Cancer Risk: GMO and Link to Cancer

December 27, 2014

GMO and Link to Cancer

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death to a number of people. The disease is linked to lifestyle choices like wrong diet and lack of exercise. Other causes of cancer are infections, inheritance of cancer causing genes and chemicals such as carcinogens. Cancer affects your life and puts a stop to some aspects of it.

Everyday new cases of cancer emerge. Just like any other disease, cancer knows no age limits. People across all ages are at the risk of getting cancer. It ends up messing up the body functioning. Why is this so? Well, cancer affects the body cells. Cells are basically the building blocks of the body.

Cancer begins with a tumor. A tumor refers to a mass of tissue that is formed by an overgrowth of cells. Getting cancer depends on whether the tumor is malignant or not. Malignant tumors are basically cancerous while those that aren’t cancerous are referred to as benign tumors.

If left unchecked, cancer can end up being terminal. The good news is that cancer can be cured if it is detected early. Medical experts advocate for regular medical check-ups to ensure that your body is healthy. This allows the doctors to detect problems like cancer early and deal with it before it becomes severe.

GMO

Understanding cancer

As explained, cancer starts form a tumor. Cells end up dividing uncontrollably and this leads to development of tumors. These tumors affect the functioning of cells. This translates to entire body dysfunctioning.

There are over 100 types of cancers in the world. Over 1.4 million cases of cancer are reported every year. Cells are damaged and they lose their functioning. When this happens, the cells begin to divide uncontrollably forming masses of tissues.

In normal conditions cells grow and die. Old and worn out cells are replaced by new cells which are generated by the body. In the case of cancer, cells neither wear out nor die. Generation of new cells does not however stop. This clumping of cells in excess is what leads to emergent of the tissue masses we are calling tumors.

One fact about cancer that most people don’t comprehend is that cancer can end up affecting multiple body parts. This happens when cancerous tumors move from one part to another in a process called mitosis. For example, cancerous tumor from the stomach can end up spreading to the colon.

When cancer is detected, the patient is put under medication and therapies to prevent the cancer from spreading. Some treatments of cancer include chemotherapy, radiation therapy and immune therapy among others.

What are GMO?

The term refers to either animals or plants that have been genetically altered. They are created by inserting genes from one organism to another to alter its genetic composition. The organisms are mostly modified to improve the quality of genes in them. Genetically modified plants become resistant to disease and pesticides. They also become resistant to droughts and are able to survive worse drought conditions they never would have surpassed if not modified.

Genetically Modified Organisms have been linked to cancer. Their contribution to causing cancer cannot be overlooked. Many countries today are banning the use of GMO the latest being Russia. Today basically almost every food is genetically modified.

Genetically modified plants grow faster that organic ones. They are a solution to the starving population for most governments. But is it worth the risk? Are GMO really as safe as we are made to believe? The truth is that GMO are unhealthy compared to organic food.

Most of the foods that find their way into our diets are in one way or another genetically modified. Corn and soy are the known modified crops. Therefore avoid eating anything that is made from soy lecithin or corn syrup.

Most animals like chicken, cows and pigs are fed from these genetically modified crops like corm. Therefore GMO ends up finding its way to you through their meat. Always opt for animals you know are grass fed, like those raised in farms.

Organic foods on the other hand are safe and are made from non GMO seeds. Always read the label of cans when purchasing food. Go for foods which are labeled GMO- free as this means that they are not made from any genetically modified organisms.

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How GMO can cause cancer

The most common cancer linked to GMO is breast cancer. When GMO are made, the genetic composition of the original plant is altered by inserting genes from another plan. This alters the DNA of the original plant.

Studies show that when DNA is altered it increases a person’s risk of getting cancer. This is because the genetic substances in GMO end up altering the DNA of humans. This alters normal body functioning.

When this happens, a person is at risk getting cancerous tumors. The cells are affected by this DNA modification and due to this they end up functioning abnormally and this is what can lead to cancer.

To find out more about GMO and cancer risks join the AwareMed community. Dr. Dalal Akoury will provide more facts about cancer and how you can avoid it. Contact her for more health and awareness tips.

Cancer Risk: GMO and Link to Cancer

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GMO foods and Your Health. What is a GMO foods?

October 19, 2013

Dr. Dalal Akoury

Your Health and GMO foods. What is a GMO foods?

