tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19333109165550049642024-02-20T13:28:59.935-08:00Transgenic AnimalsA Blog that updates regularly on recent trends and innovations in the field of Genetically Modified Animals, Transgenic Mice, Transgenic Animals and even including Transgenic Bacteria.C V Patelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13516943390687241501noreply@blogger.comBlogger174125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933310916555004964.post-47617364153685028772014-01-08T18:36:00.000-08:002014-01-08T18:36:00.194-08:00America's Healthy Eating Problem<P>But what are you eating?</P><P>America has now surpassed every other nation as the land of overweight unhealthy people. Health gurus may tell you that maintaining your weight is a matter of watching what you eat and exercising. But what happens when you aren't told what you are eating?</P><P>Monday, the FDA started two days of hearings about whether to let AquaBounty sell the salmon it has genetically engineered for human consumption. Atlantic salmon were altered by adding a growth hormone from Chinook salmon. They consequently grow to maturity twice as fast as naturally occurring salmon.</P><P>Opponents to having them used for human consumption are concerned with the potential for unforeseen effects. Allergies to seafood can be severe, requiring hospitalization to prevent death in the most extreme cases. One concern is that these genetically engineered fish could cause greater than normal allergies in those who are already vulnerable.</P><P>The FDA already allows sales of numerous genetically engineered crops. This will be their first approval to sell a genetically engineered animal for human consumption.</P><P>Last night I watched "Supersize Me," a 2004 movie about the dangers of fast food, and McDonald's in particular, by Morgan Spurlock. For the movie, Spurlock decided to eat nothing but McDonald's food for one month. His physical health was tracked by three doctors, a nutritionist and a personal trainer. They all predicted that a month of eating McDonald's food would probably cause a weight increase and maybe elevate his cholesterol.</P><P>What happened was shocking. Within 20 days, Spurlock's blood work resembled someone whose liver was failing. He experienced depression, fatigue and chest pains. Over the course of the full 30 days, he gained more than 20 pounds -- and then took more than 9 months to get rid of the weight when he later returned to a healthy diet.</P><P>The point of Spurlock's movie was that fast food is very bad for your health and is likely a major cause of our nation's weight problem. Most people don't think about the nutritional content of the food they are eating. One of Spurlock's experiments showed that, while McDonald's does produce pamphlets with nutritional information, those pamphlets and that information are unavailable in many locations. Lack of good information occurs much more frequently in poorer neighborhoods.</P><P>Now, health gurus will probably tell you that a portion of salmon is much healthier than, say, a Big Mac, and for the most part they will be correct. But what about the nutritional value of a genetically engineered salmon and what about your right to know what is in your food and make decisions accordingly?</P><P>It turns out that the FDA has decided genetically engineered salmon is not substantially different from naturally occurring salmon. Because of that, they don't have to tell you that what you are buying (or eating) has been genetically engineered. In other words, you have <STRONG>no choice</STRONG> in this because you won't have the data needed to make an informed decision.</P><P>The food industry is big business and there are many new innovations, not all of them healthy, being made to our food supply. Organizations like the FDA, which are supposed to inform and protect us, often place themselves on a slippery slope of allowing poor nutrition and potentially dangerous products to slip through in the name of budget restrictions and corporate profits.</P><P>Preserve your healthy by making wise choices about what you eat. Preserve the nation's health by becoming an advocate for a strong and healthy food supply.</P><P>Judy Downing is a small business coach, consultant, and freelance writer. She shares tips, techniques and strategies with small business owners to clarify and enhance their customer and business practices. Visit her website at <A href="http://www.customerapproach.com/" target=_new>http://www.CustomerApproach.com</A> or email her at <A href="mailto:judy@customerapproach.com">judy@customerapproach.com</A>.</P><P>Article Source: <A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Judy_Downing" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Judy_Downing</A> <BR><A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Americas-Healthy-Eating-Problem&id=5708824" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?Americas-Healthy-Eating-Problem&id=5708824</A> <BR></P>C V Patelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13516943390687241501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933310916555004964.post-57528902717789626372014-01-07T19:25:00.000-08:002014-01-07T19:25:00.253-08:00Killing the Food Supply - The Dangers of Genetically Modified Food<P>Genetically modified food has entered the food supply through secrecy and deception. Some claimed that genetically modifying the food supply could even put an end to world hunger. At first glance, genetic modification really does look like a great idea.</P><P>It allows for larger crops, enhanced growing seasons, and even bigger animals. The truth of the matter is that genetically modified food has been shown to sterilize the population, lead to infant mortality, and exacerbate the usage of pesticides on a global scale.</P><P><STRONG>Food Abomination</STRONG> <BR>The world is quickly realizing that there is no benefit to consuming and producing genetically modified food. The consumers are speaking out, and their voice is being heard. Food free of genetically modified ingredients is the fastest growing retail brand in the world.</P><P>As the information surrounding GM (genetically modified) food rose to the mainstream media, the people began to anger. They were looking for someone to blame for allowing this atrocity occur, and they had to look no farther than Monsanto.</P><P>The Monsanto corporation is a multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation. It is responsible for producing and selling genetically engineered seeds. These are the seeds that yield genetically modified crops. Monsanto has such a grip on the industry, that it produces 90% of the United State's genetically engineered seeds.</P><P>This is the same company responsible for the development of bovine growth hormone, which incited mass controversy over its effects. It was determined by many health experts to be extremely dangerous, with many linking it to cancer and other life-threatening conditions.</P><P>Anthony Gucciardi is a health activist and wellness researcher, whose goal is centered around educating the general public as to how they may obtain optimum health. He has authored countless articles highlighting the benefits of natural health, as well as exposing the pharmaceutical industry. Anthony is the creator of Shatter Limits ( <A href="http://www.shatterlimits.com/" target=_new>http://www.ShatterLimits.com</A> ), a natural health website. Anthony has been accurately interpreting national and international events for years within his numerous political articles. Anthony's articles have been seen by millions around the world, and hosted on multiple top news websites.</P><P>Article Source: <A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Anthony_Gucciardi" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anthony_Gucciardi</A> <BR><A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Killing-the-Food-Supply---The-Dangers-of-Genetically-Modified-Food&id=4913058" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?Killing-the-Food-Supply---The-Dangers-of-Genetically-Modified-Food&id=4913058</A> <BR></P>C V Patelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13516943390687241501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933310916555004964.post-88266224791880357642014-01-07T15:54:00.000-08:002014-01-07T15:54:00.395-08:00The Benefits of Eating a Plant-Based Diet - Avoiding Animal Cloning<P>One of the top news stories in 2008 was the FDA approval of "food" from cloned animals. I usually only attempt to show the health benefits of eating a diet free from animal products and generally avoid lecturing on the moral and ethical reasons to avoid meat and dairy. This time, however, I seriously doubt that I am alone in my outrage over this, which not only brings up animal cruelty issues, but religious and moral questions, along with a vast array of safety concerns. This is just another sad display of the FDA's willingness to approve anything in order to line its pockets with money from the USDA and pharmaceutical lobbies. Time and time again, the FDA has proven how inept it is at enforcing proper research and testing into pharmaceutical drugs, and in many cases, thousands upon thousands of deaths have been the result. Rather than protecting the American public from cloned and genetically modified foods, which are being banned or at the very least, labeled in other countries, the FDA has given the factory farm industry the go ahead to sell meat and dairy products from animals cloned and/or possibly genetically engineered by humans.</P><P>Barbara Glenn of the Biotechnology Industry Organization calls cloning "a breeding technique that will improve the quality and consistency of food" (1). However, Michael Hansen, a senior scientist with Consumers Union, says that "data supporting the FDA decision are based on just a few cloned animals and include little information about their offspring." Hmm. Imagine that. The FDA making the decision to approve something based on little to no scientific evidence rather than on extensive research into its safety. Michael Hansen goes on to say that "The vast majority of clones don't make it to adulthood...There are a lot of sickly animals." Such health problems among clones raise concerns about animal welfare and food safety (1). I'm not sure that I understand how sickly cloned animals will "improve the quality" of food, but I guess we won't have to wait long to find out. According to The Wall Street Journal, some farmers have reported that the offspring of cloned animals have already entered the marketplace (3). But you would never know whether the meat you are eating is coming from a traditionally bred animal or a cloned version because the FDA determined that meat and milk from cloned animals and their offspring would not be labeled because it was "the same as conventional food and did not pose a safety risk," (2).</P><P>Despite the FDA's assurance, some companies have declared that they will not sell milk or meat from cloned animals or their offspring for fear over the safety of such foods, and to spearhead a possible consumer backlash fueled by religious and moral opposition to cloning. During a public comment period that ended in 2007, the FDA heard from more than 150,000 consumers who rejected the Agency's plan to introduce cloned animals into the U.S. food supply (4). Many polls show that the public's opposition to food from clones is incredibly high. A national survey conducted in 2007 by Consumers Union reported that 89% of Americans want cloned foods to be labeled. Additionally, 69% said that they have concerns about the safety of cloned meat and dairy products. A Gallup Poll from December 2007 reported that more than 60% of Americans believe that cloning animals is immoral. A Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology from the same time found that a similar percentage say, despite FDA approval, they will not buy milk from cloned animals (4).</P><P>There is concern from animal advocacy groups that the use of cloning may contribute to creating even harsher factory farm conditions than presently exist. "The surveys show that the public is morally opposed to cloning. Animals suffer terribly in the cloning process, and the FDA has ignored these issues," said Tracie Letterman, Executive Director of the American Anti-Vivisection Society (2). There is also concern that introducing cloned animals and the offspring of clones into the US market could have economic ramifications in the global marketplace (2).</P><P>According to Joseph Mendelson, Legal Director of the Center for Food Safety, "The FDA's flawed and cavalier approach to cloned food and its potential impacts called for a truly rigorous scientific assessment," (4). While the FDA repeatedly claimed that it conducted extensive, peer reviewed studies on the safety of "food" from cloned animals, it turns out that the agency's assessment only referenced three peer-reviewed food safety studies, all of which focus only on the issue of milk from cloned cows (4). The most disturbing part of the lack of objective research on the part of the FDA is that the studies the Agency sited were funded in part by the very biotech firms that produce clones for profit (4). Not one of the studies focused on the safety of meat from cloned cows or pigs, or milk or meat from the offspring of cloned animals, and there was absolutely no data on milk or meat from cloned goats (4).</P><P>Behavior like this is what we, as Americans, have come to expect from the FDA. What is supposed to be a consumer advocacy and safety watchdog, in actuality, is unethical and time and time again shows little real concern for the safety and well-being of the American public. The issue of unlabeled food products from cloned animals being introduced into the US market place is not only an issue of animal rights, but an issue of religious freedom, as those who oppose cloning for moral or religious reasons should have the right to know if the foods they choose to consume are from cloned animals. This is also an issue of economic stability as the decision to allow foods from cloned animals and their offspring into the market could very well create issues in the global marketplace. And then, there is the issue of the safety of foods from cloned animals, which we are still unsure of due to the FDA's lack of genuine and long-term research.</P><P>What can you do about this issue? Well, if you like the political route, you can contact your legislators and tell them that you do not support allowing meat and dairy from cloned animals or their offspring to be sold as food. Or demand that food from cloned animals be labeled as such. I believe that the best and most vital way to make your voice heard every single day is to vote with your dollar. By choosing to avoid purchasing and consuming animal products, you are sending a message. Remember, those with the money make the decisions. If you don't support what they are doing, do not give them your money! By eating a plant-based diet, you can avoid unknowingly consuming "food" from cloned animals. I really don't have much else to say about this, except that cancerous, diseased, pus-filled, antibiotic-filled, hormone-filled, steroid-filled, and now cloned "food" is what you can expect to consume if you choose to eat animal products from a typical American factory farm.</P><P>1. "FDA Approves Food From Cloned Animals", Webb, Sarah, Discover Magazine <BR>2. "F.D.A. Says Food From Cloned Animals Is Safe", Martin, Andrew and Andrew Pollack, The New York Times <BR>3. "FDA Is Set To Approve Milk, Meat From Clones", Weiss, Rick, The Washington Post <BR>4. "FDA Approval of Clones Stalled by Passage of Milulski-Specter Amendment in Farm Bill", [http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/cloning]</P><P>Erin Brennan is a Raw Foods Chef and the owner of Living Bliss, a company based out of Louisville, Kentucky which provides fresh and delicious raw and living whole foods, event catering, uncooking classes and workshops, nutritional consultations, and wellness coaching.</P><P>[http://www.livingblissfoods.com]</P><P><A href="http://erinbrennan.blogspot.com/" target=_new>http://erinbrennan.blogspot.com</A></P><P>Article Source: <A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Erin_Brennan" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Erin_Brennan</A> <BR><A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Benefits-of-Eating-a-Plant-Based-Diet---Avoiding-Animal-Cloning&id=1788187" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Benefits-of-Eating-a-Plant-Based-Diet---Avoiding-Animal-Cloning&id=1788187</A> <BR></P>C V Patelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13516943390687241501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933310916555004964.post-84284440805299536292014-01-06T00:06:00.000-08:002014-01-06T00:06:00.242-08:00What Is Vegetarian Cheese?<P>All cheeses are made from the milk of an animal, such as a cow, goat, or sheep. An acid is added to the milk, and in the case of most cheeses, a rennet is added so that the milk forms curds, or solids, that are then separated from the liquids, or the whey. Depending on the type of cheese being made, the curds will then undergo various other processes. The difference between cheeses labeled as vegetarian cheese versus a regular cheese is the type of rennin that is used to form the curds. Animal rennet is derived from animals, and cheese made using animal rennet is not vegetarian. Other cheeses made from rennet derived from plants or microbes can be categorized as vegetarian.</P><P>Animal Rennet</P><P>The earliest cheeses were produced using the rennet from an animal part, specifically the stomach of young goats, calves, and lambs. A chemical, chymosin, found in the stomachs of baby animals will cause milk to coagulate, or form curds. Only animals that are still nursing, and not eating any foods, contain this chemical in their stomachs; therefore, it can only be obtained from very young animals. The traditional method for extracting rennet involves slaughtering the animal, removing the stomach lining, and then using salt water, wine, whey, or vinegar to extract the chymosin. Although many cheese makers still follow traditional methods, more modern methods for producing animal rennet used in cheese making use enzyme extracting chemicals to get the rennet from the stomach lining.</P><P>Vegetable Rennet</P><P>For vegetarians that consume dairy products, cheese made from vegetable rennet is an option. There are several plants that have natural coagulation qualities and can be used in place of animal rennet to make cheese. Thistle is the most commonly used plant for making rennet. Another source of vegetable rennet is safflower. Dried caper leaves and the bark of a fig tree can also be used to make vegetable rennet. In addition, some soybeans that have been genetically modified are also capable of producing rennet that can be used in cheese making. The cheese making process using vegetable rennet is the same as the one used for making a cheese with animal rennet; however, the two are not necessarily interchangeable. Cheeses made using vegetable rennet will have different qualities than those made using animal rennet.</P><P>Microbial Rennet</P><P>Another source of rennet used in cheese making is microbial rennet. Because microbial rennet uses no animals as its source, it is also appropriate for vegetarian cheeses. Certain types of molds, fungus, and bacteria have coagulating properties that will form curds in milk. The enzymes of the microbes can be used in the cheese making process.</P><P>In addition, cow DNA can now be added to some specific yeasts, fungi, and bacteria to produce genetically engineered animal rennet. This rennet more closely resembles the rennet made from animals; therefore, the cheeses produces using this type of microbial rennet are more similar in taste and quality as animal rennet cheeses. Depending on how strict your vegetarian practices are, this may be a suitable substitution, since no animals are harmed to make the rennet.</P><P>If you're looking for some of these special cheeses be sure to visit <A href="http://goldenagecheese.com/" target=_new>http://goldenagecheese.com/</A></P><P>Article Source: <A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jet_M_Perreault" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jet_M_Perreault</A> <BR><A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Is-Vegetarian-Cheese?&id=7366603" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?What-Is-Vegetarian-Cheese?&id=7366603</A> <BR></P>C V Patelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13516943390687241501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933310916555004964.post-74892344559891461942014-01-05T01:56:00.000-08:002014-01-05T01:56:00.898-08:00Know the Difference Between Organic Foods and Genetically Modified Foods<P>Genetically modified foods (GM foods) are those that have been produced from genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. These changes in the food come from specific changes in the foods DNA done through genetic engineering. These techniques are done to produce extra nutrients, faster growth and resistance to viruses or bacteria. Should we be wary of such foods? We probably should, simply because we don't know enough about GMOs. There has been little scientific testing on humans, and at least in some cases the results on animals has not been good.</P><P>We are not talking about hybridization here, as sometimes that is confused with GMOs. Hybridization crosses dissimilar individual organisms to produce the best of each organism. For instance, combining a type of plant that has disease resistant qualities with one with great production capacity, the end product is a plant that is disease resistant with greater yields. This crossbreeding of different species of plants has been done for centuries, and has done wonders to increase food production over this time.</P><P>GMOs, on the other hand, are organisms that are altered at the gene level, and it is an entirely different ballgame. Genes from a plant, animal, or virus can be inserted into another organism, usually a plant, thereby irreversibly altering its genetic code. The health risks of genetic altered food have not been clearly identified, and few studies have been done evaluating the impact on our health. If you are wondering why we humans are basically being used as human guinea pigs, there is big money involved, both with producers who are overnight dramatically increasing their yields along with the biotech industry.</P><P>Laws in the United States do not force foods that have genetically modified ingredients to be labeled, and it is estimated that as much as two-thirds of the food in grocery stores contain some genetically engineered ingredients. That is where organic foods come in. Unless you purchase only organic food, more than likely you will something that is genetically modified, particularly if they have ingredients containing corn or soybeans.</P><P>So why is organic food your safest options? If you don't want to tempt fate by having genetically modified foods in your diet, genetically engineered materials or seeds are not allowed in food production or organic farming. This is really the only way you can be sure to avoid GM food. And don't be drawn in to the label that says its "natural", as it has no meaning. "Natural" does not mean organic and genetically altered foods can still carry the "natural" label.</P><P>Finally, support any legislation that supports labeling of GM foods. Until now the biotech industry has lobbied to keep any labels off those foods, but consumers should at least know how there food has been produced.</P><P>GMOs are now an important aspect of deciding what should be part of our <A href="http://healtheybalanceddiet.com/" target=_new>healtheybalanceddiet</A>. We still don't know if they are truly healthy, but we do know that <A href="http://losethatbellyfat.info/natural-and-organic-vegetable-gardening-tips/" target=_new>organic food</A> is. Read more on our website. Rich Carroll is a writer and avid health advocate now living in Chicago.</P><P>Article Source: <A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Rich_Carroll" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rich_Carroll</A> <BR><A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Know-the-Difference-Between-Organic-Foods-and-Genetically-Modified-Foods&id=7720040" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?Know-the-Difference-Between-Organic-Foods-and-Genetically-Modified-Foods&id=7720040</A> <BR></P>C V Patelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13516943390687241501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933310916555004964.post-11785769697380731062014-01-04T04:22:00.000-08:002014-01-04T04:22:00.400-08:00Franken Foods Have No Place In The Diet Solutions<P><I>"The genetic engineering of foods takes mankind into realms that belong to God and God alone." - Charles, Prince of Wales</I></P><P>Food technology is expanding almost at the rate of the "big bang!" GE foods are everywhere. Today, up to 70 percent of the foods on American grocery shelves are genetically engineered (a number expected to grow to 90% by 2012). Most of the soy, corn, potatoes, tomatoes, dairy foods and yellow squash at your market are genetically engineered. Over one-third of U.S. farmland is planted with genetically-engineered seeds. All food is expected to be genetically engineered in the next ten years. At the end of the twentieth century, there were enough GE crops to cover Great Britain, Taiwan and New York's Central Park! You may be shocked but should you be worried? Genetically engineered foods may contain DNA from widely different species. Plant, animal, insect, even bacterial or viral DNA make up new "improved" foods.</P><P><B>Pros and Cons of the new millennium food supply</B></P><P>There are benefits from genetic engineering:</P><P><UL><LI>GE advocates say that genetic engineering can boost resistance to pests, decreasing the need for harsh pesticide sprays and incidence of plant disease.</LI><LI>Genetic engineering improves shelf life by altering genes which lead to spoilage.</LI><LI>GE companies hope to create "super crops" that will feed the Earth's exponentially growing population for generations to come.</LI><LI>GE foods offer an easy delivery route for drugs and vaccinations.</LI></UL><P></P><P><B>There's also a price to be paid for GE foods:</B></P><P><UL><LI>Allergens are transferred at the molecular level. As we add genes into foods from substances that aren't' normally in our food chain, new allergies could run rampant.</LI><BR><LI>Using genes in GE foods from already known allergens can trigger severe reactions in allergic people.</LI><BR><LI>Cross-pollination means pollen from GE crops will likely transfer into organic crops located nearby, so even organic foods may be exposed to genetically altered organisms.</LI><BR><LI>Crops that are genetically engineered to build resistance to pesticides may transfer into neighboring weeds creating "super weeds" which can't be killed by herbicides.</LI><BR><LI>Research shows bioengineering may destroy healing properties and reduce nutrient content of foods.</LI><BR><LI>Genetic engineering means animal by-products make their way into vegetarian foods.</LI><BR><LI>GE foods developed to create their own insecticides or herbicides are especially precarious.</LI><BR><LI>Genetic engineering may prompt the development of "super" insects, that can resist normal methods of eradication and disturb the ecosystem.</LI></UL><P></P><P><B>Maybe Darwin was right</B></P><P>Natural selection may be the ultimate key. Nature never does anything without good reason. Plants and animals change naturally with time to adapt to a changing environment. For example, we know many plant species have lengthened their growing season to better use the effects of global warming. Over time, we know plants may become more resistant to certain diseases or the effects of pollution. Recorded studies have shown that some tomatoes grown in polluted areas have actually become stronger, boosting their antioxidant nutrients to protect themselves from harsh conditions</P><P><B>So what can we do to protect ourselves from GE foods?</B></P><P><UL><LI>Stick with certified organic foods.</LI><BR><LI>Buy seasonal produce from organic local farmers.</LI><BR><LI>Avoid non-organic foods that are well known to be genetically modified - soy, canola oil and corn foods.</LI><BR><LI>Consider consuming organic dairy. Most commercially produced dairy is injected with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), which is a GE hormone.</LI></UL><P></P><P>Deciding on a particular diet can be daunting considering the shear number of strategies out there. That's why it's important to have a resource that will leave you confident and without questions. <A href="http://loseweightsolutions.org/the-diet-solution-program/" target=_new>The Diet Solutions</A> is the perfect step by step guide.</P><P>Article Source: <A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Hillary_Crafton" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hillary_Crafton</A> <BR><A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Franken-Foods-Have-No-Place-In-The-Diet-Solutions&id=5938921" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?Franken-Foods-Have-No-Place-In-The-Diet-Solutions&id=5938921</A> <BR></P>C V Patelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13516943390687241501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933310916555004964.post-75129753279921322282014-01-03T09:01:00.000-08:002014-01-03T09:01:00.310-08:00Genetically Engineered Salmons - Are They Safe for the World?<P>Genetically altered salmon, also known as the frankenfish has become a centre of talk in recent days. The Aqua Bounty Technologies has provided their research output which grows much faster than the normal species of salmons. The altered species has much of abnormal characteristics than a normal fish in the same group.</P><P>Some of the abnormal behaviour detected by the FDA includes increased prevalence of jaw erosions, increased skeletal malformations and multi-systemic inflammation. However, FDA has considered these irregular characteristics as acceptable saying that these characteristics come within the observed range of accepted Atlantic salmons.</P><P>The abnormal behaviour was compared with the farmed salmon species which are also genetically modified but with the help of other resources. Here question arises about the comparison, how can a fish that grows in a natural environment be compared with the factory farmed species? FDA tried to justify the comparison stating the control substance that is Aspartame as the reason.</P><P>The modified species has lots of chances of diseases as observed in previous altered species of other animals. One of the prevalent examples of such problem is the chickens which are made to grow fast and lay more eggs; suffer from the skeletal disorders every year. Some of the turkeys are so much pushed to the biological limits that they can't even mate naturally and produce because of their heavy weights. How much of these biotechnology can push the biological limits to the max stressing the poor animals, that is still to be seen more.</P><P>One of the major concern about the genetically altered salmon is if they escapes in the wild won't they finish their own natural species which basically grow smaller than them. However, the company creating the altered species manages to justify itself by saying, the metabolic demands of such species make them less likely to escape into the wild and survive.</P><P>Final concern here is the transgenic DNA transferring to human being from the consumption of such fish in the long run. We still have to see the outcome of genetically altered salmon introduction to the everyday life. Let's hope everything goes fine as the FDA says, if the genetically altered salmons are brought in the market.</P><P>If you would like to know more about the <A href="http://frankenfish.com/" target=_new>frankenfish salmons</A> or other frankenfish species like bullseye snakehead, northern snakehead,trouts and other fish species in detail please feel free to visit <A href="http://frankenfish.com/" target=_new>Frankenfish</A> site.</P><P>Article Source: <A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kishore_Shahi" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kishore_Shahi</A> <BR><A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Genetically-Engineered-Salmons---Are-They-Safe-for-the-World?&id=5517871" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?Genetically-Engineered-Salmons---Are-They-Safe-for-the-World?&id=5517871</A> <BR></P>C V Patelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13516943390687241501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933310916555004964.post-70540604431101735732014-01-01T08:52:00.000-08:002014-01-01T08:52:00.251-08:00A Look at Genetically Modified Organisms<P>A genetically modified organism is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. In other words; A GMO is the result of a laboratory process of taking genes from one species and inserting them into another in trying to get a desired trait or characteristic. Examples of some common organisms that have been genetically modified include bacteria and yeast, insects, plants, fish and even mammals. GMO's are the source of genetically modified foods as well. It is at this level that many consumers become concerned.</P><P>The question most commonly asked is; are genetically modified foods safe? What are the long-term health risks associated with consuming GMO products? Are the advantages worth the potential risks?</P><P>As the world's population continues to grow ensuring that there will be an adequate food supply is becoming a challenge. GM foods are believed to meet this challenge in several ways. The advantages of GMO crops include pest resistance, herbicide tolerance and disease resistance, which result in less chemical application, and danger of agricultural waste run-off also making the cost of production less. Additionally GM seeds help with cold tolerance and drought resistance. Advocates for GM foods argue that they are better for the environment, because farmers can cut their use of pesticides and herbicides and the residual levels of these chemicals in the environment.</P><P>The main argument in favor of GM foods is the nutritional value. Famine and malnutrition are all too common in third world countries, where people rely on a single crop as their food source, such as rice. Rice does not contain adequate amounts of all the necessary nutrients to prevent malnutrition. If rice could be genetically altered to contain added vitamins and minerals, nutrient deficiencies could be alleviated. Studies are being conducted at this time to do just that. Corn, wheat, rice, canola, chicory, squash, potato, soybean, alfalfa, tomatoes and cotton are some of the crops that have been genetically modified to make them resistant to insects and viruses and more able to tolerate herbicides.</P><P>Modified genes are used in an early stage of the plants growth process and may, or may not be present in the end product. Nonetheless, gene products such as, photochemicals, may stay in the food chain. The implications for human health are unknown.</P><P>The unknown impact of Genetically Modified Foods on our health brings us to the opposing side of the debate. Some of the arguments against the use of GMO are that the safety of these products is not yet verified and that very little is known about the long term health effects on both humans and animals who consume them. Every day, millions of people consume Genetically modified foods with no thorough research of the potential risks to human health.</P><P>Researchers have raised the concern that food and water contaminated with genetically modified material could increase the risk of malignant tumors in humans. Other studies have suggested a link between GMO foods and cancer. There is also the concern it could cause new allergy outbreaks in people. One known example of this was a genetically engineered soya bean, containing Brazilian nut protein, which turned out to cause severe allergies in humans and was withdrawn from production.</P><P>Without proper labeling laws in place, there is concern that the consumer is no longer aware of what they are eating, which could cause serious issues for those with dietary restrictions, not to mention moral and ethical consideration for vegetarians and vegans.</P><P>A study conducted in 2008 showed that feeding mice engineered food for 30 days caused an immune reaction and altered the number of cells that regulated the immune function in the body. Although not proven at this date, it is suspected that similar alterations caused in the human immune system as well.</P><P>Modified genes in engineered crops that are resistant to pesticides can transfer to insects and pest. As a result, super-bugs are created that cannot be controlled with normal levels of pesticides. The strength of the chemical used to fight pests must increase, as their resistance grows. This would create a problem in controlling their reproduction and damage to crop production in the future.</P><P>The belief is that the altered genes in engineered food will multiply through the generations passing along unknown damaging traits to the future population. Once discovered, it would be too late to recall the product. The effects of genetically modified food could be irreversible. Too little is known about the effects on the human body.</P><P>No matter which side of the debate you may fall on, it is always good to know the facts and go into the marketplace as a smart consumer. There is a movement to force product labeling that includes information about GMO's. Organic gardening and farming is becoming big business. With concerns about food and environmental allergies on the rise, more and more people are looking for organically grown products and not just the food they eat but the clothing they wear and the linens the sleep on. In the 1990's the Egyptian Government converted all of Egypt's cotton crops to organic.This means the consumer may be certain that their Egyptian cotton products come from a non GMO seeds.</P><P>Visit us at <A href="http://www.organiccottonstore.com/" target=_new>http://www.organiccottonstore.com</A> for all you organic cotton products, including clothing for your baby and infant.</P><P>Article Source: <A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Gayla_A_Hotchkiss" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gayla_A_Hotchkiss</A> <BR><A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?A-Look-at-Genetically-Modified-Organisms&id=7937800" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?A-Look-at-Genetically-Modified-Organisms&id=7937800</A> <BR></P>C V Patelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13516943390687241501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933310916555004964.post-15272413333124201532013-12-30T23:31:00.000-08:002013-12-30T23:31:00.261-08:00Genetically Modified Foods - Fact You Need to Know<P>Based on information compiled by the <U><B>Label GMOs Grassroots Committee</B></U>, the following are facts we all need to keep in mind to protect our health and to make informed political decisions:</P><P><B>GMO</B> <B>Fact</B> <B>#1</B></P><P>Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are laboratory creations of agricultural biotechnology engineered by forcing DNA from a foreign species into plants or animals. This foreign DNA may be from a virus, bacteria such as E. coli, insects, animals or humans, resulting in traits that would not occur naturally.