GMO foods - Essay Example

GMO Foods The debate on GMO food has been going on for a while where people are divided on its merits and demerits. GMO foods are good because they help in increasing the food basket of many nations, as well as individuals. Today, the weather is unpredictable making it very hard for people to harvest agricultural produce to feed the ever-growing population. Most GMOs are a pest and diseases resistant and mature very faster. Because of this, many nations as well as individuals prefer them as an alternative source of food for the growing population. However, GMO foods are sometimes dangerous to the living organisms as well as for consumption. For instance, GMO foods are harmful to human beings to some extent. Some of the opposing views of GMOs are discussed in subsequent paragraphs.
First, GMOs are unhealthy since numerous studies have found that they can leave materials inside the human body hence causing long-term problems (IRT 2). Because of this, doctors advise their patients to take or consume non-GMO diets because they have no effects. For instance, there are pieces of evidence that genes inserted into GM soy can transfer into the DNA of a bacteria living in a human being (IRT 2). Moreover, GMO food increases food allergies among individuals making it unsafe for consumption.
Secondly, GMO foods are sourced from herbicides seeds, which are very harmful (IRT 4). GM crops are engineered to be herbicide tolerant hence not prone to weed attack and can survive. Because of this, they contain high chemical concentration, which causes harm to the environment. Moreover, GM food has higher residues of toxic herbicides, which is linked to several defects in the body. For instance, high concentration of herbicides and other chemicals increases one’s chances of getting sterility, hormone disruption, cancer, as well as birth defects when continuously used (IRT 4).
Thirdly, GMO involves mixing of genes from different unrelated species making it unleash unpredictable side effects not intended (IRT 6). Many researchers do not know some of the genes inserted or mixed with others to produce the quality that is needed. Therefore, the process of creating or developing a GM plant can result in a collateral damage by producing new toxins, as well as nutritional deficiencies. The natural plants that produce food are naturally modified and have a balanced makeup to provide all the desired nutrients (IRT 6). However, GM foods does not contain balanced nutrient since the composition of the species may differ to interfere with the desired outcome or known good results.
In conclusion, the debate on GM food is never ending because it has its pros and cons. As the world population increases, the need for food also increases making people resort to GM food. However, they are not safe for human consumption because they have a higher concentration of herbicides. This leads to hormone disruptions and sterility. Besides, GM food causes allergies to many individuals making it unsuitable for human consumption. Moreover, some of the materials in GM food can remain inside the human beings hence posing health risk such as cancer among others.
Work Cited
IRT. 10 Reasons to avoid GMOs. 2015. Online Read More