Genetically modifying the seeds of staple crops like corn and soybeans has been increasing the yields of many farm factories across the country. This is despite the agricultural industry’s challenges in keeping sustainable farmlands amidst rapid urbanization.
While many are celebrating this feat in agricultural science, a lot of experts are extremely alarmed about the proven link between GMOs and autoimmune diseases, among many others.
Immune System vs. Healthy Cells
As you may already know, an autoimmune disease develops when your immune system fails to recognize the body’s healthy cells, and treats them as alien bodies instead.
As a result, the immune system attacks your healthy cells as if they need not exist in your body. This leads to an autoimmune disease, the type of which depends on the tissue damaged by the immune system.
Some of the known autoimmune diseases are rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, celiac disease, anemia, vitiligo, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes.
No Complete Cure Yet
The list of autoimmune diseases is quite long and up until know all of them have an available treatment but most of these only address the symptoms and do not cure the disease.
According to the National Institute of Health, there are about 23.5 million Americans who are suffering from different types of autoimmune diseases. Just imagine how many people in this country are continuously suffering from the illness without knowing when they will be completely relieved from it.
Cause of Autoimmune Diseases
What causes you to develop an autoimmune disease? According to an article written by Julie Roddick for Healthline.com and reviewed by Dr. Steven Kim, autoimmune diseases are caused by what are usually referred to as harmful invaders of the body like fungi, parasites, bacteria and viruses.
In general, these harmful invaders get into your system through the air, water, and the food you eat. Therefore, it ‘s hard not to discount GMOs from being a culprit to these life-changing physiological disorder.
In fact, a recent scientific study conducted in Norway, cited in Cornucopia.org, revealed animals who were fed with GMO foods did not only gain weight but also developed immune system disorders.
You can Tell Why
Medical studies conducted to link GMOs and autoimmune disease may not be as comprehensive and frequent as they should be, but it does not require a lot of laboratory experiments for a person to understand the adverse effects of GMOs to one’s health.
In the case of the autoimmune disease known as the celiac sprue disease, the linings in the small intestines are damaged because of the body developing antibodies against gluten.
While there has not been any genetically modified wheat been related to the gluten-related autoimmune diseases, the abnormal reaction of this sensitive part of the digestive system could be linked to the unnatural type of organism it processes from GMO foods.
Keep in mind that your small intestines are laced with healthy bacteria and organisms found in genetically-engineered foods may just alter the natural relationship between your healthy intestinal bacteria and immune system.
Sources:
- http://www.globalchange.umich.edu/globalchange2/current/workspace/sect008/s8g5/history.htm
- http://www.healthline.com/health/autoimmune-disorders#Overview1
- http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/2014/4/14.04.08.x.html
- http://www.cornucopia.org/2012/07/obesity-corn-gmos/
- http://responsibletechnology.org/glutenintroduction/
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