</P><P>Upwards of 70 percent of supermarket foods in the U.S. contain GMOs. While 50 other countries including the entire European Union require labeling of GMOs, the U.S. does not.</P><P><B>GMO</B> <B>Fact</B> <B>#2</B></P><P><B>Animal studies have shown GMOs cause infertility, accelerated aging, dysfunctional insulin regulation, changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system, and immune problems such as asthma, allergies, and inflammation.</B> As a result of these studies, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine has called for a moratorium on GMOs. The FDA's own scientists warned that GMOs have serious health hazards, but no safety studies are required. Europe has rejected GMOs due to health effects.</P><P><B>GMO</B> <B>Fact</B> <B>#3</B></P><P><B>GM food poses higher risks for children</B> - In feeding studies, adolescent rats showed damaged immune systems and digestive function; smaller brains, livers, and testicles; atrophy of the liver; and pre-cancerous cell growth in the intestines after only 10 days of GM feed. One study showed that offspring of rats fed GM soy died within three weeks. Bt toxin, a pesticide that has been engineered into GM corn, has been found in the placenta of pregnant women and and in fetuses. In newborns, since the blood-brain barrier is not yet developed, scientists speculate these toxins may enter the brain and cause serious cognitive problems such ADHD and autism.</P><P><B>GMO</B> <B>Fact</B> <B>#4</B></P><P><B>Agricultural bio-tech companies have undue influence on government institutions that are supposed to regulate them to protect public health. </B>Many former Monsanto executives are now in the FDA and USDA. Michael Taylor, former VP and attorney for the biggest GMO company, Monsanto, is now the Deputy Commissioner at the FDA. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is a former Monsanto attorney. Agritech companies give generous campaign contributions and use heavy lobbying to politicians. The FDA has chosen to disregard strong warnings of its own scientists and allowed GMOs in our food supply without any health studies or even labeling.</P><P><B>GMO</B> <B>Fact</B><B>#5</B></P><P><B>GMOs offer no benefits to consumers or farmers</B> . GMOs do not provide higher yields, are not more drought tolerant than conventional crops, are less nutritious, and do not taste better. Many GM crops are created to increase tolerance to herbicides, which encourages more herbicide use and increases agritech profits. Because GM plants are engineered to produce sterile seed, farmers must purchase new seed every year. Farmers who do not use GM seed and whose fields become contaminated by GMOs have lost their livelihood due to lawsuits from agritech companies.</P><P><B>GMO</B> <B>Fact</B> <B>#6</B></P><P><B>Overuse of herbicide on GM crops has led to</B> super-weeds that require super-toxic herbicides, increased incidence of deadly plant diseases, degradation of the soil, and pollution of waterways.</P><P><B>GMO</B> <B>Fact</B> <B>#7</B></P><P><B>GMOs are widespread in our food supply.</B> U.S. supermarkets sell products containing unlabeled ingredients from genetically engineered soybeans, sugar beets, corn, canola and cottonseed. Genetically engineered Hawaiian papaya, zucchini and crook neck squash are also sold in the U.S. The bovine growth hormone rBGH is genetically engineered. Livestock are routinely raised on feed containing GM soy, corn and cottonseed. The FDA has recently deregulated GM alfalfa, a common feed crop for dairy cattle. The FDA is weighing approval of GM salmon and a variety of other foods.</P><P><B>GMO</B> <B>Fact</B> <B>#8</B></P><P><B>GMOs could be contributing to the increases seen in childhood food allergies, asthma and autism,</B> which have risen dramatically over the past 15 years since GMOs were introduced. The process of creating GMOs can increase levels of existing allergens, or introduce new allergens. GMO animal feeding studies show immune dysregulation, which is associated with asthma. The pesticide Bt from GM corn has been found in the bloodstream of women and fetuses; pesticides are linked to Autism via their potential to affect changes in the fetal brain.</P><P><B>GMO Fact #9</B></P><P><B>GMOs can be avoided by using the Non-GMO Shopping Guide or choosing organic foods.</B> The most at-risk ingredients are corn, soy, cottonseed and canola. The guide available at nongmoshoppingguide.com tells how to avoid hidden GM ingredients, e.g. lecithin, modified food starch and high fructose corn syrup. Certified organic products cannot intentionally contain any genetically engineered ingredients.</P><P><B>GMO Fact #10</B></P><P><B>You can make a difference! </B>Here are action steps recommended by Karen Hudson, Sonoma County Coordinator of Label GMOs Grassroots Committee encourages everyone to do:</P><P>*Contact <A href="http://carighttoknow.org/" rel=nofollow target=_new>carighttoknow.org</A> to endorse, donate, volunteer, and get more information.</P><P>*Watch "Future of Food," "The World According to Monsanto" or</P><P>*See Jeffrey Smith's new video "Genetic Roulette."</P><P>*Check out Nutiva's 2 min. video on YouTube: <U><B><I>"What is a GMO?"</I></B></U>.</P><P>*Forward this article to everyone in your network.</P><P>Pamela Levin is an R.N., a Teaching & Supervising Transactional Analyst and award winning author and nutritional journalist with 500 + hours post-graduate training in clinical nutrition, herbology and applied kinesiology. In private practice 42 years, she shares health improvement tips for body, mind, spirit, emotions and relationships in her complimentary bi-weekly newsletter, available at <A href="http://betterhealthbytes.com/" target=_new>BetterHealthBytes.com</A>. You're invited to register there and to request a topic you'd like covered.</P><P>Article Source: <A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Pamela_Levin" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pamela_Levin</A> <BR><A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Genetically-Modified-Foods---Fact-You-Need-to-Know&id=7379422" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?Genetically-Modified-Foods---Fact-You-Need-to-Know&id=7379422</A> <BR></P>C V Patelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13516943390687241501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933310916555004964.post-73907946352803513982013-12-29T20:40:00.000-08:002013-12-29T20:40:00.545-08:00Genetic Engineering and the Search For Non-GMOs<P>We live in an age of advanced scientific exploration. Genetic research is at an all-time high and new discoveries in this field are cropping up every day, literally. In the field of genetic research involving the food we eat every day, there are many developments that may surprise you. When it comes to genetics, any organism, be it a plant, animal, or microorganism that is genetically engineered to overcome natural boundaries is commonly referred to as a "GMO" or Genetically Modified Organism. GMOs abound in plants. The most widely grown GMO crops include canola, corn, soybeans, and cotton.</P><P>Many believe that GMOs will create better tasting food that is more nutritious and long lasting. Others hope that they will help developing countries to become more sustainable. Although these hopes are positive, there is still very little testing to back up these claims. Many worry that the FDA, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), and the Department of Agriculture hasn't done any long-term testing of GMOs in food and in the environment. The truth is, it could very well take years for unhealthy effects of GMOs to develop. Because the government did not require any pre-market research, we have been eating foods with GMOs since 1996. Without testing and long-term research, some experts believe that GMO foods could have new and different risks for you, your family, and the environment.</P><P>Most GMOs fall into two categories: those that are "insect resistant" and those that are "herbicide tolerant". In either case, problems have arisen as the regulations on herbicides and pesticides have relaxed as a result of the unique properties of these newly engineered plants. If they are naturally resistant to insects, these plants are regulated as an insecticide. Acting as an insecticide, it may turn out that these plants are in fact dangerous. If they are resistant to herbicides, farmers are now allowed to use large amounts of herbicides that are sprayed directly on the plants. This practice can lead to more chemicals in your food.</P><P>If you are aware of GMOs and would like to avoid them as much as possible there are a few solutions. One good way to both avoid GMOs and bolster your local economy is to make a point to buy your produce at the local Farmer's Market. Most cities have some form of a farmer's market that allows local growers to sell their produce directly to consumers. This is a great way to get excellent top-notch produce without spending the exorbitant prices for organic produce in a conventional store. It is always good for a community to be self-sustaining as much as possible. By shopping at the farmer's market, you will not only improve your health by choosing foods that are non-GMO, you'll also improve the overall health of the community by improving its sustainability.</P><P>A healthy non-GMO diet can be difficult to sustain. The farmer's market helps but it is also good to find healthy dietary supplements like non-GMO whey protein and multivitamins. Top Form Whey protein is an all-natural byproduct of dairy that is 90% concentrated protein and is completely non-GMO. This is an excellent way to improve your protein intake without relying on genetically engineered animal protein or soybeans. Multivitamins are also a great way to make sure you are getting necessary nutrients like vitamin B12 and vitamin D.</P><P>For more info on whey protein [http://www.mytopform.com/whey-protein-shake.html], visit MyTopForm.com [http://www.MyTopForm.com]</P><P>Article Source: <A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Gerald_Fitz" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gerald_Fitz</A> <BR><A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Genetic-Engineering-and-the-Search-For-Non-GMOs&id=2709056" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?Genetic-Engineering-and-the-Search-For-Non-GMOs&id=2709056</A> <BR></P>C V Patelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13516943390687241501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933310916555004964.post-61784365086769953142013-12-28T22:07:00.000-08:002013-12-28T22:07:00.538-08:00What is Genetically Modified Food?<P>An estimated 60 to 70 percent of all foods on supermarket shelves today contain genetically modified ingredients. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, by the time you read this, 85 percent of the soybeans planted in the United States and up to 45 percent of the corn will be genetically engineered. It has been estimated that 70-75 percent of processed foods on supermarket shelves including soda, soup, crackers, condiments, baby food, pancakes, candy bars, and condiments contain genetically modified ingredients. That means if you are eating foods that contain vegetable oil, soy products like soy burgers, or any foods that are made with cornstarch, corn syrup, corn oil, or soy derivatives, there is a good chance that you are putting food that's been genetically modified into your body.</P><P><B>The scary thing is that there's no way to know for sure</B> <BR>The government has not implemented a regulations system that would require producers of GM food to tell consumers that a food has been genetically altered or that it contains GM ingredients. What's more, under current law biotech companies don't have to inform the FDA or perform human testing before introducing a new genetically engineered food product. As a result, GM foods are flooding the marketplaces and millions of unsuspecting consumers are purchasing and consuming unlabeled genetically modified foods. Don't be one of them! See below for tips on how to avoid eating GM foods.</P><P>How are foods genetically modified? Genes can be likened to blueprints for each organism. Due to major advances in technology, scientists are now able to select genetic material from organisms such as plants, animals, or even microbes, and insert it into the permanent genetic code of another.</P><P>For example, a gene found in flounder that enables them to survive in cold water was transplanted into tomatoes so that they would become resistant to frost. Genes from soil bacterium are transferred into foods such as corn and canola so that they repel insects. Other examples of our tampering with Mother Nature include: Potatoes that contain bacteria genes, "super" pigs with human growth genes, fish with cattle growth genes, and thousands of other plants, animals, and insects.</P><P>These genetically modified creations are then being patented and released into the marketplace without having any idea about what the long term effects will have on the environment, ourselves, and our children. Several studies over the last decade reveal that genetically modified foods can pose serious health risks to humans, domesticated animals, wildlife and the environment. The effects on human can include: higher risks of toxicity, resistance to antibiotics, suppression of the immune system, and even cancer. The impact on the environment as a result of using GMO's in agriculture could lead to contamination of non-genetically modified life forms and biological pollution which could completely through off Nature's delicate balance.</P><P>The bottom line is: We need dozens of years of research before we start tampering with DNA because we don't know what's going to happen. How much do we know about genetics, anyway? DNA was just discovered fifty years ago. We need to seriously contemplate the implications of what tampering with Mother Nature could cost us. We could be destroying elements in our ecosystem permanently by introducing untested genetically modified foods and organisms. I suggest that you join me in the fight against genetically modified foods. The most powerful way to do that is NOT support GM products. Here are some tips on how to avoid these products.</P><P><B>How to avoid eating GMO foods:</B></P><P><B>Eat organic.</B> <BR>The Organic Food Production Act stipulates that food labeled organic cannot contain any genetically modified organisms. <BR>Buy local. Shop at farmers' markets where you can buy direct from local growers. Ask them how they treat their crops. <BR>Stop eating processed foods. Many processed foods include derivatives of corn, soy, and canola, which more than likely come from genetically modified plants. Buy whole foods like fruits, vegetables, sprouts, and grasses instead.</P><P><B>Read Food Labels.</B> <BR>If ingredients come from corn, soy, or canola, put the food back on the shelf. Look for labels on foods that say, "This product does not contain genetically modified organisms." <BR>Get Involved.</P><P>Demand that proper labeling for genetically modified foods is required so people know what they are putting in their bodies.</P><P><B>The following foods listed below are currently being tested by the biotech industry in field trials in an attempt to create gene-altered varieties.</B></P><P><B>Fruits:</B> Apples, Cherries, Cranberries, Grapefruit, Kiwi, Melons, Papayas, Pears, Persimmons, Pineapples, Plums, and Strawberries.</P><P><B>Vegetables:</B> Bell peppers, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, corn, cucumber, lettuce, mustard, olives, onions, peas, potatoes, radishes, squash, sweet potatoes, cherry tomatoes, watercress</P><P><B>Dry Foods:</B> Barley, beans, soybeans, coffee, lentils, oats, popcorn, rice, sugar, and wheat. <BR>Nuts and Seeds: Flax, peanuts, sunflowers, walnuts. <BR>Remember: Say NO to GMOs!</P><P>Learn how to get the best online super food secrets strategies that will be good and helpful one in dealing with your diet by visiting <A href="http://www.thebestdayever.com/" target=_new>http://www.thebestdayever.com</A>. Where you can find the top 3 proven super food success strategies.</P><P>Article Source: <A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=David_Wolfe" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Wolfe</A> <BR><A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?What-is-Genetically-Modified-Food?&id=1592474" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?What-is-Genetically-Modified-Food?&id=1592474</A> <BR></P>C V Patelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13516943390687241501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933310916555004964.post-29177887215113389292013-12-28T03:50:00.000-08:002013-12-28T03:50:00.125-08:00Biodiversity and Genetic Engineering<P>Genetic Engineering is a process of artificially modifying plant or animal cells by cutting and splicing DNA from one cell into another for the purpose of transferring desirable qualities that will make a crop resistant to herbicides, insects, or to enhance food value. When genetic engineers insert a new gene into any organism, there are what are called position effects. These effects can lead to unpredictable changes in patterns of gene expressions and genetic functions. The protein product of the inserted gene may carry out unexpected reactions, producing potentially toxic products.Genetically modified foods in U.S. markets include tomatoes, squash, yeast, corn, potatoes, canola and soybeans (which are used in 60 % of all processed foods, such as bread, pasta, candies, ice cream, pies, biscuits, margarine, meat products and vegetarian meat and cheese substitutes). Genetically engineered foods not tested nor labeled as genetically altered could jeopardize our health.</P><P>Living organisms are highly complex, and genetic engineers cannot predict all the effects of introducing these new genes. Problems may develop from this process: new toxins and allergens, loss of bio-diversity in seed and crops, or damaging health effects from manipulated food crops. When new genetic information is introduced into plants, bacteria, insects, or animals, it can then be passed into related organisms through naturally occurring processes such as cross-pollination.</P><P>It is estimated that 70% of the current genetically modified (GM) harvest is made up of herbicide-resistant crops (HRCs) designed to tolerate high levels of exposure to broad-spectrum herbicides, enabling farmers to spray only one heavy dosage per year, but still this does not break the overall cycle of dependence upon chemical applications.</P><P>This process has already created some herbicide-resistant "super weeds" causing many farmers to have to spray even greater quantities of herbicides on their GM crops because the weed species have become even harder to control. Cross-species transfers between fish and tomatoes, or other unrelated species that would not have happened in nature may create new toxins, diseases, and weaknesses that can spread across species barriers. This new combination of host genes and introduced genes have unpredictable effects. These artificially induced characteristics can be passed on to subsequent generations and other related organisms. Transferring animal genes into plants also raises important ethical issues for vegetarians and religious groups.</P><P>Another form of genetic engineering is used to create BT crops by inserting a genetically modified gene into a plant gene from a soil organism called Bacillus Thuringiensis (a pest-specific powder used, only when it is needed, by organic farmers and gardeners). This inserted gene causes the plant to produce a substance that makes it toxic to certain insects - creating a built in pesticide - eliminating the need for chemical sprays. However, insects exposed to these transgenic crops over sustained periods of time may develop immunity to BT, and even harsher pesticides will be needed to control the problem.