New study on GM corn

A recent study published in the International Journal of Biological Sciences, showed that three GM corn varieties may have serious health effects. Monsanto corn NK 603, MON 810, and MON 863 were fed to rats for 90 days--the longest in vivo test performed with mammals for GMOs. The analysis showed that the rats suffered effects on the kidney, liver, heart, adrenal glands, spleen and haematopoietic system (I think that is blood). See the complete study here.

The scary part is that those products are approved for consumption in the US . . . genetically modified foods need to be tested BEFORE they are approved by the FDA. And these products should be banned, until further studies are done.

Healthy Meals on a Budget

It doesn't have to be expensive to eat healthy and organic. Look for fresh fruit and vegetables at your farmers' market and buy whole grains like brown rice in bulk. One of the staples in our house are beans. Not only are they inexpensive, but they are full of protein, fiber, minerals--plus they are filling and satisfying, especially when the weather is cold.

Check out this article I wrote for VegFamily magazine--there are several of my favorite recipes as well.

And here's another article I found recently.

Organic really is healthier

A new study done by the University of Aix-Marseille for the French food agency (AFSSA) and published in the journal Agronomy for Sustainable Development shows that organic foods are nutritionally superior to conventionally-grown versions. According to the study, organic produce contains more minerals and higher levels of antioxidants. Animal foods produced organically contained significantly more polyunsaturated fat than non-organic animal products. In addition, organic vegetables contained 50 percent less nitrates than non-organic produce. No more than 6 percent of organic produce tested contained pesticide residue. For more information, check out this article.

Indian Scientists Calling for a Moratorium on GM Foods

Noted Indian scientist P.M. Bhargava is calling for a moratorium of at least eight years on genetically modified (GM) food products in India. He says independent testing needs to be done before any GM product should be considered for approval. In fact, he totally blasted the report that was used to get GM foods approved in India in the first place, calling it "ludicrous" and saying it was "full of lies and absurdities." It will be interesting to see if India is able to stand up against Monsanto and ban GM products.

Check out this article in The Hindu for more information.