Three Approved Types of GM Corn Linked to Organ Damage, New Study Shows

by Melissa Diane Smith

Three types of genetically modified (GM) corn that have been approved for human consumption have been linked to organ damage in mammals, according to a new study.

Researchers from the Committee of Research and Information on Genetic Engineering (CRIIGEN) and the Universities of Caen and Rouen in France analyzed data that had been previously obtained to assess the effects on various organs in rats of three approved types of GM corn eaten for just 90 days. The corn varieties studied were NK 603, which had been genetically engineered to tolerate Roundup herbicide, and MON 810 and MON 863, which had been genetically engineered to produce two new insecticides. According to the researchers, these types of GM corn are potentially eaten by billions of people and animals worldwide.

New side effects, which were sex- and often dose-dependent, were linked to the GM corn intake. The effects included adverse impacts particularly on the kidneys and liver, as well as different levels of damage to the heart, adrenal glands, spleen, and other organs and tissues involved in the production of blood.

The toxicity to the liver and kidneys may be due to new pesticides present in each type of GM corn or unintended metabolic effects due to the genetic modification process.

All three types of GM corn had pesticide residues that will also be present in food and animal feed and may pose serious health risks to those consuming them. CRIIGEN, therefore, called for an immediate ban on these three types of GM corn.

The researchers strongly recommended additional, long-term, multi-generational animal feeding studies “to provide scientifically valid data on the acute and chronic toxic effects on GM crops, feed and foods.”

References:

Press Release by the Committee of Research and Information on Genetic Engineering (CRIIGEN). Three Major Approved GMOs for Food and Feed Found Unsafe. December 14, 2009. Retrieved from www.criigen.org.

Spiroux de Vendomois J, Roulliet F, Cellier D, Seralini GE. A Comparison of the Effects of Three GM Corn Varieties on Mammalian Health. International Journal of Biological Sciences, 2009;5(7):706-726.

Melissa’s Comments:

Why do I keep writing about GM foods and especially GM corn? It’s because most Americans, many people around the world, and many people who switch to a gluten-free diet eat large amounts of corn without ever realizing any possible risks to their health from eating it. The study I wrote about here is the first and most comprehensive study ever assessing the effects of three GM foods on the health of mammals. It concluded organ damage, especially of the kidneys and liver, our main detoxifying organs, after just 90 days of feeding. The three types of GM corn studied are present in food and feed in many parts of the world.

Are you starting to get the idea why you might not want to eat commercial corn, most of which is genetically modified? As the saying goes, “It’s not nice to fool mother nature.” Judging from the results of this study, fooling mother nature by genetically modifying crops is the most foolish thing man has ever done with food (and trust me, he has done a lot of foolish things!).

GM corn is pervasive in our food supply. Protect yourself by just saying no to GMOs. For more info on how to avoid GMOs, check out the Institute for Responsible Technology’s new non-GMO website.

Copyright © 2010 Melissa Diane Smith