</P><P>Genetic engineering companies are carrying out a potentially dangerous global experiment by introducing large numbers of genetically engineered foods into agriculture and food supplies which may have unanticipated and harmful side effects leading to national and/or global food shortages.</P><P>More than 50% of the crops developed by biotech companies have been engineered to be resistant to herbicides. This could promote a rapid appearance of resistant insects, destroy the beneficial insects, or alter soil organisms and ecosystems. In addition, the pesticide produced by the plant may be harmful to the health of consumers.</P><P>There is no way of knowing the overall, long-term effects of genetically engineered foods on the health of those who eat them. Since most genetically modified foods are not be labeled, manufacturers have already introduced genetically modified ingredients into many of our foods. Labeling should be required for any food that contains a genetically engineered ingredient, or has been produced using GM organisms or enzymes. This would help scientists trace the source of health problems arising from eating these foods. Food scares and epidemics are increasingly commonplace, and in response, the demand for organic food is skyrocketing. Greenpeace has launched a new version of their popular Shopper's Guide, which is an online resource to help you find out whether the food in your shopping basket is GM free go online to Shoppers Guide to GM Foods there are hundreds of products are listed that are genetically modified or have genetically modified ingredients.</P><P>The Importance of Biodiversity includes social-cultural, economic, and environmental elements. Genetic biodiversity provides not only healthy crops, it also allows for new plant and seed varieties, maintains soil fertility and its microorganisms, and makes soil and water conservation a priority. Agricultural diversity maintains our bio-diverse plants, seeds, animal food sources, croplands, pastures, range lands and the microbial and fungal sources necessary for healthy soil. Another growing objection to genetic engineering is that we don't need to figure out how to grow more food.</P><P>According to the Institute for Food Development Policy, nearly one third of the worlds land area is used for food production and we already grow more than enough to feed everyone. If the vitality, biodiversity, and health of our soil and crops can be improved, plants would be naturally resistant to pests and disease. We need to educate our farmers about the benefits of bio-diversity, soil sustainability, plant and animal health, natural pesticides, composting, and companion planting.</P><P>It has been estimated that only 1% of pesticides applied to crops reach the insects they are designed to kill; the other 99% pollutes the air, soil, food, water, kills wildlife, ruining the vitality of the soil. In the past it has been acceptable for farmers and gardeners to buy and spread chemicals and pesticides over their crops instead of understanding the mechanisms of sustainable organic growing methods, and the importance of biodiversity. As consumers demand more organic foods and growing methods, governments, agribusinesses, giant chemical companies, farmers, and home gardeners will be motivated to eliminate the use of genetically altered seeds and plants, carcinogenic pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides. Hopefully, this will grow to include the livestock and fisheries industries currently using antibiotics, chemical food additives, growth regulators, and hormones.</P><P>"When the planes still swoop down and aerial spray a field in order to kill a predator insect with pesticides, we are in the Dark Ages of commerce. Maybe one thousandth of this aerial insecticide actually prevents the infestation. The balance goes to the leaves, into the soil, into the water, into all forms of wildlife, into our selves. What is good for the balance sheet is wasteful of resources and harmful to life." <BR>-Paul Hawkin from The Ecology of Commerce</P><P>Frank and Vicky Giannangelo<BR>Copyright (c) 2008 Giannangelo Farms Southwest</P><P>Article Source: <A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Frank_Giannangelo" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Frank_Giannangelo</A> <BR><A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Biodiversity-and-Genetic-Engineering&id=1788731" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?Biodiversity-and-Genetic-Engineering&id=1788731</A> <BR></P>C V Patelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13516943390687241501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933310916555004964.post-15307061068842694332013-12-27T05:56:00.000-08:002013-12-27T05:56:00.257-08:00Genetic Engineering: Boon Or Curse?<P>Genetic Engineering is the alteration of the genes of an organism, to improve its chances of survival, boost its immunity, help in its regeneration and reproduction, and in more complex fields of study - even clone them. It is the direct manipulation of an organism's genes. It uses the techniques of cloning and transformation to alter the structure and characteristics of genes directly. It has ushered in a new era of science and technology with many successful applications. The most notable of such applications include increased crop productivity, development of insulin in hamster ovary cells, development of organs such as 'ear' on the body parts of mice and the most known example that really accelerated the researches on genetics and its application - cloning of a sheep named Dolly in 1997.</P><P>Today, genetic engineering is one of the most hotly debated topics in the world. Many believe and hope that it can once and forever get rid of all human sufferings due to diseases, disability, starvation, etc. On the other hand, more conservative and pessimistic people - who actually believe they are rather realistic, argue that genetic engineering will never be able to accomplish what it promises. They argue that it will do more harm than good citing the principles of natural selection and evolution.</P><P>Genetic Engineering has a wide range of applications including agriculture, animal husbandry, medicine and surgery. With its help, various species of crops have grown immune to many lethal diseases. Hybridization has helped to increase crop yield. Today, many species of crops such as wheat are genetically altered for high nutrition value and quicker and higher productivity. Countries all over the world are adopting genetically enhanced crops which have helped to minimize food scarcity, provide highly nutritious food and grow crops much immune to various illness and pesticides. This has thus brought about a new era of agricultural revolution, which can hopefully eradicate starvation and malnutrition.</P><P>However, some people believe that genetically altered crops are not healthy in the long run. There are also doubts about the effects of such highly enhanced and immune crops in the much delicate ecosystem. Genetically altered animals are also thought to bring about similar problems.</P><P>Similarly, genetic engineering which has proved revolutionary in the medical sector is also believed by some people to be morally and socially unethical. Altering some organism's genes is thought to be against religious beliefs and values. It is also considered immoral to hybridize some organism for selfish human needs. Most of these arguments are correct and not baseless. There have been many cases of genetically enhanced crops being potentially harmful to the consumers as well as the ecosystem. Also, it is not hard to get to the point of argument that genetic engineering, especially cloning and hybridization are immoral and unethical. However, most of the people that support the ever-increasing applications of genetic engineering argue that something that might free humans from all kinds of sufferings is bound to have some drawbacks. These drawbacks are in fact correctable provided required effort is put in. Therefore, there must not be a stop to the applications of and researches on genetic engineering. It is too great an opportunity for humans to undo their past mistakes of conflicts that have brought poverty, of mismanaged civilization and development that have brought destruction of natural resources and disturbed the delicate ecosystem, and of thoughtless and haphazard technological advancement.</P><P>Article Source: <A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Pawan_Dhakal" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pawan_Dhakal</A> <BR><A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Genetic-Engineering:-Boon-Or-Curse?&id=6541372" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?Genetic-Engineering:-Boon-Or-Curse?&id=6541372</A> <BR></P>C V Patelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13516943390687241501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933310916555004964.post-60246648491349024622013-12-25T18:01:00.000-08:002013-12-26T05:56:23.196-08:00Genetic Engineering - The Technology of 21st Century<P>Genetic engineering today is no longer a new term for the world. Every day in the newspapers, televisions, magazines the new inventions of genetic engineering are noticed. Genetic engineering may be described as the practice that manipulates organism's genes in order to produce a desired outcome. Other techniques that fall under this category are: recombinant DNA technology, genetic modification (GM) and gene splicing.</P><P>HISTORY</P><P>The roots of genetic engineering are connected to the ancient times. The Bible also throws some light on genetic engineering where selective breeding has been mentioned. Modern genetic engineering began in 1973 when Herbert Boyer and Stanley Cohen used enzymes to cut a bacteria plasmid and inserted another strand of DNA in the gap created. Both bits of DNA were taken from the same type of bacteria. This step became the milestone in the history of genetic engineering. Recently in 1990, a young child with an extremely poor immune system received genetic therapy in which some of her white blood cells were genetically manipulated and re-introduced into her bloodstream so that her immune system may work properly.</P><P>PROMISE</P><P>Genetic engineers hope that with enough knowledge and experimentation, it will be possible in the future to create "made-to-order" organisms. This will lead to new innovations, possibly including custom bacteria to clean up chemical spills, or fruit trees that bear different kinds of fruit in different seasons. In this way new type of organisms as well as plants can be developed.</P><P>PROCEDURE</P><P>Genetic engineering requires three elements: the gene to be transferred, a host cell into which the gene is inserted, and a vector to bring about the transfer. First of all, the necessary genes to be manipulated have to be 'isolated' from the main DNA helix. Then, the genes are 'inserted' into a transfer medium such as the plasmid. Third, the transfer medium (i.e., plasmid) is inserted into the organism intended to be modified. Next step is the element transformation whereby several different methods including DNA guns, bacterial transformation, and viral insertion can be used to apply the transfer medium to the new organism. Finally, a stage of separation occurs, where the genetically modified organism (GMO) is isolated from other organisms which have not been successfully modified.</P><P>APPLICATIONS</P><P>Genetic engineering has affected every field of life whether it is agriculture, food and processing industry, other commercial industries etc. we will discuss them one by one.</P><P>1. Agriculture Applications</P><P>With the help of genetic engineering it would be possible to prepare clones of genetically manipulated plants and animals of agricultural importance having desirable characteristics. This would increase the nutritive value of plant and animal food. Genetic engineering could lead to the development of plants that would fix nitrogen directly from the atmosphere, rather than from fertilizers which are expensive. Creation of nitrogen fixing bacteria which can live in the roots of crop plants would make fertilization of fields unnecessary. Production of such self fertilizing food crops could bring about a new green revolution. Genetic engineering could create microorganisms which could be used for biological control of harmful pathogens, insect pests, etc.</P><P>2. Environmental Applications</P><P>Genetically modified microorganisms could be used for degradation of wastes, in sewage, oil spills, etc. Scientists of the General Electric Laboratories of New York have added plasmids to create strains of Pseudomonas that can break down a variety of hydrocarbons and is now used to clear oil spills. It can degrade 60% of the crude oil, while the four parents from which it was derived break down only a few compounds.</P><P>3. Industrial Applications</P><P>The industrial applications of recombinant DNA technology include the synthesis of substances of commercial importance in industry and pharmacy, improvement of existing fermentation processes, and the production of proteins from wastes.</P><P>4. Medicinal Applications</P><P>Among the medical applications of genetic engineering are the production of hormones, vaccines, interferon; enzymes, antibodies, antibiotics and vitamins, and in gene therapy for some hereditary diseases.</P><P>Hormones</P><P>The hormone insulin is currently produced commercially by extraction from the pancreas of cows and pigs. About 5% of the patients, however, suffer from allergic reactions to animal-produced insulin because of its slight difference in structure from human insulin. Human insulin genes have been implanted in bacteria which, therefore, become capable of synthesizing insulin. Bacterial insulin is identical to human insulin, since it is coded by human genes.</P><P>Vaccines</P><P>Injecting an animal with an inactivated virus stimulates it into making antibodies against viral proteins. These antibodies protect the animal against infection by the same virus by binding to the virus. Phagocytic cells then remove the virus. Vaccines are manufactured by growing the disease-producing organism in large amounts. This process is often dangerous or impossible. Moreover, there are difficulties in making the vaccine harmless.</P><P>Interferon</P><P>Interferons are virus induced proteins produced by cells infected with viruses. They appear to be the body's first line of defence against viruses. The interferon response is much quicker than the antibody response. Interferons are anti-viral in action. One type of interferon can act. Against many different viruses, i.e. it is not virus specific. It is, however, species specific. Interferon from one organism does not give protection against viruses to cells of another organism. Interferon provides natural defence against such viral diseases as hepatitis and influenza. It also appears to be effective against certain types of cancer, especially cancer of the breast and lymph nodes. Natural interferon is collected from human blood cells and other tissues. It is produced in very small quantities.</P><P>Enzymes</P><P>The enzyme urokinase, which is used to dissolve blood clots, has been produced by genetically engineered microorganisms.</P><P>Antibodies</P><P>One of the aims of genetic engineering is the production of hybridomas. These are long lived cells that can produce antibodies for use against disease.</P><P>5. Gene therapy for treating hereditary diseases</P><P>The earlier gene transplantation experiments were concerned with trans¬planting genes in vitro into isolated cells or into bacteria. Gene transplantation experiments have now been extended to living animals.</P><P>6. In Understanding of Biological Processes</P><P>Genetic engineering techniques have been used for acquiring basic knowledge about - biological processes like gene structure and expression, chromosome mapping, cell differentiation and the integration of viral genomes. This could lead to a better under¬standing of the genetics of plants and animals, and ultimately of humans.</P><P>7. Human Applications</P><P>One of the most exciting potential applications of genetic engineering involves the treatment of genetic disorders. Medical scientists now know of about 3,000 disorders that arise because of errors in an individual's DNA. Conditions such as sickle-cell anemia, Tay-Sachs disease, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Huntington's chorea, cystic fibrosis, and Lesch-Nyhan syndrome are the result of the loss, mistaken insertion, or change of a single nitrogen base in a DNA molecule. Genetic engineering makes it possible for scientists to provide individuals who lack a certain gene with correct copies of that gene. The proposal for human cloning are still waiting to come on floor. Genetic engineering has benefited the couples who are infertile.</P><P>Safe guards of genetic engineering</P><P>The general safeguards for recombinant DNA research are outlined below:</P><P>1. Genes coding for the synthesis of toxins or antibiotics should not be introduced into bacteria without proper precautions <BR>2. Genes of animals, animal viruses or tumour viruses should also not be introduced into bacteria without proper precautions.</P><P>3. Laboratory facilities should be equipped to reduce the' possibility' of escape of pathogenic microorganism by using microbial safety cabinets, hoods, negative pressure laboratories, special traps on drains lines and vacuum lines. <BR>4. Use of microorganisms occupying special ecological niches such as hot springs and salt water should be encourage If such organisms escape they will not be able to survive. <BR>5. Use of non-conjugative plasmids as plasmid cloning vectors is recommended as such plasmids are unable, to, promote their own transfer by conjugation.</P><P>Dangers of genetic engineering</P><P>Recombinant DNA research involves potential dangers. Genetic engineering could create dangerous new forms of life, either accidentally or deliberately. A host microorganism may acquire harmful characteristics as a result of insertion of foreign genes. If disease-carrying microorganisms formed as a result of genetic manipulation escaped from laboratories, they could cause a variety of diseases. For example, Streptococcus, a bacterium causing rheumatic fever, scarlet fever, strep throat and kidney disease, never acquired penicillin resistance in nature. If a plasmid carrying a gene for penicillin resistance is introduced into Streptococcus it would confer penicillin resistance on the bacterium. Penicillin would now become ineffective against the resistant organism.</P><P>Navodita Maurice</P><P>Article Source: <A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Navodita_Maurice" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Navodita_Maurice</A> <BR><A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Genetic-Engineering---The-Technology-of-21st-Century&id=3410270" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?Genetic-Engineering---The-Technology-of-21st-Century&id=3410270</A> <BR></P>C V Patelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13516943390687241501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933310916555004964.post-89728520319884573522013-08-13T14:18:00.000-07:002013-08-13T14:18:00.548-07:00Pet Cloning - The State of the Industry<P>Whatever happened to pet cloning? As early as 2005, there were a number of news stories about dog cloning and cat cloning. Animal cloning had been old news for nearly a decade by then, with the revolutionary cloning of Dolly the sheep in Scotland, of course, but Snuppy was the first pet, a dog, to be cloned. Cloned by scientists at a Korean University, Snuppy would have seemed to be a harbinger of a new revolution in animal breeding. However, the pet cloning market has been quite cool in the five years since the Snuppy announcement. Here, we review the state of the pet cloning industry.