GM-Soy: Destroy the Earth and Humans for Profit

Wednesday, May 27, 2009 by: Dr. Gregory Damato, Ph.D., citizen
journalist

(NaturalNews) Genetically modified (GM) soy accounts for 91 percent of
soybeans planted in the US and is rapidly growing throughout the world
[1]. The dangerous biotech created science behind the introduction of
GMOs (genetically modified organisms) is rapidly mounting and can no
longer be ignored by scientists or the public. The biotech propaganda of
increasing crop yield and ending world hunger have been proven false,
and attempts to skew the simple fact that the sole reasoning for the
mass introduction of untested, toxic and dangerous GMOs into our plants,
soil, animals and genes is to increase profits at any expense for the
large multinational biotech companies.

Transgenic or GM soy is created by haphazardly blasting a gene into the
soybean that allows the bean to be resistant to the cytotoxic effects of
Roundup (glyphosate). Farmers are able to dose their entire soybean
fields with glyphosate and only kill the weeds. But, wouldn’t it make
sense that if something kills anything (including weeds) it also would
be killing human cells? Also, what health effects are evident from
consuming soybeans which have been genetically altered with a promoter
virus to ensure the gene slips past the immune system of the plant?

Monsanto created Roundup in the 1970’s to kill weeds and has since
catapulted this product to be the world’s number one selling herbicide.
Before the patent on Roundup was set to expire in 2000, Monsanto needed
a surefire way to keep the profits of Roundup from bottoming out.
Monsanto quickly began purchasing the majority of the world’s seed
companies while simultaneously creating GMOs that farmers needed to sign
contractual agreements to only use Roundup. Subsequently, revenue from
Roundup never dropped and in fact topped more than $4 billion in 2008,
up 59% from 2007 [2].

GM-soy is estimated to be present in up to 70% of all food products
found in US supermarkets, including cereals, breads, soymilk, pasta and
most meat (as animals are fed GM-soy feed). Although Monsanto has
consistently relied on industry-funded data to declare the safety of
GM-soy and glyphosate, objective research published in peer-reviewed
journals tells another story.

Toxicity of Glyphosate A recently published study by Italian researchers
[3] examined the toxicity of four popular glyphosate based herbicide
formulations on human placental cells, kidney cells, embryonic cells and
neonate umbilical cord cells and surprisingly found total cell death of
each of these cells within 24 hours. The researchers reported several
mechanisms by which the herbicides caused the cells to die including:
cell membrane rupture and damage, mitochondrial damage and cell
asphyxia. Following these findings, the researchers tested G, AMPA and
POEA by themselves and concluded that, “It is very clear that if G,
POEA, or AMPA has a small toxic effect on embryonic cells alone at low
levels, the combination of two of them at the same final concentration
is significantly deleterious”.

Although previous researchers have proposed that the supposed “inert
ingredients” alter the role of cell membrane disruptors in fish,
amphibians, microorganisms [4] and plants [5], independent of G, this
study is the first of its kind to report similar findings in human
cells. The researchers concluded that, “the proprietary mixtures
available on the market could cause cell damage and even death around
residual levels to be expected, especially in food and feed derived from
R [Roundup] formulation-treated crops” which are pervasive in GM-soya.

Furthermore, a recent study presently being prepared for publication by
embryologists and biologists in Argentina found that glyphosate induced
malformations in amphibian embryos [6]. Reduced head size, genetic
alterations in the central nervous system, an increase in the death of
cells that help form the skull, and deformed cartilage were effects that
were repeatedly found in the laboratory experiments, said lead
researcher, Carrasco. Carrasco explained that in the first phase of the
experiment, amphibian embryos were submerged in a solution of herbicide
diluted in water in a proportion that was 1,500 times weaker than that
used today on genetically modified soybeans. The embryos subsequently
suffered head deformations. In the second stage, embryonic cells were
injected with glyphosate diluted with water, alone. The deleterious
impact was multiplied, showing that the active ingredient accounts for
the toxicity, rather than the additives, Carrasco said.

“One should be able to suppose, with certainty, that the same thing that
happens to amphibian embryos can happen to humans,” said Carrasco, whose
team of specialists in biology, biochemistry and genetics has been
working on the study for 15 months. The researchers concluded that, “It
is clear that glyphosate is not innocuous and that it does not degrade
or break down, but accumulates in cells”.

