Everyone already knows that GMOs exist. Many guess that GMOs are sold under the guise of ordinary products, but no one knows for sure how this achievement of science will end for humanity. The whole world is divided into those who create, protect and produce these products and those who scold and are afraid. For a while, most of the products that lay in supermarkets and smaller stores were full of “GMO-Free” stickers and people formed a stereotype that GMOs are harmful and everything connected with it is bad, because why would the government and manufacturers worry so much? At the same time, many TV channels and newspapers began to write and show TV shows about the dangers of GMO products, escalating tension around this topic.
However, even in these conditions, most people are faced with the problem that they do not have much choice: they still have to go to the supermarket and take what they have enough money for. After all, everyone knows what prices for high-quality and environmentally friendly clean products in specialized stores, which are now far from being in every city.
Products with GMOs are always cheap, and with those that have a coveted sticker, not everything is clear either - there really are no GMOs or manufacturers are cunning - because in order to make a profit, goods must be sold, and at the same time, the price must be set such that people buy. As a result, there are no guaranteed ways to protect yourself from eating harmful GMOs.
Let's understand what is genetic modified products and what is benefits or harms of GMOs.
Briefly about what is GMO
Many people know from biology lessons that hereditary information about an organism is located in each of its cells in the DNA molecule. This molecule is a sequence of genes and, when interacting with the external environment, they create a phenotype, i.e. external manifestations in the body, that is, how it looks, parameters of metabolism and flow biochemical processes inside it.
When changes are made to the DNA molecule inherent in nature (adding genes, removing or changing them), the body can acquire new properties. That is, a genetically modified organism is an organism that has been artificially changed by adding a foreign gene that is not characteristic of it to its DNA. Scientists have reached such a level that they can already introduce scorpion genes into potato DNA or add some kind of peanut gene to soybeans. This is done in order to provide a certain product with new properties.
For example, our potatoes are now not afraid of the Colorado potato beetle, and soybeans with the peanut gene are 100% resistant to external adverse natural factors. What breeders have done in a few decades, modern genetic engineers do in a couple of years. The declared goal of such scientists (at least the one that sounds beautiful) is to feed the population of the globe. But opponents of GMOs see it a little differently: they see the GMO race as an ever-increasing appetite for profit by private corporations and globalization.
So is there any harm from GMOs or not?
Today it is impossible to unequivocally answer the question of whether there is harm from the use of GMO products. Too little time has passed since the introduction of GMOs in food, maybe in 70-100 years there will already be the results of their influence on humans, or maybe not. In any case, now this “experiment” is being put on all the people of the planet. There are many horror stories about the effect of GMOs on the synthesis of protein molecules in human body and metabolic disorders and they cannot be considered completely erroneous. Experiments conducted on rats are definitely not convincing.
Queues to geneticists have recently grown, as it seems healthy people without bad habits and hereditary diseases in recent years, more and more often give birth to children with genetic “breakdowns” in their DNA. Modern science is not able to answer this question today, despite its seemingly incredible achievements. Therefore, we believe that it is not worth eating GMO foods, if possible. So calmer for their children and grandchildren.
What to do?
Until now, disputes about the benefits or harms of GMOs have not subsided. Even with the desire, in today's conditions of life in cities, it is most likely not possible to completely avoid the use of GMO-containing foods. But everyone can give up dubious sausages and other semi-finished products and buy something more natural. Or cook compote for children, instead of buying soda. The choice is yours.
The topic of this article is "GMOs: good or bad?". Let's try to understand this issue without prejudice. After all, it is precisely the lack of objectivity that sins today in many materials devoted to this controversial topic. Today, in many countries of the world (including Russia), the concept of GMOs has begun to be used when they talk about "products that cause tumors and mutations." From all sides, GMOs are being poured with mud for various reasons: tasteless, unsafe, threaten the food independence of our country. But is it really so scary and what is it really? Let's answer these questions.
Deciphering the concept
GMOs are genetically modified organisms, that is, modified using genetic engineering methods. This concept in a narrow sense extends to plants. In the past, various breeders, such as Michurin, have sought useful properties in plants using various tricks. These included, in particular, the grafting of cuttings of some trees onto others, or the choice for sowing seeds only with certain qualities. After that, it was necessary to wait a long time for the results, which only after a couple of generations steadfastly manifested themselves. Today, the right gene can be transferred to the right place and thus quickly get what you want. That is, GMOs are the direction of evolution in the right direction, its acceleration.
