Last night on Comedy Central, Jon Stewart's brilliant mockery of genetically engineered wheat puts the only humorous twist on an otherwise serious health risk that now concerns the American Academy of Environmental Medicine: genetically modified foods.
On May 8th, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) called on “Physicians to educate their patients, the medical community, and the public to avoid GM (genetically modified) foods when possible and provide educational materials concerning GM foods and health risks.” Their position paper stated, “Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food,” including infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system. AAEM states, “GM foods have not been properly tested” and “pose a serious health risk.” They conclude, “There is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects. There is causation,” as defined by recognized scientific criteria. “The strength of association and consistency between GM foods and disease is confirmed in several animal studies.” AAEM called for a moratorium, long-term independent studies, and labeling.
A second US medical association is currently drafting a similar resolution, and more and more doctors are already prescribing GM-free diets. “I strongly recommend patients eat strictly non-genetically modified foods,” says Dr. Amy Dean, a Michigan internal medicine specialist. Ohio allergist John Boyles says “I used to test for soy allergies all the time, but now that soy is genetically engineered, it is so dangerous that I tell people never to eat it.”
According to AAEM, “There is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects. There is causation” as defined by recognized scientific criteria. “The strength of association and consistency between GM foods and disease is confirmed in several animal studies.” Some experts go a step further. After reviewing more than 600 scientific journals, world renowned biologist Pushpa. M. Bhargava concluded that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are a major contributor to the sharply deteriorating health of Americans.
Pregnant women and babies at great risk
Among the population, biologist David Schubert of the Salk Institute warns that “children are the most likely to be adversely effected by toxins and other dietary problems” related to GM foods. Similarly, the UK Royal Society recommends that GM foods be rigorously researched before being fed to pregnant or breast-feeding women and babies. Tragically, not a single human clinical trial has been published. Dr. Schubert says without adequate studies, the children become “the experimental animals.”
The experience of actual GM-fed experimental animals is scary. When GM soy was fed to female rats, most of their babies died within three weeks—compared to a 10% death rate among the control group fed natural soy. The GM-fed babies were also smaller, and later had problems getting pregnant.
When male rats were fed GM soy, their testicles actually changed color—from the normal pink to dark blue. Mice fed GM soy altered young sperm. Even the embryos of GM fed parent mice had significant changes in their DNA. Mice fed GM corn in an Austrian government study had fewer babies, which were also smaller normal.
Reproductive problems also plague livestock. Most of the Indian buffalos that ate GM cottonseed had complications such as premature deliveries, abortions, infertility, and prolapsed uteruses. Many calves died. In the US, about two dozen farmers reported thousands of pigs became sterile after consuming certain GM corn varieties. Some had false pregnancies; others gave birth to bags of water. Cows and bulls also became infertile when fed the same corn.
In the US population, the incidence of low birth weight babies, infertility, and infant mortality are all escalating.
Food designed to produce poison
GM corn and cotton are engineered to produce their own built-in pesticide in every cell. When bugs bite the plant, the poison splits open their stomach and kills them. Biotech companies claim that the pesticide, called Bt—produced from soil bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis—has a history of safe use, since organic farmers and others use Bt bacteria spray for natural insect control. Genetic engineers insert Bt genes into corn and cotton, so the plants do the killing.
The Bt-toxin produced in GM plants, however, is thousands of times more concentrated than natural Bt spray, is designed to be more toxic, has properties of an allergen, and unlike the spray, cannot be washed off the plant.
Moreover, studies confirm that even the less toxic natural bacterial spray is harmful. When dispersed by plane to kill gypsy moths in the Pacific Northwest, about 500 people reported allergy or flu-like symptoms. Some had to go to the emergency room.
The exact same symptoms are now being reported by farm workers throughout India, from handling Bt cotton. In 2008, based on medical records, the Sunday India reported, “Victims of itching have increased massively this year . . . related to BT cotton farming.”
GMOs provoke immune reactions
AAEM states, “Multiple animal studies show significant immune dysregulation,” including increase in cytokines, which are “associated with asthma, allergy, and inflammation”—all on the rise in the US.
According to GM food safety expert Dr. Arpad Pusztai, changes in the immune status of GM animals are “a consistent feature of all the studies.” Even Monsanto’s own research showed significant immune system changes in rats fed Bt corn. A November 2008 by the Italian government also found that mice have an immune reaction to Bt corn.GM soy and corn each contain two new proteins with allergenic properties, GM soy has up to seven times more trypsin inhibitor—a known soy allergen, and skin prick tests show some people react to GM, but not to non-GM soy. Soon after GM soy was introduced to the UK, soy allergies skyrocketed by 50%. Perhaps the US epidemic of food allergies and asthma is a casualty of genetic manipulation.
