When you are running out of your favorite late night snacks that sustain you, and you’re 100% grape juice, your mindset is into creating a shopping list of the items you desperately need. Being a completely healthy collegiette is nearly impossible thanks to sugary cravings that rouse you up at night while studying for your Biology exam (even though you are trying your absolute best to stay healthy). Other than the internal struggle to not attack that last brownie piece, the thought of better eating habits preoccupy you to later on begin the voyage at the grocery store through the hearty isles, where all the veggies and fruits are. Despite the fact that you go through this isle and add more greens to your cart, unconsciously, making the mistake of choosing the ripest apple but unaware that this apple may have a high contingency of GMO.
What is a GMO?
GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organisms, meaning that the product has genetically engineered DNA. For intance, taking a tomato and adding properties of other plants, bacteria or virus that may provide new traits that may result in a longer life span, a larger size, resistance to diseases and even affect the way it actually tastes! The finished product is a generation of a whole new species that Mother Nature did not intend to create in the first place. Up to 80% of packaged and processed foods in the U.S market consist of harmful GMOs that are most likely to be unlabeled, which is currently a critical debate for us consumers to be briefed on. One of the main reasons why scientists began to genetically modify our crops is by the virtue of speeding up the germinating process, and deflect the insects that were depleting them and making it much more difficult for farmers to sell their harvest. And so, the birth of Monsanto took place.
Here’s a brief explanation
Monsanto is multinational company that applied agricultural biotechnology and agrochemistry to the formulation of genetically modified crops that may tolerate herbicide toxicity. The benefits that farmers earn from this is that they can target and raid unwanted weeds or insects without ruining the produce completely. At first, it was a remarkable discovery of how man can genetically manipulate our fruitage that can still be edible, whereas further studies were showing that these adjustments were abominably harming us and making us question if we are being fooled by our healthy choices at the supermarket.
But don’t get me wrong, there are pros and cons to this issue. Agencies like The Food and Drug Administration, The U.S Department of Agriculture are responsible to let us know that the merchandise is safe for agriculture and proper labeling from GMO crops. They are the bosses who have the power to consider what is safe enough for sale at the grocery store. And, of course, they are inevitable. The obvious cons are the way the affect humans and animals in their future. Also, GMOs could cause a serious repercussion in relation to the epidemic illnesses that are growing exceedingly nowadays. A classification made by an agency of the World Health Organization states that the chemical present in Roundup Ready crops, that are found in the production of corn and soybeans, could possibly develop the risks of carcenogenic cells.
GMOs have been ingrained in our culture in a manner that is not in our control of avoiding for the reason that they are found in almost everything we eat. They have saturated our food system where uninformed shoppers purchase these items unconsciously and unaware of the dangers that these items may do to them on the long run. Reading the labels before you buy something is very essential for smart and organic shopping.
Yes, the economy these days does not convince consumers to spend more when things are tight, but the desire for a safer and healthier lifestyle is never a bad choice.
You can initiate this change by:
1. Visiting your local market for fresher greens and fruits; risk and GMO free!
2. Reading the labels on packaged foods at the grocery store
The switch at first might cause some complications, because this is due to the tendency that our body already established from the consumation of GMO foods, but it is never too late to start. Also, remember to always love yourself, make the right choices, and stay healthy!