</P><P>Since the cloning of Snuppy, there have been a number of very successful clonings of pets and other animals. Lou Hawthorne started BioArts while cloning his beloved mixed breed dog Missy. Hawthorne was very pleased with the results of the cloning, producing three successful clones that were very alike to the original in character and behavior. In January, 2009, a Florida couple, Ed and Nina Otto, announced that they had paid to have their Golden Retriever Lancelot cloned by BioArts. They also were very pleased with the results.</P><P>Still, response to the cloning has been cool. When Hawthorne ran a contest to have people clone their favorite pet, he was surprised to find that less than 250 people entered the contest. In addition, Hawthorne found that BioArts' prices were undercut by Korean competition. While the Ottos were very pleased with "Lancey," their pet clone, it was difficult for anyone not to note the prohibitive cost they paid: $155,000 USD. In addition, many people object to the idea of cloning pets when there are many animals being euthanized every day at animal shelters around the world. There are also issues with some abnormalities in the cloning process.</P><P>All of this is not to say that pet cloning is not very different from many other technologies that simply took a while to catch on. Some issues are outlined below, along with a discussion of how those issues might improve in the coming years.</P><P><UL><LI><B>The price problem</B>. All new technology is overpriced. For example, personal computers were not very affordable at first. Only after the manufacturing process was streamlined was it possible for every household to have a computer. How much room there will be for organizations to reduce the price point on pet cloning without broad demand is of course questionable.</LI><LI><B>People resist change</B>. This is especially true when it comes to tampering with living things, in this case beloved pets. Yet, we have "tampered" for a long time in breeding pets and domestic animals. In fact, controlling the genetics of domesticated animals and pets is accepted practice that people pay top dollar for. Organizations like PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) object to pet breeding. PETA claims that the American Kennel Club adds to the pet overpopulation problem by encouraging breeding pure bred dogs. Still, pet lovers pay for purebreds, and this is well accepted by mainstream society.</LI><LI><B>Demand may always be an issue</B>. There are many great dogs and cats that can be found at the local dog pound or given away for "free to good homes" in classified ads. However, there is no limit to the value people place on a beloved pet or even on a sure thing. The Ottos are a good example of that, as is the practice of buying purebreds. If people can purchase a dog or cat with predictable behaviours and characteristics there is implicit value in that. There is a predictable market here, though it may always be limited in size.</LI></UL><P></P><P>While pet cloning has not taken off as some had hoped, it's clear that it will become a bigger market in the future and it will be increasingly viable for people to try this out. With the inevitable successes that cloned pet owners will have, the practice will become more widely accepted and it seems inevitable that there is a future for cloned dogs and cats.</P><P>John Huinink is the owner of Dogscloned.com a resource with a variety of information about cloning including <A href="http://dogscloned.com/pet-cloning-controversies.php" target=_new>pet cloning controversies</A>, pet cloning services, the <A href="http://www.dogscloned.com/first-cloned-dog.php" target=_new>first cloned dog</A> and more.</P><P>Article Source: <A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=John_Huinink" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Huinink</A> <BR><A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Pet-Cloning---The-State-of-the-Industry&id=4595029" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?Pet-Cloning---The-State-of-the-Industry&id=4595029</A> <BR></P>C V Patelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13516943390687241501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933310916555004964.post-62708838754685368862013-08-11T23:56:00.000-07:002013-08-11T23:56:00.690-07:00Religion and Cloning<P>Cloning is becoming an increasingly important subject in the modern world. The biggest breakthrough in cloning was when Dolly the sheep was cloned. After the success of cloning sheep, more effort was put into human cloning. The United States banned the cloning of humans, but there are other countries that have laws that are more lax on the issue of human cloning. Humans are separated from other mammals not only because of the superior intelligence but also because they have souls. A soul, "the actuating cause of an individual life" (Webster) is what makes humans what they are. The soul is the eternal essence of a person, and without it humans are no more than animals. This brings up very interesting issues on the human cloning. If clones have souls then it would not be right for humanity to create them and then use them for their own purpose, such as using them for medical transplants. However if clones do not have souls it would seem appropriate for people to use clones for their own purposes, because these clones would be no better than animals. Even if clones have no souls, this does not make the use of them in medical research immediately appropriate. God is the great creator, and many believe that human cloning is an area of life that humanity should not delve into. Certainly a clone would not have the same soul as the original, yet the very nature of the soul suggests that it cannot be created by man.</P><P>Human cloning is still in its infant stage, but the technology is progressing at a blinding rate. Originally cloning ran into a few problems with aging. When the Dolly the sheep was cloned, its cells were older than they were supposed to be. Hence Dolly has a shorter life span than other sheep. This problem was claimed to be fixed by scientists in Russia, but there is no real example of a true human clone that is being allowed to live and grow. Parents who lose their baby's in child birth, could save some of the cells in the hope that they could pay scientists to clone their baby. However if their baby was cloned, its personality would develop differently than their original child, due to different exposure. What is the point in cloning a baby who has never been born. Since there is no way of telling what the baby would have been like, why would parents spend money on the cloning? This question is impossible to answer fully without being placed in a similar situation.</P><P>In the future humans will be cloned, but it is not known how they will be treated. According to all of the biological aspects they will be living human beings, but it does not seem like humanity will treat them that way. Since it costs money to clone people it is logical to conclude that the people who pay for the clone will want some kind of return on their investment such as the use of their clone as a slave. Slaves are still a problem even in today's world. People in America often think that slavery disappeared after Lincoln abolished it. However, that is not the case; slavery has taken on a different form, although it is the same in principal. If human cloning is developed these clones could be used as slaves for life; they would not have an identity of their own. Therefore, slaves could be bought and used for whatever purpose the owner wanted. It is doubtful that they would even be able to get a citizenship from a country even if they were freed, because they could be mistaken for their cellular donor. Since clones would not be seen as humans, they could be beaten, killed, or forced into hard labor, and no one would see any problem with this. Although they may not have souls, they are still capable of the same emotions, and thoughts that other humans are. It is not hard to imagine cloning factories in third world countries that churn out clones to sell into prostitution, or bondage of some other kind. However cloning could be used in good ways such as "serving as a new, unusual but perhaps efficacious treatment for infertility" (McGee).</P><P>If humans are allowed to be cloned then doubtless these clones will bear their own children. The question is will these children have souls? Furthermore if a clone and a non-clone have a child will the child have a soul? These questions seem impossible to answer. Colin B. Donovan claims that if the processes, no matter how artificial and unnatural, result in a being that is materially human in makeup and can live and develop into a child, then that child will have a soul. The bible says the God knew each person that would be born, before the world was created. It is possible that God predestined clones to be formed as well. Sex and child birth is sacred in the eyes of God, and this fact leads to the conclusion that God does not want people to manipulate this process. Furthermore, God calls all people to inhabit the earth and subdue it. With this commandment God gave people the responsibility and permission to use animals as slaves. Many animals are slaves and yet because they have no soul and do not possess a high intelligence we do not consider them slaves. Is it only the soul that makes us human or is it just the ability to think logically? Mentally ill people do not have the ability of logical thought and yet people still consider them humans, and they have all the rights and more that other people possess. Therefore the ability does think logically is not the thing that makes us human. Clones do not have souls because they were not created by God as Adam and Eve were, but rather they were created by men.</P><P>It all comes down to the soul. Things of this earth are temporary but the soul is eternal. Clones do not have souls and so logically they could be used as slaves, just as humanity has used animals as their slaves. However this does not mean that they can be used for sex, or physically abused. The UShas laws that protect animals from abuse, and these laws would also be applied to clones.</P><P>Written by John Severin,</P><P>Digital Multimeter [http://digitalmultimeterhome.com]</P><P>[http://digitalmultimeterhome.com]</P><P>Article Source: <A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=John_Severin" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Severin</A> <BR><A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Religion-and-Cloning&id=5129689" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?Religion-and-Cloning&id=5129689</A> <BR></P>C V Patelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13516943390687241501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933310916555004964.post-11000964359856744372013-08-11T04:20:00.000-07:002013-08-11T04:20:00.791-07:00Ayurveda On Cloned Meat and Dairy<P>Just this Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declared that healthy clones of cows, pigs and goats are safe for human consumption.</P><P>The whole purpose behind these cloning experiments is to improve the DNA of the animal. The ultimate goal: Healthier meat and dairy products. The realistic result: Who knows?</P><P>As Senator Barbara Mikulski put it in a written statement: "The FDA has acted recklessly and I am profoundly disappointed in their rush to approve cloned foods."</P><P>"Thorough" testing has included only 600 cloned animals. 570 of them are cattle. I guess 30 pigs and goats was enough of a trial run to deem them safe..</P><P><STRONG>An Ayurvedic Perspective </STRONG></P><P>Of course, in ancient times, cloning wasn't an issue. So there are no specific comments made on the science of cloning in the Ayurvedic text books.</P><P>On the other hand, Ayurveda is a live science, and alive today. We can apply that knowledge to determine whether something is wholesome for the human body.</P><P>As of Tuesday, we have these new, genetically modified meats and dairy products approved for the general public. These foods have undergone changes at a genetic level. That's a fact... or they wouldn't have bothered cloning them in the first place. They are trying to improve livestock so that it grows faster, tastes better, produces more milk... whatever.</P><P>(It's amusing and scary to note, that when passing these new life forms the FDA states that "there is no material difference between them and food produced by conventional methods." Hypocrisy! On the other side of this gold coin opportunity, they state that the cloned breeds are healthier and stronger. The same thing happened with GMO crops. It got passed by the FDA because it wasn't "different." Then it gets patented because it's totally unique.)</P><P>They may be very good changes. Let's assume they are for a minute (which is a BIG assumption). The main issue, though, is that when these new foods hit the market, consumers will be going overnight from all natural to new and improved.</P><P><STRONG>These New Foods May Throw Your Body Into a Fight or Flight Mode</STRONG></P><P>From an Ayurvedic perspective those changes are too fast. It puts a toll on the body. It throws it into the high-adrenal "flight-or-fight" state.</P><P>I don't know how these new genetic encodings are going to affect those who consume it. Especially over a long period of time. Especially since genetic modification is such a haphazard science today. Altering DNA is usually done by "shooting" in new strands with the help of an E. coli virus. It's pretty primitive. They may make positive improvements to the DNA, and in the process they may make damaging, alien changes.</P><P>We're messing with genes at a microscopic level. We have no idea what kind of chronic stress this is going to put on our physiology and the animals' physiology. And when these cloned foods breakdown inside our bodies, they'll become part of our bodies.</P><P><STRONG>Far Too Many Unknowns</STRONG></P><P>In short, there are simply far too many unknowns about something that is a very complicated subject. They've not even tested a 1000 animals and it's already been approved for human consumption. Most of the analysis of the meat and dairy has been done in laboratories. They're checking superficial points like the nutritional content.</P><P>The real experiment will start when these cloned animals produce offspring and those offspring start showing up on people's dinner tables. If you're in Canada, you're in luck, cloned meat and dairy has not been approved by Health Canada. Europe, however, has already given the go ahead.</P><P>And, no labeling is being required. The only safe route, if you eat meat, or buy dairy, is to go organic. Certified organic meat and dairy will not be modified genetically. Of course, until cross-breeding starts taking place, like we are seeing with genetically modified foods.</P><P>We are risking contaminating the entire species of these animals.</P><P><STRONG>Splicing Up India's Symbol of Nurture</STRONG></P><P>On another note, the idea of cloning and modifying cow DNA strikes an Indian chord in my heart. As you know, in India the cow is a symbol of the Divine Mother -- the symbol of nurturing for the human race. Cow's milk is considered the most sacred food in India, because the cow gives it freely. All other foods, even fruits and vegetables, must be taken at the expense of the plant.</P><P>Now we are taking Mother Nature, and splicing up her DNA. Crucifying her on the butcher table of scientific neurosis.</P><P>Warm milk with chocolate in it is one of the most universal drinks of comfort. Those days are gone. The sacred place the cow holds and the history of milk in Ayurvedic medicine (including ghee) has been darkened by the shadow of modern scientific tyranny.</P><P>Get A Free Copy: Download a copy of Dr. Helen's 120 page book, Effortless Ayurvedic Living and recieve a free subscription to her free ezine at <A href="http://effortlessayurvedicliving.com/" target=_new>http://EffortlessAyurvedicLiving.com</A></P><P>Dr. Helen Thomas, Ayurvedic Practitioner: Since 1987 Dr. Helen Thomas, D.C., has treated thousands of patients, both in America and India, on a daily basis, with the 3,000 year old science of Ayurvedic medicine.</P><P>Dr. Helen has pored over the ancient texts and worked side-by-side with Ayurveda practitioners. Over a decade ago, Dr. Helen started paying Ayurvedic doctors from India to come and work with her in her clinic.</P><P>Her knowledge comes from hands on experience, not theory given to her in school.</P><P>Many of her patients have been moved to tears after receiving an Ayurvedic assessment from Dr. Helen. Ayurveda helped them understand themselves, their needs and their stresses, more profoundly than ever before.</P><P>Article Source: <A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Dr._Helen_Mary_Thomas" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Helen_Mary_Thomas</A> <BR><A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Ayurveda-On-Cloned-Meat-and-Dairy&id=933664" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?Ayurveda-On-Cloned-Meat-and-Dairy&id=933664</A> <BR></P>C V Patelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13516943390687241501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933310916555004964.post-37061177624392653072013-08-09T21:42:00.000-07:002013-08-09T21:42:00.786-07:00Animals We Eat And Their Disgusting Diet<P>The future of our Recycled Food Supply</P><P>There are reasons why cows, pigs, chickens, even horses are all by nature vegetarians. And their waste, non toxic which was in turn good for soil, good for plant life and good for crops.</P><P>Let's talk about animal waste. Originally farmers used cow and horse manure to fertilize their crops. Back then however, their diets were completely natural derived from natural sources of grain and grass grown in a natural environment. Thus, their waste was also natural. This was how their food supply was recycled naturally. As with plant food for humans the process was the same.</P><P>On the other hand the majority of food production today is anything but natural. As a result of Mad Cow Disease cows are not fed meat remains from other cows any longer. However cow blood can be mixed with feed which of course contains cow DNA. And why were they feeding cow meat to cows in the first place when they're vegetarians? Relieving public concern by doing this other ways of recycling animals for food have been used for years. And things have been changing and with drastic measures.</P><P>Animal Factories</P><P>With animal farm factories raising food animals, current laws allow pigs, chickens and turkeys that have been fed rendered cattle to be slaughtered, mixed with animal feed and fed back to farm animals including cows. Thus, these animals are then later slaughtered once again, mixed with feed and fed back to the cow and farm animals which defeat the purpose of avoiding Mad Cow diseased cattle.</P><P>So in essence cows are not only bred into cannibalism farm animals also as they are now eating parts of and pieces of other animals. No longer vegetarians and not by choice mind you, what will this do to the global food chain in the end? In addition, humans eat cows, chickens and pigs but beef, poultry and pork is not what we think now is it?</P><P>Ingredients of Legal Animal Feed Used By Factory Farms</P><P>Now keeping in mind what these animals are being fed we in turn feed off them.</P><P>Animal Protein Products: consist of rendered intestines, blood, feathers, skin, hooves and hair. Also, carcasses of rendered horses, dogs, cats and or road kill.</P><P>Manure-Animal Waste: Animal feed can contain chicken litter, pig waste and cow manure inclusive with ground dirt, sand, rocks and wood particles. All the while this filler contains digested meats from all these animals.