The original purpose of breeding GMOs
Several techniques can be used to create a GMO plant. The most popular today is the transgene method. The necessary gene (for example, a drought tolerance gene) is isolated from pure form from the DNA strand. After that, it is introduced into the DNA of the plant to be modified.
Genes can be taken from related species. In this case, the process is called cisgenesis. Transgenesis occurs when a gene is taken from distant species.
It is about the latter that terrible stories go. Many, having learned that wheat today exists with the scorpion gene, begin to fantasize about whether those who eat it will grow claws and a tail. Numerous illiterate publications on forums and websites Today, the topic of GMOs, the benefits or harms of which are being discussed very actively, has not lost its relevance. However, this is not the only way that "specialists" who are not familiar with biochemistry and biology scare potential consumers of products containing GMOs.
Today, such products have agreed to be called everything that is genetically modified organisms or any products that contain components of these organisms. That is, GMO food will be not only genetically modified potatoes or corn, but also sausages, in which besides liver and GMO soy are added. But products made from cow meat that were fed wheat containing GMOs would not be considered such a product.
The effect of GMOs on the human body
Journalists who do not understand such topics as genetic engineering and biotechnology, but who understand the relevance and relevance of the GMO problem, launched a duck that, getting into our intestines and stomach, the cells of the products containing them are absorbed into the bloodstream and then spread through tissues and organs that cause cancerous tumors and mutations.
It should be noted that this fantastic plot is far from reality. Any food, without GMOs or with them, in the intestines and stomach breaks down under the action of intestinal enzymes, pancreatic and gastric juice secretions into components, and they are not genes at all and not even proteins. These are amino acids, triglycerides, simple sugars and fatty acid. All this in different parts of the gastrointestinal tract is then absorbed into the bloodstream, after which it is spent for various purposes: to obtain energy (sugar), as a building material (amino acids), for energy reserves (fats).
For example, if you take a genetically modified organism (say, an ugly apple that has become like a cucumber), then it will be quietly chewed and decomposed into its component parts in the same way as any other non-GMO.
Other GMO horror stories
Another story, no less chilling, concerns the fact that transgenes are built into it, which leads to terrible consequences like infertility and cancer. For the first time in 2012, the French wrote about cancer in mice that were given genetically modified grain. In fact, Gilles-Eric Séralini, the director of the experiment, made a sample of 200 Sprague-Dawley rats. Of these, a third were fed GM corn grains, another third were fed herbicide-treated GM corn, and the last third were fed regular grains. As a result, female rats that ate genetically modified organisms (GMOs) gave tumor growth of 80% within two years. Males, on the other hand, developed kidney and liver pathologies on such a diet. Characteristically, a third of the animals on a normal diet also died from various tumors. This line of rats is generally prone to the sudden appearance of tumors, not associated with the nature of nutrition. Therefore, the purity of the experiment can be considered doubtful, and it was recognized as untenable and unscientific.
Similar surveys were carried out earlier, in 2005, in our country. GMOs in Russia were studied by the biologist Ermakova. She presented a paper at a conference in Germany on high mortality mice treated with GMO soybeans. The statement, confirmed in a scientific experiment, then began to spread around the world, bringing young mothers to hysterics. After all, they had to feed their babies with artificial mixtures. And they used GMO soybeans. The five experts of Nature Biotechnology further agreed that the results of the Russian experiment were ambiguous, and their validity was not recognized.
I would like to add that even if a piece of foreign DNA ends up in the human bloodstream, this genetic information will not be integrated into the body in any way and will not lead to anything. Of course, in nature there are cases of integrating pieces of the genome into a foreign organism. In particular, some bacteria thus spoil the genetics of flies. However, such phenomena have not been described in higher animals. In addition, there is more than enough genetic information in non-GMO products. And if they have not been integrated into the human genetic material so far, then you can continue to calmly eat everything that the body absorbs, including those containing GMOs.
Benefit or harm?
Monsanto, an American company, already in 1982 brought to the market genetically modified products: soybeans and cotton. She also owns the authorship of the Roundup herbicide, which kills all vegetation, with the exception of genetically modified ones.
In 1996, when Monsanto's products were launched on the market, competing corporations launched a massive revenue rescue campaign to curb the circulation of GMO products. Arpad Pusztai, a British scientist, was the first to be noted in the persecution. He fed GMO potatoes to rats. True, later the experts smashed all the calculations of this scientist to smithereens.
