Scientific explanations for genetically modified foods
In the late 1980s, scientists began to grow the first GMO crops. Since then, disputes about their benefits and harms to human health have not subsided.
Some experts hold the point of view that GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are the greatest achievement of science. The use of genetic engineering has made it possible to increase yields, which means that hunger does not threaten humanity. Other scientists call these foods "Frankenstein food." They are convinced that playing with nature is dangerous and can cause disastrous consequences for all of humanity, as well as for the environment.
To form your own point of view on this issue, you need to dwell in more detail on the most controversial points.
Content:
- What are GMOs?
- The goals of creating GMOs
- Economic and environmental benefits
- 6 myths about GMOs
- Is natural always healthy?
- GMO safety
- GMOs in Russia today
What are GMOs?
GMO stands for genetically modified organisms. It's not just low-lying foods that fall under this definition. Scientists use this term to designate all organisms whose genetic code has been artificially transformed.
Living organisms that exist in nature are constantly changing their genetic codes. These processes occur spontaneously and are called mutations. If organisms did not possess such properties, the concept of evolution would not exist. There would be no us either.
Mutations can benefit the body or harm it. It all depends on whether they help him in his future existence. Most of these mutations are neutral. They do not manifest themselves in any way, or they make themselves felt by subtle changes. Beneficial mutations form the basis for the evolution of a species. Organisms that are carriers of harmful mutations are either not viable or cannot have offspring. So nature protects the species from the influence of harmful factors on it.
People have been interfering in the evolution of nature for a long time, trying to give organisms the properties they need. Artificial selection has made it possible to breed many breeds of domestic animals. We have the ability to grow various varieties of edible and ornamental plants. If you look at it, then selection is an indirect intervention of humanity in the genetic codes of living organisms. The result of such work is new products and animals that have the necessary characteristics.
In fact, genetic modification and selection pursue a single goal - to change the species of a plant or animal in order to get the result that a person needs. However, breeding has certain disadvantages. After all, the appearance of a species with the necessary parameters has to wait a long time. Mutations will happen anywhere. Breeders often use mutagens. They help organisms accumulate mutations faster.
Mutagenesis is the alteration of the nucleotide sequence of DNA. Spontaneous mutagenesis occurs under the influence of external factors on the body: ultraviolet radiation, radiation, chemical mutagens.
This approach allows for a huge number of mutated species. Many of them will be worse than the original product. However, among the changed material, it is sometimes possible to find one that will have the given characteristics. GMOs are another level of artificial selection.
Advances in genetic engineering make it possible to obtain the desired properties in plants immediately after changes have been made. Even the first generation meets the specified characteristics. Moreover, unwanted mutations do not occur in such material.
An organism in which targeted changes in the genotype have been made is considered a modified organism. If we consider this issue in relation to the food industry, then such products include those into which genes uncharacteristic for them have been introduced.
The goals of creating GMOs
GMOs were bred to increase crop yields and for their better resistance to adverse environmental factors, such as drought or nutrient deficiencies. Such plants must be resistant to pests and viruses. Scientists have tried to develop crops that could be grown at minimal cost and with high yields. Moreover, the problem of food shortages is acute in many countries.
Crop persistence and food security
Genes were introduced into GM plants that are capable of destroying weeds and harmful insects, as well as helping to actively resist viruses. Plants were also created that tolerate drought better than their species counterparts. Therefore, they can be grown in countries where water is scarce.
It's no secret that a huge part of the crop dies due to disease, parasites and viruses. The use of genetic engineering can solve this problem.
Spraying vegetables with poisonous substances that kill insects can get rid of them. However, the quality of the products suffers from this. Statistics show that the use of GMO plants can reduce the amount of pesticides in food by 37%, and in the case of resistant insects, by 42%. [1]
Economic and environmental benefits
Some modified plants mature and grow faster. This allows you to increase yields and income from the sale of such crops. Moreover, the price for the consumer remains at an acceptable level.
In 2014, PLOS Biology published a report that GM plants have been created that have the ability to use more of their own nitrogen. This will reduce the amount of fertilizer applied. Growing these crops makes it possible to reduce soil damage and lower the final cost of the product.
Reaping economic and environmental benefits is another goal pursued by scientists involved in breeding GM plants. Practice shows that GMO products are 21% more productive.
Improving nutrition
Genetic modification of foods can increase their nutritional value. The use of these technologies makes it possible to enrich plants with proteins, vitamins and minerals. This is especially true for underdeveloped countries where people cannot afford a balanced menu.
