June 2013
GM-free Scotland has previously raised
concerns about the effects of GM crops and their associated chemicals
on the health of the digestive system, in particular, its vast and
vital microflora.
For example, in response to Professor
Séralini's
evidence of harm from eating 'NK603' GM maize and the 'Roundup'
herbicide it accumulates [1], we noted that animals eating this maize
will
“also be eating Roundup, which is known to be toxic to bacteria at very low levels. The net result can only be a change in gut microbe composition: some will be killed by the Roundup, other may thrive on elements in the transgenic maize, other might not like the NK603 at all, some will disappear because their vital companions are no longer there, and many will multiply due to the absence of the bugs which kept them in check.” [2]
A new study has been published which
gives a perfect, concrete example of these suggested dangers.
Over the last 10-15 years, coinciding with the use of GM feed and its load of glyphosate (active ingredient of Roundup), German cattle have been suffering increased incidence of botulism-associated diseases. The bacteria which cause botulism produce a neurotoxin which can cause crippling debilitation, severe behavioural disturbances and sudden death.
In a healthy animal, gut colonisation
by botulism-inducing bacteria can be prevented by the presence of
'good' bugs which generate substances to keep the bad bugs in check.
Glyphosate or Roundup residues in GM
feed can change all that.
Glyphosate destroys weeds by
inactivating a key cellular enzyme needed to create the building
blocks of some proteins. This enzyme isn't present in animal cells,
so there's nothing to inactivate there (hence the glyphosate
safe-as-salt myth [3]), it is
however a vital part of the metabolism in certain bacteria.
As a result,
glyphosate can selectively knock out specific classes of microbes in
the gut.
Worse, this latest
research has shown that, in cattle, the bacteria harmed by glyphosate
include many important 'good' bugs. And with the 'good' bugs gone,
the 'bad', bugs are free to thrive.
The authors
conclude that glyphosate could be a significant predisposing factor
in the current increase in botulism-related disease in cattle.
They also point out
that, if residue levels were high enough in food and/or water, the
daily glyphosate intake accompanied by its daily attack on 'good'
bugs, could be hazardous to human health too.
OUR COMMENT
Glyphosate in our
food and water may alter our gut microflora so as to predispose us to
gastro-intestinal infections plus gut inflammation and associated
nutritional disturbances. And these are only the first stage of the
problem. Knock-on long-term health effects on the whole immune
system, the nervous system, endocrine function and reproduction are
not only possible but probable.
Glyphosate
is no longer a lone player. The latest herbicide-tolerant GM crops
being prepared for market have been designed for use with three
different weed-killers. Your gut flora will, no doubt, be altered by
all three.
Does this give you
a gut-feeling that eating 100% organic food might be quite a healthy
option?
Background reading:
[1] GM MAIZE IS NOT SAFE TO EAT - October 2012
[2] WHAT HAPPENS IN YOUR GUT WHEN YOU EAT UNSAFE GM MAIZE - October 2012
[3] GLYPHOSATE - SAFE AS SALT? - GMFS Archive - February 2009
SOURCE:
- Monika Krüger et al., 2013, Glyphosate suppresses the antagonistic effect of Enterococcus spp. on Clostridium botulinum, Anaerobe 20
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