Potential harm for Russians from GMO products
Nobody hides the fact that on the lands sown with GMO-grain lands, nothing else grows except for themselves. This is due to the fact that varieties of cotton or soybeans that are resistant to herbicides do not stain with them. Thus, they can be sprayed, achieving the extinction of all other vegetation.
Glyphosphate is the most commonly used herbicide. It is actually sprayed even before the maturation of plants and quickly decomposes in them, not remaining in the soil. However, resistant GMO plants allow it to be used in huge quantities, which increases the risk of glyphosphate accumulation in GMO plants. This herbicide is also known to cause bone growth and obesity. And in Latin America and the United States, there are a bit too many people who are overweight.
Many GMO seeds are designed for just one sowing. That is, what will grow out of them will not give offspring. Most likely, this is a commercial ploy, since in this way the sale of GMO seeds increases. Modified plants that produce next generations exist just fine.
Since artificial gene mutations (for example, in soybeans or potatoes) can increase the allergenic properties of products, it is often said that GMOs are powerful allergens. But devoid of the usual proteins, some varieties of peanuts do not cause allergies even in those who suffered from it before for this particular product.
Due to their characteristics, they can reduce the number of other varieties of their species. If conventional wheat and GMO wheat are planted in two adjacent plots, there is a risk that the modified one will replace the common one, pollinating it. However, hardly anyone would let them grow side by side.
By abandoning its own seed funds and using only GMO seeds, especially disposable ones, the state will eventually become food dependent on the firms that hold the seed fund.
Conferences with the participation of Rospotrebnadzor
After horror stories and tales about GMO products were repeatedly replicated in all the media, Rospotrebnadzor took part in many conferences on this issue. At a conference in Italy held in March 2014, his delegation had participated in technical consultations on low content in Russia's turnover of genetically modified organisms. Today, therefore, a course has been adopted for the almost complete exclusion of such products from the food market of our country. The use of GMO plants in agriculture was also delayed, although the use of GMO seeds was planned to begin as early as 2013 (government decree of September 23, 2013).
Barcode
The Ministry of Education and Science went even further. It has proposed the use of a barcode to replace the Non-GMO label in Russia. It should contain all information about the genetic modification contained in the product or about its absence. A good undertaking, but without a special device it will be impossible to read this barcode.
Genetically modified foods and the law
GMOs are regulated by law in some states. In Europe, for example, their content in products is not allowed more than 0.9%, in Japan - 9%, in the USA - 10%. In our country, products in which the GMO content exceeds 0.9% are subject to mandatory labeling. Businesses violating these laws face sanctions, up to and including termination of operations.
Conclusion
The conclusion from all this can be drawn as follows: the problem of GMOs (benefit or harm from the use of products containing them) is clearly inflated today. The real consequences of the long-term use of such products are unknown. To date, no authoritative scientific experiments have been conducted on this issue.
GMOs are perhaps the most popular and most incomprehensible horror story of recent years. Some scientists say that from the use of certain genetically modified organisms, one can become an ear of corn, and even a creature with gills; others, hearing this, twist their fingers to their heads and offer all alarmists to get acquainted with basic scientific knowledge.
The paths are different, but the result is the same
blue roses, purple cabbage, the fresh smell of tomatoes in a fierce winter and non-perishable apples - all this is the result of the work of scientists, which eventually received the name "genetically modified organisms." These are artificially bred organisms, in the genotype of which there is an alien gene that scientists took from one living creature and implanted into another. At the same time, the organism undergoes a change and new properties appear in it.
How are genetic modifications made? Here is one possible way. In nature, there is a species of agrobacteria Agrobacterium tumefaciens. They are able to penetrate into plant tissues and transfer a fragment of the so-called T-DNA into their cells. Agrobacteria with a modified T-plasmid change the properties of plants and build useful genes into them. However, is it only in this way that the same plants change?
Few people know that real carrots are far from orange, but their true color is purple. There were also varieties of crimson, white and yellow flowers. Carrots were not used for food, but were remedy. Only in the 16th century did it acquire an orange hue, and we owe this to breeders who began to cross its different types. Real carrots are very rare and expensive today. That is, we all know carrots - GMOs? Not! It is the result of selection, only the selection is slow, and GMOs are obtained quickly, although the result is the same - the genotype changes.
