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Consider joining:Today's Health/Excercise Message:Genetically Engineered Foods: Facts and FearsBy Alison Ashton / Oct 25, 2010In the not-too-distant future, your dinner plate may be filled with science experiments – salmon, meat and other foods that have been "engineered" by a technology firm. Sound yummy?
Salmon is the latest and most controversial food to come out of a test tube. The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Veterinary Medicine Advisory Committee recently held hearings about AquAdvantage® Salmon, genetically engineered by the biotechnology company AquaBounty.
Consumer groups, including the Consumers Union, claim that more rigorous testing needs to be done to ensure that AquaBounty's "super salmon" is safe for our health and the environment. The FDA agrees there's not enough research available to determine safety.
So it's unlikely you'll see that particular product at the fish counter anytime soon. But unless you're watchful, you're probably eating other genetically engineered (GE) foods – in cake mixes, canned goods, cereals and more.
Should GE foods be on your plate? Are they potential health hazards? We asked scientists and nutrition experts to explain the issues behind this still-developing science.
What Is Genetic Engineering?
The process involves inserting foreign genes into the DNA of a plant, animal, bacteria or other organism. Genetic engineering can alter crops or animals, turning them into what's known as a genetically modified organism (GMO), which is what you might see on food labels.
GEs are also used to develop drugs and vaccines.
"Most of the insulin prescribed [for diabetes] in America is genetically engineered," notes Tina Ruggiero, a New York-based dietitian and co-author of the forthcoming book The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet (Fair Winds Press). And, last year, the FDA approved an anti-clotting drug made from proteins extracted from the milk of genetically engineered goats.
GE food manufacturers claim they'll save the world, promising higher yields to feed a hungry planet because crops can be engineered to resist disease, insects and herbicides. For example, Monsanto's GE corn can withstand the herbicide Roundup.Animals can also be genetically modified to resist disease, as well as to grow faster. AquaBounty's salmon includes growth hormones of Chinook salmon (the largest in the species) and antifreeze genes from an ocean pout, an eel-like fish.
By inserting these genes into the DNA of an Atlantic salmon, the fish grows faster, year-round, and reaches market weight in half the time of natural salmon. The fish are also engineered to be all female and sterile, so if they escaped from tanks, they would, theoretically, be unable to contaminate the wild fish population.
How is that different from crossbreeding, which farmers have always done with plants and livestock? Traditional crossbreeding creates new varieties through natural sexual reproduction. Horticulturists can crossbreed tomato varieties to create a hybrid, for example. But they can't cross a tomato with a rose.
But genetic engineering can – by allowing developers to "move genes across species boundaries to produce novel organisms ... that do not occur in nature and, indeed, cannot be developed by natural means," according to the Union of Concerned Scientists' (UCS) policy statement.
"Legally, the FDA views genetic engineering as an extension of conventional breeding," says Michael Hansen, Ph.D., senior scientist at the Consumers Union. Therefore, the agency doesn't require the safety assessments it does for GE plant foods; non-GE foods have no assessments.
But Hansen and other consumer advocates contend that GMOs are different from natural varieties and therefore require rigorous safety standards. For example, in nature you couldn't cross a tomato with spinach, which is a cold-season crop, to grow tomatoes year-round. But genetic engineering makes this a possibility.
Are GE Foods Safe to Eat?
The FDA says GE plants are safe because they're not "materially" different from conventional plants.
"The FDA doesn't require any safety studies whatsoever," says Jeffrey Smith, of the anti-GMO consumer advocacy group Institute for Responsible Technology. "The policy was developed based on the assumption – since 1992 – that the agency is not aware of any information that GMOs are significantly different."But, unlike plants, the FDA classifies GE animals like a new drug – considered unsafe until proven otherwise. Last month's hearings asked the advisory committee to evaluate AquaBounty's AquAdvantage® Salmon on health and environmental safety, based on the company's own research.