Genetic modification makes it possible to solve the problem of hunger. For example, rice enriched with vitamin A will save a huge number of people from a deficiency of this substance.
Thanks to genetic modification, scientists have created fluorescent ornamental fish. They are called glofish. These fish cost only a few dollars.
Rice enriched with beta-carotene was developed in Switzerland. It got the name "golden rice". Its health benefits have been enhanced by daffodil transgenes. Eating fortified rice is especially important for residents of Asian countries. It is there that many people have a vitamin A deficiency. 100 g of the fortified product contains beta-carotene, which allows 120% of the daily requirement of an adult to be satisfied.
Long shelf life
Modified foods last longer than regular foods. They can be transported over long distances without problems.
6 myths about GMOs
According to WHO, GMO products "pose no danger to human health." Scientists who are critical of this point of view argue that the research cannot be called complete, since it was not carried out for long. Irreversible side effects may develop in the future. When exactly is impossible to predict.
Fears that people have about eating GMOs:
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GMOs cannot be called safe, since any interference with the gene structure leads to irreversible mutations. However, in any living organism, these mutations occur regularly and without any external influence. Therefore, a claim that relates to GMOs can be made against any product: grown in the garden, in the country, in the course of selection on the farm, etc. Mutations are not a reason to refuse GM products.
For more than 20 years on the market, GMOs have not caused or contributed to any disease or death. In the spring of 2016, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS) investigated the safety issue of GMOs and concluded that GMOs are safe. Their study found that "there is no significant evidence of a difference in human health risks between currently commercially available genetically modified crops and conventionally grown crops." [2]
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GMOs provoke cancerous tumors. This statement has no scientific basis. Such rumors are spread by poorly educated people. Not a single case has yet been recorded when the use of modified products would provoke the development of a cancer. On the contrary, there are scientific studies that prove that the consumption of GMO products in food does not lead to the development of cancer. From time to time, information appears in the media that rodents who ate modified foods have suffered from one or another disease. In fact, it is impossible to verify the purity of such experiments. Moreover, for ordinary people. Most often, such studies were conducted with serious violations. One example is the work of the French biologist Séralini, which received widespread publicity. The scientist fed the laboratory rats with modified corn and claimedthat because of this, they developed cancerous tumors.
However, later it turned out that he did not carry out statistical analysis in his work. When it was done, it was found that the differences in the health of rats that ate modified corn were coincidental. Rodents who ate regular food suffer from cancer with the same frequency. [3]
- GMOs are developed by corporations for the purpose of their own enrichment, and not for the benefit of ordinary farmers and consumers. It is pointless to argue that GMOs increase profits. Otherwise, nobody would be involved in and finance their development. However, we must not forget about the income generated by products labeled "organic". No modern technologies were used in their cultivation. These products cost 10-40% more than conventional products. Moreover, inflated myths and consumer fears about the dangers of genetic modification make a significant contribution to price hikes. Large corporations make the same money both from GMOs and from the organic industry.
- The human body can be "infected" with DNA from modified food. Any food (GMO and conventional), once in the body, decomposes in the stomach and intestines. They are divided into amino acids, triglycerides, sugars, and fatty acids. If after eating food their DNA could be incorporated into our genome, then after each eating a banana a person would turn yellow, and after eating cucumbers it would turn green. People have always eaten food containing foreign DNA, but did not acquire the properties of food.
- GMOs pose a danger to insects. It cannot be ruled out that the cultivation of modified crops may negatively affect the number of some insects. However, even reputable journals have not published a single fact that would confirm this theory. From time to time, news of such a plan emerges, but after a certain period of time, a refuting publication always comes out. And for some reason the hype around the refutation made does not suit.
- GM plants become sterile after 1 or 2 generations. This is actually the case. This was done not by chance, but to prevent the altered organisms from entering the wild. Eating GMOs does not lead to infertility in humans. Moreover, GM sterile plants were obtained from the same sterile seeds (F1 hybrids). They grow better than their parents, bring a good harvest, but do not produce offspring themselves.
Is natural always healthy?
It is believed that organic food is a source of health and longevity. Many people believe that farms do not use any pesticide or fertilizer to get their crops. However, this is the deepest delusion. If you look at the European regulation, which is considered the most stringent in the world, even it allows the use of 30 pesticides and fertilizers. If the farmers did nothing to cultivate their fields, then their products would cost not 3, but 40 times more.
