The Dr. Oz Show
Airdate: October 17, 2012
Dr. Oz: GMO Foods – Are They
Dangerous To Your Health?
- Genetically modified foods (GMOs) and their safety are discussed
- Should GMOs be labeled?
- How to spot GMOs in the market place
- Warning signs for Type 2 Diabetes, Ovarian Cancer, and Stroke
- How good is your memory? Dr. Oz has a test for that!
Are genetically modified foods (GMOs)
safe or do they pose great dangers to your health? Are you feeding
your family GMOs without knowing it? Dr. Oz hosts a debate between
both sides of the GMO issue.
Photo credit:
FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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Dr. Oz: GMO
Foods – Are They Dangerous To Your Health?
A new report out
concluded that consuming genetically modified foods (GMOs) can damage
health and may even cause cancer. On the other side of the issue,
proponents of GMOs say they are a healthy and inexpensive way to
create healthy foods. Confused? So are millions of other people.
GMOs are foods that
have been altered at the DNA level. DNA from a plant, bacteria, or a
fish is removed and transferred into another plant to create super
crops that may grow bigger, produce more, or create their own
pesticides and herbicides.
GMOs have been
around for about 20 years. Today, over 90% of corn, soy beans, and
sugar beets grown in the US have been genetically modified. In the
market place, that translates to three out of four processed foods
containing GMOs.
Peru and several
European countries have banned the use of GMOs in the food supply.
California will vote this November on whether to require labeling of
GMOs.
Dr. Oz showed an
animation to illustration how scientists create GMOs. Scientists will
identify a gene in a bacteria, for example, that when placed into
corn that plant can then produce it's own herbicides and pesticides.
Scientists are looking at cold water fish to determine if injecting
that DNA into a tomato will create a freeze tolerant food crop.
It sounds like a
good idea, right? But what is the impact of splicing those genes?
What would happen to a person who is allergic to fish if they ate the
modified tomato? Over time, how do these changes effect our health?
These questions are
at the root of this controversial debate. Dr. Oz has invited several
people who are at the heart of both sides of the debate. He explained
that it was hard to find scientists to agree to appear on the stage
and he could not find any scientists who would agree to appear on the
stage with the next two guests.
Dr.
Robin Bernhoft, MD, FACS, is the founder of the Bernhoft Center
for Advanced Medicine and past president of the American Academy of
Environmental Medicine.
Jeff Smith, is an author of Seeds
of Deception, and several
other books as well as
a documentary filmmaker of Genetic
Roulette. As a disclaimer,
Dr. Oz said his wife, Lisa Oz, is the narrator on Genetic
Roulette.
Mr. Bernhoft and Mr. Smith were allowed
time to discuss their side of the issue but then were going to leave
the stage because the other guests refused to be on the stage with
them. What? Paranoid much? Why would someone refuse to discuss the
issue with the opposing viewpoint? Have there been negative words
bandied about in previous meetings? Are the folks who are pro-GMO
afraid of talking to someone with a different view? So strange!
Mr.
Smith started by saying there is a health danger that comes from
eating GMOs. He stated that doctors are finding amazing improvements
and recoveries in patients suffering from IBS, inflammatory colitis,
and other gastrointestinal issues when they remove GMOs from the
diet.
Dr.
Bernhoft explained that before GMOs were widely introduced into the
food supply in 1994, reflux diagnosis were at a steady rate. However,
after 1994 there has been a marked increase each year in the number
of cases of reflux. Dr. Bernhoft believes there are clear medical
consequences experienced from eating GMOs. When reflux patients
remove GMOs, they experience fewer to no symptoms.
Pictures
of rats used in a GMO study showed they had a drastic risk in
developing several different types of cancers. The rats had massive
tumors on their bodies.
Mr.
Smith said the FDA ignored warnings from scientists regarding the
safety of GMOs. The FDA was told that GMOs were dangerous and were
told to label them by scientists who conducted preliminary studies.
The FDA has since chosen not to require labeling of GMOs and all
testing has been conducted over a short time scale, a scale that is
not long enough to identify long-term risks.
Mr. Smith and Mr. Bernhoft then left
the stage so the next two guests would appear.
Martina Newell-McGloughlin, is
Co-Director of the NIH training program at UC Davis and an authority
on biotechnology. Ms. Newell-McGloughlin said GMO plants have been
studied for thousands of years and she's been involved in many of
those tests. Biotech products go through 8-10 years of research
before going on the grocery shelf. The testing and research phase is
sufficient, she said.
Rat kibble, she said, has been based on
GMO ingredients for decades and yet there is not standard increase in
cancer in rates. Ms. Newell-McGloughlin said her family is her number
one priority and she would rather feed them GMO over other foods.
