. For now, I will try my best to avoid any food with GMO's in it.

Related posts "Health & Medical : Nutrition"

A Man' s Good Health Is Determined By What He Eats

Nutrition

Make Your Diet a Lifestyle Change

Nutrition

The Health Benefits of Organic Meat

Nutrition

Food and Fitness

Nutrition

The Best Juicer Delivers Better Health With The Press Of A Button

Nutrition

Herbal Tea De-Stressing Your Mind and Soul

Nutrition

What is a Free Radical Antioxidant?

Nutrition

Use Fat Free Butter, Fight Cholestrol and Stay Healthy

Nutrition

Good Taste Of Myoplex Protein Shakes

Nutrition

Leave a Comment