This documentary, Genetic Roulette, I just finished watching today and it was excellent.  Yes, it is just another documentary on GMOs, but it is very good, interesting and a great reminder to be more vigilant in avoiding them.  I also felt it was more encouraging that there is hope that we can change things for ourselves and our future.  So many other documentaries give the impression that the damage is done, there is no going back and there is nothing we can do about it.

This video address many issues that are related to GMOS and the problems they cause.  I found it very interesting to see all the different things that were included as direct causes of the altered foods.

Diseases are addressed and the fact that there is a large rise in digestive issues since 1996 when GMOs were first introduced.  Also the increase of other chronic diseases, Autism and allergies.  Some are thought to be direct causes, others are just factors in the problem.

They also claim the FDA has informed Monsanto that it was their responsibility to make sure that GMOs were safe for consumption.  It is amazing to me that they are trusting this to the same company that originally said DDT was safe.  The creators of the documentary also talk about how bad the science is that they are basing their research on.  The control groups are too small and trial period is too short.  Because of this there is no way to detect or track any links to cancer, infertility or birth defects

I also found it fascinating how many pediatricians have found it easy to link allergies to GMO foods.  Most of the time they are able to eat the natural or organic version of the same food.  Some farmers have also been reporting autism type activity in cows and pigs fed GMO foods.  Once the foods are removed the symptoms start to resolve.

Other issues that were addressed included:

• The fact that herbicides are causing plants to be nutrient deficient which also carries over into livestock that eat those plants as well as being passed on to us.
• There is a 70% larger concentration of birth defects in farming communities where roundup is used/sprayed
• There is evidence of severe reproductive changes in rats and mice and that there are more and more fertility clinics every day
• An unknown organism has been found that is causing miscarriages in livestock.  It can be isolated re-introduced into an animal and cause a miscarriage
• Discusses the claim that GMOs goal in providing food for the world
• Address whether there is truly a higher production rate in GMO crops
• Presents the fact that there is an increasing need for pesticide use especially in GMO crops
• And includes stories of GMO crops in other countries like India and South Africa

Even though all of this can scare us (at least it does me) and makes me want to grow all that I eat to avoid all of this, there is hope!  First we can decrease the demand for GMO foods by avoiding them and not purchasing them and encouraging others to do the same.  The 9 GMO crops are soy, corn, cottonseed (for oil), canola (for oil), sugar beets (for sugar) papaya, zucchini, yellow crookneck squash, alfalfa for hay.  The easiest way to avoid these crops is to purchase organic or foods that are labeled non GMO.  There is also a non GMO food guide that can be used to help as well.  This guide also contains all of the derivatives that are in processed foods.

I really did enjoy this documentary and I encourage you to see it.  You can view it for free for the next five days on their website Genetic Roulette.  PLEASE take some time to watch it, and of course let me know what you think!

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