Worse still, you may think you're vigilant about eating only "natural" or organic foods, but in a cruel twist of irony, most natural foods in America do contain some GM ingredients.
And despite their hypey claims of the last decade-and-a-half, GM foods are increasingly being linked to disease — including cancer. There's only one way to be sure you're not slowly poisoning your system.Continued below. . .
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U.S. Government Blocks Release
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Too good to be true
I covered GMO foods for the first time in Newsletter #144, where we looked at the claims for bioengineered foods — and the accusations against them.The claims make GMOs sound like they will save the world. Advocates say GM foods will control pests and weeds, create seeds that resist drought, and supplement starving cultures with vitamins and abundant amounts of food.
To date, some sixteen years later, none of those claims have been conclusively proven. Instead, we may be on the brink of an agricultural nightmare.
Worse, substantial health problems linked to GMOs are starting to surface. Studies are uncovering links to fertility problems and birth defects. There's a cancer link that's been confirmed both by a Russian study and by British environmentalists. Significant organ damage also appears to result from eating certain GM foods.
On top of all that, we're facing the destruction of biodiversity and the demise of farmers' livelihoods. Really, it's a threat to our basic freedoms — the ability to choose what we eat and to know what we've chosen.
At the heart of all the controversy is Monsanto, the giant seed company working to pump the world full of genetically modified crops.
"Worst company of 2011"
Greed and a total disregard for human welfare appear to rule Monsanto, assuming recent allegations against the company hold water.In the past, Monsanto has gotten well-deserved flak for suing small farmers for patent infringement when GM seed traits spread into fields surrounding GM crops. Monsanto has also been found guilty of polluting American rivers and landfills with toxic waste. And then recently, Monsanto was declared the worst company of 2011 by the Natural Society for its threat to both the environment and human health.
Right now, the government of India is in the process of suing Monsanto on bio-piracy charges. They claim the biotech giant failed to get approval before attempting to create GM versions of local eggplant varieties, thereby violating the Indian Biological Diversity Act of 2002.
The company shows a long pattern of fraud and apathy toward health and sustainability. From where I sit, it looks like it's all about money. After all, records show the company spent $1.4 million lobbying the federal government last year. $2.5 million was spent the year before, and $1.9 million the year before that (small change for this big company, though.)
Monsanto's lobbying efforts are targeted toward Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to make sure no hint of GM crop regulation is ever passed. This especially includes disclosing on the packaging when foods contain GMOs.
What you can do to protect yourself
By some measures, at least 70 percent of the food in your typical American grocery store is laced with GM foods. You just don't know it, thanks to the massive lobbying efforts of U.S. lawmakers by Monsanto to prevent labeling requirements.That doesn't mean there's no hope. It was a grassroots effort that got GM foods out of Europe and other countries, not legislation. Consumers rejected GM foods, forcing food manufacturers to remove GM ingredients. According to EU law, all foods with any amount of GMOs or GMO ingredients must be labeled.
As of this writing, GM foods are banned in Germany, Ireland, Hungary, France, and Peru. Peru even went to the effort of passing a monumental 10-year ban on all GM foods — and this was despite previous governmental pressure to legalize GMOs.
The problem is, you have to know which foods to reject. That's not easy, since Monsanto has fought tooth and nail against labeling laws.
Which means our only answer is education.
Here's what you can do to protect yourself right now:
- Buy organic products whenever possible. Just keep in mind you're only guaranteed to be buying GMO-free if there's a label that says "100% USDA Organic." By definition, foods that carry this label must be free of all GM organisms.
- Don't eat processed foods. Most contain soy and corn products, and these are almost guaranteed to be heavy with GMOs.
- Use the Non-GMO Shopping Guide when deciding which brands and products to buy. I suggest you print it out and take it with you when you go to the store. If you have an iPhone, download the free app called "ShopNoGMO."
- Don't buy something simply because it has one of the following labels: natural, naturally made, naturally grown, all natural, or any derivative of those terms. The use of the word "natural" is not regulated and products with those labels often contain substantial amounts of GMOs.
- Avoid processed foods, and anything with maltodextrin, soy lecithin, and high fructose corn syrup. Also, avoid aspartame (NutraSweet) and Milk with rbGH.
- Avoid non-organic varieties of zucchini and crookneck squash, as well as papayas from Hawaii.
- Look at the PLU code on the produce stickers of the fruits and vegetables at the supermarket. Organic produce has five digits, starting with the number 9. Conventionally-grown produce has four digits, starting with the number 4. GM fruit has five numbers, starting with the number 8.