So why do we argue about the usefulness and harmfulness of GMOs? It is believed that they are the result of mutations, since, unlike selection, they do not come from closely related organisms, but very distant ones, and this is bad. Although GMOs are closely monitored, and scientists know and understand which plants and how to breed, and which should not. For example, those that will not be exposed to diseases, are more productive and inedible for pests - and can and should be bred. But not all plants can benefit people if they are subjected to changes. For example, it hardly makes sense to breed plants that are resistant to herbicides - that is, to chemicals that destroy vegetation. This is where innovation is not needed.
I know I don't know anything, but judging is judging
Interestingly, according to the results of one survey, more than a third of Russians do not have the knowledge necessary to at least somehow evaluate GMOs. For example, many do not know that the plants we eat are not genetically identical. In any tomato eaten, there are always some mutations, in each banana there may be a gene that has been changed without our knowledge. But it is not the insidious Americans from the DARPA agency, not space aliens and not the cinematic "Dr. Evil", who care about this, but first of all solar radiation and other sources of genetic variability. Gene mutation is a natural process in nature without which biological evolution is impossible.
A good example is the emergence of dwarf rice in China. Tall rice sags under its own weight and can fall to the ground and rot. A new form of rice, bred by breeding methods, has increased its yield by 50 percent. Later it turned out that dwarf rice differs from ordinary rice in just one single gene. If a modern genetic engineer approached the problem of rice yield, he would introduce a point mutation in the gene for the enzyme that activates the desired hormone and achieve the desired result in less time.
Therefore, the statement that manipulations with genes lead to a disruption in the course of evolution is meaningless. Moreover, genetically modified organisms have been used in applied medicine since 1982, when genetically engineered human insulin produced using genetically modified bacteria was registered as a drug. But people either do not know this, or prefer not to remember.
Arguments of the other side
However, opponents of GMOs argue that those bacteria and plasmids that were used to create GMOs do not go away. "At least some of them remain and penetrate into our body or into the body of animals when eating GM plants. And when they get into the stomach and intestines, the same thing happens as when creating GMOs - transgenization (modification, mutation), only already cells of the walls of the stomach and intestines, as well as the microflora of the digestive system.If anyone does not know: about 70 percent of immune system person. Immunity falls, plasmids and GM-inserts through the blood enter all organs, muscles and even the skin of a person or animal and also modify them. That is, even eating the meat of an animal fed with GMO feed, a person becomes infected. The worst thing is that this also applies to germ cells. Mutant germ cells will produce children with genes from other species and classes of plants and animals. Most of these genetic "chimeras" will also be sterile.
Fortunately, things have not yet come to pronounced external manifestations of these processes. And we are unlikely to turn into an ear of corn or we will have gills. But we will get sick more, argue the opponents of GMOs, and we will become infertile.
At the same time, it is obvious that radiation from nuclear explosions and man-made disasters has long been absorbed into the world around us and is a powerful mutagenic factor, drinking water is chlorinated and fluoridated, any chemical and biological muck gets into it ... We are surrounded by a powerful electromagnetic background, mercury vapor from " long-term" electric light bulbs, tetraethyl lead in leaded gasoline, formaldehyde fumes from furniture made from chipboard. Doesn't it all affect the person? Influences and how! And it is unlikely that GMOs are the main source of all our problems here.
What did old Bashti guess?
And now it's time to remember the old leader Bashti from Jack London's story "Jerry the Islander". For those who have not read it, let's say that it is about the adventures of the red terrier Jerry - the dog of white people among the cannibal savages of the Solomon Islands, whose leader was Bashti. The priest of the tribe, who intended to eat Jerry, began to incite the tribe against him, they say, they should cut him into pieces and give all the men that the courage of the dog passed into each of them. Bashti saved Jerry from the boiler, but this is what he said: "I lived a long time and ate many pigs. Who dares to say that these pigs entered me and made me a pig? - I ate a lot of fish," continued Bashti, "but not a single fish scale grew on my skin, and gills did not appear on my neck, and you all, looking at me, know that I have never grown a fin on my back." That is, it was Jack London who at that time understood, although purely intuitively, that since you cooked and ate someone or something, the genetics of what you eat will not affect you in any way.
Experiences are different
However, there were some experiments that proved the harmfulness of GMOs. Yes, there were experiments, but what kind of experiments were they? So, in 1999, an article by Arpad Pusztai was published, which dealt with the toxic effect of genetically modified potatoes on rats. A poisonous lectin gene from the snowdrop was inserted into the potato in order to increase the resistance of the potato to nematodes. Feeding potatoes to grain-eating rats that don't normally eat them has been shown to be toxic, but what does that prove? That initially poisonous food is harmful? The publication itself was preceded by a loud scandal, since the results were presented before peer review by scientists. The explanation proposed by Pusztai, that the method of gene transfer, and not the lectin, is most likely to blame, was not supported by most scientists, since the data presented in the article were not enough for this conclusion. By the way, the development of transgenic potatoes with the lectin gene was immediately stopped after that.