Animals dying in large numbers
In India, animals graze on cotton plants after harvest. But when shepherds let sheep graze on Bt cotton plants, thousands died. Post mortems showed severe irritation and black patches in both intestines and liver (as well as enlarged bile ducts). Investigators said preliminary evidence “strongly suggests that the sheep mortality was due to a toxin. . . . most probably Bt-toxin.” In a small follow-up feeding study, all sheep fed Bt cotton plants died within 30 days; those that grazed on natural cotton plants remained healthy.
In a small village in Andhra Pradesh, buffalo grazed on cotton plants for eight years without incident. On January 3rd, 2008, the buffalo grazed on Bt cotton plants for the first time. All 13 were sick the next day; all died within 3 days.
Bt corn was also implicated in the deaths of cows in Germany, and horses, water buffaloes, and chickens in The Philippines.
In lab studies, twice the number of chickens fed Liberty Link corn died; 7 of 20 rats fed a GM tomato developed bleeding stomachs; another 7 of 40 died within two weeks. Monsanto’s own study showed evidence of poisoning in major organs of rats fed Bt corn, according to top French toxicologist, G. E. Seralini.
Worst finding of all—GMOs remain inside of us
The only published human feeding study revealed what may be the most dangerous problem from GM foods. The gene inserted into GM soy transfers into the DNA of bacteria living inside our intestines and continues to function. This means that long after we stop eating GMOs, we may still have potentially harmful GM proteins produced continuously inside of us. Put more plainly, eating a corn chip produced from Bt corn might transform our intestinal bacteria into living pesticide factories, possibly for the rest of our lives.
When evidence of gene transfer is reported at medical conferences around the US, doctors often respond by citing the huge increase of gastrointestinal problems among their patients over the last decade. GM foods might be colonizing the gut flora of North Americans.
Denials, attacks, and hijacked regulators
Scientists at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had warned about all these problems even in the early 1990s. According to documents released from a lawsuit, the scientific consensus at the agency was that GM foods were inherently dangerous, and might create hard-to-detect allergies, poisons, gene transfer to gut bacteria, new diseases, and nutritional problems. They urged their superiors to require rigorous long-term tests. But the White House had ordered the agency to promote biotechnology and the FDA responded by recruiting Michael Taylor, Monsanto’s former attorney, to head up the formation of GMO policy. That policy, which is in effect today, denies knowledge of scientists’ concerns and declares that no safety studies on GMOs are required. It is up to Monsanto and the other biotech companies to determine if their foods are safe. Mr. Taylor later became Monsanto’s vice president.
Dangerously few studies, untraceable diseases
A 2007 review of published scientific literature on the “potential toxic effects/health risks of GM plants” revealed “that experimental data are very scarce.” The author concludes his review by asking, “Where is the scientific evidence showing that GM plants/food are toxicologically safe, as assumed by the biotechnology companies?”
Famed Canadian geneticist David Suzuki answers, “The experiments simply haven’t been done and we now have become the guinea pigs.” He adds, “Anyone that says, ‘Oh, we know that this is perfectly safe,’ I say is either unbelievably stupid or deliberately lying.”
Dr. Schubert points out, “If there are problems, we will probably never know because the cause will not be traceable and many diseases take a very long time to develop.” If GMOs happen to cause immediate and acute symptoms with a unique signature, perhaps then we might have a chance to trace the cause.
This is precisely what happened during an epidemic in the US in the late 1980s. The disease was fast acting, deadly, and caused a unique measurable change in the blood—but it still took more than four years to identify that an epidemic was even occurring. By then it had killed about 100 Americans and caused 5,000-10,000 people to fall sick or become permanently disabled. It was caused by a genetically engineered brand of a food supplement called L-tryptophan.
If other GM foods are contributing to the rise of autism, obesity, diabetes, asthma, cancer, heart disease, allergies, reproductive problems, or any other common health problem now plaguing Americans, we may never know. In fact, since animals fed GMOs had such a wide variety of problems, susceptible people may react to GM food with multiple symptoms. It is therefore telling that in the first nine years after the largescale introduction of GM crops, the incidence of people with three or more chronic diseases nearly doubled, from 7% to 13%.
To help identify if GMOs are causing harm, the AAEM asks their “members, the medical community, and the independent scientific community to gather case studies potentially related to GM food consumption and health effects, begin epidemiological research to investigate the role of GM foods on human health, and conduct safe methods of determining the effect of GM foods on human health.”
Citizens shouldn’t wait for the results before acting responsibly. It’s time to take the doctors advice: Avoid GM foods. That principally means staying away from anything with soy or corn derivatives, cottonseed and canola oil, and sugar from GM sugar beets—unless it says organic or “non-GMO.” There is a pocket Non-GMO Shopping Guide, co-produced by the Institute for Responsible Technology and the Center for Food Safety, which is available as a download, in natural food stores, and in many doctors’ offices.