Dangers of GM-Soy In addition to the toxicity of glyphosate, several
animal studies have found several health issues directly related to the
consumption of GM-soybean. Rabbits fed GM-soy were found to have altered
enzymatic activity in their livers as well as a higher metabolic
activity [7]. Microscopic analyses of the livers of mice fed Roundup
Ready soybeans revealed altered gene expression and structural and
functional changes [8]. Much of these changes reversed after the mice
diet was switched to non-GM soy, indicating that GM soy was the culprit.

Molecular geneticist Michael Antoniou, Ph.D., described that the
findings “are not random and must reflect some ‘insult’ on the liver by
the GM soy.” Antoniou, who does human gene therapy research in King’s
College London, said that although the long-term consequences of the GM
soy diet are not known, it “could lead to liver damage and consequently
general toxemia” [9].

A study presented in December of 2005 by Dr. Ermakova found that rats
fed a GM-soy flour diet had 56 percent of their offspring die at birth
compared to only 8 percent in the control group [10]. Ermakova (2005)
also reported that, “From the data it is evident, that 36% of the pups
from the GM soya group weighed less than 20 g, in comparison with the 6%
in the positive control group, and with the 6.7% found in the
traditional soya supplemented diet group. Study of pups’ organs mass
showed that the organs of small pups from GM group were tiny in
comparison with the same of other groups except the brain mass. This
fact indicated that the pups from the GM group were the same age as
others, but changes were occurred with the development of internal
organs” [10]. Furthermore, Ermakova found that the male rats who were
fed GM soy had their testicles change color from normal pink to dark
blue.

Researchers also found that the cells in the pancreatic cells of mice
fed Roundup Ready soy had profound changes and produced significantly
less digestive enzymes [11]. Furthermore, mice fed GM soy were found to
have altered young sperm [12] and even the embryos of GM fed parent mice
had significant changes in their DNA [13]. Clearly, GMOs are either an
arrogant blend of controlling life through food or an insidious plot for
population control.

References 1. GMO Compass. USA: Cultivations of GM plants in 2007. 2008
[cited May 21, 2009]; Available from:
http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/agri… 2. Niles, M. Monsanto targets
public radio to spread false biotech messages. Online at:
http://www.grist.org/article/nation… Accessed: May 18, 2009. 3.
Benachour, N., Seralini, G.E. Glyphosate formulations induce apoptosis
and necrosis in human umbilical, embryonic, and placental cells.
Chemical Research in Toxicology, 2009. 22: p. 97-105. 4. Cox, C. &
Surgan, M. Unidentified inert ingredients in pesticides: Implications
for human and environmental health. Environmental Health Perspectives,
2006. 114: p. 1803-1806. 5. Haefs, R., et al., Studies on a new group of
biodegradable surfactants for glyphosate. Pesticide Management in
Science, 2006. 58: p. 825-833. 6. Valente, M. Scientists reveal effects
of glyphosate. Inter Press Service News Agency. Online at:
http://www.ipsnews.org/text/news.as… 7. R. Tudisco, R., Lombardi, P.,
Bovera, F., d’Angelo, D., Cutrignelli, M. I., Mastellone, V., Terzi, V.,
Avallone, L., Infascelli, F. “Genetically Modified Soya Bean in Rabbit
Feeding: Detection of DNA Fragments and Evaluation of Metabolic Effects
by Enzymatic Analysis,” Animal Science 82 (2006): 193-199. 8. Malatesta,
M., et al., Ultrastructural Morphometrical and Immunocytochemical
Analyses of Hepatocyte Nuclei from Mice Fed on Genetically Modified
Soybean. Cell Struct Funct, 2002. 27: p. 173-180. 9. Kohli, A., et al.,
Molecular characterization of transforming plasmid rearrangements in
transgenic rice reveals a recombination hot spot in the CaMV 35S
promoter and confirms the predominance of microhomology mediated
recombination. Plant Journal, 1999. 17: p. 591-601. 10. Ermakova, I.
Influence of genetically modified soya on the birth-weight and survival
of rat pups. Presentation at Epigenetics, Transgenic Plants & Risk
Assessment, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, December 1, 2005. 11.Vaden, V.S.
and U. Melcher, Recombination sites in cauliflower mosaic virus DNAs:
Implications for mechanisms of recombination. Virology, 1990. 177: p.
717-726. 12. L. Vecchio, et al, “Ultrastructural Analysis of Testes from
Mice Fed on Genetically Modified Soybean,” European Journal
ofHistochemistry 48, no. 4 (Oct-Dec 2004): 449-454. 13.Oliveri et al.,
“Temporary Depression of Transcription in Mouse Pre-implantion Embryos
from Mice Fed on Genetically Modified Soybean,” 48th Symposium of the
Society for Histochemistry, Lake Maggiore (Italy), September 7-10, 2006.