Russian researcher Irina Ermakova conducted a study on rats, which, in her opinion, shows the pathological effect of genetically modified soy on the reproductive qualities of animals. Because the data was widely discussed in the press but not published in peer-reviewed journals, many scientists replicated her experiments. As a result, it was concluded that her results contradict the standardized data of other researchers who worked with the same soybean variety and did not reveal its toxic effects on the body. Now back to our everyday level.
Let's take a group of children or adults, it doesn't matter, and we will feed them mainly black caviar for two weeks. You can bet that by the end of the experience, most of them will have significantly enlarged livers and, therefore, black caviar is dangerous to health! However, any study is also a variety of factors of influence. For example, artificial feeding of larvae of the caddisfly Hydropsyche borealis with Bt-maize pollen demonstrated an increase in their mortality by 20 percent. But when the same authors reproduced the experience in vivo, no effect of transgenic pollen on the viability of caddis flies was observed! Many animals in captivity do not reproduce at all, and what - GMOs are also to blame for this?
It is interesting that even church hierarchs today say that they are not harmful, but on the contrary, they are useful, as they allow the growing population of the planet to be provided with food. Muslims consider them halal, while Jews consider them kosher. However, as you can see, there are people who are against GMOs. And in most cases, these are either individual scientists who, let's say, not always clean experiments, journalists who specialize in sensations, or Greenpeace, which also needs sensations. But after they have already scared everyone, it turns out that most often GMOs have nothing to do with it. But for some reason their opponents do not oppose the irradiation of seeds, which is carried out when breeding new plant varieties. But the seeds are irradiated with gamma rays and then sown. So mutagenic irradiation of seeds is good, but changing the genotype through agrobacteria is bad and terrible?
The most thorough check
By the way, precisely because the GMO product is really new, in a number of countries there are percentage bans on the use of such products. In Japan, the allowed content in the product is 5 percent, in Europe - no more than 0.9 percent, and in the USA - 10 percent. In almost all countries of the world, product labeling for the content of GMOs is mandatory. Moreover, no one says that GM foods are absolutely harmless, there is a certain risk everywhere and always. For example, some of these foods have been shown to be unsuitable for allergy sufferers. These can be, for example, Brazil nuts, in which the content of one of the amino acids has been artificially increased. It turned out that this particular protein causes a form of allergy in humans.
In the third final reading, the law on the ban on the cultivation and breeding of genetically modified plants and animals in Russia. Now the Code of Administrative Offenses will be supplemented by an article on violations in the field of genetic engineering. The fine for officials under it will be from 10 to 50 thousand rubles, for legal entities - from 100 to 500 thousand rubles. The deputies also proposed to register genetically modified organisms imported into the country and products obtained with their use. The Russian government will monitor the impact on humans and the environment of these organisms and products. The law will come into force on July 1, 2017.
We decided to find out from experts whether genetically modified foods are really dangerous, and at the same time we remembered other common myths about the benefits and harms of certain foods and cooking methods.
Alan Skaev
technologist
GMOs are genetically modified organisms, that is, such organisms (animals, plants, bacteria), the genetic code of which has been artificially changed. All this is a product of genetic engineering, a method of targeted selection, which is mainly applied to plants today in order to increase their resistance to negative factors, and, consequently, to increase the efficiency of agriculture.
In most cases, the label "GMO Free" is just speculation and a marketing ploy. The inscription "GMO-free" even marks products where GMOs cannot be in principle. The manufacturer thus tries to attract the attention of fans of eco-products. In our country, there are clear rules for labeling products containing GMOs, but the labeling of products without GMOs is not regulated in any way. The spread of these myths was facilitated by a completely natural human fear of the unknown.
Opponents of GMOs focus exclusively on the risks that these products can potentially carry, citing a number of failed experiments with GMOs and works that have no scientific value. Those who sow panic do not need to back up their words with facts; they only need to give a few frightening examples, albeit unfounded ones, to forever turn GMOs into a horror story, which, in fact, was done. In fact, the safety of GMOs has been studied for the past 25 years. First of all, it is soybeans and corn and products from them. There are lines of genetically modified potatoes, tomatoes, sugar beets, rice and some others, but in our country only these six crops are allowed to be used. Soy is often used in the manufacture of meat products and semi-finished products, these products may contain GMOs. As well as confectionery, canned food. Officially, we have about 60 such products in our country.
