Tag Archives: GMOs

It’s Alimentary (Part 2)

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A recent ‘clinical quality forum’ sponsored by The Children’s Care Network (TCCN) and Nutrition4Kids featured several good lectures. The symposium was titled, “It’s Alimentary.” What follows are my notes –the full lectures from these talks will be available in the coming weeks on the Nutrition4Kids website. My notes may include some errors in transcription and errors of omission.

In my view the best lecture from this symposium was given by Kathleen Zelman (WebMD, Director of Nutrition): Diet and Nutrition Trends Impacting Health

Key points:

  • There have been more individuals pursuing vegetarian and vegan diets.  Though increasing vegetables/fruits is a good trend, vegan diets are particularly challenging (& potentially dangerous) in children.  In those who take milk and eggs, this diet is much more likely to meet nutrient needs.  These diets necessitate the assistance of a dietician.
  • Unfavorable trends: increased consumption of highly processed foods and restrictive food fads.  Some processed foods (eg. canned beans) can be a healthy addition to diet.
  • ‘Organic diets are not more nutritious. They are great if you can afford it. Key is eating more vegetables and fruits.’
  • GMOs are safe.
  • MyPlate.gov is a good resource
  • Encourage families to eat together and to shop for a ‘rainbow of colors’

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A subsequent lecture on “Nutrition for the Premature Infant” by Heidi Karpen (Emory University, Professor of Pediatrics) provided a good overview of the ongoing efforts to improve nutritional outcomes for premature infants.

Key points:

  • Good nutrition is crucial for better neurodevelopmental outcomes and stronger bones.
  • Despite efforts like instituting TPN on first day of life, most neonates are losing ground during their hospitalization.
  • Breastmilk is best at reducing sepsis, necrotizing enterocoliitis, and improving IQ.  However, it is not perfect  –less protein, less calcium, and less phosphorus than formulas; thus, breastmilk needs to be augmented and/or supplemented.
  • Informal breastmilk donation can be dangerous.  Donor breastmilk needs to be carefully screened.

Related blog posts:

 

American Academy of Pediatrics: Georgia Chapter Governing Board Meeting

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As usual, I learned a great deal from our recent governing board meeting of the Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics ((AAP).   Here are some notes, including nutrition committee notes at the bottom of this post. Though not intentional, some important material is likely to have been omitted; in addition, transcription errors are possible as well.

Influenza This Year –Harry Keyserling:

  • 85% of pediatric deaths have occurred in those without influenza vaccine. The vaccine, even when not stopping the influenza (lower efficacy this year), lowers the risk of death.  Probably 50-60% of all Georgia kids are immunized against the flu and  there is a higher rate of immunization (~75%) in younger age (~75%)
  • ‘We are not seeing Tamiflu resistance with this year’s strain’
  • 53 pediatric deaths this year at this point (2/3/18)
  • Children attending public schools have higher rates of vaccination than children attending private schools

Amy Jacobs, Commissioner of Ga Dept of Early Care & Learning (DECAL)

  • decal.ga.gov Website is resource for child care and sponsored meals
  • Georgia Pre-K now in 25th
  • QualityRated.org Useful website for identifying high quality child care
  • ~50,000 children supported with scholarships for childhood care caps.decal.ga.gov 833-442-2277
  • Text “FOODGA” to 877-877 Summer Meal Programs or Call toll free 855-550-7377

Project S.A.V.E.  –Robert Campbell, Richard Lamphier

  • Started in 2004 with the mission of promoting and improving prevention of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in children, adolescents and others in Georgia communities..  Website: Project S.A.V.E.
  • Primary prevention: pediatric office, preparticipation physical exams
  • Secondary prevention: after cardiac arrest –emergency action plan
    • Where’s the nearest AED? (Mr. Lamphier’s car).  At our office, GI Care For Kids’ AED –>Formula closet/Stan’s dictation area
    • Is there a plan if an emergency occurs? Name of building, address. Any barriers?
    • Almost always someone is willing to donate AED (~$700) -not a lot of money, this is a process issue much more than a financial one
    • If you wait for an ambulance (~10 minutes) with SCA, you probably won’t need an ambulance –the patient will not survive
  • There are fire drills –last death from fire in Georgia School in 1950s. Schools need emergency action plans in place.  For AEDs to be useful, there is a need for them to be accessible; thus, schools may need to have them in multiple locations.  About 15 pediatric cardiac arrests (data not formally collected) per year in Georgia.