Hansen and other consumer advocates questioned that research.
"Many of the studies supporting this technology have sample sizes of [only] 5-7 fish," says Chuck Benbrook, Ph.D., chief scientist at The Organic Center.And none of AquaBounty's studies reflected the actual conditions under which the fish would be commercially raised, Benbrook says.
Many experts are concerned that current genetic engineering is still in its infancy. Scientists can't yet control where genes are inserted in DNA, and that can affect outcome, Hansen says.
Do GE Foods Have Health Risks?
Although the FDA deems GE foods safe, research has linked them with a large number of health issues, according to the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM), Union of Concerned Scientists and other groups. Among them: infertility, impaired immune function, accelerated aging, and disrupted insulin and cholesterol regulation. Other studies tie them to liver, kidney and gastrointestinal problems.
Mice fed GE corn are prone to infertility and birth defects, according to a 2008 study by Austria's Federal Ministry of Health, Family and Youth. Another 2008 study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, revealed that mice fed a diet of GE corn were more likely to have impaired immune response than those who nibbled regular corn.
"Unfortunately, there's no epidemiological data [on GE food fed to humans]," says Amy Dean, D.O., a member of the AAEM's board of directors. "But what we've seen over the years is that patients are getting much sicker, and since GM foods have come on the market, chronic diseases are skyrocketing."
Last year, AAEM members decided that the evidence against genetically modified foods was strong enough to issue a position paper, co-written by Dean, urging physicians to advise patients to avoid them.Hansen points to one study of GE corn that compared the enhanced version with its natural variety, both grown under identical conditions. It demonstrated that "the process of genetic engineering took a gene for a known allergen that was normally turned off and turned it on," he says. That means engineered corn could provoke an allergic reaction that its natural variety wouldn't.
The World Health Organization (WHO) also urges testing for allergens in GE fare. The global health agency is also worried about the potential – though low – for genetic transfer of the allergen gene from engineered foods to people.
We can create a greener movement with biotech and engineering if we do it responsibly, says Ruggiero, who owns a 360-acre farm in Alabama. "If it's done with the public's interest and benefit in mind, it can be very beneficial to human nutrition."
Other Concerns About GE Foods
Benbrook, Hansen and the UCS question the unintended environmental consequences of engineered foods. For example, take the case of GE salmon cultivated in inland tanks in the tropical highlands of Panama, not their native chilly Atlantic waters.
"It's inevitable that raising these fish in Panama will degrade the nutritional quality of the salmon and create problems requiring antibiotic use," Benbrook warns. That, in turn, could create antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
And if crops are engineered to be herbicide- and insecticide-resistant, there's a chance that more insecticide-resistant pests and herbicide-resistant weeds will develop to adapt to them.
Environmentalists also cite diminished biodiversity, as GE super-crops could overtake natural varieties.
Besides, promises of increased yields don't appear to be panning out. Last year, the UCS released a report analyzing two decades of research on GE crops in the United States and found that GE yields haven't significantly increased over non-GE crops.
Are There Any Health Benefits?
Despite concerns about the current state of GE technology, many agree that bioengineering has tremendous potential for enhancing our health.
"The day will come when there will be foods bred to enhance nutrition and remove allergens," Benbrook says.
For example, British researchers are working on a purple-hued tomato engineered with snapdragon genes to enhance its levels of the health-boosting antioxidant anthocyanin.
Which Foods Contain Genetically Modified Organisms?
Eight GE crops are used in our food supply: corn, soy, canola, cotton, sugar beets, papaya, zucchini and crookneck squash. The main crops, soybeans and corn, are in hundreds of foods, from vegetable oils and high-fructose corn syrup to supplements and food additives.
And many GE crops are used in livestock feed. In addition, this summer the Supreme Court lifted a ban on herbicide-resistant GE alfalfa, which could also be used in livestock feed.