</P><P>Slaughtered Meat-Diseased Animals: Pigs, chickens and turkeys including the diseased that have been fed rendered cattle can be slaughtered, mixed with animal feed and fed back to farm animals including cows. These animals are later slaughtered once again, mixed with feed and fed back to the cow and farm animals.</P><P>Excessive Amounts of Grain: Digestive systems in cattle are not tolerant to excessive amounts of corn and health related problems such as abscesses of the liver and acidic digestive tract create further ingredients into their diets, drugs.</P><P>Antibiotics-Chemicals: To prevent disease in crowed animal farms or factories, antibiotics are used to combat this and the stressful lifespan of an animal in these unsanitary conditions. Also is used to enhance the rate of growth and are added to feed on a routine bases. This has caused concern for antibiotic-resistant bacteria which can also affect humans. To manage parasites in chickens certain antimicrobials are used which again enhance the rate of growth. However, they contain arsenic, a human carcinogen and runoff from farm factories can contaminate meat and ground water.</P><P>Pellet Fibre Plastics: As with humans animals need fibre in their diets for proper digestion and although intentions may be in the best interest of the animal factory farms are instead using pellets which contain plastics in their efforts to replace the fibre that lacks in their feed.</P><P>Genetically Engineered Feed Seed</P><P>Taking this one step further, genetically modifying their food supply by inserting DNA from plants, animals, bacteria, pesticides and insects into feed seed, cows; pigs; geese; elk; squirrels; mice and rats have been tested and by natural instinct they have refused to eat GM or GE food.</P><P>What does this tell us? Nature has a built in instinct that causes animals to avoid foods derived from unnatural sources, an ingenious characteristic. However, we humans seem to lack this genetic trait as we have been consuming just about everything we've been creating in regards to food production, drugs, chemicals and now GE and GM foods.</P><P>Furthermore, this crucial tell-tale sign is being ignored and these poor animals are being forced fed through tubes to ingest GE and GM food. How can this not disrupt the laws of nature when it's already becoming obvious? As a result of these forced fed methods, animals already have become diseased or have died.</P><P>Now let's add GE feed to this disgusting list of the above ingredients law allows into feed already. They are stuffing these animals with just about anything and everything that can be scooped up mulched and recycled into the most horrifying edible food invention known. This is innovation?</P><P>This can only raise new questions which I'm sure many have never considered or even thought of.</P><P>- What will they do with the diseased and dead animals affected by this new food?</P><P>- Will they be slaughtered and fed back to humans and pets?</P><P>- Or will they become food once again for other farm animals which in the end we eat anyway?</P><P>- Or will they simply be slaughtered and used as fertilizer?</P><P>- Maybe they're buried only for their diseased bodies consisting of GE DNA from the above list to become part of the soil we grow our food in, the soil all living plants thrive in?</P><P>Cloned Animals</P><P>Furthermore once again, let's consider this newly approved cloning of animals for human consumption. Cloned animals will be consuming the remains of cloned animals from their feed which initially these cloned animals were raised on GE or GM feed. Then again once their purpose has ended and they age they are again slaughtered and mixed with more GM or GE feed only to be fed back to the next generation of cloned animals and humans. In turn this new generation is later slaughtered only for this whole process to repeat itself over generations of livestock, only to be fed back to humans.</P><P>Now should this recycled system cause some public concern here? Any rationalized thinking person would no doubt be seriously concerned with this inhumane method of feeding any living animal or mammal let alone humans.</P><P>The question now is, how will insertion of foreign DNA into any species over and over, affect the original genetic code of animals and humans alike in generations thereafter? <BR>No one knows of course because long term testing has never been an issue or done considering the FDA has taken for granted this system is safe in its approval of cloned animal foods, GE, and GM foods. One method alone is enough for concern but when cloning animals and Genetic Engineering are mixed into the same pot, the brew will be anything but natural, more likely disastrous.</P><P>Now when you take this system and modify it again by adding cloned animal waste, mixed DNA and human waste used for fertilizing crops, more disturbing questions need to be answered here.</P><P>- How could this affect the soil that most of our food comes from?</P><P>- How could it affect insects, organisms and plant life which feed off this soil?</P><P>- How could it affect our future crops and global food supply?</P><P>- And what are the chances of gene mutation affecting this soil and what lives in it?</P><P>- And lastly the genetic code of all living things affected could very well be altered however, by the time any of these issues wreck havoc or are even dealt with pollination will have done its damage.</P><P>- To branch this out even further, what about the pesticides injected in this animal feed, into our crop seeds?</P><P>- Additionally if by nature animals refuse to eat this type of food, what affect will this have on animal population in the wild when pollination spreads. Migration to avoid unnatural plant foods, wild animals will be competing for decreased food supply.</P><P>Have they simply ignored the importance of these underlying questions? We have no guarantees of anything. And one day every natural living plant and animal including our famous weed plants will have by force acquired the DNA from foreign organisms and species into their genetic code including humans.</P><P>How can we even begin to comprehend any of this?</P><P>How can any human being design such inhumane methods of food production? <BR>According to my own instincts as a mammal, this man made solution to feed the world is by far the most disturbing unnatural innovative discovery known to Man Kind. These claims to feed the world seem to justify all this when in fact patenting global food supply is the true motive. And I can only hope that I can help reach enough people to make an impact.</P><P>We need to re-direct our current focus on the menial for now and focus on preventing a disastrous future. If we can do this, then maybe these conglomerates devising these inhumane practices can then focus on something other then themselves and the massive amounts of profit available from patenting the world's food supply which should never have been considered in the first place. Global control is very foreseeable in the near future.</P><P>By nature we are by instinct supposed to realize and learn from the drastic measures we take in order to survive as a species of this planet. As for nature taking care of its own, if we do not learn to live with nature rather than destroy it then nature will simply remove us.</P><P>Kellie Hastings copyright 2007</P><P>Resources for animal feed list <BR>Union of Concerned Scientists</P><P>Researcher and writer of articles health, anti-aging, world awareness and philosophy on Truths and how money enslaves us. Self taught writer of twenty years I write fiction and edit my own work. Articles with these interests <A href="http://www.believer-in-truth.webs.com/" target=_new>http://www.believer-in-truth.webs.com</A></P><P>Article Source: <A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kellie_Hastings" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kellie_Hastings</A> <BR><A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Animals-We-Eat-And-Their-Disgusting-Diet&id=857319" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?Animals-We-Eat-And-Their-Disgusting-Diet&id=857319</A> <BR></P>C V Patelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13516943390687241501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933310916555004964.post-24885259390345798712013-08-09T02:39:00.000-07:002013-08-09T02:39:00.637-07:00How Do You Want Your Sirloin - Grain Fed, Organic or Cloned?<P>When the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced in early 2008 that cloned animals and their offspring were acceptable as consumable food products the resulting firestorm of debate was nothing if not loud.</P><P>From a practical standpoint proponents of cloning needed this ruling to add legitimacy to their work. If the cattle and pigs, which have been cloned, can be claimed as safe by the FDA then cloning experimentation can continue with the potential of grant monies from Universities and foundations.</P><P>What you may not know is that a fish and a tadpole were reported as clones in the 1950s and 1960s. However, cloning opponents are quick to recall the highly publicized first cloned animal, a sheep named Dolly. This animal was cloned in Scotland. This particular animal only lived to be six years old while the typical age for a Finn Dorset sheep is generally 12-15. The primary argument in this case was whether conditions for Dolly's care contributed to the disease that claimed her life or if because she was a clone from an animal that was roughly six years of age Dolly's body was essentially six years old at birth.</P><P>These and similar concerns are part of the complex nature of the cloning argument. In fact, the argument isn't simply with the acceptability of meat and other products from cloned animals, but with human life.</P><P>There are some individuals who are apposed to any kind of cloning while others may object to human cloning while finding therapeutic cloning acceptable.</P><P>In therapeutic cloning an individual's stem cells are cloned and the additional cells can be used on that same patient for therapies that may provide better health. In this case the cloning is derived from one person for the benefit of the exact same person.</P><P>In human cloning there are further divisions. There are those who perceive human cloning as a potential means of having children in the event of infertility while others view a cloned embryo as a potential means of harvesting embryonic stem cells for use in medical experimentation thus eliminating the potential for the embryo to experience life. Those who have cloned embryos for medical research view this process as a means of eradicating a multitude of diseases from the human experience.</P><P>Because cloning is still relatively new there are some grave concerns over attempting to clone a human being. The concerns stem from the multiple experiments that went wrong previous to the success of cloned animals.</P><P>Is it possible that this type of experimentation could result in even one mutated experiment that develops a life that has some ability to function but is a life form different than what we typically think of as human? What do we do with failed human cloning experiments? Are they taken care of or euthanized?</P><P>If this sounds like something out of a science fiction novel I suppose it is. Jurassic Park was developed around the idea of cloning extinct life and other novels have presented dooms day scenarios for cloning.</P><P>Religious leaders disagree about the acceptability of cloning and the role of cloning in our culture remains on that will be contested with each new experiment.</P><P>Discuss the <A href="http://www.controversialforums.com/cloning.php" target=_new>Human Cloning</A> at ControversialForums. Have <A href="http://www.controversialforums.com/" target=_new>Debates</A> in our <A href="http://www.controversialforums.com/" target=_new>Discussion Forums</A>.</P><P>Article Source: <A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Phelps" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Phelps</A> <BR><A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Do-You-Want-Your-Sirloin---Grain-Fed,-Organic-or-Cloned?&id=974954" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?How-Do-You-Want-Your-Sirloin---Grain-Fed,-Organic-or-Cloned?&id=974954</A> <BR></P>C V Patelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13516943390687241501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933310916555004964.post-61044610587572968252013-08-08T01:29:00.000-07:002013-08-08T01:29:00.888-07:00Cloned Or Conventional, Meat Is Unsafe<P>The Food and Drug Administration recently declared that meat and milk from cloned cows, pigs and goats and their offspring are "as safe to eat as food from conventionally bred animals." That's like saying that brand A cigarettes are as safe to smoke as brand B. The question isn't whether meat and milk from cloned animals pose additional health risks - it's why would anyone want to consume meat and milk at all?</P><P>Face it: Meat - cloned or not - is about as "safe" as a troubled celebrity behind the wheel of a car. It's high in cholesterol, saturated fat and concentrated protein - all of which contribute to heart disease. Research shows that meat-eaters are 50 percent more likely to develop heart disease than vegetarians are. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that 26 percent of meat-eaters studied suffered from high blood pressure - the No. 1 risk factor for strokes - compared to only 2 percent of vegetarians. The American Dietetic Association acknowledges that people who eat animal products are more likely to be overweight than people who do not.</P><P>In a 2007 joint report, the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund advised people to lose weight and reduce their consumption of red and processed meats to help prevent certain cancers, including colorectal and breast cancers. Scientists with the University of Minnesota, the Harvard School of Public Health and other institutions have cautioned that eating red and processed meats can also cause diabetes. Other meats aren't any better: According to a 2006 Harvard study, people who frequently eat grilled skinless chicken have a 52 percent higher chance of developing bladder cancer than people who don't.</P><P>Add to this the risk of illness from consuming meat and milk tainted with dangerous bacteria. Just last week, the Rochester Meat Co. in Minnesota recalled 188,000 pounds of ground beef potentially contaminated with E. coli. There've been at least eight other E. coli-related meat recalls since October. In September, the Topps Meat Co. in New Jersey recalled more than 21 million pounds of beef after 100 people became sick. Since June, three elderly men have died and one woman has miscarried after drinking listeria-contaminated milk from a Boston-area dairy plant.</P><P>Yet instead of at least encouraging people to be wary when eating animal products, the FDA is allowing meat and milk from the offspring of cloned animals to enter the food supply - and consumers are supposed to swallow this? Only in America. The European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies says that it doesn't see convincing arguments to justify the production of food from clones and their offspring.</P><P>Nothing can justify this. Not only are meat and milk unhealthy, the process of cloning animals is also unethical. Cloned animals pose a risk to their surrogate mothers because they tend to be too large for their mothers to deliver. Many clones have birth defects, and cloned calves have died of respiratory, digestive, circulatory, nervous, muscular and skeletal abnormalities. But, according to the FDA, if the animals survive more than a few months, they appear normal in most ways. How comforting: If they live long enough, they can be slaughtered in the same terrifying ways that other animals are.</P><P>The FDA is moving in the wrong direction. More and more consumers are resolving to make healthy, humane food choices. They're choosing truly safe "meats" - mock meats - and other vegetarian options. A 2005 Mintel survey indicated that U.S. sales of vegetarian food increased by 64 percent from 2000 to 2005 and predicted that the vegetarian food market will continue to grow in the next few years. This represents progress - engineering animals and marketing unhealthy food does not.</P><P>Heather Moore is a senior writer for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in Norfolk, Va. where she lives with her rescued dog, Carly. Heather frequently writes on vegetarianism and health issues as a freelance writer and for PETA. Her work has appeared in IMPACT Press, Enlightened Practice Magazine, Animal's Agenda, I Love Cats, New Mobility, Satya, Wadi, Vivid, Writer's Post Journal, and many other publications.</P><P>Article Source: <A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Heather_E._Moore" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Heather_E._Moore</A> <BR><A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Cloned-Or-Conventional,-Meat-Is-Unsafe&id=980564" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?Cloned-Or-Conventional,-Meat-Is-Unsafe&id=980564</A> <BR></P>C V Patelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13516943390687241501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933310916555004964.post-77988446476748394242013-08-07T13:39:00.000-07:002013-08-07T13:39:00.272-07:00A Hypocritical Cloning Ban<P>In 1996 the world said hello to Dolly, and to a host of ethical and scientific questions regarding animal cloning. Now the European Union is trying to turn back the clock on biotechnological progress.</P><P>Last month the EU's executive arm, the European Commission, announced that it would propose a five-year ban on the cloning of animals for food production.</P><P>John Dalli, the EU commissioner for health and consumer policy, acknowledged that there are no proven health risks associated with consuming the meat or milk of cloned animals.(1) "The scientific opinion is that [meat from cloned animals] cannot be differentiated in any way from food from normally bred animals," he said. The European Food Safety Authority conducted a review of the topic in 2008, which concluded that "there is no indication that differences exist in terms of food safety between food products from healthy cattle and pig clones and their progeny, compared with those from healthy conventionally-bred animals."</P><P>So why the ban?</P><P>Proponents say the ban is primarily motivated by concerns for animal welfare, rather than concerns for consumers' health. According to Dalli, clones have higher mortality and abnormality rates than other animals. Fewer than one in five clones survive the first days of life, the Wall Street Journal reported. The 2008 EFSA report found that "A significant proportion of clones, mainly within the juvenile period for bovines and perinatal period for pigs, has been found to be adversely affected, often severely and with fatal outcome." The cloning process also poses risks to the surrogate mothers who carry cloned embryos, Dalli said.</P><P>We are apparently seeing the world's first right-to-life movement for animals that are being raised as food. Or we are seeing luddism and trade protectionism cloaked in an animal-rights argument. Take your pick.</P><P>Since these animals are primarily being raised for meat, early mortality is more a sign of inefficiency in the still-new technology of cloning than of animal abuse or cruelty. There is no evidence that cloned animals experience unusual suffering when they do survive. According to the 2008 EFSA report, "Most clones that survive the perinatal period are normal and healthy, as determined by physiological measurements, demeanour and clinical examinations."