Moms Unite to BAN Monsanto’s Roundup
Would you eat corn that has bacteria genes spliced into it? If you find this disturbing, you are not the only one. In fact 26 countries ban the cultivation and import of genetically engineered crops. However, the U.S. has no labeling or safety evaluation requirements for GMO foods. The only labeling done is voluntarily by organic food producers who seek out non-GMO certification.
What are Genetically Modified Organisms?
Genetically engineered crops and livestock – also known as genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) – have become a large part of the food web.
A genetically modified organism (GMO) is an organism whose genetic material combines DNA from one species to be injected into another species creating combinations of plant, animal, bacteria, and viral genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods. GMOs are being created for herbicide resistance or pesticide production from bacteria into food crops.
“The promise was that you could use less chemicals and produce a greater yield. But let me tell you none of this is true.” – Bill Christison, President of the US National Family Farm Coalition.
GMO Food is Not Safe
Genetically modifying crops such as wheat, corn, canola, sugar, soy and others provide them with survival advantages and extends their shelf life. However, companies like Monsanto manufacture GMO food that contains the herbicide and pesticide Roundup. The active ingredient in Roundup is glyphosate. Glyphosate is contraindicated for a healthy functioning body.
What’s Wrong With the Glyphosate in Roundup?
- Inhibits the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut
- Pathogenic bacteria in the gut are resistant to glyphosate
- Disrupts endocrine function and promotes unhealthy cellular function.
- Harms the liver and increases oxidative stress.
- Reduces uptake of essential minerals in plants (our food).
- Decreases sperm count and increases abnormal sperm in mice.
- Inhibits the liver and kidneys’ ability to eliminate xenobiotics, nitrates, heterocyclic amines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, benzene and other toxins.
- Interferes with shikimate pathway leading to depletion of nutrients, melatonin. sulfate and tryptophan.
Monsanto insists that glyphosate is not harmful to humans, suggesting that its mechanism of action in plants – the disruption of the shikimate pathway – is not present in humans. This is untrue however, the shikimate pathway is involved inhuman gut bacteria, which accounts for approximately 3% of our total body mass, helps with digestion, synthesizes vitamins, detoxifies toxins, and is an important part of our immune system.
Additionally, GMO foods leave the liver and kidneys unable to effectively detoxify nitrates, heterocyclic amines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and benzene by inhibiting CYP enzymes. The liver’s inability to adequately metabolize these toxins is a major contributing factor in unhealthy cellular function.
What Can You Do To Protect Your Family?
Avoiding bioengineered food is difficult unless you are eating 100% organic. Consuming organic, unprocessed or minimally processed food is the best way we know to achieve optimal health. However, we know this isn’t always feasible. So when you do have to eat out or choose conventionally grown food, take NDF® or NDF Plus® before or with your meals. Research shows chlorella, an ingredient found in NDF® & NDF Plus® helps to block absorption of food mutagens.
Moms Unite to Ban Glyphosate
Moms Across America and Thinking Moms Revolution requested a meeting with the EPA. When their efforts were ignored, they took action, rallying supporters. After 5 days of 10,000 moms calling from all over the country, the EPA set up a meeting. Activist moms had their families tested for glyphosate which showed unsafe levels in their drinking water, in their breast milk and in their children’s urine.
Co-founder of Moms Across America, Zen Honeycutt had her middle child, tested for glyphosate after learning about the link between glyphosate and autism. His urine had eight times more than is allowed in drinking water in the E.U. Honeycutt eliminated glyphosate from his diet. After six weeks, the glyphosate was out of his system and so were his symptoms of autism. He stopped hitting people, and his grades improved from D’s to A’s. After a year of eating organic food, which is free of glyphosate, her eldest son’s walnut allergy went from a 19 to a 0.2 and is no longer life threatening.
“It was a huge mistake by both the U.S. government and the biotech industry to promote and release products without long-term independent studies. What we are now looking at with glyphosate-based herbicides is a similar situation to what we all faced in the 20th Century with PCBs, DDT and Agent Orange,” Henry Rowlands, Director of Sustainable Crops concluded.
How Common are GMOs?
According to the USDA, it is estimated that GMOs are now present in more than 80% of packaged products in the average U.S. grocery store.
- 93% of soy
- 93% of cotton
- 86% of corn
- 90% of canola
Land area used for genetically modified crops by country (1996–2009), in millions of hectares. In 2011, the land area used was 160 million hectares, or 1.6 million square kilometers.[48]
It’s time to turn the tide against GMOs. As parents we have tremendous power in demanding safe food for ourselves and our children, and making it evident by what we choose to purchase that we will accept nothing less. We all make an impact every day as consumers and by sharing information. The choice is ours. Spread the word.