In response The Dr. Oz Show's request
for information, the FDA provided this statement:
We recognize and appreciate the
strong interest that many consumers have in knowing whether a food
was produced using bioengineering. FDA supports voluntary labeling
that provides consumers with this information and has issued draft
guidance to industry regarding such labeling. One of FDA's top
priorities is food safety, which means ensuring that foods, whether
genetically engineered or not, meet applicable requirements for
safety and labeling.
The reality of GMOs is, said Dr. Oz,
the foods are already in the market place so it's important that
people know about them so they can make their own choices.
Dr. Oz: Should GMOs Be Labeled?
Dr. Oz asked fans online, if labeled,
would you choose GMOs or non-GMOs? 91% responded that they would
choose non-GMO products.
California is putting the question to
the people. In November, 2012, Californians will be asked to vote on
Prop 37. Passage of Prop 37 would require the labeling of GMO foods.
Opponents of the Proposition believe labeling creates undue fear and
would prevent consumers from purchasing labeled products. [Well, gee,
wouldn't that mean consumers have spoken with their purchases?]
California is not the only state
considering the GMO issue, 12 other states are considering mandatory
GMO labeling.
Gary Hirshberg, co-founder and CE-Yo of
Stonyfield farms and
founding partner Just Label It,
said nurses are concerned over herbicide toxicity from ingesting GMO
foods, religious groups are concerned that scientists are messing
with God's work. Fifty nations in the world have banned GMOs
including China and Russia. [Why not the US?]
Cost of implementing mandatory labeling
is a big part of the labeling argument. Mr. Hirshberg said it's a
diversionary tactic. Every university who looked at this part of the
issue said labeling GMO foods would increase foods costs about $0.73
per consumer and that amount is negligible.
Alison Van Eeneennaam, is an animal
scientist with UC Davis and disagrees
with Mr. Hirshberg. Her research said mandatory labeling will cost
each consumer about $300-400 per years. She's not willing to pay that
amount to have labeling. If this Proposition passes in California,
grocery stores will have to review all their products to find
bioengineered ingredients and then label that product. That's 60% of
the products in the average grocery store. Labeling all those
products would cost money.
In
addition, Ms. Van Eeneennaam, said the cost for manufacturers to
change their products to remove GMO ingredients is high.
[Why
would the manufactures remove the GMOs? There's no requirement to
remove ingredients, simply to label it. Manufacturers change product
labels all the time, it's not new it's actually quite standard.]
Mr. Hirshberg said
the high cost furnished by Ms. Van Eeneennaam includes the cost of
manufacturers changing their ingredients. Their ingredients don't
have to change if they feel GMOs are safe, right?
Ms. Van Eeneennaam
said it comes down to the fact that consumers already have an option
for products that are non-GMO. It's called organic. By law, foods
labeled as organic are not allowed to contain GMO ingredients.
Dr. Oz:
Spotting GMO Ingredients
Dr Oz said he feels there's not enough
data either on the GMO issue so he would rather stay away form them.
Go organic, Dr. Oz encouraged, then you will know for certain that
there are no GMO ingredients.
Dr. Oz: Five Known GMO Crops
- Canola
- Corn
- Papaya
- Soy
- Sugar beets
If these ingredients are grown in US,
it's more likely than not that they are GMO. Dr. Oz said consumers
could swap canola or vegetable oil with olive or safflower oil and
know they are steering clear of GMOs.
Some companies are voluntarily labeling
their products as non-GMO. Look for “Non-GMO Project Verified” on
the label.
Dr. Oz: Warning Signs of Type 2
Diabetes
Dr. Oz asked the audience to sniff
little containers under their chairs. They said the containers
smelled like nail polish remover, or acetone. What does that have to
do with health? If your breath smells like acetone, be concerned said
Dr. Oz.
Darlene woke up with a fruity, tarty
taste with an offensive smell for several days. Brushing wouldn't
remove the smell. On the third day, when she woke up with blurred
vision and felt shaky then found herself at the bottom of the stairs.
She had passed out. She thought it maybe had something to do with
peri-menopause and didn't think much about it. [Don't we women do
this so often? We think oh it's just it's just a little nothing
symptom and ignore it. Too often, women put themselves last on the
to-do list especially when it comes to health.]
Dr Oz: Warning Signs of Type 2
Diabetes
- Breath smells like nail polish remover
- Tired all the time
- Frequent thirst and urination
- Craving sweets
All these symptoms go along with a
diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes. Darlene was surprised. With no family
history she was shocked that she had diabetes. Dr. Oz explained that
many people have Type 2 Diabetes and don't even know it.
Sugar is one key symptom. An occasional
sugar treat or craving is normal and the body will use up the sugar
quickly. When there's too much sugar in the body already and more
sugar is added the body can't use up all that sugar. The excess sugar
produces gas that manifests as acetone-like breath.
