By Dr. Mercola | Mercola.com

The Atlantic recently reported on the findings of new research into the claims made for the safety and efficacy of genetically engineered foods.

The authors of the report GMO Myths and Truths took a science-based approach to evaluating the available research, and came to the conclusion that most of the scientific evidence regarding safety and increase yield potential do not support the claims made at all. In fact, the evidence demonstrates that the claims for genetically engineered foods are not just wildly overblown; they simply aren’t true...

The featured article summarizes the evidence presented, which shows that genetically engineered (GE) crops:

Are laboratory-made, using technology that is totally different from natural breeding methods, and pose different risks from non-GE crops

Can be toxic, allergenic or less nutritious than their natural counterparts

Are not adequately regulated to ensure safety

Do not increase yield potential

Do not reduce pesticide use but increase it

Create serious problems for farmers, including herbicide-tolerant "superweeds", compromised soil quality, and increased disease susceptibility in crops

Have mixed economic effects

Harm soil quality, disrupt ecosystems, and reduce biodiversity

Do not offer effective solutions to climate change

Are as energy-hungry as any other chemically-farmed crops

Cannot solve the problem of world hunger but distract from its real causes - poverty, lack of access to food and, increasingly, lack of access to land to grow it on

1. The genetically modified (GM) gene product – for example, the Bt toxin in GM insecticidal crops – may be toxic or allergenic

2. The GM transformation process may produce mutagenic effects, gene regulatory effects, or effects at other levels of biological structure and function that result in new toxins or allergens and/or disturbed nutritional value

3. Changes in farming practices linked to the use of a genetically modified organism (GMO) may result in toxic residues – for example, higher levels of crop contamination with the herbicide Roundup are an inevitable result of using GM Roundup Ready® crops