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Genetic Foods
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Summary: Cincinnati Enquirer 10/7/2000
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Letter to the Editor:
A guest column by Amy Ridenour, president of the National Center for Public Policy concerning recent reports about bio-engineered corn used in Kraft Foods taco shells was guised as a "report"on how the media has been covering this issue. It was, however, a defense of the safety of these "human engineered foods"based on a "lack of evidence showing it harmful"and without regard to the concerns of past attempts at "creating food".
Cited as proof is professor Steve Taylor, head of the University of Nebraska’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, who says it is "virtually impossible"for any consumer to have an existing allergy to the genetically-modified corn. Well, no kidding, if you haven’t been exposed to this corn, you won’t have an allergy to it. Yet. And therein lies the problem. With acceptance of this product and the creation of more and more foods that are genetically modified, the worst is yet to come.
Food Allergies are developed by continued exposure to foods that make their way through your digestive system into your bloodstream and create an immune system response. We have tested blood for many years looking for the presence of indicators of food and other allergies. It will be this immune system reaction that will cause human illness many years from now, and to most physicians, the connection will never be clear. At this time, we have no evidence of this reaction, because time and exposure to these substances is lacking.
The allergy argument is inconsequential when compared to the historical track record of modified foods. We need only to look at margarine, NutraSweet (aspartame) and Olestra to see that it is not unfounded fears, but good old down home common sense that dictates our avoidance. Margarine, 35 years ago, was touted as the sensible substitute to butter, but because of the hydrogenation process necessary to make it solid at room temperature, trans fatty acids were created that actually raised cholesterol levels in humans. Exactly the opposite of what we were told.
NutraSweet, a central nervous system toxin, its effects not "urban myth"as Dr. Dean Edell stated on the Today Show a couple of weeks ago, is a known cause of headaches, seizures and other neurological symptoms. The methanol in it converts to formic acid and then formaldehyde at temperatures above 86 degrees. The two "naturally occurring"amino acids, phenylalanine and aspartic acid used in NutraSweet cross the blood brain barrier and because they are without their fellow amino acids that accompany them in nature, reactions occur. Many neurological symptoms can be eliminated or improved when this product is avoided.
Olestra was created to add flavor to low fat foods and is not absorbed by humans. True, but at what cost? The warning label states that the product may cause abdominal cramping or loose stools. Remember the importance of the Gastro-Intestinal system and food allergies. We don’t want to damage this system. The label also states that the product inhibits absorption of some vitamins and other nutrients, so the fat-soluble vitamins A,D,E, and K have been added. Sales of this product have not met expectations and other countries are banning its use.
It’s a good rule of thumb that if we have created or altered God’s natural foods, we messed them up.
Dr. David Dahlman, D.C.
Hyde Park Holistic Center
871-3300
Published: 10/7/2000
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