Here at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, we believe that people should be as healthy as they can possibly be! But sometimes we don’t know the right foods to eat, and which to avoid. Thats why we’re here to help you understand what GMOs are and why they should be avoided. Please feel free to email us if you have any other questions. Dr. Dalal Akoury

A GMO is the DNA of an organism that has been altered in an unnatural way. It is also known as “modern biotechnology” or “gene technology”. These organisms are used to create a genetically modified plant, which is then used to grow food crops.

This is a controversial topic and it has many views on its advantages and disadvantages:

Your Health and GMO foods. What is a GMO foods?

Advantages:

– It has been tested many times, there are numerous studies that have traced the effects of GMOs foods on animals. Most of these studies have shown that GMO Foods are safe and not harmful to consume.

– It is easier for farming. GMO Foods allow plants/crops to be altered to grow in environments that usually would not be sustainable for normal plants to grow.

– It can be grown in larger quantities, so this makes the price of food lower. If the farming doesn’t take that much work then that means there is more of it. This will lead to food that isn’t as expensive, which will make food more attainable and accessible for people of all income statuses.

Disadvantages:

– It can affect human health. Most of the studies that have been performed are on animals, rather than humans. The danger is that we do not know the long term affects that it has on humans, since it has never been measured before. Many scientists are not sure if these GMO Foods will cause: exposure to allergens, antibiotic resistance, endocrine disruption, reproductive disorders and accelerated aging.

– The FDA treats GMO Foods the same way that they treat regularly grown crops or plants. There is not much testing required for these crops or plants to sell. They also do not have to be educationally or nutritionally labeled, which affects the consumer because they are not completely sure what they are eating and how it will affect their body.

– There is a controversial problem on ethics. The issue is that many people feel is unethical. They think it is against the law of nature and not in the normal cycle of life to do this. Some religions are also strongly against GMO Foods for this reason; they think it is against God’s doings.

– Most countries do not think GMOs are safe. There are almost 50 countries that have major restrictions or have banned, producing and selling GMOs. The United States is one of the countries that still approve GMO Foods.

– They can affect our environment! Almost all of the GMOs that are harvested are resistant to herbicides. The use of toxic herbicides has increased 15 times since GMO Foods were introduced. These plants and crops have also produced what people now call, “super weeds” and “super bugs”. These have to be killed with even more toxic poisons than normal.

Dr. Dalal Akoury and the team of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center explain: Some people want to completely avoid GMO Foods, what is the best way to do it?

Buying organic food! There are absolutely no GMOs involved when buying organic food. There is an actual certification saying that they are not manipulated in any form.

AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center team and Dr. Dalal Akoury describe: The main foods that are most likely to contain

Corn: is known as a highly modified food. Almost half of the corn grown in the United States is genetically modified. Some researchers believe that this corn can lead to several health problems, including weight gain and organ failure.

Soy: It is estimated that 89% of soy is genetically modified. This crop can be found in tofu, different vegetarian products, and soybean oil. It is also modified to resist herbicides.

Sugar Beets: Some studies have shown that the United States carries genetically-modified sugar beets. They also have resistance to herbicides.

Aspartame: is found in diet soda, chewing gum, yogurts, cereals and many artificial sweeteners. It is found that aspartame is made with genetically modified bacteria.

Papayas: Most of the genetically modified papayas are from Hawaii, and the United States and Canada consume most it.

Canola: is also one of the main modified foods that is consumed in the United States. Canola oil is found through a series of modifying chemical actions.

Cotton: It is estimated that 83% of cotton contains GMOs. And has been to led to believe that it has serious health risks.

Dairy Products: Most dairy products contain growth hormones because many cows are injected with hormones. Organic milk is the best way to go if you want to drink it.

Zucchini and Yellow Squash: Small amounts of these vegetables are led to believe that they are modified to resist viruses.

What are some other foods that contain GMO’s? Explains Dr. Dalal Akoury

Your Health and GMO. What is a GMO?

Veggie sausages
Tortilla chips
Most processed foods
High fructose corn syrup
Meatballs and burgers
Alfalfa
Cornbread mix and corn meal
Any type of protein drinks or powders that are soy-based
Cotton-seed oil

How do I avoid GMO’s completely?

Dr. Dalal Akoury discusses the best solutions for health and Wellness? Select organic foods or start gardening for yourself! You can also try to modify your diet. For example, instead of using canola, soy or corn oil, you can switch them to use olive oil or safflower oil since these are less likely to contain genetic modifications. You should also try to cook healthy foods at home rather than going out to eat and having processed foods that are high in trans-fat.