If genetic modifications are properly controlled at the stage of creating and researching a new product, they are not dangerous. To date, there is no scientific evidence that speaks of the dangers of GMOs in relation to anything: cancer, allergies, infertility, and so on. It is the need to control the quality and safety of genetic modifications to a certain extent hinders the development of this industry and the production of new products.
Andrey Mosov
head of the expert direction of NP "Roskontrol"
Experts around the world are discussing the potential danger of GMOs for the biosphere and come to the conclusion that there is no danger. The safety of using herbicides in tandem with GMOs is also widely discussed - and here experts also tend to believe that possible residual amounts of herbicides (for example, Roundup) do not pose a danger to human health. As for possible harm GMO products themselves for consumers, then all scientists are unanimous here: even theoretically, there can be no harm, especially taking into account the strict regime of mandatory research that is carried out in relation to all transgenic products newly introduced to the market. At the same time, cultures obtained by traditional selection do not undergo such a thorough check.
Since there is a lot of hype around GMOs and you can even talk about GMO phobia, then, of course, it is easier for the manufacturer to write “GMO-free” in order to remove his product from suspicion. But if the consumer, for some reason, does not want to eat products with GMOs, palm oil, additives E - this is his legal right, and the manufacturer is obliged to honestly indicate the composition on the package. Although often the inscription "Does not contain GMOs" is a marketing ploy, so that the buyer perceives the product as more natural.
And now the most interesting. On the Russian food market there are no GMO products or practically none. Numerous checks carried out by various state bodies do not reveal such products: GMO markers were found only in 0.14% of food samples tested by Rospotrebnadzor (despite the fact that only those products in which the probability of detecting GMOs was the highest were purposefully examined). Roskontrol also checked many products for GMO content - GMO markers were not found in any of them.
Anton Alekseev
nutritionist
At the moment, several types of genetically modified plants are allowed for sale and use. There is no genetically modified meat or fish, although such experiments are underway. But in general, in the world there is a growing interest in environmentally friendly, safe products- as a rule, consumers are ready to overpay for products that do not contain GMOs, and manufacturers skillfully use this.
Someone considers them progress, someone - a global conspiracy against humanity. Few ordinary consumers take the trouble to figure out what genetically modified foods really are, but almost everyone has heard that they cause infertility, cancer and allergies at least once in their lives. Hence the fear of GMOs arises, people try not to take risks just in case.
Today, genetically modified varieties of tomatoes, potatoes, corn, sugar beets, rice, soybeans, wheat and some other agricultural plants are produced in the world. GMOs are not produced in Russia, all products with GMOs are imported, their market share is declining from year to year, and turnover is becoming tougher.
The only harm proven today is caused to a person not so much by products as by the volumes in which he consumes them. For example, sausages. In addition to soybean, which is actually genetically modified in most cases, sausage contains phosphates, the excess of which in the body leads to the development of osteoporosis, and nitrites, which can cause the development of oncology. If there is no soy in the sausage, there will almost always be a so-called protein component - processed animal skins and cartilage, which are essentially inedible, their the nutritional value minimal. Therefore, even a non-GMO sausage (and in most cases it contains them) is not the most useful product. The situation is similar with vegetables: the beetle does not eat genetically modified potatoes, but let's remember how much poison you need to process ordinary potatoes in order to get a crop.
But the fact that GMOs can be the cause of food allergies is actually a concern for doctors. Most allergies are caused by protein. When a protein is genetically modified, it is quite difficult to predict an allergic reaction to it in a certain number of consumers.
And a few more common myths
about the benefits and harms of products and cooking methods:
Images: cover - tashka2000 - stock.adobe.com, 1,2 - Nastya Grigorieva, 3 - Olya Volk, 4 - Katya Baklushina
The problem of finding new sources of food products for humans in the modern world is as acute as possible. There are more and more people, and everyone needs fresh, high-quality and complete food. One solution to this problem is GMOs, genetically engineered foods. But are they good for humans?
The definition of genetically modified organisms (that's what the GMO decoding sounds like) is much broader than food products with new properties. In science, this term is understood to mean any organism whose genetic code has been artificially altered in order to obtain the given properties for this organism.
