For related articles and more information, please visit OCA’s Genetic Engineering page and our Millions Against Monsanto page.

 
GMOs Linked to Gluten-Related Disorders

Do you or a loved one suffer from gluten sensitivity? You may be wondering why you react to gluten now even though you never did in the past. You may be wondering why a gluten-free diet has helped, but has not completely resolved your symptoms. If you are on a quest to find all of the pieces to the gluten puzzle, the following information is for you. In a report released today by the Institute for Responsible Technology, a team of experts proposes a possible link between genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and gluten-related disorders. The analysis is based on Dept. of Agriculture data, Environmental Protection Act records, medical journal reviews, and international research.

The full 24-page report, a press release, and a recorded interview can all be found at glutenandgmos.com. An article summarizing the findings of this report is presented below:

Can Genetically Engineered Foods Trigger Gluten Sensitivity?

Gluten sensitivity is currently estimated to affect as many as 18 million Americans. Reactions to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley, are becoming increasingly common. 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. Genetics alone cannot explain the rapid rise in gluten-related disorders, and experts believe that there must be an environmental trigger. There continues to be much debate about what that environmental trigger may be.

Some assert that a higher gluten content of modern wheat is to blame for the rising prevalence of gluten-related disorders. But a 2013 review of data commissioned by the United States Department of Agriculture found no evidence to support this. Others blame increased consumption of wheat overall, age of wheat introduction, cesarean birth, breastfeeding duration, or alterations in intestinal microflora. All of these do offer some explanation, but they cannot completely account for the drastic increase in gluten sensitivities that we have seen in recent years.

Another possible environmental trigger may be the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to the American food supply, which occurred in the mid-1990s. GMOs are created by a laboratory process that transfers genetic material into the DNA of an organism There are nine genetically modified (GM) food crops currently on the market: soy, corn, cotton (oil), canola (oil), sugar from sugar beets, zucchini, yellow squash, Hawaiian papaya, and alfalfa. Notice that wheat is
not one of these. Although wheat has been hybridized through natural breeding techniques over the years, it is
not in fact a GMO.