GMO or non-GMO?

[Jenise]

My brother was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer, an unusually aggressive form, and had surgery to remove it. Unfortunately the surgery wasn't completely successful, as the gland had cancer on the outside of it too and it has likely spread. Radiation will be upcoming.

In the meantime he's seeing a nutritionist for supervision of dietary changes in order to eliminate foods that would be more likely to fan those flames. So no red meat, everything organic, and non-GMO whenever possible. That said, the nutritionist has a humorous axiom: "Everything in moderation, including moderation."

I'm a definite supporter of organic but to be honest had considered the GMO issue pretty much a ship that's sailed in the U.S. and not thinking I can do much about that whether I'm against it or not. But Chris showed me a few things. For instance, he only buys pasta made in Italy. Because Italy is anti-GMO, even products not labeled non-GMO will be.

How much attention do you pay to non-GMO products?

I try and avoid GM products for a variety of reasons.
I think the jury is still out on health impacts
Genetic diversity is critical in all of nature and GM reduces diversity dramatically and in the most important basic food stuffs . Haven’t we annihilated enough?
The main benefit of GM seems to me to be to big business and their profits. (I do know about better yield, diseases resistance, and selective breeding being a form of GM) cynicism I know but ......
I loathe the fact that GM seeds can spread, as seeds do, to properties with no wish to use such seed and then those farmers have been successful sued for breaching patents.
I also am totally opposed to people being able to patent genes

Like any technology, GMO can be applied beneficially or misapplied. Most genetic modifications so far have been of the "Roundup ready" variety, aimed at conferring resistance to herbicides that IMO shouldn't be in use anyway.

On the other hand, if someone could figure out a way to modify Vitis vinifera so that it no longer had a fatal reaction to the saliva of Phylloxera, I'd be all for that.

-Paul W.

I assume that the non-GMO dietary recommendation for prostate cancer is because herbicide resistance is the most common genetic modification, and non-GMO foods are likely to have less herbicide residue on them. In other words, it's the herbicide they're trying to avoid, not the genetic modifications.

-Paul W.

[Robin Garr]

From the standpoint of science, I don't see any real issue with GMO. But as with so many other things, as a consumer I don't really trust Big Food and Big Ag to use it prudently. So I'd rather avoid, and will buy organic soy products, for example, to be on the safe side, just as I choose organic dairy in hope of keeping unprescribed antibiotics out of my system.

So, GMO okay, big industry, not so much.

[David M. Bueker]

I am not bothered by GMO foods.

Roundup doesn't bother me either.

There's a lot more that has gone on over the years that created more underlying issues.

[Jenise]

I assume that the non-GMO dietary recommendation for prostate cancer is because herbicide resistance is the most common genetic modification, and non-GMO foods are likely to have less herbicide residue on them. In other words, it's the herbicide they're trying to avoid, not the genetic modifications.

-Paul W.

Exactly right. Then add to that the mental health benefit to the patient of positively hedging one's bets in every way possible because the price of failure is untenable.

Selective breeding over decades is just a slow version of genetic modification. Having an animal or vegetable that gives better yields and can feed more people is usually seen as a positive thing. So are things like breeding strains that won't freeze as easily etc.

I don't think that there have been any reported substantiated issues with GMO foods, but I'd never say it couldn't happen - some of the companies that are into this sort of manipulation are the same ones that created the pharmacological horror show we see around us every day (at least in the big cities). But I'm not overly fussed about the food end of things.

[Jenise]

Pretty balanced view, Bill.

It won't be figured out in our lifetimes. For now I'm just content to opt for organic when I can get it. A friend said the other day that he doesn't bother with organic, in fact avoids things labelled organic because he thinks of those who seek out organic as being in the same category as anti-vaxxers (sp doesn't look right but for the life of me can't remember how to spell what I want). I asked if he still likes to sit downwind of smokers because there's no such thing as second hand smoke.

Selective breeding over decades is just a slow version of genetic modification.

True. But with GMO it's also possible to introduce genes from one species into individuals from another species. This usually isn't possible with selective breeding, although it does happen. The mule is an example of an interspecies hybrid. It tends to work out better in the plant world. Many of our citrus varieties are interspecies cross-breeds.

-Paul W.