When even a small percentage of people conscientiously choose healthier non-GMO brands, the food industry will respond as they did in Europe—by removing all GM ingredients. Consumers are at the top of the food chain, and we can join the doctors by writing a prescription for change.
International bestselling author and independent filmmaker Jeffrey M. Smith is the Executive Director of the Institute for Responsible Technology and the leading spokesperson on the health dangers of GMOs. His first book, Seeds of Deception is the world’s bestselling book on the subject. His second, Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods, identifies 65 risks of GMOs and demonstrates how superficial government approvals are not competent to find most of them. He invited the biotech industry to respond in writing with evidence to counter each risk, but correctly predicted that they would refuse, since they don’t have the data to show their products are safe.
I saw this today.
It reminded me of a Law and Order or Perry Mason moment - this would have been the moment that the judge levied a perjury charge. It would at least win the case for the other side.
I'm so grateful that people with such writing skills and comedic heart are paying this much attention to our political process:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/04/jon-stewart-hits-karl-rov_n_123852.html
Only 4 minutes of your time to watch. It got me very energized today - and I had a great laugh!
Matt
Last night I watched Senator Obama on the David Letterman Show and thought "gee, this is one of the best interviews that I've seen with the senator". I learned a lot of new things about Barack. He seemed at ease and it was like watching a conversation between two reasonable and intelligent individuals. That was a refreshing treat after the smut that the so-called mainstream media has been perpetrating for the past several days.
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hf6qd8b65s
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZXc5AVHgaE
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0gt3BQqa-A
Following on the heels of Letterman was Craig Ferguson on the Late Late Show doing a diatribe on the ridiculous antics of mainstream media's non-coverage of essential issues. He opines that people want to hear from real people about real issues "...this is a very important election but you wouldn't know it by the news coverage". "Why are we talking about animals and cosmetics?" "Why is John McCain hanging around while his vice-presidential candidate is up there [Alaska] campaigning to be president?" "What are you going to do for this country, pal?" To the TV news media "...take this thing seriously". To the public "...if you don't vote, you're a moron! It is your DUTY to vote!"
Craig Ferguson - If you don't vote, you're a moron.: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdRVQ4xwwmQ
Do me the honor of being my fellow Americans and vote: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1good-Ifdg&NR=1
Jon Stewart (The Daily Show) and Stephen Colbert (Colbert Report) have also made points, in their inimitably comic ways, 'outting' many outrageous claims by the McCain campaign by showing clips of Republican operatives that are in direct opposition to their assertions.
I find it bizarre that the source for real election issues is coming from television's comedians. Then again, the administration of the last 8 years, while it cannot be characterized as funny by any measure, has been an absolute abusurdity.
Thanks Dave, Craig, Jon and Stephen for telling it like it is and showing us the truth through a bit of comic relief.
This is a must-see video by Jon Stewart of the Daily Show demonstrating the right-wing perspectives of what "sexism" is -- and how it applies to democrats vs. republicans:
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=184086&title=sarah-palin-gender-card
We need a commercial like what Jon Stewart did last week:
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=184111&title=john-mccains-big-acceptance
Check out minute 5:00. That's what this campaign could leverage to allow McCain to show just how much he is like Bush. Priceless!
Members of Obama's team need to watch the Daily Show and take notes.
I'm being serious.
Where else can you find a show that points out John McCain's inconsistent stance on several issues, his poor class rank, his involvement with the S&L scandal, how similar his acceptance speech was to George Bush's acceptance speech, the hypocrisy in the Republican's message, the absurdity in selecting Sarah Palin, the Republicans blunders and lies that the news media just doesn't talk about....just to name a few!
Its sad how if we want to hear the truth we have to watch a comedy program. Everytime I watch the show I laugh then I cry.
Why not capitalize of the love Americans have for self-incriminating politicians? The best of the Daily Show is always the politician/media personality vs. themselves montage.
Why not show McCain on taxes or on drilling or on Iraq. Or Sarah on that infamous bridge? Use humor and let them tear themselves apart.
Speaks for it self.....
Judith Warner's post at the NY Times says it far better than I can: http://warner.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/04/the-mirrored-ceiling/?em
Follow that up with some humor from Jon Stewart. Simply fantastic!
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=184095&title=sarah-palin-vet-this
Peace, Ms. Sweet
Mom always used to say, "Don't take yourself too seriously!" Here are two intriguing clips appearing first this week on The Colbert Report and The Daily Show. Both are linked below for your viewing pleasure. Please be advised that spot two is for adults only.