Nutrition Committee Notes:

Top Posts 2016

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The following posts are the ones that I think are most useful from 2016.

Gastroenterology:

Liver:

General:

Doctoring:

IBD:

Nutrition:

truth-johnpohl

Nonpartisan Fear of GMOs

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A recent NPR report: Americans Don’t Trust Scientists’ Take On Food Issues

This reports how frequently misinformed the US public is about is about food safety issues but at least this information is not associated with partisan political views.

An excerpt:

39 percent of the survey participants believe that genetically modified foods are worse for your health than non-GM food. However, there’s essentially no scientific evidence to support that belief — a conclusion confirmed most recently by a National Academy of Sciences report…

Americans believe that there’s no scientific consensus on GMOs. Just over 50 percent of respondents believe that “about half or fewer” of scientists agree that GM foods are safe to eat. Only 14 percent’s beliefs match the reality — that “almost all” scientists agree that GM foods are safe to eat…

Roughly equal shares of Republicans and Democrats (39 percent versus 40 percent) feel that GMOs are worse for people’s health. More Democrats than Republicans (60 percent versus 50 percent) believe that organic foods are healthier. It’s significant, but not a huge difference….

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Here’s another related link: NY Times Stop Bashing GMO Foods

Ft Knox, Maine

Ft Knox, Maine

Why GMO labels are a bad idea

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I was pleased to see the March 11 USAToday editorial: Our view: GMO Labels Feed Unwarranted Fears

Excerpt:

“Mandatory labeling …on balance it’s a bad idea. A key reason is that it validates the notion that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are dangerous, which is simply not true.  Using science to make crops more resistance to drought or insects builds on the ancient practice of selectively breeding plants…Doing this in a lab at the genetic level makes it faster, more precise, and more effective.  But…harder for nonscientists to grasp…the European Union found that GMOs ‘are not per se more risky than…conventional plant breeding.’…75% to 80% of foods contain them.”

“The risk from mandatory labeling is the same as any action that ignores science and plays to unfounded fear.”

Related blog posts:

Walnut Street Bridge

Walnut Street Bridge

Understanding Your Food and Biotechnology (Part 3)

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This is the last of my blog posts on the topic of biotechnology and foods from Ronald Kleinman’s lecture: Biotechnology, Nutrition, and Agriculture: A Perspective and Implications for Child Health. The posts over the past 4 days describe in detail why the hysteria over genetically modified foods/genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is detrimental.  Unfortunately, the lack of understanding has led to widespread adoption of “GMO-free” labeling by food manufacturers which perpetuates the misplaced idea that these foods may not be safe.  The slides and lecture will be available at the Nutrition4Kids website.

Screen Shot 2015-11-11 at 5.47.17 PM

 

This mother’s blog: “I don’t feed them organic food and I’m not a bad Mom.” It is a sad commentary that someone needs to write this.

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Humans, unlike plants, do not have the enzyme that Roundup (glyposate) targets –so it is safe. By targeting this enzyme, genetic engineering can allow the crop to be herbicide resistant, making it fairly easy to kill off weeds without hurting crop.  With biotechnology, we can kill weeds without killing plants. Thus, no till farming is needed. Current herbicides are much safer than prior agents.  Roundup (glyphosate) is water-soluble; it is not stored in fat. There is a 30 yr hx/o safe use.  There is no data indicating cancer risk in humans or fertility risk.

