Link from GMO’s to Gluten Intolerance? No surprise. Just before Thanksgiving, an article came out from the Institute for Responsible Technology, routed to me through Specialty Food News, since I own a candy company and walk the Fancy Food Shows to find new vendors, once or twice a year.
YOU OWN A CANDY COMPANY CHEF?
Yes. A nationwide brand. 800-Candygram.com. And I’ve been trying to take it to a healthier place by adding new things you can ship as gifts that include organic coconut oil, gluten free cookies, some interesting spices, teas, dark chocolate…. I should say organic dark chocolate… and I’m headed to the next show in January, looking for healthier items that the manufacturers will ‘drop ship’ to my customers. So that will be great.
Getting back to our story…
The report says “a team of experts suggests that GM foods may be an important environmental trigger for gluten sensitivity, which is estimated to affect as many as 18 million Americans”.
I’m passing this info to you from the horse’s mouth, rather than drawing my own conclusions…. because it’s a wise move.
“Citing U.S. Dept. of Agriculture data, Environmental Protection Act records, medical journal reviews, and international research, the authors relate genetically modified foods to five conditions that may either trigger or exacerbate gluten-related disorders, including the serious autoimmune disorder, Celiac Disease:
- Intestinal permeability
- Imbalanced gut bacteria
- Immune activation and allergic response
- Impaired digestion
- Damage to the intestinal wall
Although wheat has been hybridized over the years, it is not a genetically modified organism (GMO), which can only be created by a laboratory process that inserts genetic material into plant DNA. There are nine GMO food crops currently being grown for commercial use: soy, corn, cotton (oil), canola (oil), sugar from sugar beets, zucchini, yellow squash, Hawaiian papaya, and alfalfa.
Most GMOs are engineered to tolerate a weed killer called glyphosate (Roundup®). They contain high levels of this toxin at harvest. Corn and cotton varieties are also engineered to produce an insecticide called Bt-toxin. The report focuses primarily on the effects of these two toxins.
Executive Director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, Jeffrey Smith, explains, “The Bt-toxin in corn is designed to puncture holes in insect cells, but studies show it does the same in human cells. Bt-toxin may be linked to leaky gut, which physicians consistently see in gluten-sensitive patients.”
Stephanie Seneff, Senior Research Scientist at MIT, expresses concern about Roundup®: “Glyphosate is a patented antibiotic that destroys beneficial gut bacteria. An imbalance of gut flora commonly accompanies Celiac Disease and other gluten-related disorders.” ” End their quote. End my quoting their article.
So there you have it! The research, the people in high places all telling you that when you are eating soy, corn, cotton and canola oil, sugar from sugar beets, zucchini, yellow squash, Hawaiian papaya and alfalfa, you’re probably eating something genetically modified.
BUT WHAT ABOUT ORGANICS, CHEF?
Aaaah. Now you’re thinkin’. They can’t touch organic produce. Seems like it’s the only way to keep yourself ‘safe’.
Did I mention how much fun it is to ‘grow your own’? And these days, there’s all kinds of tubing and ways to grow produce in both soil and water right on your balcony, if you don’t have a yard.
Look into it. It’s an idea whose time has come!
Happy Eating,
Chef Marian