10 Core Myths About GMOs
Martin Atkins
http://www.popsci.com/article/science/core-truths-10-common-gmo-claims-debunked?src=SOC&dom=fb
MEMPHIS FREETHOUGHT ALLIANCE: Advancing reason, science, and secular government through education
Orson Zedd
http://www.popsci.com/article/science/core-truths-10-common-gmo-claims-debunked?src=SOC&dom=fb
MEMPHIS FREETHOUGHT ALLIANCE: Advancing reason, science, and secular government through education
--
Disclaimer: This MFA Forum is a public site and does not necessarily express the official opinion of Memphis Freethought Alliance, Inc. or its members. Posters on this forum include MFA members as well as non-members. People are encouraged to give their honest opinion about ideas and critique other people's ideas and not to attack people personally. Please keep posts open, honest, and civil. Please review the the rules and guidelines to this forum: http://www.memphisfreethought.com/DiscussionForum.html (copy and paste the web address into your browser if necessary)
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Memphis Freethought Alliance Public Forum" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to memphisfreethoughta...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to memphisfreeth...@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/memphisfreethoughtalliance.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/memphisfreethoughtalliance/CAAtn96R7YduY-%3DJ6aG3TmBnLxvOv-RhkH8X8X0n2wEgPqR0yFg%40mail.gmail.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Martin Atkins
That is a good point. It may not be the GMOs per se but the lack of diverse food that is the primary issue.
MEMPHIS FREETHOUGHT ALLIANCE: Advancing reason, science, and secular government through education
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/memphisfreethoughtalliance/CAMSNF4nvagdMcD%3DkhrgyE%2BV2L08eTux7%2BMkys9S-JLkEgovAbA%40mail.gmail.com.
Orson Zedd
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/memphisfreethoughtalliance/CAAtn96T6rVWt6ZY-youVWJkuy3CKqdP3XZRNT_fzoDEf5OPSPA%40mail.gmail.com.
Martin Atkins
I think that how healthy the food is should be a consideration, too, instead of just the diversity or naturalness of the food. I, personally, focus on healthy food but especially healthy combinations of foods. If an all synthetic and narrow diet is healthy, I don't think that is bad.
MEMPHIS FREETHOUGHT ALLIANCE: Advancing reason, science, and secular government through education
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/memphisfreethoughtalliance/CAMSNF4kv15FLaPDKK8M7KqUSYpJ-OsPuSeturAcngHGDW1LwqA%40mail.gmail.com.
Matt Germany
I feel like all the GMO fear mongering (which, years ago, I was swayed by until I did a bit more reading). Is a terrible distraction from very real problems with U.S. agriculture like the massive subsidies received by less nutritionally beneficial food crops like corn which seems to be a major contributor to the obesity problem here and abroad.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/memphisfreethoughtalliance/CAAtn96S4JK2ZnjHeJ8C867tT71OXMUHz9NpstCkmzHrHj85KtA%40mail.gmail.com.
Martin Atkins
Most scientists do not attribute the high consumption of corn to obsesity. Corn is also nutritious.
What causes obsesity is the high calorie consumption. Corn just gives people access to cheap sugar (corn syrup). People like sugar, which is often added to food. Eating a lot of cane or other sugar would do the same thing. Sugar is sugar. Your body really can't tell the difference.
You can eat solely candy and lose weight if you keep your calories low. If don't believe me, only eat three Twinkies each day (that is it) and only drink water. The dramatic reduction in calories will cause a weight loss even though you are eating a lot of corn syrup and sugar.
MEMPHIS FREETHOUGHT ALLIANCE: Advancing reason, science, and secular government through education
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/memphisfreethoughtalliance/CANOrzxmMfK155YJY8c%3DG9z-Eec8HkdckzjTJUHhx9-ngVFwEtw%40mail.gmail.com.
Martin Atkins
I agree with you. The government shouldn't primarily subsidize a few kinds of crops. A diet consisting of diverse foods is associated with better health. Also, Americans eat too many calories as it is. Increasing the price of food may help reduce these calories.
MEMPHIS FREETHOUGHT ALLIANCE: Advancing reason, science, and secular government through education
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/memphisfreethoughtalliance/CANOrzxmMfK155YJY8c%3DG9z-Eec8HkdckzjTJUHhx9-ngVFwEtw%40mail.gmail.com.
Matt Germany
Martin,
A great deal of the corn crop is processed into sweeteners and stuff to hold processed foods together (neither of which are known to me to be of great nutritional benefit).
Sure, there are other reasons we have more and more sugar in our food. For instance, doctors, many doctors blamed fat consumption (rather than sugar consumption) for obesity and the diseases associated with it. However, to me, it certainly seems like there is a correlation between the crops that receive the greatest subsidies (grains, corn, etc.) and the stuff that winds up in our food.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/memphisfreethoughtalliance/CAAtn96SDrvE%3DFkOrQRwJNYgdUUfkAH7brQaDO9GHJRUJYJu_EQ%40mail.gmail.com.