There are numerous cases of organic food poisoning. Moreover, people suffer from them en masse. Intestinal infections kill patients around the world. They are caused by natural pathogenic flora, for example, E. coli or salmonella. While not a single person died from the "most dangerous GMOs".
In America alone, 40 million people are poisoned by natural pathogens every year. More than 100,000 of them end up in hospital and about 3,000 die.
Phobia GMO (chemophobia) is gaining momentum every year. It is fueled by fear of the unknown, lack of sufficient knowledge and critical thinking. Anything that people produce on an industrial scale is initially considered harmful. While organic products attract with their "usefulness". They act as a powerful counterbalance to chemistry.
Hemophobia is a fear of chemical compounds. It is a form of technophobia and fear of the unknown.
The apple is considered one of the safest fruits. However, there is even more "E" in it:
GMO safety
Since the creation of the first GMO, scientists have begun to assess all the possible risks that they can cause to humanity. A massive study was organized by the American Academies of Sciences. It includes over 900 scientific papers that have been published over the past 30 years. All these studies pursued a single goal - to assess the impact of GMOs on humans.
50 scientists of various specialists were engaged in the analysis of the work. The documents were reviewed by 26 independent experts. They all came to the conclusion that GMOs do no harm to the human body. [4]
Here are excerpts from the publication that was posted on the WHO website.
Genetically altered organisms have different genes that are inserted into them in different ways. Therefore, the safety of a specific GM product must be assessed separately. It is impossible to conclude that each modified product is safe [5].
All GM products that are now on sale have been fully tested and do not pose any harm to human health. No negative effects have been found after eating such food in humans in the countries where it is permitted.
GMOs in Russia today
Starting from July 4, 2016, Federal Law No. 358-F3 “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation in terms of improving state regulation in the field of genetic engineering” came into force. [6]
This law has tightened the use of genetic engineering in food production, in the cultivation of crops and in animal husbandry. However, such products may be created for the purpose of selling to other countries.
The legislation of the Russian Federation prohibits:
- Grow modified plants and raise animals for food production.
- To bring seeds of modified plants into the country.
- Bring in modified products.
The law allows:
- Sell GM foods unless prohibited.
- Use GMOs for scientific research.
Crops that can be used in Russia: corn, soybeans, rice from Monsanto (Bayer), BASF, Bayer CropScience, Pioneer Hi-Bred. GM raw materials are used for the manufacture of meat products, canned food, bread, and confectionery.
Modified soybeans and corn from the listed producers are imported into Russia and used as animal feed. To date, about 300 brands have been registered. For example, many calves now receive its soy counterpart instead of cow's milk.
In Russia, scientists are conducting research and development on the creation of GM plants. The most famous laboratory is Biotron, which is located in Pushchino in the Moscow region. Scientists have created plants that are resistant to viruses and chemicals. Among their developments are tomatoes with a long shelf life.
A group of genetic engineering and plant genome editing of the Koltsov Institute of Developmental Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences is working in Moscow. In this laboratory, a transgenic sunflower was created, which is used for the production of rubber.
On the basis of the Institute of Plants. A. K. Timiryazev RAS conducts its own fundamental research on transgenic tobacco, potatoes, rapeseed and arabidopsis (this is a wild relative of cabbage).
There are other centers in the country engaged in the creation of GM products.
Scientific lecture explaining the safety of consuming GMOs:
Alexander Panchin is a Russian biologist, popularizer of science, science journalist, author of the books "The Sum of Biotechnology" and "Protection from the Dark Arts". Candidate of Sciences in Biology, Senior Researcher at the A. A. Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Links to sources
- Get To Know GMOs Month: Sustainable Farming Practices You Didn't Know are Used with GMO Crops
- Impact of genetically engineered maize on agronomic, environmental and toxicological traits: a meta-analysis of 21 years of field data
- GMO increases the lifespan of male rats
- Impact of genetically engineered maize on agronomic, environmental and toxicological traits: a meta-analysis of 21 years of field data
- Frequently asked questions on genetically modified foods
- Federal Law No. 358-FZ of 03.07.2016 "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation in Part of Improving State Regulation in the Field of Genetic Engineering" https://publication.pravo.gov.ru/Document/View/0001201607040147? index = 0 & rangeSize = 1
Article author: Mochalov Pavel Alexandrovich | d. m. n. therapist
Education: Moscow Medical Institute. IM Sechenov, specialty - "General Medicine" in 1991, in 1993 "Occupational Diseases", in 1996 "Therapy".