Push now for truth-in-labeling
I won't deny it's a nice idea to use science to fix the world's problems, especially when it comes to our food supply.But evidence against bioengineered food continues to mount, and if something isn't done soon there's a real risk these problems will only escalate. There's hope, at least. For starters, polls over the last 16 years show between 85% and 95% of Americans want mandatory labels on GMO foods.
And we're already seeing some progress. A bill was recently introduced in Vermont that would require food to be labeled as GM food whether it was made entirely or even partially with GMOs. The bill would also forbid use of the misleading slew of "natural" labels. In April of this year, the Vermont House Agriculture Committee voted in favor of the bill. They now await judiciary approval. California has a similar bill underway.
It's said that a Monsanto executive once remarked, "If you put a label on genetically engineered food you might as well put a skull and crossbones on it." To him, that means it would merely alarm people for no reason. To me, a skull and crossbones sounds like truth in labeling.
There's no question we need truth-in-labeling. And the only way to get it is by action at the grassroots level. One of the things you can do is put pressure on big supermarket chains and natural food retailers to implement their own labeling practices.
Personally, I look forward to the day when we can once again be sure of what we buy in the store. In the meantime, I urge you to take the steps listed above to protect yourself from the potential threats of GM food.
In our last issue, we discussed a cancer cure that has been over-hyped. If you missed that issue, please scroll down to read it now.
Should You Believe the Internet Rumors about This "Miracle Cancer Cure"?
Do you believe everything you read on the Internet? I hope not...For the past six years, a report has been circulating around the Internet that asparagus is the miracle cancer cure everyone's been looking for — supposedly based on a Cancer News Journal article that appeared in 1979.
This Internet report gives testimonies of people with cancer who were taking 2-4 tablespoons of asparagus puree twice daily to cure cancer.
So it's high time to sort fact from folklore...Continued below. . .
Why The Chinese Don't Get Sick Like We Do
Do you know that Chinese men and women often escape dreaded diseases that kill over 1.2 million Americans a year?4,000 years of traditional medicine and modern science now prove that many diseases Western medicine fails to treat could be cured by Chinese healing secrets.
Millions of Chinese men and women live by and believe in the powerful, yet safe healing remedies of Traditional Chinese Medicine to help them:
- Erase high blood pressure with an ancient stretching secret
- Cure rheumatoid arthritis with a "thunderous" herb -- 80% success rate
- Reduce an enlarged prostate with a proven, no-drug therapy—88% success rate
- Shrink cancerous tumors in breasts, lungs and livers with this medicinal plant
Click here to find out exactly how the
Chinese don't get sick like us...
The cancer-cure claims don't have published support in a respected journal, but there IS another side to this story…
A plethora of health benefits
The Egyptians, Greeks and Romans valued asparagus for its medicinal value in addition to enjoying it as a food. The second century physician Galen attributed cleansing and healing properties to asparagus.Asparagus can neutralize ammonia, protect small blood vessels, act as a diuretic… plus its fiber is a natural laxative.
Modern studies show the ancients were right to place high value on asparagus. By eating only a few calories you benefit from many nutrients. Let's take a closer look at why it's one of Nature's most perfect foods.
Nutrients galore!
The National Cancer Institute's The Glutathione Report names asparagus as the one food that tested highest in glutathione (GSH) — a phyto-chemical that's an antioxidant with cancer-fighting properties. Alternative health experts rate glutathione as one of the most valuable antioxidants. Your body makes its own glutathione, but less every year as you age, and it's not easy to find it in the form of food. Asparagus is also rich in cancer-blocking vitamins A (as beta-carotene) and C, as well as selenium. All three nutrients have been singled out in studies as fierce cancer fighters, which you probably knew, assuming you're not brand new to alternative health. There's more: Asparagus contains vitamin E, zinc and manganese, anti-inflammatory saponins, flavonoids, and inulin.What's inulin? It's a carbohydrate that supports digestion by encouraging the growth of the friendly bacteria Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli in your intestinal tract.
Asparagus is also an excellent source of the anti-inflammatory vitamin K… plus vitamin B1, B2 and B3, bone-building copper, and phosphorus.
It contains another B vitamin, folic acid. You can get 135 micrograms of folic acid — half your Recommended Daily Allowance or RDA — in just six spears of asparagus.
One cup of asparagus contains more than 11% of the RDA of dietary fiber and nearly 10% of the RDA of protein… serving to stabilize digestion, curb overeating, maintain proper blood sugar, and prevent constipation. All with just a 43-calorie hit.
