What is genetically modified food (GMO), Is it safe?

The recent technological advancements have encompassed all fields including food and nutrition. In this regard, the 21st century has witnessed developments which were unthinkable and unheard of earlier.One such incredible scientific invention in the field of nutrition has been GMO which stands for genetically modified food. But the question arises whether the consumption of this kind of food will in fact do us  more harm than good or not. In order to fully understand and explain it's positives and negatives and finally conclude whether it is fit for public consumption or not, let us first come to terms with it's precise meaning.

What does the term "genetically modified food" exactly imply??

Genetically modified foods include those food items that have been manufactured or sourced from animals, plants or other living beings like microbes etc in whose basic genetic make-up, ie. the DNA, extensive variations and transformations have been made by means of complicated genetic engineering methods and processes. These methods are artificial and not natural ones like mating, cross-breeding etc and they cannot occur unless these artificial means such as making genetic alterations by way of taking a gene from one organism and then transmitting the same into the DNA of another organism etc are adopted. These processes are generally carried out in a laboratory where the genes of a particular plant, animal etc are shifted into another distinct plant or animal species so that the desirable characteristics of one can be seen and found in the other. Various vegetables or fruits like corn, soybeans, sugar beets, tomatoes, rice, potatoes, etc undergo genetic modification processes. Among animal products, the most prominent examples of genetically modified foods are dairy products like milk etc and poultry products like chicken. Especially, in the case of dairy products like milk, well-known cattle breeds such as Holstein Friesian and Jersey cows are genetically modified in order to increase the quantity and improve the quality of the milk that is produced from them and also to incorporate certain desirable traits in the milk produce like low lactose content etc by injecting certain specific bacterial-type genes into the embryos of these cows through complex genetic engineering techniques.

Having second thoughts about the safety of genetically modified foods?? Here are some insights in this context:

Now the question arises whether the consumption of genetically modified foods is safe or not. This is a hotly debated topic and as of now there are different opinions among scientists regarding this matter. Concrete scientific proof in this area is yet to be fully unearthed. However, if you are looking for possible answers to this question, then continue to read below for some facts which may help you to make the correct choice when it comes to this issue:

1. Some people find genetically modified foods to be of superior taste as well as quality. This may be true since through this process, different food attributes such as flavors etc get a boost and this in turn increases the preference for such foods.
2. Furthermore, foods produced from organisms which have undergone a process of genetic modification are in some cases deemed to be healthier since these organisms can become significantly less susceptible to various kinds of ailments due to the genetic modification procedures.
3. Also, such foods contain additional nutrients such as vitamins and minerals which are introduced when the organisms from which they are sourced are genetically modified and thus come with extra health benefits particularly in countries like India where many people suffer from chronic malnutrition due to various reasons like poverty etc and require these essential nutrients in these foods for improving their health condition.
4. But, the flip side of such genetically modified foodstuffs also need to be considered as they can turn out to be quite serious in certain cases. Firstly, genetically modified organisms are bred in unnatural conditions in which they would never be able to survive under usual circumstances and due to this reason, there is the possibility of causing great harm to our environmental surroundings. For instance, genetically modified plants have the ability to develop immunity to pesticides and this can be a dangerous trend which we must be aware of before going for such foods.
5. Secondly, certain researches have revealed that eating such foods aggravates the chances of suffering from medical conditions such as allergies in some people. For example, if an individual happens to be allergic to a certain variety of vegetable which has undergone genetic modification processes and then if some farm animal ends up consuming that same vegetable and the individual in question consumes products that sourced from that farm animal , then he or she will be very much prone to being afflicted with severe food allergies. So, for people who are at risk of food allergies or already have them, genetically modified foods might not be a good option after all. Instead, they ought to go for naturally produced foods for avoiding medical conditions like allergies.
6. Studies have also indicated that genetically modified foods may also lead to potentially fatal diseases like cancer though this has not been proven to be true but merely speculated. So, you may not want to take any chances and avoid such foods if it is possible to do so. More research is underway at present to get to the bottom of this matter but as of now, no definite evidence in this regard is available.
7. Lastly, there is absolutely no difference whatsoever in the time and the resources that have to be spent in producing such foods in comparison to natural foods. This makes their production economically unfeasible if other better options are available.                                     

Conclusion:   

So, the question remains whether we should go for such genetically modified foods or not. The answer to this lies in the fact that the risks associated with these foods are usually much more than their supposed benefits in the majority of the cases where natural foods are readily available. But there are still some very impoverished regions in countries like India where the population cannot afford or are unable to get access to even the most basic nutritious foods and are afflicted by several serious ailments like anemia etc as a result. In some poor countries, food scarcity has become such a huge problem that it is even claiming a large number of human lives. For these places, genetically modified foods might be a practical solution until and unless naturally produced foods are made adequately available to the people. But if you look at the overall picture, then it may not be a very wise decision to choose such foods over naturally produced foods due to their various speculated as well as proven health hazards until the time when fully conclusive evidence is found which proves the contrary to be true- that such foods are fully fit for public consumption. But no such information is available till now which is fully reliable. Some statements which were made that such foods are totally safe are yet to be absolutely verified. So, in the present scenario, genetically modified foods are hardly the final solution for the world's nutrition problems. But the final decision is entirely upto you and if you are still in doubt regarding what choice you should make in this matter, then remind yourself of this fact that venturing into unknown territories by putting your health on the line without being fully aware of it's exact health effects can have potentially disastrous future consequences for you. As you already know, half knowledge is always dangerous. It's your health and well-being that is at stake here. So better play it safe!!