Spot one - http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/videos.jhtml?videoId=180131: an interview by Stephen Colbert of my newest hero, social conservative and Obama supporter, John McWhorter (http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/mcwhorter.htm). The answer to the question posed at 2:27 minutes in to this 4:57 minute clip is one of the reasons I so admire this man, John.
Spot two - http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=183521&title=john-mccain-chooses-a-running: an interview by Jon Stewart of senior female and women's issue correspondent Samatha Bee regarding McCain's VP pick must be found at 2:57 minutes in to this 4:42 minute clip! This one made me laugh 'til I cried!
Hope your weekend ends happily!
Anyone here read Thomas Frank's truly fab excerpt from his book, The Wrecking Crew, in Harper's? Anyone else here read about how ultimate loser, Ralph Reed, skipped his own McCain fundraiser?
***** How is it that the Right Wing has taken the lead re the language of both policy & social politics? Obama is our best hope since Kennedy & FDR to reverse this travesty.
***** Hate to come on like Lichtenstein, or a tired, old semiotics don, but, Democrats must learn how to use language better. Liberal should not be a swear word.
***** Andrew Sullivan on the Daily Dish today nailed it re McCain's torture. By Bush's, Cheney's, Rumsfeld's, Fleith's, Gonzalez's, Yoo's, HELL, even Mukasey's definition, McCain was not tortured. Of course, McCain was tortured. I would wish that hell on no one, but the double standard & Orwellian Newspeak of this administration is so disgusting as to make me ill.
***** Just for kicks: Time Horizon.
***** My idea of Freedom Fighter does not include Oliver North within its purview. I think more of John Henry Faulk, or Barbara Jordan.
***** I wish I was there at that meeting between McCain, Bush, & Rove, to hear the apologies for So Carolina 2000, & the grim mafia-like assurances re this current election. McCain is nowt himself anymore, a Faustian bargain made in order to win.
***** The McCain campaign's negative, ridiculous TV ads have had their effect & have since been toned down in order to absorb a backlash. They are desperate, Faustian howls at the moon; Rovian war games. There will be more ugliness from Camp McBush/Rove, for sure, but they have yet to define their candidate. Watch how the "Morning in America" McCain moments fall flat & Obama seizes the high ground & makes this country feel good again, & begin to squelch fear in their hearts & believe.
***** "Evrybody had a hard year ... Evrybody pulled their socks up/Everybody put their foot down."
***** All credit to Jon Stewart & his fab Daily Show for these "just for kicks" language notes. & here's another one: Enhanced Interrogation.
***** Michigan is ours, but it will be tight. Colorado is ours, but it will be tight.
***** The convention will be magical. Clinton speaking on the anniversary of a Woman's right to vote, & Obama accepting the nomination on Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" anniversary. I cannot wait.
Let's win this thing folks. My polling station is within walking distance (by the way, I don't have a drivers license & have never driven!) & so is the Contra Costa County dem HQ! I'll be hitting the phone lines & the doors these coming months & I want you folks to do the same.
Recently, I was at an America concert and around the middle of the performance, Gerry Beckley -- one of the band founders and lead singers -- joked that "we've now arrived at the 'oh yeah, they did that one' portion of the show." Unfortunately, that's what it's like with the Bush Administration's scandals.
There have been so many scandals throughout the 7 and a half years of Bush's "leadership," that I think we all have problems keeping track of them and even remembering them from time to time -- even the big ones. That's why when I saw David Iglesias on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart last night, I felt compelled to talk about that scandal today...
Well, while I have not been able to watch Jon Stewart regularly since moving to Europe, his freshness and honesty have always been welcomed! If you have been following this campaign stuff for as long as I have, this video shines a light on how in the beginning, it was all 'Hillary has this nomination all locked up'. The broadcasters couldn't have been more wrong!
Check out this video!
joshua case for Obama!ps.and the stuff about McCain...exactly my point!
Daily Show does AIPAC
Go Jon Stewart! - Our political process needs you. Our country needs you! This world needs you!
Aasif Mandvi attends the Clinton rally to find out if the most watched primary season in history is coming to an end.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=171109&title=if-at-first-you-dont-concede
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=171106&title=headlines-obama-makes-history
Jon Stewart was on Larry King's show about a month ago. When asked about his assessment of soon to be President Obama he said that clearly he was an inspirational figure. That we are in a point in time where many people felt that they were not heard.
He complimented Barack for having a disdain of partisanship and then mentioned some in this country who say Are we ready? Are we ready for a woman president? Will guys not get to be able to drive. IMO- he clearly is a fan of Barack and that goes a long way to Election Day.
Prediction: Obama will easily beat John McCain in November. At times McCain has said things and the next day come out and said that he can not remember saying what he did. McCain is an honorable man and will gather support and try to keep it close.
But in the end Obama's victory will look like Reagan's victory in 1980 against Jimmy Carter.