Dairy producers may inject cows with an engineered synthetic form of bovine growth hormone called rbST or rbGH, which boosts milk production by up to 15%. This hormone can cause problems in cows, such as lameness, and the European Union and Canada have banned it for animal welfare.
Although rbST has been found safe for humans, consumer opposition has led many American retailers – including Kroger, Publix and Trader Joe's – to ban dairy products with rbST.
There aren't any genetically engineered animals in our food supply – yet. If approved, the GE salmon would be the first on the market.
How Do I Know If My Food Has Been Genetically Engineered?
"Most processed foods have some GM components in them," Dean says. According to the nonprofit Non GMO Project, about 80% of packaged foods contain GMOs.
And because most livestock feed is derived from GE crops, you're indirectly ingesting GE foods when eating conventionally produced beef, pork or poultry.
A Center for Science in the Public Interest poll found that up to 70% of consumers want genetically engineered food to be labeled as such. But because the FDA decreed, in 1992, that GE foods are not "materially" different from other foods, therefore do not have to be labeled – they're now abundant in our food supply.Here's how to avoid eating engineered foods:
Choose fresh, whole foods. For the most part, ears of corn and other produce will be GE-free, Benbrook says. Some fresh produce does come engineered, including papaya, zucchini and other squash, but they're available only on a limited basis.
Avoid processed foods. Those typically include additives made from GE corn, soy, cotton and dairy.
Go organic. By definition, USDA-certified organic foods can't contain GE components. That includes organic beef, dairy, poultry and pork products, which can't be raised on GE feed.
Read labels carefully. The Non-GMO Project Verified seal appears on products that have been tested and vetted by a third party. Some foods carry variations of a "no GMOs" label, but that's a voluntary – and unregulated -- designation.
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This group is called "Peckers PICS." The English - slang definition of "pecker" is to pluck at the truth. Therefore, we peck at items such as Gay Men's Health, Male Fitness, Gay (LGBT) Politics & Issues. In this section you may peck at each photo in order to decide the winner of the "war of the fittest!" Whereas, you should select the guy that may inspire you to exercise and "get fit!" Warning: This may stoke you!
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31Dancer at the annual Johannesburg Gay Pride at Zoo Lake with an estimated 17,000 people attending. The theme was "We are All African"; Oct 2, 2010
Pharoah At the annual Johannesburg Gay Pride at Zoo Lake with an estimated 17,000people attending. The theme was "We are All African"; Oct 2, 2010.
by The Associated Press / NPR / Oct 25, 2010Kate Coatar is seriously considering voting for Green Party candidates instead of Democrats, whom she normally supports. James Wyatt won't cast a ballot at all because he no longer trusts anyone to fight for causes important to him.If Democratic candidates are counting on long-standing support from gay voters to help stave off big losses on Nov. 2, they could be in for a surprise.
Across the country, activists say gay voters are angry -- at the lack of progress on issues from eliminating employment discrimination to uncertainty over serving in the military to the economy -- and some are choosing to sit out this election or look for other candidates.
President Barack Obama's hometown of Chicago, with its large, politically and socially active gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community, offers a snapshot of what some are calling the "enthusiasm gap" between voters who came out strong for Obama and other Democrats in 2008 and re-energized Republican base voters, including tea party enthusiasts who say they are primed to storm the polls.
It didn't help that the controversy over the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy for gays erupted less than two weeks before the election, when a judge overturned it, then Obama's justice department decided to fight the judge's decision. On Thursday, the Defense Department declared that "don't ask, don't tell" is official policy but set up a new system that could make it tougher to get thrown out of the military for being openly gay.
"It's all talk and nothing's happening, and I'm just over it," said Coatar, 62, a church business manager who said she's as concerned about health care and homelessness as about gay issues. "I don't know who to vote for and the election is a week away."
Wyatt, 35, a maintenance worker at the Center on Halsted, a community center serving Chicago's GLBT community, said politicians only court gay voters at election time.
