How to Avoid GMOs

What you didn't know you've been eating may be harming you. Based on animal research with Genetically Modified (GM) foods, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM), an international organization of physicians, says that there are serious health risks associated with eating GM foods, including infertility, immune system problems, accelerated aging, disruption of insulin and cholesterol regulation, gastrointestinal problems, and organ damage. "There is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects. There is causation," as defined by recognized scientific criteria, the academy concluded. In 2009, the AAEM called for a moratorium on GM foods and urged doctors to prescribe non-GMO diets for all patients. Some AAEM physicians say that doctors are probably seeing negative health effects in their patients right now from GM foods but not realizing that GM foods are major contributors to various health conditions. TIP #1: BUY ORGANIC Certified organic products cannot intentionally include any GMO ingredients. Buy products labeled 100% organic, organic, or made with organic ingredients. You can be doubly sure if the product also has a Non-GMO Project Verified Seal. TIP #2: LOOK FOR NON-GMO PROJECT SEALS Products that carry the Non-GMO Project Seal are independently verified to be in compliance with North Americas only third-party standard for GMO avoidance, including testing of at-risk ingredients. TIP #3: AVOID AT-RISK INGREDIENTS If its not labeled organic or verified non-GMO, avoid products made with ingredients that might be derived from GMOs. The top GM food crops are:

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Corn (as in cornmeal, cornstarch, corn oil, and other corn-based ingredients) Soybeans (as in soy protein, soy milk, tofu, soy lecithin, soybean oil, and other soy-based ingredients) Canola (as in canola oil) Cottonseed (as in cottonseed oil) Sugar Beets* (as in sugar in an ingredient) Most Hawaiian papaya A small amount of zucchini and yellow squash

Also, beware of dairy products, which may be from cows injected with GM bovine growth hormone. Look for dairy products labeled No rBGH or rBST or artificial hormone-free. * GM sugar beets have been introduced into our food supply but are involved in legal challenges that could eventually take them off the GMO list. In the meantime, read labels and understand that if a non-organic product made in North America lists sugar as an ingredient (as opposed to pure cane sugar or evaporated cane juice), then it is almost certainly a combination of sugar from both sugar cane and GM sugar beets. TIP #4: Use non-GMO Shopping Guides Download either the new Non-GMO Shopping Tips brochure or redesigned NonGMO Shopping Guide at nongmoshoppingguide.com to help you identify and avoid GM foods and hidden GM ingredients on food labels. If you have an iPhone, download the ShopNoGMO guide for free from the iTunes store. To stay informed on the latest news on GM food, including the most recent developments on alfalfa (used as animal feed), sugar beets, and salmon, visit responsibletechnology.org and www.gmwatch.org. Sources: http://www.betternutrition.com/hidden-gmos/columns/askthenaturopath/1034

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