Genetically modified foods such as soy and corn may be responsible for a number of gluten-related maladies including intestinal disorders now plaguing 18 million Americans, according to a new report released on Tuesday.
The report was released by the Institute for Responsible Technology (IRT), and cites authoritative data from the US Department of Agriculture, US Environmental Protection Agency records, medical journal reviews as well as international research.
“Gluten sensitivity can range in severity from mild
discomfort, such as gas and bloating, to celiac disease, a
serious autoimmune condition that can, if undiagnosed, result in
a 4-fold increase in death,” said Jeffrey M. Smith,
executive director of IRT in a statement released on their
website.
Smith cited how a “possible environmental trigger may be the
introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to the
American food supply, which occurred in the mid-1990s,”
describing the nine GM crops currently on the market.
In soy, corn, cotton (oil), canola (oil), sugar from sugar beets,
zucchini, yellow squash, Hawaiian papaya, and alfalfa,
“Bt-toxin, glyphosate, and other components of GMOs, are
linked to five conditions that may either initiate or exacerbate
gluten-related disorders,” according to Smith.
It’s the BT-toxin in genetically modified foods which kills
insects by “puncturing holes in their cells.” The toxin is
present in ‘every kernel’ of Bt-corn and survives human
digestion, with a 2012 study confirming that it punctures holes
in human cells as well.
The GMO-related damage was linked to five different areas:
Intestinal permeability, imbalanced gut bacteria, immune
activation and allergic response, impaired digestion, and damage
to the intestinal wall.
The IRT release also indicated that glyphosate, a weed killer
sold under the brand name ‘Roundup’ was also found to have a
negative effect on intestinal bacteria. GMO crops contain high
levels of the toxin at harvest.
“Even with minimal exposure, glyphosate can significantly
reduce the population of beneficial gut bacteria and promote the
overgrowth of harmful strains,” the report found.
Dr. Tom O’Bryan, internationally recognized expert on gluten
sensitivity and Celiac Disease, says that “the
introduction of GMOs is highly suspect as a candidate to explain
the rapid rise in gluten-related disorders over the last 17
years.”
Internist, Emily Linder, offered some backup for the report’s
findings. She removed GMO from her patients’ diets, finding that
recovery from intestinal diseases was faster and more complete.
“I believe that GMOs in our diet contribute to the rise in
gluten-sensitivity in the US population,” Linder said in the
release.