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Screen Shot 2015-11-11 at 5.48.03 PM

In the past, testing breastmilk for roundup used a flawed methodology. F/u study by McGuire M (sponsored by US govt) showed no Roundup (glyphosate) in breastmilk.

Drought-resistant crops are becoming increasingly important. Meeting global food production will require more ‘crop per drop’ due to increasing population and less lands available for farming. Not just 3rd World –look at California. There are low crop yields in areas without biotech (Subsaharan Africa) and higher mortality.

Key points:

  1. Genetically Modified Foods/Genetically modified organisms (GMO). These foods are safer and better than foods that are not genetically modified.
  2. Roundup is not dangerous for humans.
  3. Attacks on GMOs are part of a larger “War on Science.” As with vaccinations, there is a great deal of misleading and exaggerated information.
  4. Biotechnology can help solve food crisis, improve the lives of small farmers, and reduce malnutrition.  Genetically modified food reduces the needs for chemicals and can improve health.

Understanding Your Food and Biotechnology (Part 2)

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This blog continues on the issue of genetic engineering and how it affects your food.  The information was presented in a lecture by Ronald Kleinman (see the posts from the last two days):  Biotechnology, Nutrition, and Agriculture: A Perspective and Implications for Child Health.  The slides and lecture will be posted on Nutrition4Kids website.

Biotechnology/genetic engineering is more precise in selecting desirable crop traits

Biotechnology/genetic engineering is more precise in selecting desirable crop traits

Why Newer Techniques (Genetic Engineering) Are Safer

Why Newer Techniques (Genetic Engineering) Are Safer: Fewer Genes Affected Than Traditional Breeding and Mutagenesis along with Required Safety Testing

In the slide above, the first column shows traditional breeding of crops and how this can introduce thousands of changes into the crop.  The second column illustrates the use of chemicals and radiation (mutagenesis) to change crops; this type of crop engineering preceded genetic engineering and has not required the rigorous testing of the final two columns which depict modern biotechnology with either RNA interference of transgenetics.  Both of the later two methods are precise and undergo ~6-10 years of testing before introduction.

3

The above slide is one example of the safety of genetically modified tomatoes.

BT Corn (insect resistant) is Safer with Less Liver Cancer and Fewer Birth Defects

BT Corn (insect resistant) is Safer with Less Liver Cancer and Fewer Birth Defects

Key points:

  1. Genetic change in foods is as old as agriculture. Lots of vegetables/crops were not found in nature, including corn and wheat.
  2. Why is it false to talk about genetic modification as a special category? It’s all DNA which is undergoing constant change. Traditional breeding allows selection of random multiple genes and then selecting plant we like. Biotechnology is more precise and safer (eg. only the gene for sweetness for corn is transferred).
  3. 240 Agencies from across the globe have confirmed that biotechnology is safe because of the extensive testing that show these agents are at least as safe as ‘natural’ products. 2500 studies of GMO products from across the globe (not just Monsanto!) have proven the safety of these products.
  4. Other examples of beneficial biotechnology: a) BT Corn — safer, less liver cancer, less birth defects (myelomeningocele) b) Golden Rice –can solve iron & vitamin A deficiency.  Vitamin A deficiency contributes >1 million deaths/yr due to increased susceptibility to infections. Golden Rice in normal quantities provides RDA of Vit A. This is a lot more effective and less expensive than a supplement.

More tomorrow…

War on Science and Genetically-Modified Food

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In the battlefield of ideas, science is losing badly.  The problem with science is that many concepts are complex and sometimes difficult to communicate.  For anyone interested in the science of food, and not the hysteria, a great lecture on this topic was presented by Ronald Kleinman, MD:  Biotechnology, Nutrition, and Agriculture: A Perspective and Implications for Child Health

Group Shot

Stanley Cohen, Jeff Lewis, Evelyn Johnson (Georgia AAP President), Ronald Kleinman, and Jay Hochman at the Georgia AAP Nutrition Symposium.