Matt Germany
Edited: Many doctors *once* claimed fat consumption (rather than sugar consumption) was the central cause of obesity and its associated diseases.
Thus, foodmakers lowered the amount of fat in their products (which made them taste like garbage). They then added salt and sugar to compensate for the loss of flavor.
Martin Atkins
Corn has been a benefit to Americans. It gives us a cheap sweetener in the form of corn sugar. The subsidies make the sugar cheap. People put sugar in lots of things that supposedly enhances the taste, such as with tea, coffee, etc. Now we fortunately don't have to rely primarily on cane sugar.
Sugar and fat do not cause obesity. Too many calories do. Eating sugar and fat is healthy and necessary for good health. If you don't eat fat and sugar, you will die.
On sugar, the MayoClinic and other health organizations state, corn syrup is healthy and not the primary problem. One problem is that many Americans eat too many calories and get too many of those calories from sugar.
MEMPHIS FREETHOUGHT ALLIANCE: Advancing reason, science, and secular government through education
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/memphisfreethoughtalliance/CANOrzxkM_GA98mCpZFsKQxJFTSNVu%3DpkYbR%3DR_tkpQ%2B%3DN63DjQ%40mail.gmail.com.
Martin Atkins
The media promoted the anti-fat and now the anti-corn sugar thing. Corn sugar and fat aren't the devil. Transfat is really the only fat that doctors generally agree not to eat any of.
MEMPHIS FREETHOUGHT ALLIANCE: Advancing reason, science, and secular government through education
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/memphisfreethoughtalliance/CANOrzx%3DnL-FOWwYQng1O%2B7fkPXSb2%2BXEkx%2B%3DRRK1nzgXcSyADA%40mail.gmail.com.
Matt Germany
Martin,
I'm not particularly swayed by the argument that obesity is due to the fact that people eat too many calories and has nothing to do with the fact that cheap sweeteners like corn syrup are in everything (increasing the calories in the foods people eat) has nothing to do with it.
Clrarly, cheap sugar (e.g. corn) showing up in all our food is at least an indirect contributor to the obesity epidemic.
Furthermore, the science on whether high fructose corn syrup is worse for you than sugar is inconclusive at this point in time ( http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/edible-innovations/sugar2.htm). To me, that means we can't say for certain yet that it's the same as sucrose (table sugar) to our bodies.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/memphisfreethoughtalliance/CAAtn96T8WOfq7RSod-j-ud314ibQHr%2Bs4T14Mipqqq7_ccXw1A%40mail.gmail.com.
Matt Germany
Here is a better source explaining what some scientists worry about with fructose: http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-fructose-bad-for-you-201104262425
Martin Atkins
English and history majors are not experts in nutrition. That is who wrote that article.
Sugar is sugar. The only clear point that English/history major got right in the article was HFCS is still sugar but High Fructose Corn Syrup has more frustose than than glucose, thus, the name.
Again, I agree with scientists and empirical evidence more than the opinion of an English and history major on nutrition. High calorie consumption makes people obese. Cheap sugar just makes it easier for businesses to add sugar (calories) to food and people eat more calories.
I bet if you gave one group free HFCS Starbucks Coffee coupons every day and another group free black coffee, people would eat (or drink) the cheap Starbucks candy coffee and likely gain weight. Again, you can lose weight eating a load of HFCS if you keep your calories low. This has been demonstrated in lab, field and other studies. You can even test it yourself. Go on a 100 calorie daily diet of 100% HFCS for four days. I bet you $10,000 that you will weigh less because you only consumed 400 calories in four days despite the miraculous claims otherwise. The super-calorie HFCS hypothesis is bunk. That would great if HFCS calories were that super special.
MEMPHIS FREETHOUGHT ALLIANCE: Advancing reason, science, and secular government through education
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/memphisfreethoughtalliance/CANOrzxkDwYX_2DCLNjGh-XnENrisOea9MG9S%3DX-Fr_7d%2BPqXdA%40mail.gmail.com.
Martin Atkins
There is nothing that that Harvard Health author wrote that conflicts with what I wrote and vice versa. I agree with that author. Note: according to that author, we used to eat 15 grams of frustose and now we eat an average of 55 grams--more calories AND straight sugar without other nutritents because the fructose sugar isn't eaten as fruit. If people dramatically increased calorie intake with other sugars (or even fat), you would also see a weight increase.