Add in potassium, fiber, thiamin, vitamin B6, and rutin (a compound that strengthens capillary walls) — and you have one powerful health-promoting food.
Notice I said food — not supplement. I'll explain why that's important in a moment.
But it's the glutathione that probably spurred the Internet rumors of asparagus as the world's most amazing cancer cure.
The truth about glutathione, cancer,
and those Internet stories
Enter glutathione. It's a very special peptide molecule that's been dubbed the "Master Antioxidant" for its unique role in maintaining vitamins C and E in their active form. In other words, glutathione recharges other antioxidants and keeps them doing their job better and longer.Many longevity scientists believe your glutathione levels are a top predictor of how long you'll live. This stands to reason, when you consider the amazing role glutathione (GSH) plays in essential body processes.
You lose 8-12% of your GSH per decade —
Are YOU deficient?
Studies show that glutathione strengthens your T cells — which help modulate your immune system and attack pathogens, while protecting your tissues and controlling autoimmune responses. An overactive immune system can trigger allergies and autoimmune disease processes.2 Common allergies as well as serious problems like rheumatoid arthritis are autoimmune diseases — diseases in which the immune system attacks healthy tissue or harmless invaders like dust and pollen.
Glutathione guards against cellular toxins and helps eliminate carcinogens. It's constantly policing around your cells, seeking to stop disease, toxins, viruses, pollutants, radiation, drugs, and oxidative stress.
However, age has a negative impact on your GSH levels. Scientists estimate that after age 20 the average person's glutathione levels go down 8-12% per decade.And cellular dysfunction may occur following the loss of as little as 30% of your glutathione. So when your glutathione is deficient, toxins overload your liver and are stored in fat tissue, most often in your central nervous system, breasts, and prostate.
Many researchers attribute the spike in neurological disease and cancer to glutathione deficiencies. Environmental toxins, poor dietary habits, and pharmaceuticals can cause a rapid depletion of your glutathione levels.
Speaking of glutathione's role in cancer, Jeremy Appleton, ND, Chairman of Nutrition at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon and senior science editor of Healthnotes offered this…
"If you look in a hospital situation at people who have cancer, AIDS or other very serious disease, almost invariably they are depleted in glutathione. The reasons for this are not completely understood, but we do know that glutathione is extremely important for maintaining intracellular health."
Should you take a glutathione supplement?
People have tried glutathione for a host of conditions — including cancer, high blood pressure, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, cataracts, and male infertility.The question to ask is, "How effective is it as a supplement?"
And the answer is, "Not very."
Here's why…
In theory there may be a compelling argument in favor of GSH therapeutic use. But this nutrient is not very bioavailable whether taken as an oral supplement, nasal spray, or even intravenously. And the amount of research on GSH as a supplement is very limited.
As often happens, your best bet is to eat your glutathione in the form of whole foods like asparagus — with its other naturally occurring nutrients and precursors.
For optimal GSH production, you also need adequate vitamin D. Do you know your levels? Most people are woefully deficient, even in mid-summer, when daylight hours are at their peak and your skin can easily make vitamin D when you expose it to sunlight.
Optimal vitamin D levels should be between 60 and 100 ng/ml 3,4. The only way to know what your D levels are is to have them tested. It's best not to try to guess, especially when vitamin D is connected to so many health issues — including glutathione production.
You can and should consume glutathione/GSH precursors such as the amino acids glycine, glutamic acid, and cysteine. Your body can synthesize its own glutathione if you provide it with these building blocks.
Best food sources for these amino acids include avocados, onions, garlic, turmeric, spinach, and cruciferous veggies, although even these special foods are still low in critical amino acids. Why not combine them with asparagus for a one-two punch?
Other good precursors are high quality, non-denatured animal products like raw whey protein made from the milk of grass-fed cows, other cultured raw grass-fed dairy products, and raw organic eggs — which offer bioavailable amino acids and more cysteine than any other food source. But be sure these are raw, grass fed, and organic.
What scientific studies DO say
about asparagus and cancer
Here's what science currently suggests:
- We've known for some time that chronic inflammation and oxidative stress raise the risk for many types of cancer. So you could logically conclude that the anti-inflammatory nutrients in asparagus make it an excellent dietary choice for people trying to prevent inflammatory-related diseases like cancer.
- A study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association in 2010 showed that vitamin B6 combined with folate and methionine can reduce lung cancer risk by as much as two-thirds. Asparagus contains B vitamins and folate. You can get methionine from meat, poultry, fish, cottage cheese and yogurt, eggs, garlic and onions, lentils and beans, and sesame seeds.
