![modified-1744952_960_720.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmTEDJTg8eX1N5h91NAZKqobNrefNfAbmjfnTBWQMhSDbQ/modified-1744952_960_720.jpg) GMOs, or Genetically Modified Organisms, have become a hot topic in the news today. The public is becoming increasingly fearful about GMOs in the food system, and for good reason. Some countries have already banned them, and many people are anxious for the U.S. to follow suit. GMOs should be banned because they are slowly killing us and causing some of the biggest health issues we face today. I will be focusing on these issues surrounding GMOs in my subsequent posts to shed light on some important facts to help those who are on the fence about them.

GMOs have infiltrated our food system

They are not only found in fresh produce and dairy sources but also in processed foods. Common GMO crops include corn (maize), cotton, alfalfa, soy, and canola oil (rapeseed). These foods are used in so many food products, so the extent to which we are being exposed to GMO's is frightening. Richard Flook, an alternative health practitioner, uncovers these truths in his e-book, *Why Shouldn’t I Eat Genetically Modified Foods?* ![corn-356110_960_720.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmNp5soaHLMH7ekXeupV8WLJv2goP8azm9f6DuvieLqowo/corn-356110_960_720.jpg) According to Flook, “90% of all the corn grown in North America is genetically modified. It is used to feed animals in large Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations…In CAFO’s the feed is brought to the animals rather than the animal grazing for their food”. ![cowseatingcornincafo.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmWFqZFedukjRWhF7vQbFx4s7eJu2iBdVVKbgmKvN4Kmii/cowseatingcornincafo.jpg) *Example of a CAFO* Most of the corn grown in the U.S. is used to feed livestock and to make high fructose corn syrup, a common ingredient in processed foods. If you are consuming packaged foods, candy, sweetened beverages, or corn chips, you are most likely consuming GMO corn.

How are GMOs created?

To really grasp why they are inherently bad for us, one must look at how they are engineered. To create a GMO, a foreign gene is inserted into another organism’s DNA. This foreign gene can come from a bacteria, virus, or DNA from a plant, animal, or human. Corn, for instance, is engineered by taking part of the bacteria known as "Bt" and inserting it into the corn’s DNA. The Bt bacteria produces a naturally-occurring insecticide, aptly named "Bt-toxin". However, when it is used to create GMO corn, Bt-toxin is expressed at 1,000 times increased potency! ![Bt-toxin-crystals.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmb8RoT3Ff3AkyavJFQguuguos3jkqrDjng1CSbEoqYZBt/Bt-toxin-crystals.jpg) *"Bt" or Bacillus thuringiensis is a Gram-positive, soil-dwelling bacterium, commonly used as a biological pesticide.* [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_thuringiensis)

GMO's Create Holes in the Gut (aka Leaky Gut Syndrome)

When Bt is digested, the Bt protein forms a toxin in the gut. Therefore, if an insect consumes a plant with Bt, their digestive system is paralyzed and holes form in the walls of their intestines. **Effectively, this results in blood poisoning and the insect dies.** So, how does this affect humans? Flook states, “This causes the gut to react in the same way as the insect’s gut does, that is that holes are formed in the intestinal walls. Common results of the ongoing eating of Bt corn based products are leaky gut, where toxins and bacteria are leaked into your blood, poisoning you from the inside out. Other symptoms are Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS…”

The Scale of GMO Consumption

To make matters worse, Americans are consuming products containing GMO corn *daily*. This is just the tip of the iceberg, since most Americans have additional sources of GMOs in their diets besides corn. Just imagine the impact this could have on the gastrointestinal system over the years. https://media.giphy.com/media/rYlRc4uf1dcLC/giphy.gif With this evidence alone, one would question why the U.S. has yet to ban GMOs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Leaky gut is just one of the many health conditions linked to GMOs. Until they are banned in the U.S., the health of Americans will continue to suffer. ![gmohighfructosecornsyrup.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmXGVQvsmcETKogKZY9cPkWZnZQTTffhE2cwR3Evd5bjtm/gmohighfructosecornsyrup.jpg) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sources: *Why Shouldn’t I Eat Genetically Modified Foods?* [e-book by Richard Flook](http://www.advancedclearingenergetics.com/network/media-center/ebooks/ebook-why-shouldnt-i-eat-gm-foods/) Images: [1](https://www.flickr.com/photos/usdagov/), [2](https://pixabay.com/en/photos/sweet%20corn/), [3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_thuringiensis), [4](giphy.com), [5](https://www.flickr.com/photos/illuminating9_11/), [6](https://pixabay.com/en/photos/biotechnology/) Interested in the topic of health and vaccines? Check out my other posts: Most Recent: [The Secret Illness Affecting Nearly 80% of the World]( https://steemit.com/health/@nataliejohnson/the-secret-illness-affecting-nearly-80-of-the-world) [Is the Flu Vaccine Safe for Pregnant Women and the Unborn?](https://steemit.com/health/@nataliejohnson/is-the-flu-vaccine-safe-for-pregnant-women-and-the-unborn) [The Organic Food Myth - What "Organic" Food Really Means]( https://steemit.com/health/@nataliejohnson/the-organic-food-myth-what-organic-food-really-means) [This Ingredient in Your Child’s Vaccines Causes Obesity & May Be Carcinogenic](https://steemit.com/health/@nataliejohnson/this-ingredient-in-your-child-s-vaccines-causes-obesity-and-may-be-carcinogenic) [The Polio Vaccine's Link to Cancer & the Monkey Virus that Contaminated it Found in Human Cancers]( https://steemit.com/health/@nataliejohnson/the-polio-vaccine-s-link-to-cancer-and-the-monkey-virus-that-contaminated-it-found-in-human-cancers) [The Contagious Cancer Virus – Do You Have it?](https://steemit.com/vaccines/@nataliejohnson/the-contagious-cancer-virus-do-you-have-it) [The Vaccine Killing Girls and Boys in the Name of Fighting Cancer](https://steemit.com/vaccines/@nataliejohnson/the-vaccine-killing-girls-and-boys-in-the-name-of-fighting-cancer)