Corn, soy, and GMOs – what percentage of each of these are you and the animals you eat?

Caryn Lipson

January 1, 2024

GMO corn and soy in more products than you would imagine

A significant portion of the food products on U.S. shelves are made with or from corn and soy, as both main ingredients and as derivatives. Frontline News has highlighted the many health problems associated with GMO crops, however, you might be astonished by the amounts of genetically modified corn and soy we consume in one form or another without realizing it. Both are found in products and places one would never imagine.

For example, to help in the drying process, vanilla beans are sprayed with a corn derivative, so most vanilla extract has some corn in it.[fn]Kathleena, The Allergy Chef. “Hidden Sources of Corn and Corn Derivatives.” RAISE, 8 July 2022, https://raise.theallergychef.com/hidden-sources-of-corn-and-corn-derivatives [/fn] And tocopherol acetate (synthetic vitamin E) and gum arabic may be made from or with soy.[fn] Trimmer, Maya. “SOY DERIVATIVES LIST.” Soy Derivatives, https://soyderivatives.blogspot.com/p/the-list.html/ [/fn]

In fact, people with corn or soy allergies have tremendous difficulty finding foods that are safe for them to eat. Here are some websites with lists of corn and soy products and their derivatives:

Dangerous even if not modified

Lynne Saunt of The Gluten-free Society explains that corn diminishes niacin, also known as Vitamin B3 and prevents its absorption. Since Vitamin B3 is essential for lung health, she questions if the amount of corn in the average diet could have been related to bad outcomes for COVID-19 patients.

The Society also has a list of food items containing corn.

We are what we eat

Dr. Sanjay Gupta put shocking numbers to the amount of corn and soy in the average American diet in a 2007 CNN Edition episode entitled “If We Are What We Eat, Americans Are Corn and Soy.” A strand of Gupta’s hair, as analyzed by University of California-Berkeley Plant Biologist Todd Dawson, contained 69% carbon from corn and, as estimated by National Institutes of Health’s Dr. Joseph Hibbeln, 10% of calories in the US diet comes from soybeans, generally in the form of soybean oil.

Dawson and Hibbeln identified obesity, diabetes, major depression, and heart disease as negative health effects of too much corn and soy. Hibbeln noted that the shift in diet from a balance between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids to almost exclusively omega-6 is responsible for many “diseases of modern civilization.” His research indicates that diets that include omega-3 fatty acids can reduce depression, aggression, and anger and improve mental well-being.[fn] Gupta, Sanjay, Dr. “If We Are What We Eat, Americans Are Corn and Soy.” CNN, Cable News Network, https://edition.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/diet.fitness/09/22/kd.gupta.column/ [/fn]

So are the animals

If we are what we eat, then most animals grown in the US for human consumption must also be corn and soy, since animals grown in concentrated/confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are fed an unnatural diet predominantly consisting of corn and soy.[fn]“CAFOs in the US”, https://cafomaps.org/ [/fn] This goes for farmed fish as well![fn] “Feeds for Aquaculture,” Fisheries, NOAA. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/insight/feeds-aquaculture [/fn]

How much is genetically modified?

More importantly, are we the pesticides and genetic modifications of the corn, soy, and other similarly modified and sprayed fruits and vegetables that we, and the animals we consume, eat? Gupta might not have known that an astounding 92% of corn and 94% of soy grown in the US is genetically modified[fn]“About Ge Foods: | about Genetically Engineered Foods.” Center for Food Safety, www.centerforfoodsafety.org/issues/311/ge-foods/about-ge-foods[/fn] (bioengineered in today’s parlance) to kill specific insects endemic to these plants.

Bt corn, bt soy, and other bt crops were introduced into the food supply in 1996.[fn] “Recent Trends in GE Adoption.” USDA Economic Research Service, https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/adoption-of-genetically-engineered-crops-in-the-u-s/recent-trends-in-ge-adoption/ [/fn] They have been modified to produce the Cry protein DNA of the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis, a natural enemy of several crop pests, enabling the protein to replicate in the plants and destroy those pests.[fn] Bessin, Ric, “Bt-Corn: What It Is and How It Works.” University of Kentucky, Dept. of Entomology, https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef130 [/fn] Another genetic modification to these crops renders them resistant to the herbicide glyphosate, Monsanto’s Roundup. These crops are called “Roundup Ready”.[fn] Funke, Todd, et al. “Molecular basis for the herbicide resistance of Roundup ready crops.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 103, no. 35, 29 Aug. 2006, pp. 13010–13015, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0603638103 [/fn]

Health risks of GMOs

Frontline News previously highlighted studies showing Bt toxin found in the blood samples of pregnant and non-pregnant women and in umbilical cord blood. Glyphosate residue was likewise found in the muscles of freshwater fish and biological fluids and tissue samples. Studies were cited detailing their health effects such as cancers, infertility, liver damage, infant mortality, and more.

The risks of GM crops go further than just the health effects shown in those studies, though. Genetic modification has additional unintended outcomes and risks, explained GMWatch Technical advisor Dr Michael Antoniou.[fn] Antoniou, Michael, Dr. “Gene Editing: Unexpected Outcomes and Risks.” GM Watch, 3 Aug. 2020, https://gmwatch.org/en/news/archive/2019/19499 [/fn] He states:

The unintended mutational (DNA damaging) outcomes . . . occur after the gene-editing tool has completed its task of creating a double-strand DNA break. The mutations are a consequence of the cell’s DNA repair machinery, over which the genetic engineer has no control. So, even if scientists are eventually successful in avoiding off-target mutations, most of the unintended mutations can still occur at the intended gene-editing site.

How to avoid GMOs

Grow or sell GMO foods in Russia - then you're a terrorist according to the doctor in the tweet below shared by Erin Elizabeth of Health Nut News. While those claims may be exaggerated, the Russian government "had blocked the growing of GMO crops domestically and had restricted GMO-based imports.”

The doctor says that buying organic is the best way to join the Russians in avoiding GMOs.

Capital Club Co. tweeted the following tip for identifying GMO produce at the grocery store.

The following websites can be of help to consumers interested in avoiding genetically modified foods and glyphosate:

Shop Non-GMO – Includes a downloadable non-GMO shopping guide to which you can refer to when shopping.

Non-GMO Verified Products – Search their database for GMO-free products by brand or ingredients.

Non-GMO shopping guide…and when you dine out - Explains how to “eat non-GMO, what a non-GMO label means, the differences between non-GMO & organic, and how to avoid GMOs even when there’s no label, and when you dine out.”

Glyphosate in Food: Avoid These Contaminated Products - Claims “It is estimated that more than 80% of Americans are exposed to glyphosate. Find out which food products are contaminated with this chemical and how to limit exposure.”

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