MUCHO OJO!!: ---------> "Several studies have shown that the organisms (mostly bacteria) of the microbiome can take up genes from GMO foods. “Conjugation”, or gene transfer, is a common trick used by bacteria to evolve and adapt. This is one mechanism by which antibiotic resistance perpetuates. The consequences of GMO gene transfer to intestinal bacteria involve the expression of the gene and/or insertional mutagenesis. The frequency with which these consequences will occur is not known, but they will occur to some degree at least. Intestinal bacteria which begin to express the GMO gene will then be producing the same active proteins which define the GMO. For example, intestinal bacteria could start producing the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) pesticidal toxin that has been inserted into potatoes, corn, and soybeans. The exact effect of this toxin on humans, if any, is not well established but it has been found in a study of Canadian women, including pregnant women and their fetuses. Insertional mutagenesis refers to the gene inserting itself into another coding gene and, thus, causing a gene mutation by disrupting the code. This may produce more severe results as it is a well known mechanism by which viruses may cause cancer, cell death, or cellular dysfunction. These same mechanisms, gene transfer and insertional mutagenesis, can affect human cells just the same. While intestinal cells are likely to be the most affected, GMO genes which pass into the blood intact may affect just about any cell and tissue in the body. It is quite possible that GMO foods are regularly resulting in the genetic modification of the humans consuming them! There are many unknowns here and I suspect that there remains a lot to be discovered, but we should not let the absence of evidence be mistaken for the evidence of absent harm. We should, instead, demand more information and more research!"
Posted on: Tue, 20 Aug 2013 17:21:22 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015