- Researchers in Nanjing, China in 2009 identified a compound called Asparanin A in asparagus — and also discovered it arrests the growth of liver cancer cells and may even cause the death of those cells.
Healthy conclusions about asparagus
Since asparagus contains so many nutrients, it deserves a regular place in your healthy diet — along with other fruits and veggies. As already noted, it's best to get most of your nutrients from whole foods. Think of the meaning of the word supplement… and optimize your diet with increased fruits and vegetables today. Then let supplements be supplements.To top it off, asparagus is on Environmental Working Group's list of the "Clean 15" — fruits and vegetables that have the best pesticide scores, if you don't buy organic.
How to buy and prepare
Some asparagus are thick and some are thin. We recommend thick ones for roasting or steaming, thin ones for grilling or sautéing.To maximize your health value, eat asparagus raw.
Before eating or cooking, snap the woody stem off… it should self-select the right spot for you (much harder to find if you cut it with a knife).
Asparagus is easy to prepare. One of the easiest ways is to snap the bottom ends off, wash, put in a long baking pan, drizzle olive oil and your favorite seasonings on top — garlic or garlic powder, balsamic vinegar, lemon pepper or lemon zest, or Parmesan (not all of these at once!). Play around with it a little to find your personal favorite.
Why not get in on spring's favorite veggie and find out what it can do for your health? Kindest regards,
Lee Euler PublisherReferences from 1st article: "An exploratory analysis of the effect of pesticide exposure on the risk of spontaneous abortion in an Ontario farm population." T E Arbuckle, Z Lin, and L S Mery. Environ Health Perspect. 2001 August; 109(8): 851-857.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1240415/ "Banned in Germany, But You're Probably Still Eating It." Dr. Mercola, Jan 31, 2012.http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/01/31/monsanto-worst-company-of-2011.aspx?e_cid=20120131_DNL_art_1 "Glyphosate Formulations Induce Apoptosis and Necrosis in Human Umbilical, Embryonic, and Placental Cells." Nora Benachour and Gilles-Eric Se?ralini. Chem. Res. Toxicol., 2009, 22 (1), pp 97-105.http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/tx800218n "GMO Health Dangers." The Institute for Responsible Technology.http://www.responsibletechnology.org/ "Maternal and fetal exposure to pesticides associated to genetically modified foods in Eastern Townships of Quebec, Canada." Aris, A. and Leblanc, S. Reprod Toxicol. 2011 May;31(4):528-33. Epub 2011 Feb 18.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21338670 "Monsanto Declared Worst Company of 2011." Anthony Gucciardi and Mike Barrett, Natural Society. Dec 6, 2011.http://naturalsociety.com/monsanto-declared-worst-company-of-2011/ "Monsanto found guilty of polluting." David Teather, Monday, February 25, 2002, The Guardian.http://www.ethicalinvesting.com/monsanto/news/10074.htm "Monsanto Logs $126 Million Profit, Topping Expectations." By Reuters. Jan 5, 2012, The New York Times.http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/06/business/monsanto-logs-126-million-profit-topping-expectations.html?_r=2 "Monsanto spent $2 million lobbying gov't in 3Q." Bloomberg Businessweek.http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9RL51J81.htm "Monsanto to Face Biopiracy Charges in India." Dr. Mercola, January 31, 2012.http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/01/31/monsanto-to-face-biopiracy-charges-in-india.aspx?e_cid=20120131_DNL_art_2 "The GMO Emperor Has No Clothes: A Global Citizens Report on the State of GMOs." Vandana Shiva, et al.http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Environment/documents/2011/10/19/GMOEMPEROR.pdf "The House Agriculture Committee voted 9-1 in favor of H.722." Posted on April 20, 2012 by Robert Farnham.http://www.bobthegreenguy.com/the-house-agriculture-committee-voted-9-1-in-favor-of-h-722/ "The Impact of Dietary Organic and Transgenic Soy on the Reproductive System of Female Adult Rat." Flávia Bittencourt Brasi, et al. The Anatomical Record: Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology, Volume 292, Issue 4, pages 587-594, April 2009.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ar.20878/full "Warning -- GM Food Linked to Cancer." Dr. Mercola, March 8, 2007.http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/03/08/warning----gm-food-linked-to-cancer.aspx Footnotes from 2nd article:1http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=12 2http://www.naturalnews.com/033569_glutathione_antioxidants.html3http://www.naturalnews.com/033569_glutathione_antioxidants.html4http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2002/02/23/vitamin-d-deficiency-part-one.aspx