Changes in the genetic code in living organisms in nature occur constantly and are called mutations, i.e. spontaneous genotype change. Mutations can be beneficial, neutral, or detrimental to an organism depending on whether they help the organism's survival.
Most mutations are neutral in their effect and do not manifest themselves in any way or their manifestations are insignificant. Beneficial mutations form the basis of the future evolution of the species. Carriers of harmful mutations are most often not viable or cannot have offspring, which makes it possible to reduce the impact of harmful mutations on the species as a whole. It is believed that about one in a million genes on the planet contains a mutation.
Given that the human genetic code includes more than two million genes, it can be said that each person is a carrier of one or more mutations, usually neutral and asymptomatic.
Man has long intervened in the course of evolution in order to obtain organisms with the properties he needs. Artificial selection made it possible to deduce great amount breeds of domestic animals and varieties of agricultural and ornamental plants. In fact, selection is a method of indirect human intervention in the genetic code of living organisms. As a result of such selection, animals and plants with those properties that are necessary for man appear.
GMOs are the next stage of artificial selection. Genetic engineering makes it possible to obtain organisms with desired properties already in the first generation, to avoid the appearance of individuals with undesirable traits and their culling. Processes occurring in nature and adopted by man, with the help of genetic engineering, can occur much faster in artificial conditions.
In this way, genetically modified is an organism that has undergone a purposeful change in the genotype. In a narrower sense, when it comes to Food Industry, refers to organisms in the genotype of which genes that are not characteristic of them have been artificially introduced. The term is applied to animals, plants and microorganisms, and in no case - to people, including because experiments in the field of human cloning are prohibited in most countries.
How GMO Foods Are Made
The most common way to obtain GMO products is through transgenic organisms. The essence of the method lies in the fact that the sequence of genes characteristic of one of the organisms is introduced into the DNA of another species. In this way, organisms are obtained that have the properties of another species (potatoes resistant to the Colorado potato beetle, microorganisms capable of synthesizing human insulin, etc.).
In the process of creating GMO products, there are the following stages:
- Isolation of an isolated gene in a donor organism;
- Creation of a vector - a biochemical construct that allows introducing a DNA sequence into a cell without destroying it;
- Transfer of the vector to the organism under study. The vector is the carrier of the necessary gene, the mechanism of its interaction with the main organism has common features with the penetration of the virus, but it would not be entirely correct to compare them with each other;
- The vector is embedded in the organism's genetic code, causing it to change;
- The last stage is the selection of those organisms that have been successfully modified and the exclusion from reproduction of those that have not received new properties.
After all these procedures, those organisms that exhibit the desired properties are selected for further reproduction. Those individuals that have not been affected by the changes, in most cases remain unchanged.
More sophisticated technologies genetic engineering is currently not widely used in agriculture and the food industry. They are used primarily for research purposes to study and develop better genetic engineering techniques.
However, since the technology is still new, all of its implications and impact on later generations are not yet fully understood, and the mass use of GMOs is still far away.
Are GMO foods harmful?
What should a simple layman do - without fear to buy any products, or prefer those whose producers did without GMOs? There is still no unequivocal answer to this question even among scientists. Research is underway to find out the dangers or safety of eating GMO foods.
In modern science, the benefits and harms of GMOs are the subject of constant debate. Some researchers argue that over the course of its evolution, man has repeatedly encountered the fact that the genetic material of the foods eaten has changed dramatically, and this has not had negative impact therefore, GMOs are absolutely harmless.
As evidence, it is what's in digestive system all macromolecules break down into simpler compounds that are the same for all living organisms. Individual nucleotides, to which a DNA macromolecule breaks down, cannot harm a person, since they are contained in his body in the same form.
In addition, the proof of the harmlessness of GMOs is the historical factor. Changing the diet, including species that had never been eaten before, discovering new lands with completely unusual animals and plants that man also began to eat, did no harm.
However, there are studies on mice that show that when consuming exclusively GMO foods, after 3-4 generations, the risk of metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus and other metabolic diseases is significantly increased.
On the part of scientists - supporters of GMOs, such studies are sharply criticized, since the set of products used in them corresponded to the diet of a person, and not a rodent, which could serve as an additional provoking factor.
