How GMOs are Ruining your Life

Autumn Gardner-Larson

Northwest Career and Technical Academy

English 12 Period 3

Ms. Acosta

November 29, 2021

 Abstract

This essay is explaining how GMOs can affect the environment, your health and even

your children's health! This essay goes into depth of the facts and statistics of each topic. The

first paragraph is where the thesis statement and 3 claims are. In the first paragraph, there is

evidence on how GMOs affect children negatively. 2 sources are provided and their tag as well.

In the second paragraph, it talks about how GMOS causes many diseases. Some examples of the

disease are celiac disease, these can stem from GMOS. In the third paragraph, it talks about how

GMOs affect the environment negatively. They make new seeds and even destroy insects'

habitats. Then there is a counter argument paragraph, it talks about the other half of GMOs, the

good half. This is where evidence for the other side is presented and it has evidence that backs it

up. Then there is the conclusion that has a call to action and how people can help fix their health

in the long run.

 At least 200,000 people die every year from GMOs. You probably have heard about

GMOs, the information you have heard might have only been the good things. In reality, GMOs

have a dark side and could be ruining your life. People may not realize that, people haven't

started getting really big diseases until GMOs popped up. In fact, GMOs are banned in 19

countries, so why not in the U.S.? Although some may say that GMOs are healthy and good,

GMOs are actually horrible because they affect children negatively, affect human health and

affect our environment. GMOs may be the most evil thing in the world.

To start off, GMOs affect children in many ways. In the article, ¨GMO Foods And

Children: Potential Health Risks You Need To Know,¨ it states that since children are growing,

the GMO’s effects can occur rapidly in their bodies. Since GMOs trigger allergic reactions, this

affects children because they are prone to allergic reactions. Milk is one of the most enjoyable

drinks for kids, but it is also one of the drinks with the most GMO’s in it. This makes a concern

of more kids getting sick, that may even lead them to the hospital. For example, in the

documentary ¨Food Inc,¨ it displayed a story of a young boy passing away from e.coli from a

hamburger. Children's stomachs are twice as sensitive, so the diseases that come along with

GMOs will affect them harder. Also, their kidneys and intestines are much more sensitive so they

are able to contract diseases much faster.

Next, GMOs are very likely to be the leading cause in diseases. For example, in the

article ¨GMO Foods cause Gut Damage,¨ it states that one of the chemicals in GMOs is called

Glyphosate and this chemical disturbs your intestines. GMOs are known to cause irritable bowel

syndrome, celiac disease, leaky guts and chronic constipation. Also, people have been eating

wheat for years, but then there's an all of a sudden increase in celiac disease? GMOs also

increase antibiotic resistance, which is horrible! This is when bacteria/fungi are able to pass
through the drugs that are meant to kill the bacteria. So doing this, the bacteria is able to reach

you faster, causing you to get sick. As proven in the documentary, ¨Food Inc,¨ it also proved

e.coli can come from GMOs. GMOs affect the digestive enzymes and will lead to impaired

digestion. The more pesticides you spray on foods, the more pesticides you'll need in the future.

In the article, ``GMO Crops Don't Harm Human Health, Report Says,'' it states that the bugs

improve their ability to bypass the pesticides. So, the foods are having more pesticides sprayed

on them. Pesticides can harm human health by giving people short term health problems such as

rashes, diarrhea, blisters, stinging eyes, nausea and dizziness.

Unfortunately, GMOs have a negative impact on some parts of the environment. For

example, in the article, ¨The Buzz about Cross-Pollination,¨ it states that cross pollination may

occur, this will lead the non-GMOs plants and GMO plants to mix causing a mess. This causes

the bugs that use the flowers for food to die. When they eat something with so much chemicals

in it, they pass away. The food that is genetically modified may kill off important insects in the

ecosystem. Without those insects in the environment the ecosystem may not be able to function.

Certain small animals may not have the small bugs to eat leading them to die. Then the animals

that would usually eat the small animals don't have any food. GMOs can also destroy animal

habitats. For example, in the article ¨Environmental Impacts¨ it states that in North America, the

monarch butterfly's habitat is mostly destroyed. It also increases the production of weeds. Weeds

can be harmful to other plants. In fact, 37 species of weeds are tolerant to a chemical in GMOs,

causing them to continue to grow.

On the other hand, GMOs may be helpful for the environment. However, benefiting the

environment still doesn’t take away from the harm it does to humans. According to the article,

¨The Environmental Benefits of GMOs,¨ it says that GMOs allowed farmers to use 59.7 million
less acres of land. This is an amazing statistic because then that means they are cutting down less

trees. This allows for deforestation to slow down and for animal habitats to stay intact. Without

GMOs, farmers would have to plant 59.8 million acres of crops, the GMO seed allows farmers to

plant less. GMOs are in the process of becoming more healthier. For instance, in the article,

¨GMO 2.0: genetically modified foods with added health benefits.¨ It explains how a company

called ¨Plenish Oils,¨ that produces soybeans will have a healthier GMO component that

produces healthier oil, without trans fats.

In conclusion, GMOs aren't as good as they are made up to be. There are many dangerous

and destroying factors that come with GMOS. It's important to understand the cons and how it

may affect your everyday life. A way to save your health from GMOs is switching over to

buying organic. Yes, it's more expensive but it may save your life. You can also look for

gluten-free, all natural ingredients, using enzyme supplements to clean out your system and

looking for the label of the USDA! This label guarantees non-GMO. Making a lifestyle change

may take money and time but it will benefit you, your children and the environment in the long

run.
 References

Are GMOs Creating Leaky Guts?, The Care Group PC. (2020, July 17). Retrieved from

https://www.thecaregrouppc.com/are-gmos-creating-leaky-guts-2/

Environmental Impacts. (2019, June 18). Retrieved from

https://cban.ca/gmos/issues/environmental-impacts/#:~:text=Biodiversity Loss: The use

of,monarch butterfly in North America

“GMO 2.0: Genetically Modified Foods with Added Health Benefits.” Google Docs, Google,

docs.google.com/document/d/1ajGngd3LzLtxirHXW19pbD2SAErQLv5fyUY1mFhgs44/e

dit.

“GMO Crops Don't Harm Human Health, Report Says (TIME).” Google Docs, Google,

docs.google.com/document/d/1cRSZVV_-MexZK90GBOAbs6ybrcVFktlxYI19OlhlWHc/

edit#.

GMO Foods And Children: Potential Health Risks You Need To Know. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://beenke.com/health-relationship/gmo-foods-children-potential-health-risks-need-to-

know/

Group Founder, W. B. (2016, June 08). GMO Foods Cause Gut Damage. Retrieved from

https://explore.globalhealing.com/gmo-foods-cause-gut-damage-2/

Linda March 10th, et al. “The Buzz about Cross-Pollination: Living Non-GMO : The Non-GMO

Project.” GMO, 26 May 2020,

livingnongmo.org/2017/10/10/the-buzz-about-cross-pollination/

What You Need to Know About GMOs and Your Family's Diet. (2016, October 20). Retrieved

from
https://www.chla.org/blog/rn-remedies/what-you-need-know-about-gmos-and-your-family

-s-diet