Engineering Ourselves Out of Existence?

The Austrian government recently published a study conducted by the Austrian Ministry for Agriculture and Health demonstrating that genetically engineered crops may have serious long-term health consequences for humans.  A short summary of the findings is this: laboratory mice were divided into two groups and fed two different diets.  One group was fed with genetically engineered (GE) maize.  The other group was fed non-GE maize.  By the third and fourth generations, the mice fed the GE maize were producing significantly fewer offspring at lower birth weights, while the non-GE group continued to reproduce efficiently.  As a result of this study, Greenpeace is now demanding a recall of all genetically engineered crops worldwide.

This study does have to be considered for both its strengths and weaknesses.  The mice were kept under identical conditions in a laboratory; the only difference between the two groups was their diet, which helps clarify that the effect of reduced fertility is most likely attributed to the food.  However, the study was conducted for only a period of 20 weeks, through the fourth generation of mice, and of course, we are studying mice and not humans.  Skeptics will throw out words such as correlation versus causation, non-longitudinal, different species, etcetera, to question the credibility of the study.  Let me say here that I am never a proponent of blindly accepting research results without first considering any study's flaws and potential issues concerning generalization to a larger (or different, in this case) population.  So let's consider these results from a broader scientific perspective.

The popular scientific theory explaining how all creatures came into existence is evolution.  I won't give any more background about the theory or how it was derived, as I assume the vast majority of us are familiar with it.  For billions of years, life has been evolving 'just so' on planet Earth to create the biodiversity we have today.  This means that plants, animals, bacteria, fungi, etc., have been co-evolving, resulting in somewhat of a planetary symbiosis.  Therfore, omnivorous and herbivorous species of animals have co-evolved with Earth's plant life, having their nutritional needs filled by the natural genetic combinations that have been flourishing for thousands, nay, millions, of years.  Let's also consider that while modern science has made leaps and bounds in their understanding of genetics, we still don't know how the genome works.  There is not a one-to-one correspondence between genes and proteins as scientists originally thought.  Thus, one gene can be responsible for a multitude of functions.  The point is this: we just don't know how genes really work.

Putting our incomplete understanding of evolution and genetics together with the results from this Austrian study, it makes complete sense that genetically modified crops have unintended consequences on the human body.  First, we are evolved to eat the material on Earth that has co-evolved with us.  We have been doing so for hundreds of thousands of years.  Second, we have no idea what will actually result from altering the genetic structure of plants, because altering even one gene can have widespread effects over the whole organism.  We can't even create an exact copy of a genetic code and create a viable organism (remember Dolly the sheep?).

Now, what about those who are creationists, and believe that God created all life on Earth as part of His master plan?  Maybe you believe in intelligently designed, purposeful evolution as part of God's plan, and maybe you don't.  But either way, consider this: if God created this abundance of diversity, and intended all on Earth to exist symbiotically, does it make sense to trust man to alter what God has created, in the belief that we can make it better?  Not at all.  So whether you're a staunch follower of science or of God, or somewhere in the middle, genetically engineered foods don't fit.

In sum, should you avoid genetically modified foods?  My answer is an emphatic YES, and an even more emphatic YES for those trying to conceive and even those just entering their childbearing years, who aren't planning to conceive for a while.  I don't think we can say definitively that genetically modified foods are directly causing our infertility, but I do think that they are a large piece of a complex puzzle, and one that we have complete control over.  So take control of your overall health.  Do a small amount of homework before going to the grocery store and choose items that are not made from genetically engineered foods.  Your grandchildren and great-grandchildren will thank you for it.

Sources

Genetically engineered food: potential threat to fertility.  Greenpeace Press Release.
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/press/releases/ge-threat-to-fertility-11112008/

James Shreeve. The Genome War.  New York: Knopf, 2004.

Nature, February 15, 2001.

Tom Bethell.  The Politically Incorrect Guide to Science.  Washington, D.C., Regenery, 2005.