Why I choose organically raised wheat

Wheat has come up in discussion recently in some conversations about diet, carbs, etc.   Although I limit the amount of carbs in my diet, I have not eliminated wheat from my diet.  BUT –  I have done my best to limit myself to organically raised wheat.

I do this for several reasons, but the main reason I want to focus on now is glyphosate.

Glyphosate is the primary active ingredient found in the herbicide Roundup from Monsanto.  You can do the research yourself and decide what you are willing to consume, but I made the choice to avoid foods raised with or deliberatly exposed to glyphosate – See more at: http://wp.me/p3m5tK-cI

Why mention glyphosate in a conversation about wheat?  Because it is one of the chemicals sometimes applied to wheat before harvest.  While there is not currently a “Roundup Ready” wheat on the market or approved for human consumption as of 2015, Roundup is used on wheat to get fields of wheat uniformly ready for harvest.  It does this by killing the wheat plant and causing the kernels to be at the same stage of readiness for harvest.

Golden wheat field with blue sky in background
Golden wheat field with blue sky in background

Which non-organic wheat is treated this way? Might glyphosate residue be in your flour?  Hard to know for sure, unless you using organic flour or products made from organic wheat.  Organic wheat cannot be raised with or treated with glyphosate.

Is it worth the risk?  Not to me – especially after reading in the Lancet Journal of Oncology that

“Glyphosate and glyphosate formulations induced DNA and chromosomal damage in mammals, and in human and animal cells in vitro”.  I’d prefer to play it safe and stick with organic foods – in this case organic wheat.
One last note – it’s interesting that some people find that their wheat sensitivity goes away when they use organic wheat.   Have you had this experience or do you know someone who has?  If so, I’d like to hear from you – use the form below to share your results.

 

One more reason to dislike GMO – it’s unsustainable

Read some of the previous posts if you want to know more about what GMO is, how it’s made, some of the GMO foods that are already (unlabeled) in the US food supply, and why you should be concerned about GMO products in our food supply.

If these haven’t given you reason enough to be concerned about silent addition of GMO foods to the US diet, my last post pointed out the effects that GMO crops are having on land and farming.  There is yet another reason to dislike and be concerned about GMO products.

GMO products are directly causing even greater harm to the environment and are pushing us further away from sustainable farming and responsible land use.   One of the unintended effects of the introduction of GMO products and the accompanying designer herbicides and pesticides the development of “superbugs” and “superweeds” that are requiring both increased use of toxic herbicides and pesticides, and the use of more potent versions of these chemicals on crops and farmland.

Over five years ago Scientific American reported on the appearance of herbicide resistant weeds that were showing up.  Since then, the problem has continued and even escalated.   According to a recent study released from Washington State University, “…the use of herbicides in the production of three genetically modified herbicide-tolerant crops – cotton, soybeans and corn – has actually increased.”  This runs against what most people would think and against what the GMO industry would like to you to believe.   While the idea of GMO crops has been sold to the public as a way to feed the world with fewer resources, while in fact this study has found quite the opposite.  According to this study “Resistant weeds have become a major problem for many farmers reliant on GE crops, and they are now driving up the volume of herbicide needed each year by about 25 percent….”  Similar reports have emerged from other studies as well.

So not only are farmers having to use more and stronger chemicals to battle the resistant weeds and pests, but they are utilizing more fossil fuels in the process (more frequent and heavier application) and of course the resultant effects on the land and in terms of runoff and contamination are greater than before.   Do your own research and you’ll find even more reasons to say no thank you to any GMO foods or ingredients in your food.

If you have questions or comments, please us the form below to contact me.  I’d love to hear from you!

Unhealthy food grown in unhealthy soil

Previous posts have looked at the definition, manufacture, and a renewed saftey concern with GMO food.

Aside from the innate questions about the safety about GMO foods, there is another concern you may want to consider:

What about pesticide or herbicide residue in the foods you eat?

Think about one specific example  –  the use of glyphosate – the active ingredient found in the herbicide Roundup from Monsanto.

This product is typically used in conjunction with Roundup Ready seed, but is sometimes used with conventiona seed as well.
Some of the Roundup Ready GMO crops currently in use in the US market include alfalfa, canola, corn, cotton, soybeans, and sugarbeets. The herbicide is sometimes applied to the soil prior to planting, timing and frequency of application depends upon the specific crop.  Depending upon the crop, it can even be used as close as three days before harvest.

The heart of this concern of mine is that I do not want to be eating food that was raised in soil that has had glyphosate applied to it, food that has been raised having glyphosate applied to it, or eat food that was raised on crops that have had glyphosate applied – perhaps even days before it was consumed as forage.   There are too many concerns in my mind about the effects of long term exposure to herbicide and pesticide residue in my food, and the effect that this has on food that I eat (animals raised on herbicide and pesticide treated crops).

In addition, serious concerns have been raised about the changes to soil resulting from the use of glyphosate.  Both soil biology (natural bacteria) and mineral content is being affected due to the chelating effects of glyphosate – locking up key minerals like iron, calcium, manganese, and zinc while at the same time having a negative effect on the natural occuring beneficial bacteria.  As a result both harmful soil bacteria rise in population and the root structure of plants is impacted in a harmful manner.

Keep in mind that we’ve only looked at one herbicide, and haven’t even touched on the subject of pesticides in this post

Make sure you read the next post on the residual effects of herbicides like Roundup on the environment and the effect on sustainable agriculture and initiatives.   If you have any questions or comments, please use the form below – I would love to hear from you.

Why should you be concerned about eating GMO sourced foods?

We’ve looked at what GMO foods are, and how they are made.

With an understanding in place of what GMO foods are and where they come from, its time to look at some concerns centered around the consumption of GMO foods or products that contain ingredients from GMO sources.  Why should you be concerned?

Based on the release of new studies, several concerns have been raised.   For example, a recent Reuters article referenced a French study done at the University of Caen that states that “Monsanto’s NK603 GM corn or exposed to its top-selling Roundup glyphosate weed killer were at higher risk of suffering tumors, multiple organ damage and premature death.”  One of the results of this particular study is a temporary ban by Russia on the import of NK603 corn.  If other countries are concerned about the safety of these engineered foods, isn’t it worth your time to stop and consider what all the fuss is about?  It’s your life and your body you are caring for.  Do your own research, there are other long term studies with the same findings that should at very least cause you to stop and consider if the potential risk is worth not stopping to question the safety of GMO foods,  or maybe giving them up altogether.

Remember – you only get one body; you have a right to know what you are putting in to it, and a responsibility to take care of it.

Food for thought – watch this video released by Nutiva encouraging labeling of foods containing ingredients from GMO sources. It is a quick look at GMO, GMO labeling worldwide, and an encouragement to Californians to vote for proposition 37 which would require the labeling of GMO foods. This has significance for the rest of the US as well, as it likely would result in the same labeling being used on many products throughout the rest of the country – allowing consumers to make an informed decision about the products they purchase.

 

Questions or comments?  I’d love to hear from you!  Leave a comment below: