Enjoy Your Holiday, GMO FREE

Originally published July 2010

As the Fourth of July holiday comes along this week end, here's wishing you a great time, and hope you BUY ORGANIC to avoid the risk of FRANKENFOOD

FRANKENFOOD: Monsanto Subsidiary Admits the Truth, Sixteen Years Ago

"If you put a label on genetically engineered food you might as well put a skull and crossbones on it."

Norman Braksick, president of Asgrow Seed Co., a subsidiary of Monsanto, quoted in the Kansas City Star, March 7, 1994

Photo from Mesk125

And what about your Hot Dog on the Barbie?

Pass the Mustard, or Just Pass on the Hot Dog?

Comment by Andrew W. Saul, Editor-In-Chief, Orthomolecular Medicine News Service

(OMNS July 2, 2010) More hot dogs are eaten at the 4th of July holiday than at any other time of the year. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (yes, an all-too-real trade organization) says that "during the Independence Day weekend, 155 million will be gobbled up" and that Americans will consume more than seven billion hot dogs over the summer. "Every year," they proudly proclaim, "Americans eat an average of 60 hot dogs each." (1)
That looks to be a modest average of just over one hot dog per week per American. But there are at least 7 million vegetarians in the US, and another 20 million who would be inclined to avoid meat. (2)
This means that even if you do not eat any hot dogs at all, someone else is eating your share.
But a hot dog or two a week? Big deal!
Maybe it is. Children who eat one hot dog a week double their risk of a brain tumor; two per week triples the risk. Kids eating more than twelve hot dogs a month (three a week) have nearly ten times the risk of leukemia as children who eat none. (3)
And it is not just about kids. Of 190,000 adults studied for seven years, those eating the most processed meat such as deli meats and hot dogs had a 68 percent greater risk of pancreatic cancer than those who ate the least. (4) Pancreatic cancer is especially difficult to treat.
Think twice before you serve up your next tube steak. If your family is going to eat hot dogs, at least take your vitamins. Hot dog eating children taking supplemental vitamins were shown to have a reduced risk of cancer. (5) Vitamins C and E prevent the formation of nitrosamines. (6,7)
It is curious that, while busy theorizing many "potential" dangers of vitamins, the news media have largely ignored this clear-cut cancer-prevention benefit from supplementation.
May I also suggest that you have your kids chew their hot dogs extra thoroughly. In landfills, "Whole hot dogs have been found, some of them in strata suggesting an age upwards of several decades." (8)
Bon appétit.

References:
(1) http://www.hot-dog.org .
(2) http://www.vegetariantimes.com/features/archive_of_editorial/667 .
(3) Peters JM, Preston-Martin S, London SJ, Bowman JD, Buckley JD, Thomas DC. Processed meats and risk of childhood leukemia. Cancer Causes Control. 1994 Mar; 5(2):195-202.
(4) Nothlings U, Wilkens LR, Murphy SP, et al. 2005. Meat and fat intake as risk factors for pancreatic cancer: The Multiethnic Cohort Study. J Nat Cancer Inst 97:1458-65.
(5) Sarasua S, Savitz DA. Cured and broiled meat consumption in relation to childhood cancer: Denver, Colorado (United States). Cancer Causes Control. 1994 Mar; 5(2):141-8. Comment at http://www.ralphmoss.com/hotdog.html .
(6) Scanlan RA. Nitrosamines and cancer. http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/f-w00/nitrosamine.html
(7) Cass H; English J. User's guide to vitamin C. Basic Health Publications, 2002, p 64-67. ISBN-10: 1591200210; ISBN-13: 978-1591200215.
(8) Smithsonian, July 1992, p 5.

In response to reader request I'm adding Citrullis lanatus 

What's on your food - pesticide info
More on pesticides and watermelon


Watermelon is a great food for fiber and lycopene. Nutritionally speaking it is a great source of water for hydration plus

Powerful Antioxidants - Watermelon is high in Vitamin C and a good source of Vitamin A through its concentration of beta-carotene.

Lycopene - Watermelon is a very concentrated source of the carotenoid, Lycopene.  Lycopene has been studied for its antioxidant and cancer-preventing properties.  It has been found to be protective against many forms of cancers including prostate cancer, breast cancer, endometrial cancer, lung cancer, and colorectal cancers.  Watermelon contains a higher concentration of Lycopene than any other produce.

Vitamin C - Watermelon is an excellent source of Vitamin C so necessary for the body's immune system.  One one cup of delicious watermelon provides 25% of our body's daily requirement.

Vitamin A -  Through its concentration of beta-carotene, Watermelon supplies a rich source of Vitamin A, another cancer fighting anti-oxidant along with Lycopene and Vitamin C.  A cup of Watermelon supplies your body with over 10% of its daily requirement.

Vitamin B - Vitamin B is necessary for energy production.  Watermelon is rich in Vitamin B6 and B1, as well as magnesium and potassium.  Because Watermelon has a higher water content and lower calorie content than other fruits, it delivers more nutrients per calorie.

Arginine - Because Watermelon is exceptionally high in citrulline, an amino acid our bodies use to make another amino acid, Arginine.  Arginine is used in the urea cycle to remove ammonia from the body and allowing the production of Nitric Oxide, which relaxes blood vessels and helps to reduce high blood pressure.This also contributes to help for water retention and diabetes along with the B vitamins and C.

Watermelon Seed Tea is a long known health promoting beverage.  These days it is difficult to find watermelon with seeds, or organically grown. It is most often used to stimulate and cleanse your kidneys, and is well known in Asian medicine as well as the Edgar Cayce Readings.

CAYCE QUOTE ON REMEDY 1695-2:  For kidney stones
But at least once a day, three days a week, do take watermelon seed tea as a part of the water.  This would be prepared by pouring a pint of boiling water over a tablespoonful of watermelon seed (ground or cut) and allowing it to steep.  Let it cool, then strain and drink.  This will clarify those conditions that cause reactions in the kidneys and bladder, for, the lack of eliminations and the slowing up of the circulation causes a greater quantity of drosses to be held in the system, and these need to be eliminated from the body.
More will be eliminated through using this stimuli for the kidney activity than in most any way.

This may also be useful for infection (UTI) and as a diuretic.

Pickled watermelon rind is an old favorite.

Other resources:

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=31#nutritionalprofilehttp://www.watermelon.org/health.asp

India Says NO to GMO

UPDATE: 2/12/10 Monsanto 'faked' data for approvals claims its ex-chief
UPDATE: 2/10/10

Impacts of Genetically Engineered Crops on Pesticide Use:The First Thirteen Years
Compared to pesticide use in the absence of GE crops, farmers applied 318 million more pounds of pesticides over the last 13 years as a result of planting GE seeds.

Monsanto's GMO perversion of food
In the 2010 growing season Monsanto plans to unleash its latest Frankenfood experiment on the American and Canadian public, a new version of genetically mutated corn with eight abnormal gene traits called Genuity SmartStax corn. It is the culmination of an astonishing scandal that has been steadily building over the past decade.

2/9/10 Many people do not like eggplant, however I am not one of them.  I am much more in support of doing away with all GMO crops because of the inherent danger they pose to health.

India has deferred the commercial cultivation of what would have been its first genetically modified (GM) vegetable crop due to safety concerns.  

Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said more studies were needed to ensure genetically modified aubergines were safe for consumers and the environment.
The GM vegetable has undergone field trials since 2008 and received approval from government scientists in 2009.
But there has been a heated public row over the cultivation of the GM crop.

The BBC's Geeta Pandey, who was at the news conference in Delhi, says Mr Ramesh's decision has put any cultivation of GM vegetables in India on hold indefinitely.
'Difficult decision'
"Public sentiment is negative. It is my duty to adopt a cautious, precautionary, principle-based approach," Mr Ramesh said.

“ The decision is responsible to science and responsive to society ”
Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh

He said the moratorium on growing BT brinjal - as the variety of aubergine is known in India - would remain in place until tests were carried out "to the satisfaction of both the public and professionals".
The minister said "independent scientific studies" were needed to establish "the safety of the product from the point of view of its long-term impact on human health and environment".
Mr Ramesh said it was "a difficult decision to make" since he had to "balance science and society".
"The decision is responsible to science and responsive to society," he said.
India is the largest producer of aubergines in the world and grows more than 4,000 varieties.
Indian seed company Mahyco - partner of US multinational corporation Monsanto - which has developed BT brinjal, says the GM vegetable is more resistant to natural pests.
But anti-GM groups say there are serious health concerns and they allege that consumption of GM crops can even cause cancer.
The government-controlled Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) approved BT brinjal for commercial cultivation in October 2009.
Following an uproar from farmers and anti-GM activists, the environment minister held a series of national consultation meetings across India.
Several of the aubergine-growing Indian states have already said they were opposed to BT brinjal.
India allowed the use of genetically modified seeds for cotton in 2002.

Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/8506047.stm

Published: 2010/02/09 13:48:04 GMT, © BBC MMX

Damaging Effects of Genetically Engineered Foods

From Organic Consumer's Association today-

Although genetically modified (GM) corn is banned in most of the world, it has been approved as "safe" for human consumption in the U.S. for 12 years and is now likely unknowingly consumed, in one form or another, by more than 90% of Americans on a regular basis. But a recent series of peer-reviewed studies were published in 2008 confirming previous studies indicating potentially severe health and environmental problems associated with the biotech crops. Recent alarming scientific research includes:

1) A new long term study by the Austrian government confirms previous findings that consumption of GM corn, for as little as 20 weeks, can damage the reproductive system, lower fertility rates and increase illness and death rates in offspring.

2) Researchers in Mexico reported in December that some popular varieties of GM corn negatively affect the learning response of bees. Scientists say this may be an indicator of the cause of Colony Collapse Disorder, a recent catastrophic and mysterious die-off of as much as 30% of the world's honey bee population in the past couple of years.

3) In Italy, scientists published a study that put the biotech industry in a public relations tailspin. In the study, laboratory tests showed a direct connection between consumption of GM corn and a damaged immune system.

Additionally OCA suggests that you can use these tips to help you avoid GMO ingredients and "Frankenfoods."

1) Look for products that voluntarily label themselves as GMO or GE-free.

2) Buy Organic: Products certified as "Organic" are not allowed to contain genetically modified ingredients.

3) Avoid non-organic products that contain the most common genetically engineered ingredients: corn (corn syrup, corn meal, corn oil, etc.), fructose, dextrose, glucose, modified food starch, ingredients including the word "soy" (soy flour, soy lecithin, etc.), vegetable oil, vegetable protein, canola oil (also called rapeseed oil), cottonseed oil, and sugar from sugar beets.

More more information please see OCA's site,

and read this report.