I had the opportunity to participate and moderate a nutrition symposium at the Georgia American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) pediatric meeting. This symposium was sponsored by Nutrition4Kids and funded by an educational grant from Nutricia.  The first lecture was given by Dr. Kleinman. He is Chief of the Department of Pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital and Physician-in-Chief at MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHfC) and Partners Pediatrics.  This was a fabulous talk and will be available at the Nutrition4Kids website.  This blog post is a summary of the talk.  Over the next few days, a couple of these ideas will be discussed further. Key points:

  1. Genetically Modified Foods/Genetically modified organisms (GMO). These foods are safer and better than foods that are not genetically modified.
  2. Roundup is not dangerous for humans.  With biotechnology, we can kill weeds without killing plants. Thus no till farming is needed. Current herbicides are much safer than prior agents. Humans, unlike plants, do not have the enzyme that roundup targets –so it is safe. Roundup is water-soluble; it is not stored in fat. There is a 30 yr hx/o safe use.  There is no data indicating cancer risk in humans or fertility risk. In the past, testing breastmilk for roundup used a flawed methodology. F/u study by McGuire M (sponsored by US govt) showed no roundup in breastmilk.
  3. GMOs are part of a larger “War on Science.” As with vaccinations, there is a great deal of misleading and exaggerated information.
  4. Genetic engineering has not only improved our food supply but has been essential in innovations like vaccines and insulin.
  5. Biotechnology is ubiquitous. It’s not just crops, but cheese, wine, etc. Biotechnology has led 16,000 fewer children dying each day compared to 1990; this is largely due to biotechnology. Improved food security and less malnutrition results in fewer secondary complications (eg pneumonia, diarrhea).
  6. Genetic change in foods is as old as agriculture. Lots of vegetables/crops were not found in nature, including corn and wheat. Cross-breeding allowed development of modern corn and wheat.
  7. Why is it false to talk about genetic modification as a special category? It’s all DNA which is undergoing constant change. Traditional breeding allows selection of random multiple genes and then selecting plant we like. Biotechnology is more precise and safer (eg. only the gene for sweetness for corn is transferred, so can be more safe).
  8. 240 Agencies have confirmed that biotechnology is safe because of the testing that shows these agents are at least as safe as ‘natural’ products. 2500 studies of GMO products from across the globe (not just Monsanto!) have proven the safety of these products.
  9. Most of GMO-farming occurs with small farmers (90% in developing world) who are not rich; these products result in income gains of greater than 30%.
  10. Why is there such widespread adoption of GMO products by farmers? They are better: insect resistance, herbicide resistance, viral resistance, and drought/salt resistance
  11. Other examples of beneficial biotechnology: a) BT Corn — safer, less liver cancer, less birth defects (eg. myelomeningocele) b) Golden Rice –can solve iron & vitamin A deficiency.  Vitamin A deficiency contributes >1 million deaths/yr due to increased susceptibility to infections. Golden Rice in normal quantities provides RDA of Vit A. This is a lot more effective and less expensive than a supplement. These products are not commercially available even though nonprofits willing to give seeds for free –due to hysteria, politics. Greenpeace has actually burned Golden Rice rice fields.
  12. Drought-resistant crops are becoming increasingly important. Meeting global food production will require more ‘crop per drop’ due to increasing population and less lands available for farming. Not just 3rd World –look at California. There are low crop yields in areas without biotech (Subsaharan Africa) and higher mortality.

Unfortunately, shortly after hearing this lecture explain in great detail why GMO-containing products should be praised and not shunned, I picked up a drink.  Here’s the label: GMO free drink

Bottomline: The science is sound.  Biotechnology and GMOs/genetically modified foods are making are food better, safer and reducing mortality. If only we could communicate this fact effectively.

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