</P><P>The Wall Street Journal reports that breeding a cloned animal currently costs $15,000 to $20,000. That is far from cost-effective for mass-produced meat. But as the technology evolves, cloning will likely provide an innovative way to reduce the costs of food production by allowing farmers to reliably replicate star pigs or cows. Banning this emerging science makes it more difficult to satisfy the carnivorous desires of 7 billion people who have an increasing appetite for meat. We can safely assume that this would make animal-rights activists happy.</P><P>The idea of "Frankenfood" has been a particularly powerful myth in Europe. The EU already bans the planting of most genetically modified crops. Recent proposals to give member states greater leeway in deciding which genetically modified crops to grow have proven highly divisive. Yet in many cases, opponents of genetically modified crops rely on general condemnations of new technologies rather than evidence of specific health or environmental risks. One opponent, a member of Friends of the Earth, told the Guardian, "Thanks to the support of the UK government, commission president (José Barroso) has become a stooge of the powerful agro-tech industry, which threatens to dominate the global food industry of the future if left unchecked."(2)</P><P>The European Commission's proposal smacks of old-fashioned economic protectionism. The companies at the forefront of the cloning movement are pretty much all located on this side of the Atlantic, including Texas-based Viagen Inc., Pennsylvania-based Cyagra Inc. and Iowa-based Trans Ova Genetics. For now, the EU ban would not prohibit the importation of embryos and semen from cloned animals, or meat and milk from the offspring of clones. However, according to the commission's statement, "The establishment of a traceability system for imports of reproductive materials for clones, such as semen and embryos of clones is also envisaged."</P><P>The ban may, therefore, be the first move in locking out an industry that is developing overseas so European farmers who rely on lower-tech methods will not face as much competition. The EU's existing bans on most genetically modified crops and factory-farm meat also serve to limit the influence of the United States in the European market.</P><P>European leaders who attended last week's G-20 economic summit were rightly critical of American economic policy that threatens to drive down the dollar and trigger global trade barriers in response. But the Europeans are trying to have things both ways, exhorting Americans to become competitive and increase exports while at the same time blocking progress in areas where the United States enjoys a technological edge. This is not a new trend, either.</P><P>Nobody stands to benefit from a trade war, and nobody should want one. The Eurocrats, however, ought to be mindful of a simple fact: Their countries sell more stuff over here than we sell over there. The Census Bureau reports that the U.S. trade deficit with the European Union, which was $61 billion in 2009, had reached nearly that level just in the first nine months of this year. We are all likely to lose if trade is curtailed, but the Europeans have more to lose than we do.</P><P>The issue calls for more openness and less hypocrisy. That is frequently not a major concern of EU officialdom, but Americans ought to make it clear that we are paying attention to how our agricultural technology industry is being treated over there.</P><P>Sources:</P><P>(1) <A href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303550904575562202519212876.html" rel=nofollow target=_new>The Wall Street Journal</A>: EU Nears Ban On Animal Cloning</P><P>(2) <A href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/cif-green/2010/jul/12/british-pressure-gm-crops-unwelcome-europe" rel=nofollow target=_new>The Guardian</A>: British Pressure For GM Crops Unwelcome In Europe</P><P>For more articles, please visit the Palisades Hudson Financial Group LLC newsletter or subscribe to the blog.</P><P>Newsletter: <A href="http://palisadeshudson.com/sentinel/" target=_new>http://palisadeshudson.com/sentinel/</A></P><P>Blog: <A href="http://palisadeshudson.com/current-commentary/" target=_new>http://palisadeshudson.com/current-commentary/</A></P><P>Article Source: <A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Larry_M._Elkin" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Larry_M._Elkin</A> <BR><A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?A-Hypocritical-Cloning-Ban&id=5392524" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?A-Hypocritical-Cloning-Ban&id=5392524</A> <BR></P>C V Patelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13516943390687241501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933310916555004964.post-30285717741946250582013-08-06T16:09:00.000-07:002013-08-06T16:09:00.058-07:00Is the Cloning of Animals Morally Acceptable?<P>Recently scientists from South Korea announced they had successfully cloned dogs that had a particular gene that made their extremities glow red in the dark. They were ecstatic about this discovery because it would allow them to use these animals for "animal testing" using this method to insert human disease genes into cloned animals to do what I am not sure. One thing is for sure, and this is something that you all know deep in your psyche, using animals for testing is wrong, no matter how you choose to look at it. Unfortunately the cloning of animals is usually done for less than honorable purposes and when you tacitly approve it through inaction, you inadvertently have your finger in the pie whether you like it or not.</P><P>Meanwhile some pet owners have begun to take advantage of the new technology to produce clones of their favorite, now dead pet, hoping I guess, to insure immorality on their favorite deceased pet for all eternity. Some are not as pleased as they thought they might be with the results because most of the clones, in many cases, only vaguely resemble their previous pets, colors, size and hair texture differing to the extent that some think they were scammed by unscrupulous labs and technicians and believe the animals they were given were not real clones, but imposters. Smiling. These procedures cost upward of a hundred thousand dollars in most cases and require trips to laboratories half way around the world. Remember Jurassic Park? Now, it is important to understand that when you clone a dog or a human being, you can only reproduce at best an identical physical body, but in animals as in humans, the true identity or personality is not within the physical body. It is highly unlikely that the inner self, the spirit, the real identity will ever inhabit a clone, so what you have here will be a physical copy, but not the same true psychic identity. What that means is that the inner recognition, the habits, the thoughts and emotional structure of the animal or human will probably be totally different than it was in the original body. In a sense this could be said to be the right house, but the wrong resident.</P><P>Meanwhile, I will expect the daughter and son of the late Ted Williams to remove his body from the cryogenic lab where he was decapitated and his head and body frozen in liquid nitrogen in two different steel containers so he and his children can be "together in the future", so the note says.</P><P>Then the real fun begins with the process of thawing him out, reattaching his severed head, maybe administering an electric shock, (kind of Frankensteinish), and have good old Ted sit up, say good morning, and shortly thereafter, once again enter Fenway Park and tip his hat to the adoring crowd.</P><P>I know, I'm being silly here, but your pursuit of the eternal physical body is so ludicrous that I have to laugh, hopefully not at your expense but at my own amusement at just how ignorant you are of the life process itself and the importance of understanding that YOU are not your body, YOU never were your body and YOU will never be your body. Period! The really good news here is this, YOU will always be YOU. Your identity is eternally focused on life experiences, maybe not in the same body or even the same world, but you will always exist in one form or another in some place.</P><P>Your physical body is a temporary convenience, it is a living, breathing, soul entwined vehicle activated by the spark of life from your soul/entity, that you utilize for the projection of your inner self into the realm of the three dimensional physical world at precise time and space co-ordinates for a life experienced in flesh and blood. It is temporary at best, and you shed bodies as a snake sheds its skin and never looks back on it again. If that original spark, the energy aware consciousness did not purposefully enter the fetus before or at birth, it would be stillborn, and this by the way, due to various underlying reasons, accounts for many still born infants.</P><P>We are speaking then of two separate and distinct parts of the living, functioning identity that you call YOU. If you truly understood this one simple fact, that your body without your consciousness cannot live. Your consciousness is the driving force that activates and maintains the corporeal structure, and devoid of that, no physical body, no matter in what condition, can live without artificial support. Sometimes for certain reasons, the waiting conscious personality, refuses to enter the newly emerging fetus as was intended, in that case the fetus is aborted of dies shortly after physical birth for unknown reasons. This also will explain why some people in comas for years on life support, never revive, because their consciousness has long ago departed for greener pastures, so to speak.</P><P>The body is not born WITH CONSCIOUSNESS as an inherent characteristic, but acquires a willing, pre-planned consciousness entry shortly before or at the time of birth. It is pre-arranged, and if this entrance did not occur, the body would not be activated by the presence of a living consciousness. It would not survive either by artificial or natural means and would not in the strictest of terms, would not be a functional personality, being simply a vacant shell. In case you wondered, a physical body, the fetus, aborted before the self aware consciousness has entered and is seated within the physical form, is not murder simply because nobody was home to be murdered. In a very real sense, all that was terminated was protoplasm.</P><P>So in the case of cloning, you can clone, produce in vitro or using whatever techniques to create bodies, but you cannot clone a consciousness. At this time, to the personality in the case of human physical bodies or the fragment consciousness in the case of plants and animals, there is little concern as to the origin of the body structure. There is more discrimination in the case of humans inhabitation a body than in the case of the more generalized consciousness fragments in animals and plants, but despite that, the reasons behind cloning are questionable to downright wrong at best.</P><P>I sometimes hesitate to say some things here simply because you are so influenced by false, primitive religious doctrine, that you cannot yet take a statement at its face value without applying religious concepts that you know are not true, but you still haven't found the real truths to replace these obviously detrimental beliefs. But I still must tell you, and I know there are many among you that WILL UNDERSTAND, and I know Jerry Falwell will be rolling over in his grave at this.</P><P>In some cases, some cases, it is just as morally incorrect to clone, breed, create or capture animals and subject them to what you refer to as animal testing and research for the betterment of humanity. It can happen, depending on the circumstances, that you are aborting a lifeless embryo that a conscious identity has not yet entered. Now of course, you have no real way at this point of knowing whether or not an identity has entered the fetus since consciousness cannot be found with your instruments, so this can be a sticky wicket, and you had better exercise good judgement in making your decisions.</P><P>Generally speaking, consciousness holds off entering the fetus until a month or even later before the actual birth of the infant. If a conscious identity is returning to earth with an unusual fondness for earth experience, it may enter the fetus early, several months before birth. If the new consciousness is familiar with the soon to be mother and father and has retained a lingering affection for them it may be anxious to renew the association and enter the fetus early also. There is no set rule and each circumstance will be different depending on past relationships, familiarity, and the new consciousness love of the earth experience, but it would be very unusual for consciousness to enter the fetus earlier than the sixth month of pregnancy but it must enter the fetus at some time prior the physical birth.</P><P>The problem here is this, you can kill an embryo, but you cannot kill a viable human being if the consciousness that is behind the physical matter that forms the body is not present. There are considerations other than just killing or not killing an embryo here, and that is the embryo is the product of the mother and father, but the embryo would not have emerged without the intent of the inner self to project itself into physical reality through the co-operation of the mother and father. So, the destruction of the embryo, even though at any stage of its development does not kill the soon to emerge personality, but in a very real way aborts the intent of the inner self to assert itself into the corporeal structure. This then, is not an actual death, but it is a distraction to the soul/entity to its original intent and purpose.</P><P>Getting back to your use of animals for experimental testing, as in the case of some chimpanzees, and many other emerging species, keeping them confined in small cages, sometimes for their whole lives as medical guinea pigs is simply wrong and to do this under the assumption that you have the right to use animals for your own purposes in any way you see fit, is contemptible. You will someday come to your senses and have to admit that animals have the same right to existence as you do. Any gains you think you achieve through contributing to the agony of any other species will be negligible and in the long run will be detrimental not only to the development of your societies, but to your morality and integrity as a person. Your bible states;</P><P>"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."</P><P>You think that the Bible gives you the right to use other species for you own purposes and this is not true and it never was the intent of the verse. Your "dominion over" other species, simply means that as the only purposeful, thinking and reasoning species on earth at this time, you have the responsibility to care for and insure their survival and provide the necessary environment for their value development while doing the same for yourselves. In a larger context, when you kill an animal, you kill a portion of yourself, when you torture and animal through testing, you diminish your self worth. When you deprive an animal of its habitat, so you can build more subdivisions for your own species, you are violating the self evident laws of nature which is to insure the survival and flourishing of all species. You may be able to bring nature to its knees, but you cannot kill it. Nature is automatic, and it will flourish despite your indifference and ignorance to the overpopulating of your own species at the expense of others.</P><P>Remember, what you consider to be gains in your physical world, are only part of the equation, so if you gain in the physical aspect of your life at the expense of other species, you short circuit your progress at other levels of your true psychic being. To what gain is it to create a vaccine against the flu, when you fail to vaccinate yourself against practicing cruelty, using and exploiting animals never realizing the detrimental effects on the inner self and the soul. Also, your earth life is simply one step in a far greater journey, and harming other species through caging and testing erects a fence of indifference to the suffering of other species and this can never be a good thing. Will you be punished for such behavior, "No", but neither will you be lifted up in your acceptance of your own right to live a value fulfilled life when you deny the same experience to other species. You are working on a project through living your life, and you are the project that you are working on, and a very real sense, you are always matta work in progress. But your progress will be limited until you learn empathy with all other creatures and your environment.</P><P>Many will not believe this, but you are setting the groundwork now for your next life, and what you do here matters now, and will affect your future. If you are satisfied with repeating the same mistakes over and over, then keep doing what you have been doing. If however you want to progress as a physical and spiritual being, evaluate what you do now and always try to follow you instincts to better yourself and others, doing this you will be practicing a knowing kind of evolution of the self.</P><P>Intent also plays in important part here. If you, through genetic manipulation, create a dog that glows in the dark in order to benefit the dog, then that is a good thing. If however, you create that same dog, in order to experiment on it for the benefit of your own species, then it is spiritually and morally wrong and in the long run, you will get no lasting benefit. May I also remind you that in that ancient psychic explosion that resulted in the emergence of your physical universe and all that it contains, every electron, atom, cell and molecule that make up all physical objects and ALL living species, came from the same source, so how in the world could arrive at the conclusion that it's alright for you to use other species for YOUR benefit? The true benefit is the sharing of their unique experience with yours, and you are blessed to be able to do so.</P><P>In a future article, I will discuss the raising of domestic animals for consumption.<BR>My name is W. Allan, single male 62, a resident of Naples Florida. I graduated from Washington University in St. Louis and have in the past, written a column called SECRET REALITY which was carried by spiritual and metaphysical magazines. I have recently started a blog to publish my work with the intent of incorporating expanded versions of my blog in book form. You can contact me any at my email address: <A href="mailto:w.allan@hotmail.com">w.allan@hotmail.com</A><BR>You may also read other articles at my blog at: <A href="http://answersbygod.com/" target=_new>http://answersbygod.com</A></P><P>Article Source: <A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=William_Allan" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Allan</A> <BR><A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Is-the-Cloning-of-Animals-Morally-Acceptable?&id=2298018" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?Is-the-Cloning-of-Animals-Morally-Acceptable?&id=2298018</A> <BR></P>C V Patelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13516943390687241501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933310916555004964.post-70716506391735489602013-08-05T16:36:00.000-07:002013-08-05T16:36:00.203-07:00Are Meat and Milk From Cloned Animals Really Safe to Eat?