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Study: Genetically Modified Corn Increases Body Weight in Rats
We previously reported:
Many crops in the U.S. are now genetically modified. For example, 93 percent of soybeans grown in the US are genetically engineered, as are:
- 86% of all corn
- 93% of canola
- 93% of cottonseed oil
- Between 2008 and 2009, 95% of all sugarbeets planted were genetically engineered to be able to tolerate high doses of the pesticide Roundup
Some allege that Roundup kills healthy gut bacteria, and that genetically modified crops cause other health problems.
Many people claim that genetically modified (GM) foods increase obesity:
But is there any evidence for that claim?
One study implies that there might be.
Scientists tested GM corn at Monsanto laboratories, and found that the GMs increase body weight in rats. Specifically, a paper published in the International Journal of Biological Sciences reported in 2009:
We present for the first time a comparative analysis of blood and organ system data from trials with rats fed three main commercialized genetically modified (GM) maize (NK 603, MON 810, MON 863), which are present in food and feed in the world.
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The three animal feeding studies were conducted in two different laboratories and at two different dates; at Monsanto (Missouri, USA) for NK 603 and MON 810 (June 7, 2000) and at Covance Laboratories Inc. (Virginia, USA) for MON 863 (March 14, 2001) on behalf of Monsanto.
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Crude and relative liver weights are also affected at the end of the maximal (33%) GM maize feeding level as well as that of the heart which for corresponding parameters to a comparable extent, showed up to an 11% weight increase.
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Additional statistically significant differences include … higher … overall body (3.7%) weight …
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Several parameters indicate increases in circulating glucose and triglyceride levels, with liver function parameters disrupted together with a slight increase in total body weight. This physiological state is indicative of a pre-diabetic profile.
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Our data strongly suggests that these GM maize varieties induce a state of hepatorenal [i.e. kidney and liver] toxicity.
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This can be due to the new pesticides (herbicide or insecticide) present specifically in each type of GM maize, although unintended metabolic effects due to the mutagenic properties of the GM transformation process cannot be excluded [Remember that some GM crops are engineered to have the plants produce their own pesticides, some pesticides can cause obesity, and the pesticides are not magically destroyed before making it into our bloodstream]. All three GM maize varieties contain a distinctly different pesticide residue associated with their particular GM event (glyphosate and AMPA in NK 603, modified Cry1Ab in MON 810, modified Cry3Bb1 in MON 863). These substances have never before been an integral part of the human or animal diet and therefore their health consequences for those who consume them, especially over long time periods are currently unknown.
Indeed, even animals are getting fatter … which points to something in the environment.
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Only part o the people are fat because genetics play a part as well. If you look at twin studies, it is very rare for identical twins to be more than a few pounds different than each other.
68% of all Americans.
It's becoming abnormal to be within a 'normal' weight range. How odd.
Thanks for your hard work, George.
Roundup is a racket having driven competing products from the market, and now we adulterate food to suffer Roundup as a general application like rain. This is absurd. Roundup has become so widespread as to generate Roundup-resistant weeds and we end up with monoculture because competing glyphosates face Monsanto's lobbying
Who sold all thier Banking Interests.. Right before the Banking System Blew Up? and where did ALL that Money go?? WHo owns a Controling interest in Monsanto? and the other sister / enemy?? the same people? NO! cant be! that would be a Monopoly! LOL!!!
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-10-26/monsanto-thyssenkrupp-rothschild-intellectual-property.html
Monsanto, Gemalto, ThyssenKrupp, LFP, Rothschild: Intellectual Property By Victoria Slind-Flor - Oct 26, 2010 7:01 AM ETslave masters.
I am guessing Mr. George Washington does not exercise, eats fast food constantly, and just cant figure out why he is not loosing weight.
Also, all food you put in your mouth has been modified by hundreds of years of selective breeding. Do you think that the indians had corn that naturally grew the same heights and yeilds 300 to 500 bushels per acre?
The thing that really bugs me is that people like Mr. Washington are perfectly fine with food being cheap because of food production innovations over time. However, now he comes back with the "its not nature" argument, but has zero experience in either the food production industry or anything to do with biology for that matter.
Mr. Washington, it is rather simple... If you eat too much, eat too much refined foods, or not exercise, you will become fat. It is not a "new age" problem, but is a problem that has existed since the beginning of civilization. The problem is not what you are putting in your mouth. The problem is that you are putting too much of it in your mouth. If you had what you claim you want, then food would be 10 times more expensive and without a doubt would "solve" the obesity problem because few could afford as much food as they wanted.
I junked ya for attacking the messenger and simplistic answers to a very complex problem.
The GMO genie is out of the bottle. Everything is part of one big system and mostly, we don't have the first clue of the long term effects on us and our environment after decades of use. Tens of thousands of years of human evolution simply has no experience with genetically altered and synthesized foods and there are no simple answers to the problems they might/will cause. We don't even yet know the proper questions we should be asking.
Simplistic at best. Food produced today is NOT nutrient dense. How much have you grown?
http://www.dailypaul.com/92623/1936-us-senate-report-soil-depleted-99-of...
http://www.senatedocument264.com/
well then check out the translated version of this guy, who back in the 80's, proved that exposing growing seeds to a static electromagnetic field yields 20% higher crop yields with no pestizides or herbizides used.
http://www.urzeit-code.com/index.php?id=22
Well guess what, his former company Sandoz (today Syngenta) fired his entire department. Start to wake up my friend and get informed.