MEMPHIS FREETHOUGHT ALLIANCE: Advancing reason, science, and secular government through education
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/memphisfreethoughtalliance/CANOrzxkBMrMQKMFirj7PROcS-vKrdrYtsXKwACBnq1XNsDmW_w%40mail.gmail.com.
Matt Germany
Here is a journal article from the American Society of Clinical Nutrition offering similar concerns about HFCS: http://m.ajcn.nutrition.org/content/86/4/895.full
Martin Atkins
Again, nothing in that article either contradicts nor conflicts with what I wrote. Frustose (HFCS) is NOT unhealthy and fat is healthy, too. I agree with him. The problem, again, is with the AMOUNT of frustose that is being consumed. Cheap fructose (from fruit, corn, whatever) can be dangerous because frustose is really sweet and people like to eat too much of it. So food producers like to add it to food, which creates a hyperconsumption of calories.
We aren't really getting anywhere. You posted a far out article that misrepresented the facts. Then you posted two articles that reiterated what I wrote but, ironically, used them as a rebuttal to what I wrote.
Water is healthy, too, but if you drink too much of it, you will die.
MEMPHIS FREETHOUGHT ALLIANCE: Advancing reason, science, and secular government through education
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/memphisfreethoughtalliance/CANOrzxkxAyXYeGHwSTAXu3%2Bpu-HdM7BusfiYxz6zfMCyCGcaFg%40mail.gmail.com.
Martin Atkins
I apologize for being brash.
MEMPHIS FREETHOUGHT ALLIANCE: Advancing reason, science, and secular government through education
Matt Germany
Martin,
I did some more reading, and you are right. I was relying on a few flawed assumptions.
Particularly, it was my understanding that lower prices afforded by corn subsidies had led to increased sugar consumption. It makes sense, right? But I learned that from 1970-2005, consumption of added sugars actually decreased marginally as a percentage of total caloric intake.
On another note, I grant that the fructose content of HFCS is insignificantly greater than that of table sugar, but I did read a 2010 article citing a study that purportedly found that the fructose in HFCS is less tightly bound than the fructose in other sugars, and therefore more readily available for the body to process. However, I haven't seen much evidence to support that claim come out since then.
Sorry I was a bit contentious earlier.
I think we could have avoided much of the frustration of the back and forth if you had perhaps directed me to a source that validated your claims (your telling me corn had nothing to do with America's obesity problem on its own was not terribly convincing).
I still think there are probably issues with subsidizing a crop as heavily as we do corn in the U.S. (its growing use as a feed product, the terrible idea ethanol seems to have turned out to be, etc.). Also, I could be wrong, but it certainly seems other produce might be more affordable if agricultural subsidies were distributed more evenly to other food crops.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/memphisfreethoughtalliance/CAAtn96TScjv_181OCK6XjSBNPwndJuy4OQBtF92WX_RJPRXLbg%40mail.gmail.com.
Matt Germany
Here is the study I referenced that implied HFCS might be less healthy than other sugars: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091305710000614?via=ihub
Sorry only the abstract is available.
Also, the Corn Growers Association put out a statement detailing alleged errors with the Princeton study.
So for now, the evidence is iffy at best.
Martin Atkins
Matt, as you posted earlier, "In the 1800s and early 1900s, the average American took in about 15 grams of fructose (about half an ounce), mostly from eating fruits and vegetables. Today we average 55 grams per day (73 grams for adolescents)" (from the Harvard School of Public Health article you posted). We eat more fructose today when compared to decades past. And fructcose is a cheap sweetener that businesses use to sweeten food to encourge hyperconsumption (people like it).
Key points:
1). Obesity is related to calories. If your intake of calories is higher than your outtake, you will gain weight--whether the calories are from sugar, fat, or whatever is irrelevant.
2). Eating an unhealthy, low calorie diet of 100% fructose will lead to a low, healthy, lean body weight. You, however, should NOT do that because while you may be thin, your body get other nutritents that it needs to remain healthy if all your calories come from fructose. And other health consequences may happen because of the high fructose intake. As the good articles you posted implied, get your fructose by eating fruit and not by adding processed, concentrated fructose, such as HFCS.
3). Fructose from plants (corn, fruit, etc.) isn't unhealthy. A high percentage of your weekly calories, however, from one macro nutrient (fat, sugar, etc) is frequently associated with health problems independent of body weight. (Those articles that you posted discussed some of them.) Therefore, dietitans--the ones that I've worked with--will often examine 1) total caloric intake and 2) whether the diet is balanced. Thin and obese people can both have crappy diets.
3). Diversity of food sources is generally a good thing and associated with good health. Heavily subsidizing certain food plants can reduce this plant diversity on your plate. So yes, I don't agree with the heavy subsidies for corn.
