GMO’s and Common Bowel Disorders by Dr. Joeseph Mercola

How GMOs, Pesticides and Processed Foods Contribute to Common Bowel Disorders

by Dr. Joeseph Mercola

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) — not to be confused with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) — is an autoimmune disease that can have very serious consequences.

According to the latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), IBD affects more than 3 million American adults, nearly triple previous estimates.1 There are two types of IBD: •Crohn’s disease •Ulcerative colitis

Both of these IBD conditions involve chronic inflammation in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Symptoms include abdominal cramps, fatigue and diarrhea. IBD also raises your risk of developing colorectal cancer, the third most common cancer in the U.S.2

What’s Behind the Rise in IBD?

As with many other autoimmune disorders, IBD cannot be traced back to any single cause; rather, it appears to be influenced by several factors, including: •Genetics •Toxic environmental exposures •Diet •Altered intestinal microbiome •Immune dysfunction

Researchers believe the rise in IBD may be linked to dietary changes, as more people are now eating primarily processed foods high in sugars and synthetic chemicals. Other factors thought to play a role in IBD include:3,4 •Air pollution •Excessive exposure to antibiotics •Pesticide exposure (glyphosate being identified as being particularly harsh on gut microbes) •Genetically modified organisms (GMOs)

As noted by Digestive Medical Solutions:5 “[I]n addition to the rising economic, ecological and ethical questions raised by GMOs, there is a growing health risk … Specifically, a higher risk for allergies, toxic intestinal bacteria, reduced immune function, liver problems and many other highly controversial links.

These risks apply to everyone, but especially those with irritable bowel diseases. For a patient with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, they’re devastating, making it difficult for patients to recover properly, especially with so many other complications involved. Ultimately, GMOs create bowel hypersensitivity, increase inflammation and damage to the intestinal lining. This makes IBD and IBS cases much worse, as they contribute and in some cases, may actually trigger these diseases.”

How Glyphosate Affects Your Health

While Monsanto insists that Roundup is safe and “minimally toxic” to humans, independent research6 strongly suggests that glyphosate residues “enhance the damaging effects of other food-borne chemical residues and toxins in the environment to disrupt normal body functions and induce disease.”

According to Stephanie Seneff, Ph.D., a research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Anthony Samsel, Ph.D., a research scientist and consultant:

“Negative impact on the body is insidious and manifests slowly over time as inflammation damages cellular systems throughout the body.”

Samsel and Seneff have also published research tying glyphosate exposure to Celiac disease and gluten intolerance.7

While genetically engineered (GE) crops such as corn, soybeans and sugar beets tend to contain higher levels of glyphosate due to them being more heavily sprayed, conventional non-organic crops such as wheat are also routinely doused with glyphosate pre-harvest to boost yield, a practice known as dessication. In summary, studies have found that glyphosate:

• Inhibits cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes that catalyze the oxidation of organic substances. This, Samsel and Seneff believe, is “an overlooked component of its toxicity to mammals.”

One of the functions of CYP enzymes is to detoxify xenobiotics — chemical compounds found in a living organism that are not normally produced or consumed by the organism in question.

By limiting the ability of these enzymes to detoxify foreign chemical compounds, glyphosate enhances the damaging effects of those chemicals and environmental toxins you may be exposed to.

• Impairs the serum sulfate transport system in your body. Consequences of glyphosate interfering with CYP enzymes and impairing sulfate transport include GI disorders, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression, autism, infertility, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

• Destroys the tight junctions in the cell membranes in your gut, thereby leading to “leaky” gut and absorption of undigested foods you were never designed to absorb.

• Makes the gliadin in wheat highly indigestible. Moreover, by attaching to gliadin, glyphosate may promote immune reactions.

Alarming Levels of Glyphosate Found in Popular Foods

According to independent testing by The Detox Project, glyphosate (the active ingredient in Monsanto’s bestselling herbicide Roundup) is present at “alarming levels” in many popular processed foods.8

Scientists have found glyphosate can alter gene function in the livers and kidneys of rats at levels as low as 0.05 parts per billion (ppb).

Meanwhile, Cheerios was found to contain more than 1,125 ppb of glyphosate, Doritos more than 481 ppb and Ritz crackers more than 270 ppb. According to Dave Murphy, executive director of Food Democracy Now!:

“It’s time for regulators at the EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] and the White House to stop playing politics with our food and start putting the wellbeing of the American public above the profits of chemical companies like Monsanto.”

Protect Your Health by Avoiding GMOs

As noted by Digestive Medical Solution:16

“The first and more important step you can take to protect yourself from damages that may be caused by GMOs is to change your diet. Non-GMO, free-range and otherwise organic foods should replace any GMOs you regularly consume. It also helps to avoid the most common food allergens, such as gluten and sugar products …

However, the damage caused may be long-lasting. GMOs may make you allergic to non-GM foods. Since the genetic material in GM soy transfers to the bacteria living in the intestines, it continues to function and spew proteins continuously. Clearing the body of these harmful substances is no easy task.”

The most commonly consumed GMO crops (which includes both herbicide-resistant and Bt varieties)

are:17,18,19

• Corn (found in most processed foods in the form of corn meal, corn syrup, corn starch, corn flour and so on)

• Soy (which can hide under descriptions such as lecithin and starch, among others)

• Canola (rapeseed oil)

• Sugar beets

You may also be exposed to Bt toxin via meat from animals fed Bt corn, and glyphosate via herbicideresistant GE grain feed such as corn and soy, all of which are common staples in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). This is one of several good reasons for making sure your meats come from organically raised grass-fed animals.

For Optimal Health, Opt for Organic Food

A large number of studies have shown that organic

foods:23,24,25,26,27,28

• Are less likely to be contaminated with pesticide residues. (Synthetic chemicals are not permitted in organic agriculture, yet can occur due to contamination from nearby conventional farms.)

• Contain fewer heavy metals (on average 48 percent lower levels of cadmium,29 for example).

• Contain anywhere from 18 to 69 percent more antioxidants than conventionally grown varieties.

• May in some cases be more nutrient-dense. For example, one 2010 study,30 which was partially funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), found that organic strawberries were more nutrient-rich than nonorganic strawberries.

(Continued on pg. 28)