Of The Light....

Health Effects of GMO Foods March 2012

Genetically engineered food (GMO)and plant seed is already sold to consumers. Efforts to pass GMO labeling laws at the federal level have gone nowhere, despite the fact that more than one million consumers have emailed "Just Label It" petitions to the FDA demanding mandatory labeling. In Europe, there are almost no genetically engineered crops because Europe requires labeling of genetically engineered foods and consumers were not choosing to buy. The United States does not require labeling and therefore consumers don’t have a choice. Nearly 75% of all supermarket foods, including many "natural" foods in our natural foods grocery stores are genetically modified.  The research already shows the impact of our environment on the Pineal gland and other aspects of our precious body chemistry. We truly don’t know the long term effects of eating food that has been genetically modified. Even Jim Watson, who discovered the DNA structure some 60 years ago holds controversial views of how to apply this knowledge. He was quoted as arguing for a new kind of eugenics where parents were allowed to choose the DNA of their children to make them healthier, more intelligent and even better looking.  What are the consequences of the next evolutionary process of the human race?

In the meantime, before these mysteries are fully understood, the race to genetic engineering, cloning, genetically altered food and many other developments with powerful ethical implications continue to explode. Jim Watson and Francis Crick first isolated the double helix structure of DNA in 1953. By 1973 Herb Boyer and Stan Cohen were the first to transfer the DNA from one species to another and became the first Genetic engineers. In the 1990s another project began that catalogued all the genes in the human genome. Scientists were fighting so intensely that Presidents and Prime Ministers had to intervene but the Human Genome Project was launched both privately and publically. This was the breakthrough that triggered controversy about genetic manipulation, but it also created a multi-billion dollar industry.  Biotechnology transformed the pharmaceutical industry and genetically modified food was the next biggest revolution in agriculture. In food, some are still concerned that a cancer causing gene in the DNA of a bacterium might be absorbed by the human stomach which would spread cancer like an infectious disease. However genetically engineered food is in all of our grocery stores today.

The ‘off genes’ that often reside within junk DNA are called MicroRNAs and regulate the levels and functions of multiple target proteins that are responsible for controlling cellular processes in the brain. In April 30, 2012 University of Bristol researchers discovered these MicroRNAs from ‘off genes’ control some of the fundamental processes behind memory function and may hold the key to developing new therapies for treating neurodegenerative diseases. Some Metaphysicians have long believed that as humans we have forgotten who we are and where we descended from. They believe there may be a link to other worlds outside of our planet and this missing link resides in the many DNA strands that have been dormant through the evolutionary process for thousands of years.  This new research may yet prove to support this theory if the genes that are ‘turned off’ actually do control aspects of memory function. Science has come a long way but we still have so much to learn.

Junk DNA for many years did not appear to have any discernible function. However, the term “junk” was a bit misleading. Rather than junk, this DNA may in fact be stored for a critical reason, and researchers have started exploring junk DNA with the goal of learning more about it. The human genome has more ‘off’ DNA than any other animal known to date but they don’t know why. Very simply, genes that are ‘off’ from the evolutionary process no longer have a possible function and may truly be junk DNA, however the genes that are ‘turned off’ have a chance of retaining their original function for up to six million years.  Very current research is also showing that these off genes may influence the behavior of the coded genes that seemed to actually be turned off in important ways, but the information is still incomplete. They have found a relationship between the two but haven’t yet figured out what it means.

DNA is the hereditary material containing the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all living things. The DNA segments carrying this genetic information are called genes. Nearly every cell in a body has the same DNA which is located in the cell nucleus. DNA is shaped in a double helix and its most important property is that it can duplicate or make copies of itself. When cells divide each new cell needs an exact copy of the complete DNA genetic structure. However, the most interesting aspect of the DNA structure is that scientists can only identify 2 strands that function in the body. The other 95% are called Junk DNA and are sequences of dark matter that either don’t work simply from  many years in the evolutionary process or more curiously, new research identified within the last 2 years discovered some strands may actually be ‘turned off’.

DNA

DNA and Genome research has been the focus of heated ethical debates, mystery, intrigue, and has become a billion dollar business over the last few decades. Though we clearly have opinions on genetic manipulation we only attempt to share a few points regarding basic DNA, the mysterious Junk DNA and some concerns around genetically altered food.​