Pay attention to sudden, small changes
to the body, said Dr. Oz, and talk to your doctor when you experience
changes.
Dr. Oz: Warning Signs of Ovarian
Cancer
Christine's first health change was
fast-growing facial hair. She would pluck a hair and two days later
there would be two more in its place. Then the hairs would show up in
her nose and other parts of her face. Her husband said she was being
silly and didn't think anything about it. She was also feeling tired,
experienced joint pain, was gaining abdominal weight, and one bite of
an apple felt like she ate a big meal.
Dr. Oz: Warning Signs of Ovarian
Cancer
- Growth of chin and nose hair
- Noticeable bloating and weight gain around abdomen
- Change in bowel movement
- Back pain
The ovaries are located on either side
of the uterus and are typically very small. Christine's ovaries were
10 times the normal size caused by ovarian cancer. Cysts in the
ovaries, explained Dr. Oz, can produce their own hormones, including
testosterone which explains the hair growth and hormonal issues.
One of Christine's ovaries were the
size of a small fetus upon removal. She had both ovaries removed, a
hysterectomy and radiation. Christine is now a 10 year cancer
survivor.
Bonus Question: If your calf is swollen
is tender in one location and warm to the touch, should you:
- Massage the area;
- Walk it off;
- Take two aspirin?
Answer: C Take two aspirin. Dr. Oz
explained that these symptoms could be a sign of deep vein
thrombosis. He recommended to take two aspirins and call a doctor
immediately.
Dr. Oz: Warning Signs of a Stroke
Driving her son to a birthday party,
she thought something was wrong with the car in front of her. It
appeared that there was a strange reflection coming from the car.
Then it looked like the car was cut in half. At a stop sign, she
could only see the “OP”. Thinking it was a problem with her
contact, she pulled over and fussed with the lens. After several
minutes, her vision was fine so she kept driving.
When you loose half vision in each eye,
half the vision is prefect and the rest is in the dark there's
something wrong.
A week and a half later she was at a
doctors appointment for something else and mentioned her vision
issue. The doctor stopped what she was doing and immediately sent her
for an MRI. The results came back the next day and her doctor called
saying she should get to the hospital immediately. She had already
experienced three strokes and may suffer a massive stroke at any
time.
White are her brain scan indicated that
blood to vessels had been cut off and killed parts of the brain. She
now takes aspirin for the rest of her life and is grateful to be
alive.
Dr. Oz Warning Sings of a Stroke
FAST is the acronym to keep in mind for
stroke symptoms:
Face: vision disturbance, uneven
smile
Arm and leg: weakness, numbness,
difficulty walking
Speech: slurred, inappropriate
words, mute
Time: is critical, call 911
Dr. Oz said it's important to know
ahead of time which hospital closest to your location handles stroke
victims. [Dr. Oz said there would be a resource on his website to
find the closest hospital that can handle stroke patients but it's
not there yet. I'll keep checking and provide a link when available.]
Dr. Oz: Fixing Your Memory
Could you be losing your memory or are
you just forgetful? Do you forget where you parked? Where are your
keys? Can you tell someone your phone number?
Problems with memory will effect either
memory storage or memory retrieving, or both.
Dr. Oz conducted a visual memory test
with the audience and one fan, Lori Ann. He showed two pictures on
the screen for three second each. First picture, popcorn. How many
pieces were there? Lori Ann couldn't remember but knew one piece had
butter on it. There were 20 pieces of popcorn.
The second picture had several clocks.
What time was shown on the red-faced clock? Lori Ann couldn't
remember. It was 8:00.
While at break, Dr. Oz had Lori Ann
write down the alphabet. Easy. Not so fast. She had to write the
alphabet backwards, from Z to A. How long would it take you to write
the alphabet backwards?
Lori Ann said this was a difficult
challenge. She would have to recite the alphabet going forward to
remember it going backwards. This is an exercise to increase storage
and retrieving.
Using computers makes the ability to
store information go down. But, wait, there's an App for that, said
Dr. Oz. He had Lori Ann play the app on a smartphone. [Does no one
get the irony of this? Computers can decrease memory but here, play
with this phone.]
Click
here for brain games on DoctorOz.com. [Oh, wait! Do I have to use
a computer to get those?]
At what age did Lori Ann's mom go
through menopause? Rather early so she may be going through menopause
right now. Hormones can effect memory. Dr. Oz's green drink can
support the balance of hormones.
The next fan guest is a manager of a
supermaket. She feels tired all the time and is so busy all the time
she can't remember what she had for breakfast. In the past five years
she's put on 10-15 pounds.
Dr. Oz said she has both storage and
retrieval issues and that weight could play a role. Higher weight is
associated with lower memory. Dr. Oz gave her a goal to lose five
pounds. He recommended cutting out one sugared drink a day and in a
few months she can easily lose those five pounds.
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