BTW: www.oti.ag is the best natural oil spill cleaning powder in existence.
Nice GW straw man you constructed there. Well done. Couldn't be that he's just trying to help people and learning as he goes like the rest of us, right?
Do I really need to explain how a farmer's selective breeding through naturally seeing what seeds grow best is fundamentally different than blindly inserting a foreign gene into another organism's dna?
On a certain level I can entertain your personal responsibility argument but you're missing the larger point that something other than simply eating too much and not getting enough exercise is behind the surge in chronic illness in America, both psychological and physical, and especially cancer. The factors you speak of can't be discounted but at the same time we are being exposed to a variety of toxins that are accelerating the deterioration of health and the explosion of chronic illnesses.
Leaving all that aside, the GMO issue is so much bigger and more dangerous than whether it makes people fat. That is the least of my concerns.
Life Running Out of Control (on Netflix)
Edited summary below, doesn't do the film justice though. Watch it (also keep in mind the disturbing fact that this was made 8 years ago).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0dHhBPwpo8
Coffee break at Monsatan?
That actually makes sense. Corn is used for feed for animals - if you could figure out how to fatten them up for less money, the corps do it. The unintended (or more likely uncared about) consequence is this affects people as well.
I am sure they did a cost-benefit analysis. To "prove" it is causing harm will require decades of research and tests - all the while they will refute it 100%. Think tobacco here or asbestos. By the time there is enough body of evidence to prove harm - its 20 years later and they have netted billions in profits. Additionally all these companies hide behind corp structures to protect themselves. If its anything like the pharma biz, each modification has its own "corp" setup - so just in case of lawsuits you can only get what that section has. If they can make $15 billion in 20 years and lawsuits are likely to cost them $5billion - then that is a good business deal for them.
exactly and keeping gmo from being labelled makes it much harder to prove causation
My rats are so damn fat from eathing all my leftovers after I go to sleep whether or not it is GMO food or not. Sometimes I get up to take a leak at night and they are so fat they just sit there on the table and watch me....not move an inch...
I hate rats......
If GM food is the culprit, in europe peple should not gain that much weight as GM corn is not permitted there.
GM corn is allowed by the European Union, as are other GM crops detailed in the link below.
http://ec.europa.eu/food/dyna/gm_register/index_en.cfm
thanks for this link, excellent list showing how thoroughly Monsanto penetrates. . .
Ever been to Europe?
Outside of England, very few fatties there.
Statistics say Germans are fatter than USians.
Where do you get your statistics? From your imagination or some nether regions of your anatomy? You are as inventive with your statistics as you are with your vocabulary ("USians").
USA is #1 in obesity in the world at 30.6%
Germany is only #14 at 12.9%
France is #23 at 9.4%
USA, USA, Monsanto, Monsanto - We are no #1 at obesity and regulatory capture. Won't you die a few years early so Monsanto can make a few more bucks?
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_obe-health-obesity
Maybe you should Google "Coronary Capitalism"
I have, and there are LOTS of them!
The countryside of Italy, France, Germany, England, Ireland are full of fat people. And they look just as nice too
The article does not say the rats got fatter. It says they increased thier body weight. The rest is implied.
My imitation of the corn lobby in the USA:
HFCS is the same as sugar!
Haven't you seen the commercial on the TEEVEE!!??
Anyone who says different is a blasphemous witch!!!
ulitmately then we should be able to feed more people with the same amount of grain.i think in a few years people will consume all their daily requirements in a small meal, and perhaps a pill. bad for the restaurant business.
So you're saying I'm putting on weight because of that giant bag of Doritos I'm shoving in my grill every night???
It's a good thing my beer is non-GMO.
Very sad that animals are experimented upon, tortured and tormented, to 'learn' things for humans.
To these poor animals, humanity is the Devil from Hell.
One day in the future, current humanity will be condemned as barbaric and sadistic torturers, for allowing the experiments on animals to take place.
Better for us humans to die earlier in our lives, than to torment these poor creatures.
We need to protect, as Jesus said, the 'least of the brethren' on this planet Earth.
Animal Rights! Lab animal Liberation! End All Animal Experimentation!
Of course, favouring animal rights makes you a 'terrorist suspect' to the US government ...
Freedom for the rats!
lol
Humans gave a poor record of taking care of plants, other animals, and, indeed, other humans. Greed and self-preservation are strong instincts.
Even if we discover GMOs are bad for the environment and for living organisms, the enormous amount of profits generated from these seeds will prevent Congress from acting.
We think we're so damn smart, but we're pretty fucking stupid if you ask me.
I agree...but I think it's cultural. My ancestors in pre-christian Europe (yours too, if that's where you're from) used to worship in sacred groves. During the northern crusades these sacred groves were cut down and replaced with churches, and well you had a choice of converting to christianity or impisonment, torture or death. Most chose chrisitanity naturally. Christianity is an indoor philosophy. Everything takes place behind walls, under a roof.
The whole process was repeated all over again with the American Indians. The only difference is that the Indians can still remember what happened to them. Europeans can't. We think this is the way it always was, this is the way it works. Humans are just greedy fucking bastards. With history burned, buried and covered up, all that remains is our genetic memory. A rumbling deep in the soul that tells us something isn't right here.
This potent mix of christianity and the scientific revolution led us in to this modern insane asylum where nothing is sacred and everything is for sale.