Genetically Modified Foods Trigger Belly Pain

Get ready for another pain in the belly. New information released by the Institute for Responsible Technology indicates that genetically modified foods (GM foods) trigger problems like impaired digestion and imbalanced gut flora. In turn, our injured guts may be more likely to become sensitive to gluten, found in foods like wheat.

Wheat itself is not genetically modified, although it has been hybridized (bred for certain traits). While originally, only a small percentage of the population was truly sensitive to the gluten in wheat, that appears about to change. With exposure to GM foods, we are getting high levels of toxins such as the weed killer glyphosate (Roundup). Corn and cotton crops are also engineered to produce an insecticide called Bt-toxin. “The Bt-toxin in corn is designed to puncture holes in insect cells, but studies show it does the same in human cells,” says Jeffrey Smith, director of the Institute for Responsible Technology. The result is damage to the intestinal walls, making them more permeable and subject to allergic responses and disturbances in the gut ecology.

As reported by Mother Jones News, here are the nine GM food crops being grown in the United States at this time: SOY, CORN, COTTON (oil), CANOLA (oil), SUGAR (from sugar beets), ZUCCHINI, YELLOW SQUASH, HAWAIIAN PAPAYA, ALFALFA. Eliminating these foods from our diets seems like a smart move for now.

All the best,
Sharon Martinez, D.C.
Rancho Cucamonga, CA