Do GMOs harm health?

Interview with Dr. Peter Goldsbrough, Professor of Botany and Plant Pathology at Purdue University

Your Body and GMOs

GMOs are relatively new and, like anything new, there are conflicting viewpoints about many issues surrounding the use of these plants. One area that draws a lot of attention is whether these GMO plants and the foods that contain them are safe to eat. There is no data to indicate that consumption of GMOs is bad for human health.

How do we know? GMOs have undergone more detailed evaluation than any other group of plants that we consume. In almost all cases, GMOs differ from a conventional plant by the addition of just one or two genes that produce one or two new proteins. The origin and function of these proteins are well understood. For example, the proteins are studied to make sure they do not have any characteristics that are likely to cause allergic reactions. The National Academy for Science, the United States’ number one source for independent, objective advice to the nation on matters of science and technology, concluded that GMOs are safe for human health. The same conclusion has been reached by a large number of prestigious health and science organizations from around the world. In addition, over the two decades that GMOs have been on the market, there have been no occurrences of health issues due to genetically modified organisms.

As GMOs stand today, there are no health benefits to eating them over non-GMO foods. However, this may change in the future as technology develops and becomes more sophisticated.