The two camps of scientists are quite firmly on their positions, citing more and more evidence of their correctness, analyzing the pros and cons of GMOs. The results of research and the competence of their conduct are always questioned by supporters of the opposite idea. However, conclusive evidence unequivocally confirming the benefits or harms of GMOs has not yet been received. Therefore, whether or not to buy products that contain them remains the personal choice of the consumer, and the manufacturer is obliged to indicate the presence or absence of GMOs on the packaging.
GMOs in Russia today
In our country, the attitude towards GMOs is ambiguous. like all over the world. Since their harm or benefit has not been clearly proven, manufacturers and importers of food products are required to mark the content of GMOs on product packaging. This is necessary so that the consumer can decide for himself whether he wants to eat food that is not always healthy.
In 2016, the State Duma adopted a resolution banning the cultivation of GMO products in Russia. Given the policy of import substitution, it has become difficult to see modified food products on store shelves.
The question of the appropriateness of such a measure remains open. If GMOs are indeed harmful to the health of future generations, then keeping people away from them until technology makes them safe is essential. If GMOs do not really pose any danger, then perhaps our country has deprived itself of the opportunity to avoid a food crisis in the future.
According to opinion polls, the attitude towards GMOs in Russia is rather negative - more than 2/3 of the population would not buy genetically modified foods. Nevertheless, one should not deny the low level of knowledge in the field of biology, and especially genetics, among the adult population of our country, therefore, consider public opinion authoritative was wrong.
How can GMOs be useful?
Genetic engineering technologies make it possible to significantly speed up the selection process and obtain individuals with the necessary traits already in the first generation, which is extremely rarely achieved with conventional selection. In addition, the percentage of culling of individuals that do not have the necessary characteristics is significantly reduced. This allows you to reduce the cost of selecting and breeding new varieties and breeds, therefore, the final price of the product will be somewhat lower.
Genetic engineering techniques open up new possibilities for breeders, such as the transfer of genes between species that cannot interbreed. This allows you to create fundamentally new plant varieties and animal breeds that could not be bred in any other way. For example, these species include potato varieties that are resistant to the Colorado potato beetle and many other agricultural plants that are not susceptible to pests.
According to statistics collected for 2014, the yield of genetically modified plants is up to two times higher only due to resistance to pests. Growing GMO crops can significantly reduce the cost of insecticides, as well as losses from pests and adverse climatic conditions.
A large harvest allows you to make products cheaper and more affordable. In developing countries, this makes it possible to provide enough food for the entire population, in developed countries - to reduce food costs, to make food more diverse.
Work is underway to create plant varieties that give an increased yield, as well as capable of enduring an unusual climate for them (cold-resistant fruit forms). This will make many fruits and vegetables more accessible, reduce the cost of their transportation and the inevitable loss of product in the process.
Raising GMO animals is much more difficult and there is much less research in this area. In nature, the frequency of viable mutations among animals, especially among mammals and birds, is much lower than among plants. Therefore, the work related to genetic modifications, give a much smaller result. Therefore, the problems facing livestock breeders are mainly solved through the usual selection, which is still far from being a thing of the past.
A few words about the non-food use of GMOs. In forestry, tree species with high content cellulose. This allows the use of wood in much smaller quantities, reducing deforestation while maintaining the volume of production of paper and other pulp products.
The pharmaceutical industry uses soil bacteria with an additional gene that allows the synthesis of human insulin. So get the closest analogue of insulin for patients diabetes. Its bioavailability is much higher than porcine or bovine, it is hypoallergenic and much more effective.
In addition to insulin, other recombinant human proteins have been created - interferons, hormones of the endocrine glands. Before the advent of GMOs, they could only be obtained from donated blood, which created the risk of contamination of drugs, or use similar substances obtained from animal blood, which are very limitedly compatible with human tissues.
On the examples of modified organisms, the regularities of the course of various processes in the human body are studied, which will help in the future to find drugs that slow down aging, drugs for chronic diseases now considered incurable.
Currently, the development of research in the field of genetic engineering is significantly slowed down by disputes about the dangers or benefits of GMOs. Laws that prohibit the cultivation of GMOs have been adopted not only in our country. Protecting the population from possible harmful effects modified food, such laws limit the ability to make GMO foods safer.
Pros and cons
So far, most of the arguments for and against GMOs remain in the realm of speculation. It takes time to obtain accurate evidence of the benefits or harms of genetically engineered products for humans, and it will be possible to put an end to this dispute only after several generations. At the moment, it is premature to talk about the unambiguous need to grow GMOs or about the dangers of such products. Now attention should be paid to raising the level of biological knowledge among the population.
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