Long-term Health Impact of GMO Foods - Literature review Example

Long-term Health Impact of GMO foods Genetically modified organisms are an organism whose genetic characteristics have been manipulated and thus bear no resemblance to the naturally occurring organism (WHO, who.int). In recent years, there has been a serious concern regarding the safety of these organisms for animal and human consumption. Nevertheless, research conducted for over 15 years shows insignificant health effects from their use (Domingo & Bordonaba 734). This paper, therefore, seeks to show that indeed, GMOs are safe for animal and human consumption and that there are no long-term health effects of their use. Allaying fears over GMO foods safety concerns The world’s major regulatory and scientific agencies made a declaration that genetically modified crops pose not a greater threat to the health of humans than those produced by traditional breeding methods (Declan et al. 651). In making such a declaration, the regulatory agencies argued that the perceived risks of using GMO foods are merely hypothetical with no scientific justification. The fact that there is a continuous call for more research on the health risks is thought to fuel the negative perception of the health impact of GMOs. Since the introduction of GMO foods, (Domingo & Bordonaba 735) says that a significantly high number of new GM products have been certified as safe and enlisted together with some traditional foods as potential food sources. While the media has been on the forefront in bashing the use of GMO foods, there are no sufficient publications on toxicological studies to support the adverse ill effects of GMOs. Surprisingly, even the little publications found on the adverse effects of GMOs are mainly commentaries, and letters to the editor. The fact that these references do not come from reputable biotechnology companies serves to allay any fears regarding the health impact of GMOs (Domingo & Bordonaba 736). Most of the people concerned about the long-term health impacts of genetically engineered crops tend to base their argument on the safety of the vector used in the process (Declan et al. 652). It has, however, been observed that most of the gene constructs that are used in the engineering process are safer compared to attenuated viral vectors are popularly applied in gene therapy. This shows, therefore, that people are merely quick to sacrifice genetically modified organisms while ignoring what could be potentially harmful to their health. Research Evidence on Particular GMO Foods Following the concern of long-term health impacts of GMOs, some companies such as Monsanto took it upon themselves to conduct research on some GM crops. The findings from the studies have been particularly impressive as none was found to have negative health effects on humans. Some of the crops that have been investigated and results documented include the following; corn/maize, rice, and soybeans. Corn/Maize The interest in this crop stems mainly from the fact that it is one of the most commonly used for animal feeds as well as for human consumption. Bakshi (215) reports a research on transgenic corn MON 863 (a corn variety containing a gene for modified Bacillus thuringiensis meant to offer the corn protection against from destruction by a rootworm), despite many years of dispute was finally approved in the year 2005. In the research, mice were fed on the maize but after long-time analysis, they never showed any ill symptoms. Rice GMO studies have also focused on GM rice in a bid to uncover potential long-term effects of the crop on health. A study on transgenic KMD1 rice was done by the feeding the same on rats; the particular rats were monitored over time for any health impacts of eating the said rice. Domingo and Bordonaba (p.737) say that only a few minor changes were observed; however, the changes could in no way be used to implicate the rice with negative health effects. The rice has since been certified for human consumption, and this further serves to allay any fears about the consumption of GMO foods by both humans and animals. Soybeans Another crop that has been extensively studied is the genetically modified soybeans; the assessment literature on the crop, however, shows contracting results. The first research group commissioned by the Pioneer Hi-Bred Internal Inc compiled a report that declared soybeans as safe. The other inquiry commissioned at the University of Verona compiled a report with notable health concerns. Despite the contradictory findings, Domingo and Bordonaba (p.738) argued that the results of the second inquiry cannot be justified as factors such as herbicide residues could have contributed to the observed effects. Claims from the opponents of GMO foods While proponents feel that there are no long-term health effects of using GMOs for consumption, the opponents have different opinions. One of the most commonly featured effects of GMOs is the possibility of the development of allergic reactions. Kaya argues that the insertion of a gene into the genome during the genetic engineering process could lead to unintended consequences for the resultant GM crop (3613). This could lead to the occurrence of unknown allergenic components which may pose health challenges on the part of users. The opponents allege that the people who consume unlabeled GM foods are usually at the risk of facing allergies and severe anaphylaxis (Kaya 3614). Different in vitro tests to determine allergenicity from crops known to cause such reactions have shown positive results. The assessment of allergenicity on GM crops is, however, reported to be significantly laborious especially when the gene is transferred from a source of unknown allergenicity. In addition, the absence of models for allergenicity testing compounds the problem. The opponents also claim that the use of GMOs could have long-term health owing to the possibility that they could have carcinogenic effects on humans. They cite a study in which a genetically produced hormone (rBGH) meant to increase milk production in cows is also shown to lead to the development of malignant tumors in the human breast epithelial cells. In addition, they argue that the said hormone has been banned in not only the European Union, but also Australia and New Zealand (Kaya 3617). Position of the Author Limited nutritional sources and climate change has led to the search for alternative methods of agricultural production. One of such methods is the production of Genetically Modified (GM) crops. Supporters of this plan argue that it presents an enormous potential for alleviating World hunger. In addition, the method has a tremendous potential for protecting the environment as a result of the production of disease resistant crops hence reduction in the use of chemicals (Snell, Bernheim and Ricroch 1135-36). The evidence presented confirms that there is no case that has been presented to justify that; indeed, the use of GMOs has long-term health consequences. The limited literature on the issue also supports the argument that GMOs are safe. Moreover, most of the available literature on the potential adverse health impacts of GMOs derives from opinions and commentaries that lack a substantive scientific backing. In view of this, it is the opinion of the author that GMO foods are safe and present no long-term health implications. Conclusion While the debate over the long-term health effects of GMOs continues, it is apparent that there are no significant effects that have been documented for the use of the same. Although some researchers purport to show the adverse health effects of the use of GMOs, the long-term effects cannot be substantively ascertained. As such, the author advocates for a continuous holistic and integrative approach to the assessment of GMO foods to determine their safety. Works Cited Bakshi, A. “Potential adverse health effects of genetically modified crops.” Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health 6.3 (2003): 211-225. Print Declan, Butler, Tony, Reichhardt, Alison, Abbott, David, Dickson and Asako, Saegusa. “Long- term effect of GM crops serves up food for thought.” Nature, 398.6729 (1999): 651- 653. Print Domingo, J.L., and Bordonaba, J.G. “A literature review on the safety assessment of genetically modified plants.” Environmental International, 37.1(2011). Print Kaya, Iras. “Genetically Modified Crops and Human Health.” Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances 11.19 (2012): 3613-3617. Print Snell, Chelsea, Bernheim, Aude and Ricroch, Agnes. “Assessment of the Health Impact of GM plant diets in long-term and multigenerational animal feeding trials: A literature review.” Food and Chemical Toxicology 50 (2012): 1134-1148. Print World Health Organization (WHO). “Food, Genetically Modified, Health topics.” 2015. Who.int. Web. 27 April 2015. Read More