Autism and GMOs

In the 15 years since genetically engineered foods have come on the market, we have seen an increase in childhood ADHD, allergies, diabetes, obesity, autism, digestive problems and inflammatory disease. Is that a coincidence? Some say there is no connection with GE food, but how can they be so confident, when it is impossible to conduct any epidemiological study on this question? GMOs cannot be tracked in a much-needed study of the health effects on humans, because they are not labeled. It is unethical to make America into a country of unknowing lab rats while disallowing the one essential element of the study design, a test group and a control group. Informed consent is a legal requirement for research and there is none in this national experiment that has been going on for over a decade.

Gut mucosal cell and gut flora changes have been noted in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children. The structural changes in the mucosal cell lining of lab rats fed GE diets appear similar to the mucosal lining of autistic children. The mucosal vili are elongated with more space in between in GE fed animals and also apparently in at least some children with ASD disorder. The changes in the cells in the GI tract in animals fed GE diets could explain a rise in 'leaky gut syndrome' observed by some doctors. When the animals stop eating GE food, presumably the GI tract regains normal cell structure and function. This could, at least in part, explain why the animals' health improves and also why we hear parents of autistic children say that symptoms declined when they stopped eating GE foods.

GE food contains higher levels of toxins, allergens and substances that suppress the immune system and they result in changes in the bacteria in the intestines. Some autistic symptoms can be caused by food allergies, complicated by the higher levels of allergens in some GE foods. Residual glyphosate in Roundup Ready soy suppresses beneficial gut bacteria, allowing Clostridium spp to grow, leading to toxic botulism. Another potential problem is that bacterial genes in Bt corn can transfer to gut bacteria so that normally beneficial bacteria start producing Bt toxin in the gut. A Canadian study found Bt toxin in 93% of pregnant mothers blood, and 80% of fetal cord blood. Biotech companies claimed that Bt would be broken down in the stomach and that it isn't harmful - wrong on both counts.

One study established that the enzyme that gives a plant tolerance to spraying with Roundup herbicide was transferred from GE soy to gut bacteria. A rat feeding study in Australia observed that rats eating GE food had behaviors similar to autism. It is time to start trying to connect the dots and design a study to test if GE food contributes to ASD; however, that is extremely difficult when GE food is not labeled. The AMA declared this year that that GE food should be tested before it is approved for release in the food supply, but without any recommendation as to it's prevalence often in small unlabeled amounts in so much processed food.

A number of doctors and nutritionists are prescribing non-GMO diets for their patients as called for by the American Academy of Environmental Medicine. Their patients are improving from a wide range of conditions. This is not to claim that food uncontaminated by GE ingredients and other toxins might cure autism, but enough different kinds of observations have been made to include this question in any inquiry into how to lessen the severity of the symptoms.

Parents of autistic children are at the top of my list of people for whom Proposition 37 will be of particular importance. When the California Right to Know Food Labeling Act passes on November 6 parents of children with a variety of health challenges will look forward to having the information they need to avoid GE foods.

Jan Dietrick & Ron Whitehurst