The number of adults and children suffering with seasonal, food and autoimmune related allergies has grown significantly since the 1970s. It is believed to have all started with the emergence of peanut allergies and has since stemmed into many different new forms of allergies.
Are we really allergic to this much food?
Or has food manufacturing now changed to the point where we are no longer eating food designed for human consumption?
The allergy problem has left many individuals grappling with immune system reactions to everyday substances. While genetics and environmental factors play significant roles, emerging research suggests a potential connection between bio-engineered food, plastic, and allergic reactions. This intriguing correlation aligns with the changes we have seen in food packaging, manufacturing and distribution since the 1970s and why we now experience so many allergic reactions within our diets resulting in the allergy epidemic we live with today.
Bio-Engineered Food: Unintended Consequences
Bio-engineered or genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have become ubiquitous in our food supply, with many crops engineered to resist pests, diseases, and herbicides. With the increasing use of these chemicals in our food chain, the introduction of GMOs into our diets, increased use of plastics, and processed and bio-engineered ingredients this may have unintended consequences for our health, including an increase in allergic reactions.
Deemed safe by the FDA, the United States is the leading country in use of GMOs and bio-engineering food products. Coincidentally we are also a country with the highest use of medical services, most expensive health care systems, and pharmaceutical use. Americans are in the lead for highest numbers of new cancer cases per year, decreases in life longevity and obesity.
Many would say more research is needed to understand these links but growing trends of illnesses and diseases, including allergies, cancers, digestive disorders and anxiety and depression related illnesses say we already know the answer to this problem.
Alteration of Proteins in Our Foods
GMOs are often modified to produce or suppress certain proteins. These alterations can result in changes to the composition of the food, potentially introducing novel proteins that trigger immune responses in susceptible individuals.
Monsanto, a multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation, has been at the center of controversy surrounding its genetically modified corn crops. While touted for their purported benefits, these crops have also raised concerns about their potential impact on food systems and human health. In this blog post, we'll delve into the repercussions of Monsanto's corn crop and the disruption it has caused to our food supply.
The impact of Monsanto's corn crop experiments on our food supply extends far beyond the agricultural fields where it is grown. It raises complex questions about sustainability, biodiversity, human health, and corporate responsibility. By critically examining the issues surrounding GMO crops it becomes a slippery slop for other food alterations including the most recent Apeel food coating applied to fruits and vegetables to extend shelf life. Again, these concerns raise serious questions on the integrity and interests of the FDA for protecting consumers.
Increased Exposure to Allergens
The widespread use of GMOs means that individuals are increasingly exposed to allergenic proteins that may not have been present in traditional varieties of the same foods. This heightened exposure could contribute to the rise in food allergies observed in recent years.
It is not only food allergies that become the concern here, but also seasonal and environmental allergens. The chemical sprays and integration of these toxins in our farm animals, soil and water extend into daily human life causing adverse allergic reactions, illnesses and diseases.
Plastic Pollution: A Hidden Culprit
Plastic pollution has permeated every corner of our environment, from the air we breathe to the water we drink and the food we eat. Microplastics, tiny particles of plastic, have been found in various food sources, including seafood, salt, and drinking water.
Chemical Leaching from Plastic into Our Bodies
Plastics contain a cocktail of chemicals, including phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), and flame retardants, many of which are known to disrupt hormone function and immune system function. These chemicals can leach into food and beverages, posing potential health risks, including allergic reactions.
Plastic is a primary ingredient in stool of every animal and human on the planet. It is a neuro toxin to the body resulting in several health implications and challenges. From food packaging to environmental waste of plastic it has increasingly become human and planet enemy number one.
Immune System Dysregulation from Toxins
Exposure to environmental toxins, such as those found in bio-engineered food and plastic, disrupts the delicate balance of the immune system. This dysregulation predisposes individuals to develop allergies or exacerbate existing allergic conditions.
Continued elevated exposure to these toxins has been found linked to cancers and autoimmune disorders. These links continue to be disregarded for the convenience and inexpensive cost of using plastic for most of what we enjoy in modern life. From clothing, food packaging, housing materials, household products, toys, and more plastic is literally everywhere in the human daily life.
Cross-Reactivity from Plastic
Some chemicals found in plastics, such as phthalates, have been shown to exhibit cross-reactivity with certain proteins found in foods. This phenomenon can confuse the immune system, leading to allergic reactions to both the chemical and the food protein.
We have often been told there is little to be done for allergies in terms of medical care beyond allergy related prescriptions. Yet, there is more. Namely the reduction of exposure and use of these toxins that are causing the allergies to exist. Prior to the 1970s, the most common allergy in existence was seasonal hay fever. This was the result of spring blooms increasing the pollen in the air. Now allergies are more often related to food products than environmental toxins from chemical use than nature.
Cumulative Effects of Bio-engineered food and Plastic in the Human Diet
The combined exposure to bio-engineered food and plastic compounds may have cumulative effects on the immune system, amplifying the risk of allergic sensitization and response.
Evidence shows a link between bio-engineered food, plastic, and allergies, and more research only continues to show the increases in allergic responses and diseases. Studies examining the effects of chronic exposure to these environmental factors on allergic disease are crucial for elucidating their impact on human health to support larger change in regulation and protections.
In the face of these complex challenges, individuals can take proactive steps to minimize their exposure to potential allergens and environmental toxins. This includes choosing organic and non-GMO foods whenever possible, reducing plastic use and exposure, and advocating for stricter regulations on plastic production and disposal.
What You Can do to Protect Your Health from Bio-engineered Food and Plastic
The connection between bio-engineered food, plastic, and allergies underscores the intricate interplay between our diet, environment, and immune system. Evidence shows that these factors may be contributing to the rise in allergic reactions observed in recent years. By raising awareness of this potential link and taking proactive measures to mitigate exposure to allergens and environmental toxins, we can work towards a healthier, allergy-free future for generations to come.
Holistic medicine can help you protect your health and reduce the toxicity in your body from these chemicals and toxins. To see if you would benefit from a detox or other natural health approach to reduce the footprint of these toxins, book your session today!