"Once they're elected, they're not fighting for things like civil unions or same-sex marriage or ending 'don't ask, don't tell' because they're hot-button issues," said Wyatt, who usually supports Democrats. "We're just used as a piggyback for them to get into office. It's absurd."
Whether or not that's the case, Wyatt isn't the only one who feels that way.
And in places like Cook County, Ill., where the gay population represents about 7 percent of voters, that could mean the difference between victory and defeat in some races, said Rick Garcia, director of public policy for Equality Illinois. One of those races is a much-watched and close battle for Obama's old Senate seat between Democrat Alexi Giannoulias and Republican Mark Kirk.
"If (candidates) can mobilize the gay community and get them out to vote, it could make all the difference in the world in some of these key races," said Garcia.
But volunteers who've been calling the 18,000 or so members of Equality Illinois to urge them to vote have been getting an earful. Many members say they won't vote or will vote against incumbents, regardless of their party affiliation or stance on gay issues.
This year's election is a stark contrast to 2008, when the gay community turned out in droves to elect Obama and help Democrats regain control of Congress.
"People were clamoring and very excited about the change that then-candidate Obama promised America," Garcia said. "Now I see lethargy at best and disgust at worst."
He said gains won under Obama, including in fighting housing discrimination, have not filtered out to many in the gay community because "the big issues have not appeared to change at all."
"But change takes time; sometimes it takes a lot of time. A lot of folks just don't understand that," said Garcia. "I am older and more seasoned, but most people are very disturbed with the administration ... and they're the hard ones to get out to vote.
"The message is huge: Don't take us for granted."
Tracy Baim, publisher of Windy City Times, Chicago's oldest and largest GLBT newspaper, and author of the new book "Obama and the Gays," said disappointment is showing up in another way: Some are refusing to donate money to candidates until they see progress, although it's difficult to gauge how much that has affected fundraising.
A message left Friday with the Democratic National Committee seeking comment was not immediately returned.
But many gay organizations are working hard to get voters to the polls, fearing they could face setbacks if Republicans retake control of Congress. Baim said Democrats and Obama still enjoy widespread support in some parts of the gay community, particularly among African-Americans and Latinos, and she believes the majority still will vote.
"People are disappointed but understand that this really is the best hope for significant change over the next several years," she said. "But at the same time, the anger is very real."
Robin McGehee, co-founder and director of the national gay-rights organization GetEQUAL calls the mood among gay voters a "disappointment canyon" but said they have no choice but to go to the polls.
She, however, is refusing to donate to or volunteer for any candidate this year. And members of her group are protesting wherever Obama appears on the campaign trail.
"We can't not take advantage of the right to vote, but that doesn't mean we can't vote smartly," said McGehee, of Fresno, Calif. "If I was a leader in the Democratic Party, I would be worried.
"Either we're important enough to fight for our equality or we're worth losing," she said. "Right now we're being treated like we're worth losing."
"Every gay and lesbian person who has been lucky enough to survive the turmoil of growing up is a survivor. Survivors always have an obligation to those who will face the same challenges."
Remember: Boycott Target and Best Buy for donating money towards anti-gay political candidates/organizations and to Proposition 8 (California) to prevent gay marriage. The Formal Boycott began this past weekend. I stopped shopping these stores - even though I want a new washer/dryer and new clothes for the Fall. I would not purchase "Blood Diamonds," nor should a person / organization be contributing funds to both Hitler / Nazi's and the Jews at the same time! Obviously giving money to the Jews and not Hitler/Nazi's is the right thing to do. Hence, these companies violated my trust and well-being. They gave money to my enemy who would terminate me from my job, deny me housing and send me to a Internment camp. Therefore, goodbye Target and Best Buy! The CEO's of these companies have been insensitive to our reaction and do not even comprehend their actions! What takes so long to "fire" these Neanderthals?
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