Are GMOs Safe?

What is a GMO?

The term "GMO" stands for a genetically modified organism. Like the name suggests, a genetically modified organism's genome has been altered to cater to specific needs. 

Genetically Modified Food?

"Genetic modifications" might sound foreign to a lot of us, but most of the food we eat is genetically modified. Just about 85% of the corn produced in the U.S is genetically modified so the crop can be resistant to herbicide glyphosate, a chemical used to kill weeds. Soybeans are one of the most heavily genetically modified foods in the U.S, with about 94% of it being GM. It is modified to increase its content of oleic acid that reduces LDL cholesterol or "bad" cholesterol. Milk is another GM food. Cows are given rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone) that increases the production of milk. Around 10% of the world's crop are genetically modified and about 70% of processed foods in the U.S are said to have one or more GM ingredients in them. 

Why Do People Oppose GM Foods?

People mainly oppose GM foods simply because there is not a lot known about their effects on human health. The increase in production of crops that are resistant to a certain chemical, eg: herbicides, results in extensive use of the chemical. Weeds and insects also become resistant to what the crop is made resistant to. A survey conducted in the U.S showed that over 50% of participants said that a tomato would taste like fish if it was modified with fish genes (it wouldn't). This is known as psychological essentialism. Simply put, people thought all the genes in an organism cause the organism's "typical" characteristics. These are people's main concerns when it comes to genetically modified foods.

Should You Really Be Worried?

At this point, no. So far, all research done has shown that GM foods do not change the nutritional value in food and is not harmful to humans. A study done in 2015 showed that 37% of participants thought that GMOs were safe. This shows that there is a psychological association that would be hard to change. To say definitively whether or not GM foods affect human health, decades of research would be required. With the information we have, genetically modified foods are not something we should be worried about.

Citations

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-people-oppose-gmos-even-though-science-says-they-are-safe/
https://www.medicalbag.com/the-fit-md/why-are-we-so-afraid-of-gmos/article/653830/
https://quizlet.com/73932714/gmos-5-flash-cards/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/10/28/gmo-questions/1658225/
https://heartuk.org.uk/health-and-high-cholesterol
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/builtlean/diet-and-nutrition_b_4323937.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/23/well/eat/are-gmo-foods-safe.html
https://allianceforscience.cornell.edu/blog/2016/05/gmo-safety-debate-is-over/
https://www.nongmoproject.org/gmo-facts/what-is-gmo/