<P>The cloning process for cattle is almost identical to human embryo cloning techniques. The process, known as somatic cell nuclear transfer, involves the removal of an egg cell's DNA and replaces it with DNA from a body cell of a donor. The resulting cell can be chemically programmed to divide. If the cell survives, it may become an exact genetic duplicate of the body cell donor animal. In practice, the process produces a high proportion of deformed animals that cannot survive. As cells divide, their chromosomes get shorter. This is because the DNA sequences at both ends of a chromosome--called telomeres-shrink each time the DNA is copied. What does this mean? It means problems can develop during later development. Aging is affected. Chromosomes from cloned cattle seem to have a longer lifespan compared with the cells of naturally conceived cattle. However, Dolly, the cloned sheep, had cells aging faster than cells from a normal sheep. Dolly's death at the relatively early age of 6 years old fuels the debate about the long term health of clones.</P><P>Problems of development associated with cloning have not been solved. Scientists aren't sure why cloned animals show differences in telomere length. According to the University of Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics, "there has not yet been a single cloned mammal that has yet been alive long enough to have lived a natural life span for that animal. We can't underestimate the unanswered questions about cloning." Yet, the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concluded meat and milk from cloned animals are safe for human consumption, clearing the way for cloned products to enter the U.S. food supply. Remember, this is the same FDA that proclaimed DES was safe in our food which was later discovered to cause cancer, and the same FDA that permits synthetic steroid male and female hormones and synthetic growth promoters to be added to our food today. The FDA in its ruling also concluded no labeling is required to inform the consumer that the food is derived from cloned animals or their offspring.</P><P>"The FDA has acted recklessly, and I am profoundly disappointed in their rush to approve cloned foods," said Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski, co-sponsor of a bill amendment passed by the U.S. Senate which asked the FDA not to rule until further research was available. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) said cloned animal products may not be safe and further study was needed. Of course, the biotechnology industry disagrees with the EFSA and Senator Barbara Mikulski. "The biotechnology industry applauds the FDA for its comprehensive scientific review of this new assisted reproductive technology," said Jim Greenwood, president and CEO of the Biotechnology Industry Organization, which represents companies and institutions in the biotech field.</P><P>The FDA asked for a "voluntary moratorium" on keeping cloned products out of the food supply for now. However, a New York Times article reports that Donald Coover of Kansas has sold enough semen from a cloned bull in one year to inseminate 2,000 cows. In 2008, Coover told the Washington Post that it "is a fairy tale that this technology is not being used and is not already in the food chain."</P><P>Are meat and milk from cloned animals really safe to eat? The rush to judgment by the FDA prevents a safe and thorough answer to that question. Once again, the American consumer becomes the laboratory test animal as in the case of DES.</P><P>Sandy Powers<BR><A href="http://www.organicforhealthsite.com/" target=_new>http://www.organicforhealthsite.com</A></P><P>A breast cancer survivor who also battled liver disease, Sandy Powers turned to organic foods after her mastectomy to heal her liver and fight cancer recurrence. Her research and amazing results she shares in her recently published book "Organic For Health." Visit Sandy at <A href="http://www.organicforhealthsite.com/" target=_new>http://www.organicforhealthsite.com</A></P><P>Article Source: <A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Sandy_Powers" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sandy_Powers</A> <BR><A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Are-Meat-and-Milk-From-Cloned-Animals-Really-Safe-to-Eat?&id=1363281" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?Are-Meat-and-Milk-From-Cloned-Animals-Really-Safe-to-Eat?&id=1363281</A> <BR></P>C V Patelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13516943390687241501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933310916555004964.post-23075792875587108942013-08-04T11:18:00.000-07:002013-08-04T11:18:00.541-07:00The Benefits of Eating a Plant-Based Diet - Avoiding Animal Cloning<P>One of the top news stories in 2008 was the FDA approval of "food" from cloned animals. I usually only attempt to show the health benefits of eating a diet free from animal products and generally avoid lecturing on the moral and ethical reasons to avoid meat and dairy. This time, however, I seriously doubt that I am alone in my outrage over this, which not only brings up animal cruelty issues, but religious and moral questions, along with a vast array of safety concerns. This is just another sad display of the FDA's willingness to approve anything in order to line its pockets with money from the USDA and pharmaceutical lobbies. Time and time again, the FDA has proven how inept it is at enforcing proper research and testing into pharmaceutical drugs, and in many cases, thousands upon thousands of deaths have been the result. Rather than protecting the American public from cloned and genetically modified foods, which are being banned or at the very least, labeled in other countries, the FDA has given the factory farm industry the go ahead to sell meat and dairy products from animals cloned and/or possibly genetically engineered by humans.</P><P>Barbara Glenn of the Biotechnology Industry Organization calls cloning "a breeding technique that will improve the quality and consistency of food" (1). However, Michael Hansen, a senior scientist with Consumers Union, says that "data supporting the FDA decision are based on just a few cloned animals and include little information about their offspring." Hmm. Imagine that. The FDA making the decision to approve something based on little to no scientific evidence rather than on extensive research into its safety. Michael Hansen goes on to say that "The vast majority of clones don't make it to adulthood...There are a lot of sickly animals." Such health problems among clones raise concerns about animal welfare and food safety (1). I'm not sure that I understand how sickly cloned animals will "improve the quality" of food, but I guess we won't have to wait long to find out. According to The Wall Street Journal, some farmers have reported that the offspring of cloned animals have already entered the marketplace (3). But you would never know whether the meat you are eating is coming from a traditionally bred animal or a cloned version because the FDA determined that meat and milk from cloned animals and their offspring would not be labeled because it was "the same as conventional food and did not pose a safety risk," (2).</P><P>Despite the FDA's assurance, some companies have declared that they will not sell milk or meat from cloned animals or their offspring for fear over the safety of such foods, and to spearhead a possible consumer backlash fueled by religious and moral opposition to cloning. During a public comment period that ended in 2007, the FDA heard from more than 150,000 consumers who rejected the Agency's plan to introduce cloned animals into the U.S. food supply (4). Many polls show that the public's opposition to food from clones is incredibly high. A national survey conducted in 2007 by Consumers Union reported that 89% of Americans want cloned foods to be labeled. Additionally, 69% said that they have concerns about the safety of cloned meat and dairy products. A Gallup Poll from December 2007 reported that more than 60% of Americans believe that cloning animals is immoral. A Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology from the same time found that a similar percentage say, despite FDA approval, they will not buy milk from cloned animals (4).</P><P>There is concern from animal advocacy groups that the use of cloning may contribute to creating even harsher factory farm conditions than presently exist. "The surveys show that the public is morally opposed to cloning. Animals suffer terribly in the cloning process, and the FDA has ignored these issues," said Tracie Letterman, Executive Director of the American Anti-Vivisection Society (2). There is also concern that introducing cloned animals and the offspring of clones into the US market could have economic ramifications in the global marketplace (2).</P><P>According to Joseph Mendelson, Legal Director of the Center for Food Safety, "The FDA's flawed and cavalier approach to cloned food and its potential impacts called for a truly rigorous scientific assessment," (4). While the FDA repeatedly claimed that it conducted extensive, peer reviewed studies on the safety of "food" from cloned animals, it turns out that the agency's assessment only referenced three peer-reviewed food safety studies, all of which focus only on the issue of milk from cloned cows (4). The most disturbing part of the lack of objective research on the part of the FDA is that the studies the Agency sited were funded in part by the very biotech firms that produce clones for profit (4). Not one of the studies focused on the safety of meat from cloned cows or pigs, or milk or meat from the offspring of cloned animals, and there was absolutely no data on milk or meat from cloned goats (4).</P><P>Behavior like this is what we, as Americans, have come to expect from the FDA. What is supposed to be a consumer advocacy and safety watchdog, in actuality, is unethical and time and time again shows little real concern for the safety and well-being of the American public. The issue of unlabeled food products from cloned animals being introduced into the US market place is not only an issue of animal rights, but an issue of religious freedom, as those who oppose cloning for moral or religious reasons should have the right to know if the foods they choose to consume are from cloned animals. This is also an issue of economic stability as the decision to allow foods from cloned animals and their offspring into the market could very well create issues in the global marketplace. And then, there is the issue of the safety of foods from cloned animals, which we are still unsure of due to the FDA's lack of genuine and long-term research.</P><P>What can you do about this issue? Well, if you like the political route, you can contact your legislators and tell them that you do not support allowing meat and dairy from cloned animals or their offspring to be sold as food. Or demand that food from cloned animals be labeled as such. I believe that the best and most vital way to make your voice heard every single day is to vote with your dollar. By choosing to avoid purchasing and consuming animal products, you are sending a message. Remember, those with the money make the decisions. If you don't support what they are doing, do not give them your money! By eating a plant-based diet, you can avoid unknowingly consuming "food" from cloned animals. I really don't have much else to say about this, except that cancerous, diseased, pus-filled, antibiotic-filled, hormone-filled, steroid-filled, and now cloned "food" is what you can expect to consume if you choose to eat animal products from a typical American factory farm.</P><P>1. "FDA Approves Food From Cloned Animals", Webb, Sarah, Discover Magazine <BR>2. "F.D.A. Says Food From Cloned Animals Is Safe", Martin, Andrew and Andrew Pollack, The New York Times <BR>3. "FDA Is Set To Approve Milk, Meat From Clones", Weiss, Rick, The Washington Post <BR>4. "FDA Approval of Clones Stalled by Passage of Milulski-Specter Amendment in Farm Bill", [http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/cloning]</P><P>Erin Brennan is a Raw Foods Chef and the owner of Living Bliss, a company based out of Louisville, Kentucky which provides fresh and delicious raw and living whole foods, event catering, uncooking classes and workshops, nutritional consultations, and wellness coaching.</P><P>[http://www.livingblissfoods.com]</P><P><A href="http://erinbrennan.blogspot.com/" target=_new>http://erinbrennan.blogspot.com</A></P><P>Article Source: <A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Erin_Brennan" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Erin_Brennan</A> <BR><A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Benefits-of-Eating-a-Plant-Based-Diet---Avoiding-Animal-Cloning&id=1788187" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Benefits-of-Eating-a-Plant-Based-Diet---Avoiding-Animal-Cloning&id=1788187</A> <BR></P>C V Patelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13516943390687241501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1933310916555004964.post-84705777152005736962013-06-29T05:56:00.000-07:002013-06-29T05:56:00.063-07:00What You Need to Know About GMOs<P>What do soda, fast food French fries, margarine, salad dressing, corn chips, and corn flakes all have in common? They all contain GMOs (genetically modified organisms) also know as genetically modified or engineered foods. Read on for answers to the most commonly asked questions about GMOs.</P><P>What are GMOs?</P><P>Genetically modified organisms are plants or animals created through the process of genetic engineering. Genetically engineered foods have a piece of DNA from a totally different species, such as bacteria or viruses, spliced into their DNA. Genetically engineered soybeans, for example, have DNA from bacteria and viruses forced into their DNA to help them withstand the onslaught of weed killers such as Roundup. Genetically engineered corn has DNA added so that it has a pesticide built right into it. This process creates a whole new unstable species of plant that would have never occurred in nature. None of the current GMO crops offer increased yield, drought tolerance, or enhanced nutrition.</P><P>Hybrid foods are completely different. Hybrids are created when cross pollination occurs between plants. This process can be facilitated by man or it can occur spontaneously in nature.</P><P>Which foods are genetically modified?</P><P>As of 2012, most corn, soy beans, canola, cotton, and sugar beets are GMO. From these crops, products such as corn oil, canola oil, cottonseed oil, high fructose corn syrup, and many more are created and added to processed foods. This is why nearly 80% of processed and most fast foods contain GMOs.</P><P>Other crops that are genetically engineered include Hawaiian papaya, a small amount of zucchini and yellow squash, and alfalfa. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is also considering approving a GMO salmon, which would grow much larger and faster than regular salmon.</P><P>Are they safe?</P><P>Despite what the agricultural industry might say, there is little research on the long-term effects of GMOs on human health and the environment. The FDA has allowed GMOs into our food supply with only the research and assurances of safety from the biotech companies that create them. Interestingly, the person at the FDA responsible for this decision was Michael Taylor, former vice president of public policy at Monsanto (the largest producer of genetically engineered seeds).</P><P>Independent research has found that several varieties of GMO corn caused organ damage in rats. Other studies have found that animals were losing their ability to reproduce. There are also concerns that GMOs can increase allergies or cause immune system problems.</P><P>Environmental issues are also a cause for concern. GMOs allow farmers to use more weed killers, exposing both us and the environment to more toxins. Super weeds and super bugs that are resistant to the weed killers and the pesticides built into GMOs are now showing up. In addition, GMO crops can cross pollinate with non-GMO crops, <I>irreversibly</I> changing the face of plant life with unknown consequences.</P><P>Are they labeled?</P><P>The U.S. is one of the only developed nations that does not require labeling of GMOs. Fifty countries including all of Europe and even China require labeling of genetically modified foods. Many European countries have banned GMOs.</P><P>Even though they have been in our food supply since 1996, most people in the U.S. know little about GMOs. Actually, the 2006 Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology poll found that only 26% of American consumers believe that they have ever eaten a food that was genetically engineered. The truth is most people, including babies and children, <B>eat them every single day</B>.</P><P>Will labeling genetically modified foods increase the cost of food?</P><P>The California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act will not increase the cost of food for you or food producers. It simply adds a label to genetically engineered food. Companies change their labels all the time. Remember, when companies were required by law to add trans fats to labels, the cost of food did not go up.</P><P>What can I do to eat fewer genetically engineered foods?</P><P><UL><LI>Vote "yes" on the California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act, which will require that genetically engineered foods are labeled. It will be on the November 2012 ballot. Once GMOs are labeled, we can make an informed choice. We have a right to know what's in the food we are eating and feeding to our families. Visit <A href="http://www.carighttoknow.org/" rel=nofollow target=_new>http://www.carighttoknow.org</A> for more information.</LI><BR><LI>Buy Organic. All USDA certified organic foods are free of GMOs. </LI><BR><LI>Avoid nonorganic products that contain GMO foods including soy, corn, canola, cottonseed, and sugar beets. Read labels. If the food contains high fructose corn syrup, corn oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, it probably contains GMOs. </LI><BR><LI>Look for the "Non-GMO Project Verified" label. Some companies have voluntarily labeled their foods.</LI><BR><LI>Shop at Trader Joe's. All of their produce and all Trader Joe's brand foods are free of GMOs. So look for "Trader Joe's" on the label. </LI><BR><LI>Use the free iPhone app Shop No GMO.</LI><BR><LI>Go to <A href="http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com/" rel=nofollow target=_new>http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com</A> and download their shopping guide.</LI></UL><P></P><P><B>Resources and References:</B></P><P>Go online to Earth Open Source.Then click on "GMO Myths and Truths" in the Featured Report section.</P><P>New analysis of a rat feeding study with a genetically modified maize reveals signs of hepatorenal toxicity. Seralini, G.-E. et al. Arch. Environ Contam Toxicol., 52: 596-602, 2007.</P><P>A three generation study with genetically modified Bt corn in rats: Biochemical and histopathological investigation. Kilic A and Akay MT. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 46: 1164-1170, 2008.</P><P>Biological effects of transgenic maize NK603xMON810 fed in long term reproduction studies in mice. Velimirov A et al. Bundesministerium fur Gesundheit, Familie und Jugend Report, Forschungsberichte der Sektion IV Band 3/2008, Austria, 2008.</P><P>Carole is a registered dietitian and an exercise physiologist. She writes and speaks on a variety of diet and health related topics including trendy foods, heart disease, low carb diets, the Mediterranean diet, high blood pressure, sodium, plant based diets, healthy options in place of sugary drinks, calories, and more. She also consults with individuals and companies on diet and health. She can be reached at <A href="mailto:healthyeatingrocks@gmail.com">healthyeatingrocks@gmail.com</A>.</P><P>Article Source: <A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Carole_Bartolotto" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carole_Bartolotto</A> <BR><A href="http://ezinearticles.com/?What-You-Need-to-Know-About-GMOs&id=7145703" target=_new>http://EzineArticles.com/?What-You-Need-to-Know-About-GMOs&id=7145703</A> <BR></P>C V Patelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13516943390687241501noreply@blogger.com0