A parent's main focus is doing everything they can for their child to live a healthy lifestyle. However, it's essential that a parent takes on responsibility, and keeps themselves informed on pressing issues. It is vital for parents to be knowledgeable on the pressing issues around them. Parents need to know what MSG (monosodium glutamine), pesticides, and GMO (genetically modified organisms) foods are. Unfortunately, not every parent knows about them, or they are too dismissive of them. In fact, most parents aren't even aware they are feeding their children genetically damaging substances. This is not surprising. Corporate interests keep much of the public misinformed. In America, nutrition seems like a ghost from the past. When questioning is organic food really worth it - the answer is yes. Organic means it contains no MSG, pesticides, or GMO. Purchasing organic food gives your child a longer lifespan. Children cannot choose for themselves. It is a child's birth right for the parents to protect them from genetic damage.
A parent's concern should be how safe is the unborn child in the mother's womb, and alarmingly, not as safe as one would like to believe. MSG is the most consumed food additive in America. It is found in all fast foods. Higher MSG quantities are found in McDonald's food. How does this link with the pregnant mother and her unborn child? With examination, people, mostly minorities, who don't have time to cook for themselves, resort to eating fast food. In the scientific community it is known that pregnant women who eat high levels of MSG link their unborn child with ADHD. MSG also has a meat grinder effect on the intestines, causing bleeding, and elevation of auto-immune diseases, or inflammation in the body. This affects not only the mother's body but the unborn child's intestines as well. MSG causes birth defects, bi-polar disorders, and thyroid damage (Our Toxic World, Doris J. Rapp).
MSG also masks rancidity in meats and breads to expand shelf life. Also, it is known that MSG is a nero-toxin to the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus controls the body's emotions. Fast food dependent eaters experience explosive anger because of high MSG levels in their brain. In one saddening case, in San Ysidro, California, James Oliver Huberty entered a McDonald's restaurant, and killed 21 people. He injured 19 others. This tragedy occurred on July 18, 1984. Huberty's wife sued McDonald's: she claimed the combined mixture in their nuggets with high levels of MSG triggered his uncontrollable rage (An American Tragedy Remembered). Today's studies show Huberty's wife suspicion on MSG wasn't so far-fetched. These reasons given are enough for any parent to avoid MSG in their children's diet, as well as theirs.
Pesticides in food are our silent enemy. Doris J. Rapp M.D. states, "It is known that 33% of pesticides are suspect or proven causes of cancer, another 30% are known or suspected causes of reproductive problems, and about 25% are known or suspect to cases of genetic damage" (218). Where are pesticides found? To name a few, pesticides are found in non-organic fruits, vegetables, soy, wheat, corn, canola oil, and cotton (tampons that don't have organic cotton). As early, as 1994 studies have been conducted in urine samples of children in the United States, Australia, and Maryland. Theses studies confirmed they have pesticides circulating through their bodies. What pesticides? This is the horrifying part. In Australia in the year 1981 DDT, which is an additive in Agent Orange, was banned. Yet in 1995, fourteen years later, in a study of 25 newborn infants' first bowel movements, DDT was found 52% enclosed within their bodies. DDT is known to interfere with the reproductive system; this causes infertility in the children once adulthood is reached (Our Toxic World, Doris J. Rapp).
The constant argument when buying organic food has been the FDA. The non-organic buyer always says, "The FDA hasn't told me about this, and they say it's safe. So it's safe." When exploring the issue, the intellectual thing to do is explore both sides of the argument. Whatever credibility the FDA had in the past in now lost. The FDA claims, all their studies have shown there is no difference between organic, and non-organic food. They claim GMO foods are safe. In fact, they are so extremely safe that GMO foods are tossed into the WIC program for expectant mothers, and their unborn children to eat. The FDA's interest is to protect corporate interests first not the people. They state, GMO foods, pesticides, and non-organic food don't link to cancer, or any other health related issues. The FDA and their team of researchers stated these diseases to them are a mystery for the western civilization, and science itself. Doris J. Rapp, M.D. reports, "In 1993, FDA, Department of Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency pledged to curtail pesticide use by promoting sustainable agriculture, and the development of safer chemicals. In the next three years, pesticide use rose 20%. At the same time, the agriculture research budget designated to evaluate, or find a better alternative method of pest control was reduced less than 1%" (277). Those are the true colors of the FDA. They do not budget enough money to research what they quickly approve to be used in our bodies. Without pesticides there are fewer chances of disease occurring. At the cause of some diseases, pesticides are the reason for the development of that disease.
We come to GMO foods. Why avoid GMO? GMO foods tamper with genetic expression, meaning they inhibit cell division, impair brain growth, muscle development, and cause infertility. Genetically modified organisms are disturbing to say the least. For example, scorpion venom genes are injected into a tomato. This allows them to be resistant to the pesticides thrown onto them. These pesticides kill off unwanted bugs from eating the tomato. The tomatoes, however resistant to those pesticides, is kept alive. This scientific practice the FDA deems legal. Among that, it is not just tomatoes that has these genetic "upgrades", but all the non-GMO fruits and vegetables. These GMO foods produce allergies or form leaky gut syndrome. Children are born very small, with a smaller brain than normal, because of the GMO foods the mother ate through pregnancy. This makes them more susceptible to allergies and cancers (Our Toxic World, Doris J. Rapp).
Doris J. Rapp M.D. reports, "GMO food is also the cause of mongolism, autism, deformities, and mental disorders. When the human body is so overloaded with chemicals they cannot be excreted, they tend to be stored in the fatty areas of your body. Your fat, in particular, as well as other body areas become your own toxic dumpsites" (233). Not all this toxic waste we can excrete naturally. Isn't that alarming? Fat (healthy fat) is stored in the women's body for the future production of breast milk. In short, the milk new mother's feed to their children can be contaminated, if they didn't have a clean diet prior, and during pregnancy. This could be prevented with a conscious informed lifestyle choice: organic, non-GMO verified, and no MSG food.
The aim of a responsible parent should be to become informed before making any of their choices. After being informed make your choice. It is vital for all parents to be informed of the dangers of MSG, pesticides, and GMO foods. All of these are immediate threats to a child's healthy future. MSG, pesticides, and GMO foods are known to be the cause of autism, bi-polar disorders, infertility, cancer, and deformities according to Doris J. Rapp M.D. With this short organic informative storm become an informed consumer. Yes, by all means organic food is worth buying. Go clean with organic, no MSG, no pesticides, and no GMO foods. Those substances are what every child needs to avoid having in their food. When a parent purchases organic they are giving the child prevention against disease. Give that birth right to yourself to your children: the ability to use prevention as a tool to combat diseases.
Works Cited
Oppel, Richard A. Jr. "An American Tragedy Remembered". latimes.com. Los Angeles Times, 19 July 1990. Sept 29 2017.
Rapp, Doris J. Our Toxic World: A Wake Up Call. Buffalo, NY: Environmental Medical Research Foundation, 2003. Print.
© Raquel Campos