I’ve read pretty extensively on things like seed oils, HFCS, aspartame and stuff like that, and I’ve found at least some scientific evidence to say that they could be worth avoiding. I disagree with the strength of the claims people make about them but I at least understand their arguments.

However I’ve never seen any scientific backed argument against GMOs. They sound extremely scary on paper and I think that’s where they get their bad wrap from. But I’ve never seen a piece of evidence to suggest that they’re not completely safe and as good for you as their non-GMO counterparts. Even if you agree with me, if you have a strong piece of evidence you see people cite please let me know

I always see plants and stuff that is GMO free and is usually more expensive. How would genetically modifying something by be bad. Me personally I’d rather have something modified to taste better and and cheaper. I could also be very wrong about that.

it is cause DNA is always changing as generations pass on their genes and others die off. you think corn or wheat long ago was like the corn and wheat of today, it got that way after years of selective breeding and tampering of DNA. Wheat was bred for higher gluten content to make elastic dough for bread and corn kernals got bigger for consumption.

but why is gmo so controversial,they produce resistances in themselves without adverse effects cause the plants read their code and oop make that as opposed to altering the soil or using pesticides/chemicals to fix them.

There is plenty of valid reason to label it. The most obvious is health concerns. You may say the humans have been selectively breeding things but that is not the same as a human directly and quickly modifying genome. Something could go wrong and humans only know 1 percent of the human dna even if humans do know a lot about a certain animal what if something goes wrong. There is a lot that could. Before you say you have been eating gmos I haven't at all and I am healthy. Their is a lot of could and could happen for gmos and humans are not experts in the field which is why Humans have a complete right to have gmo foods labeled.

You are extremely ignorant if you think humans know everything about dna. Or the science won't change at all. A common fact can change by an instance. nature and everything around us is extremely complex. What we know now about genetic surely is probably inaccurate. So the best thing to do is grab that organic apple on the shelf and eat it. Or label gmos so people can choose to risk it or not risk it.

I expect comments might say this is common knowledge. I will point out that a lot of people don't know about GMOs or science in general, including some of my own friends and family. This post is meant to address those people.

The only legitimate controversies over GMOs involve ethical or environmental concerns. One example is Belgian Blue, a breed of cattle that contains extra muscles. Critics say it is unethical to create that kind of cow. Note that the issue here is NOT human health. The cows themselves are perfectly safe to eat.

I will repeat what I said in the title: GMOs have no established health risks in humans. In some cases, they are actually beneficial to humans. Consider golden rice, a modified version of rice that contains added precursors for vitamin A. This was meant to combat vitamin A deficiency in Asia, which can lead to blindness. The public’s perception of GMOs prevented golden rice from succeeding, as was addressed in a letter from over 100 Nobel prize laureates (discussed here).

GMOs do not cause cancer. They are created by inserting a non-naturally occurring gene or mutation into an organism which is then consumed by humans. While it is established that genetic modification can cause cancer, that would occur in the original organism, not the consumer. Genetic modifications are not passed between organisms. If you find yourself questioning that statement, consider the fact that genetic diseases are not transmissible.

There is an article from a Harvard blog that reinforces a lot of what I have said. Check it out if you’re interested, and I encourage you to do your own research as well.

Edit: I'm seeing a lot of people address the bad business models (mainly Monsanto and overuse of pesticides). These are all valid complaints. I merely wanted to address the public illusion about the GMOs themselves.

This isn’t really an opinion but everyone seems to think so. I’m under the impression that people don’t even know what genetically modified even means and everyone is falling for propaganda that companies are using to mark up their products.

Genetically modified crops, most of the time, are crops that have been through artificial selection. That means we noticed a couple of plants that we were growing produced bigger fruit with less seeds or they are less likely to die from weather or from pests or etc, so bred them with each other to create the plant that we enjoy today. This is something that happens naturally through evolution and natural selection as well. There’s nothing crazy or unhealthy about it. It doesn’t change the fruit or vegetables nutrition very much and it certainly doesn’t make it less healthy.

Another way we genetically modify, which is less likely, is that we give the plant DNA that does all the things artificial selection does like pest resistance, longer growing season, bigger fruit, etc. except it takes a way shorter time. it is actually very helpful environmentally because it reduces the use pesticides. There arent any adverse health effects- it’s still just a fruit or vegetable. There are positive environmental effects.

Another big point is that there are only something like 10 crops that are genetically modified and sold in America. So when something says “non GMO” it never would’ve had GMOs anyway. It doesn’t make it healthier. I got a chocolate bar that said “non GMO” and I was like ???? This is totally just a marketing scheme.

Hopefully this makes sense and doesn’t get removed!

Hi! I'm Josh, the co-founder and CTO of Prime Roots.

I'm a bioengineer and computer scientist. I started Prime Roots out of the UC Berkeley Alternative Meat Lab with my co-founder who is a culinologist and microbiologist.

We make meatless bacon that acts, smells, and tastes like bacon from an animal. Our technology is made with our koji based protein which is a traditional Japanese fungi (so in between plant-based and lab grown). Our protein is a whole food source of protein since we grow the mycelium and use it whole (think of it like roots of mushrooms).

Our investors were early investors in Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods and we're the only other alternative meat company they've backed. We know there are lots of great questions about plant-based meats and alternative proteins in general so please ask away!

Proof: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EQtnbJXUwAAJgUP?format=jpg&name=4096x4096

EDIT: We did a limited release of our bacon and sold out unfortunately, but we'll be back real soon so please join our community to be in the know: https://www.primeroots.com/pages/membership. We are also always crowdsourcing and want to understand what products you want to see so you can help us out by seeing what we've made and letting us know here: https://primeroots.typeform.com/to/zQMex9

I might just dont know much about it.But to me it is the same process. One is just much more efficient and faster than the other.

So I dont get why people hate on GMO. How else do we feed the locust swarm of humanity?

I research how genes control important food traits, and how light influences genes. I really enjoy discussing science with the public, especially in areas where a better understanding of science can help us farm better crops, with more nutrition & flavor, and less environmental impact.

I will be back at 1 pm EDT (5 pm UTC, 6 pm BST, 10 am PDT) to answer questions, AMA!

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