MEMPHIS FREETHOUGHT ALLIANCE: Advancing reason, science, and secular government through education
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/memphisfreethoughtalliance/CANOrzxm%2B%2BvFB973_rOkVkHo%3D93_wmskdwAKOA_GtUhfaa9XoVA%40mail.gmail.com.
Orson Zedd
insecticides or that herbicides and pesticides aren't having some
environmental impact. I could be wrong, I'm no chemist.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> .
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> .
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/memphisfreethoughtalliance/CAAtn96T6rVWt6ZY-youVWJkuy3CKqdP3XZRNT_fzoDEf5OPSPA%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> .
>>>>>>>>>>>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/memphisfreethoughtalliance/CAMSNF4kv15FLaPDKK8M7KqUSYpJ-OsPuSeturAcngHGDW1LwqA%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> .
>>>>>>>>>>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/memphisfreethoughtalliance/CAAtn96S4JK2ZnjHeJ8C867tT71OXMUHz9NpstCkmzHrHj85KtA%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>
>>>>>>>>>>>> .
>>>>>>>>>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/memphisfreethoughtalliance/CANOrzxmMfK155YJY8c%3DG9z-Eec8HkdckzjTJUHhx9-ngVFwEtw%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>
>>>>>>>>>>> .
>>>>>>>>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/memphisfreethoughtalliance/CAAtn96SDrvE%3DFkOrQRwJNYgdUUfkAH7brQaDO9GHJRUJYJu_EQ%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>
>>>>>>>>>> .
>>>>>>>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/memphisfreethoughtalliance/CANOrzxkM_GA98mCpZFsKQxJFTSNVu%3DpkYbR%3DR_tkpQ%2B%3DN63DjQ%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>
>>>>>>>>> .
>>>>>>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/memphisfreethoughtalliance/CAAtn96T8WOfq7RSod-j-ud314ibQHr%2Bs4T14Mipqqq7_ccXw1A%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>
>>>>>>>> .
>>>>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/memphisfreethoughtalliance/CANOrzxkBMrMQKMFirj7PROcS-vKrdrYtsXKwACBnq1XNsDmW_w%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>
>>>>>> .
>>>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/memphisfreethoughtalliance/CAAtn96TK9aBR71Y_a67Q2f2%2B5x3uTeE-eqY_T4uNeKPgSweBQw%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>
>>>>> .
>>>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/memphisfreethoughtalliance/CANOrzxkxAyXYeGHwSTAXu3%2Bpu-HdM7BusfiYxz6zfMCyCGcaFg%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>
>>>>> .
>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/memphisfreethoughtalliance/CAAtn96TScjv_181OCK6XjSBNPwndJuy4OQBtF92WX_RJPRXLbg%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>
>>> .
>>>
>> --
>> Disclaimer: This MFA Forum is a public site and does not necessarily
>> express the official opinion of Memphis Freethought Alliance, Inc. or its
>> members. Posters on this forum include MFA members as well as
>> non-members.
>> People are encouraged to give their honest opinion about ideas and
>> critique
>> other people's ideas and not to attack people personally. Please keep
>> posts
>> open, honest, and civil. Please review the the rules and guidelines to
>> this
>> forum: http://www.memphisfreethought.com/DiscussionForum.html (copy and
>> paste the web address into your browser if necessary)
>> ---
>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
>> "Memphis Freethought Alliance Public Forum" group.
>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
>> email to memphisfreethoughta...@googlegroups.com.
>> To post to this group, send email to
>> memphisfreeth...@googlegroups.com.
>> Visit this group at
>> http://groups.google.com/group/memphisfreethoughtalliance.
>> To view this discussion on the web visit
>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/memphisfreethoughtalliance/CANOrzxm%2B%2BvFB973_rOkVkHo%3D93_wmskdwAKOA_GtUhfaa9XoVA%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>
>> .
>>
>
> --
> Disclaimer: This MFA Forum is a public site and does not necessarily express
> the official opinion of Memphis Freethought Alliance, Inc. or its members.
> Posters on this forum include MFA members as well as non-members. People
> are encouraged to give their honest opinion about ideas and critique other
> people's ideas and not to attack people personally. Please keep posts open,
> honest, and civil. Please review the the rules and guidelines to this
> forum: http://www.memphisfreethought.com/DiscussionForum.html (copy and
> paste the web address into your browser if necessary)
> ---
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> "Memphis Freethought Alliance Public Forum" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
> email to memphisfreethoughta...@googlegroups.com.
> To post to this group, send email to
> memphisfreeth...@googlegroups.com.
> Visit this group at
> http://groups.google.com/group/memphisfreethoughtalliance.
> To view this discussion on the web visit
Tom
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/memphisfreethoughtalliance/CAMSNF4n6yRQaMUECVJ5U%2B8JvYtuEaUShFhB4YSYZd1bW1Dg21g%40mail.gmail.com.