Greed for need
Like any editor, I am constantly getting press releases and reading articles full of health warnings and breakthroughs. But I’ve been doing this long enough that, usually, I can see right through them.
Last month, I told you about the frightening epidemic of diseases caused by vitamin deficiencies in developing countries (Health e-Tip, 11/4/04) and their would-be” knight in shining armor”: the genetically modified food industry.
It sounds good at first, doesn’t it? And I guess I just sound like a crank. But here’s the problem, as I see through it…
Problem #1: The Codex Alimentarius Commission is backing up this effort, despite outcries from the European Union and other vocal dissent. You might recall that these are the same folks who are trying to wipe out the availability of vitamins and supplements in Europe – and in the U.S. by extension. They purport to crusade in the name of health and safety.
But the health and safety of genetically modified (GM) foods is far from proven. Often referred to as Frankenfoods, there are numerous concerns about what might happen if we let this genie any further out of the bottle. Allergic reactions, gene transferring from plant to human species, and antiobiotic resistance are just a few possible consequences that can be neither confirmed nor denied at this point in the game.
Here’s the most confusing part to me: The vitamins and nutrients that the Codex is trying to ban in Europe have been used safely for years. In most cases there are numerous studies proving the safety and effectiveness of these products — significantly more data than what exists on GM foods. But it’s full steam ahead anyway, perhaps to the detriment of much of the world’s food supply at this rate.
Problem #2: While U.S. officials claim purely philanthropic reasons for the food aid they send to developing countries, The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is a little more transparent (and truthful) on their website. It states: “The principal beneficiary of America’s foreign assistance programs has always been the United States. Close to 80 percent of the USAID contracts and grants go directly to American firms. Foreign assistance programs have helped create major markets for agricultural goods, created new markets for American industrial exports and meant hundreds of thousands of jobs for Americans.”
If that doesn’t sound more like a self-serving marketing campaign rather than generosity, I don’t know what does.
In the end, I suppose it matters little whether it is a targeted marketing effort, a mass experiment in genetics, or just an unfortunate combination of ignorance and avarice. It’s the results that will count. Unfortunately, by the time the results come in, it could be too late. But hopefully it won’t come to that. Actually, the U.S. government may be running out of nave subjects who are willing to take this sort of “help.” In 1992, Zambia and other African nations began rejecting shipments of food aid that contained GM foods. U.S. officials were infuriated — “beggars can’t be choosers,” they proclaimed.
But if more and more countries — and more of us here are home too – start following Zambia’s lead in rejecting GM foods, maybe the government will eventually get the message.
Crabby help for kidneys
Q: My mother has chronic kidney failure as a result of battling diabetes for many years. Someone told me she should try taking a supplement called chitosan. I’ve never heard of it — can you fill me in?
JVW: Chitosan is most popular for its effectiveness as a weight control supplement. It is extracted from the shells of crustaceans, such as shrimp and crab, which means that if your mother has an allergy to shellfish, it’s not an option for her. If not, however, she may want to consider it. A study published a few years ago clearly showed a benefit to dialysis patients who took chitosan. Half of the 80 study participants took 1,450 milligrams of chitosan, three times daily for 12 weeks; the other half didn’t take any chitosan. After the study period, researchers reported that the patients who took chitosan reported less fatigue and shortness of breath, and improvements in appetite, sleep, and feelings of physical strength. Their kidney function also appeared better, and they suffered from less severe anemia — a common problem in those with chronic kidney failure. And there were no significant side effects reported.
What is calciphylaxis?
Calciphylaxis is a rare disorder that occurs in patients with chronic kidney failure and who are on dialysis. It is a form of widespread vascular calcification that affects blood vessels and arteries throughout the body. It is almost always fatal. Some attempts have been made to treat this condition with therapeutic doses of vitamin K, but they have ultimately not met with success. It is not clear what causes calciphylaxis exactly, although the presence of chronic kidney failure seems constant. Other contributing factors that seem to increase risk are long-term obesity, sudden weight loss, use of immunosuppressant drugs, especially corticosteroids.
Yours in good health,
Amanda Ross
Managing Editor
Nutrition & Healing
Sources:
“Greenpeace Report: USAID and GM Food Aid,” Greenpeace (www.greenpeace.org.uk), 10/02
“Food supply situation and crop prospects in Sub-Saharan Africa (No.2).” U.S. Food and Agriculture Organization (www.fao.org) 8/02
