Products labeled "non-GMO" are more popular with consumers than those whose packages are missing the cherished words. Moreover, the buyer's argument is always weighty: GMOs are harmful.
What is GMO
Literally GMO stands for "genetically modified organism". Or, to put it simply, an organism with an altered - as a result of a special intervention - genotype. A plant or animal that has acquired an altered gene on its own, in the natural process of life, is called mutated. In other words, a mutation has occurred - a change in one or a number of genes. Whereas the process of artificially interfering with the chromosomal chain of the body is called gene modification. In fact, the difference between these concepts tends to zero.
GMOs have such a beneficial characteristic for the manufacturer as pathological resistance to various kinds of viruses, fungi and other harmful influences. Therefore, the shelf life of genetically modified food can be several times higher than that of its analogue with a natural composition. GMOs, which originated as agricultural biotechnology, are now used in medicine, animal husbandry and horticulture, and the food industry. It is from here that the colored aquarium fish and blue roses come from.
The safety of GMO products has not been scientifically proven, but there are many arguments in favor of the harmfulness of this ingredient. Moreover, both scientific and not always grounded everyday life.
GMOs as a pest
The greatest evil, as the greats say, is driven by the desire for good. This is exactly the case with GMOs. The very process of their production is potentially dangerous. Changing the composition of the genes of an organism in order to obtain a new, positive characteristic, it is easy to get, together with it, a certain toxic compound. It is impossible to predict such a result and further consequences in advance - a gene foreign to the body behaves unpredictably. Thus, it is easy to create a monster that can harm the health of not only humans, but also civilization.
The introduction of GMOs into food creates significant problems for people with a certain diet, allergy sufferers. For example, animal fats introduced into plant food are unpleasant for a vegetarian, and for an allergy sufferer, a non-standard ingredient in a habitual food is equivalent to a suicide attempt.
In 2008, the first scientifically based evidence of the effect of GMOs on the immune system appeared. A study carried out on laboratory mice showed the presence of immune reactions resulting from a sharp change in the number of cells that regulate immunity. Some time later, in a number of similar experiments, a connection was found between the use of GMOs and the occurrence of malignant tumors and cancer in the body.
Artificially modified genes do not change or disappear. The side effects they cause are usually irreversible. But, indulging from generation to generation, they exert a dangerous influence on the human body by their lack of study.
